The Tourer that proves luxury can be practical

If you’re looking for a luxury touring bike, you’re spoiled for choice. There are several fantastic, dedicated tourers out there, all boasting endless lists of impressive features. Essentially, you are only limited by budget.

While no one expects a luxury touring car to be budget-friendly, some of these touring cars will set you back over $50,000, which is excessive for a motorcycle. They’re also huge, and while their size is a plus on the highway, it counts against them just about anywhere else. One Italian bike is tapping into this oversized trend, offering a host of impressive features, all packed into a more practical middleweight platform.

In order to provide you with the most current and accurate information, the data used to compile this article was sourced from MV Agusta. While the opinions are ours.

The MV Agusta Turismo Veloce Lusso SCS proves that luxury can be practical

MSRP: $20,598

The Turismo Veloce backs up its stunning Italian design with a host of impressive features. While it certainly isn’t cheap, it has enough going for it to deserve the price tag. MV Agusta is one of the most exotic motorcycle manufacturers in the world and the level of finish is on par with the very best in the industry. But it still has some equally impressive competition to deal with at this price point.

At this price, it’s especially hard to look past the BMW S 1000 XR. It is not without reason that this bicycle sells so well all over the world. It offers true sports bike performance with more comfortable ergonomics and improved wind protection. BMW also offers an impressive selection of luxury options that you can have installed for a price. While the base model is well priced, the ‘packages’ are expensive, and you’ll have to choose wisely or literally pay the price.

The Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello is perhaps the next best looking motorcycle in its segment. Although it is also relatively lively, it is slightly heavier than the MV. KTM still has the 1290 Super Duke GT. Like the BMW, it is considerably more powerful, but is more of a blunt instrument and lacks finesse. It’s still a hugely fun touring car and will appeal to a different kind of driver with a taste for the wild side.

The Turismo Veloce has a sporty three-cylinder engine

Power: 110 hp

The F3 sports engine can deliver up to 160 hp in the right configuration, but for this application MV has dialed back the power to 110. This number delivers significant performance benefits in the mid-range, with almost all of its torque available between 3,000 and 6,000 rpm. Theoretically this will also improve overall reliability, but with so few of these bikes sold per year it’s hard to say. No news is good news in this regard, but this 798cc version of MV’s triple has had its fair share of problems in the past.

These triplets have a problematic past

There have been reports of valve float in the high-performance models with a power between 140 and 148 hp. All these problems appear to have occurred with wide open throttle on the track, with serious consequences. In this milder track record, there have been no instances where this has happened, but we still wouldn’t want to spend too much time at full throttle. You never know what could happen. This is an Italian motorcycle, after all.

The Turismo Veloce exudes Italian style

While the odd quirk will always be part of the ownership experience, Italian bikes are also heavy on style, and the Turismo Veloce certainly doesn’t disappoint in this department. This is not only one of the most beautiful touring motorcycles, it is perhaps one of the most beautiful bikes on the market today, regardless of segment or class. The sporty lines adopted from the F3 are visible for all to see, but the more upright driving position and extra wind protection do not detract from the aesthetics.

It also gets the same dynamic chassis as the F3. The steel trellis supported by the aluminum plate chassis provides an ideal balance between flexibility and stiffness in the right places. Sachs’ semi-active suspension adds another layer of convenience to a bike that certainly doesn’t lack features.

Several great luxury features make this pricey middleweight worth considering

The well-integrated, color-coordinated saddlebags are standard and the usual electronics package is also present and taken into account. Lean-sensitive traction control, cornering ABS, a quick-shifter, cruise control, heated grips and a TFT dashboard with smartphone connectivity are all modern features that customers can expect at this high price. The one thing other manufacturers don’t have is the Rekluse ‘Smart Clutch System’ which essentially turns the Turismo Veloce into an automatic.

The gear lever and clutch are still there when you fancy a nice twisty stretch of canyon road, but the rest of the time you can cruise happily without having to shift gears. Honda has something similar to offer with the E-clutch, but that adds weight to the bike, while Rekluse’s version only adds 36 grams (about an ounce) to the overall weight of the bike.

With a host of great features and impeccable build quality, you get what you pay for with the Turismo Veloce. But that will certainly not apply to everyone. It is a bike with a heavy Italian ‘charm’, which is not always a good thing. Long-term reliability cannot be taken for granted, and the resale value is low enough to make a grown man cry. That said, it’s about as practical as a touring bike can be, and it’s one of the few true luxury motorcycles that you can actually use every day.

Chassis, suspension and weight specifications