Limited to just 500 examples, is the MV Agusta LXP Orioli the most pointless limited-run bike we have seen come out of the MV factory to date?
When we first saw MV Agusta’s lineup of Lucky Explorer adventure bike concepts break cover in 2021’s EICMA show in Milan, we let out a collective shout of joy. Finally! The Italian manufacturer was going to make not only bikes that are practical but also for a range of riders who want more than a pretty bike to look at.
Sadly, two years on the attainable Lucky Explorer 5.5 concept has been axed, and the cool 9.5 version has morphed into a limited-run machine that will be lucky to ever see the dirt. At least its name – LXP Orioli – is kinda cool.
Limited to just 500 examples with pricing rumoured to be around €30,000 (approx $55,000), each of which comes signed by Dakar legend Edi Orioli, it is fair to say that what MV has delivered has opinions divided.
As with the Lucky Explorer 9.5 concept, the LXP Orioli is powered by a three-cylinder engine rather than the big V-twin of the Cagiva Elefant it draws inspiration from. Measuring in at 931cc and pumping out 124hp of peak power and backed by a solid low-down torque spread, the engine has been developed and manufactured entirely in Italy according to MV.
For a sub-1000cc machine, there is no denying the LXP Orioli is heavy with a dry weight of 224kg. That puts its wet weight with a full 20 litres of fuel plus oil at over 240kg. For reference, two of its main competitors - the KTM 890 Adventure R and Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro weigh in at 210kg and 222kg wet. In true Italian fashion a “racing kit” consisting of a homologated titanium exhaust, co-designed and developed by MV Agusta and Termignoni. This is paired with a carbon fibre end cap and heat shield for a total weight saving of 4kg. Still, going by weight alone and despite its Dakar racer inspiration, an off-road contender this bike is not!
That said, MV has given it some decent suspension and tech to help it along off the straight and narrow.
Suspension comes from Sachs with the adjustable 48mm USD fork sporting 210mm of travel, while out the back the similarly adjustable Sachs monoshock offers the same. Curiously for a bike purporting to be “all-terrain luxury” the suspension is manually adjustable rather than electronic.
Electronics-wise, the LXP Orioli features a TFT dashboard, keyless ignition, quickshifter, multiple rider modes, five levels of traction control intervention and cornering ABS.
Braking comes in the form of 320mm twin discs with Brembo Stylema calipers clamping down on them up the front, while in the rear is a twin-piston Brembo caliper and 240mm disc.
With a seat height measuring in at 850/870mm you’ll need legs as deep as your pockets to swing a leg over the hefty MV adventure machine.