MV Agusta launches the Lucky Explorer Project, a multi-faceted initiative aiming at gathering the passionate lovers of rally raid and off-road racing around Schiranna’s unforgettable legacy of epic participation and victories in the great African rallies of the golden age.
That same spirit of adventure and freedom is the foundation of this ambitious teaser communication project which will be initially developed through digital communication activities followed by others in the real-life world to finally back up the launch of two new adventure bikes.
The Lucky Explorer Project is not just a cold yet smart marketing project. It represents the ultimate character of the Company to express its sentiments in the motorcycle business, revamping deeply the passion, the emotions, the values, the style, the gestures of men and bikes who made the history of racing in the desert. It’s more than a project.
The Lucky Explorer Project has been conceived to create a communication platform to support the launch of two brand new adventure bikes, creating anticipation and thrill, thus:
• Revamping the Lucky Explorer racing heritage
• Telling the story and spread the culture of the great African rallies
• Building an adventure, off-road enthusiast community
• Involving and engaging participants in online and offline actions
Lucky Explorer Project is not just about bikes, it’s about a comprehensive world of emotions, memories, values and a way of being. A long-awaited return for all the fans of Made-in-Schiranna, but also a new beginning and a leap into the future.
The new 5.5 and 9.5 adventure bikes offer a concrete yet suggestive perspective in an increasingly crowded competitive arena, focused on riding efficiency and stylistic charm, as well as on advanced technical solutions.
Both projects represent the modern interpretation of the desert race’s myth, which appealed the imagination of the Motorsport world since the mid-Eighties, conquering tons of enthusiasts in the continuous search for brand-new and thrilling adventures.
The 9.5 project represents the synthesis of a tireless design and development work that for many months has been aimed at creating a unique bike capable of offering breathless riding experience and user-friendly approach, without forgetting first-rate performance and charm. Compared to many of its main challengers, the 9.5 boasts an unprecedented off-road attitude, thanks to a bespoke chassis formula, starting with the wheel diameter: 21” at the front and 18” at the rear, together with 1,580 mm wheelbase.
The primary goals of the project? Designing a motorcycle that is first and foremost compact, lightweight, essential and functional, with an intense off-road character. On top of this, out-of-the-ordinary versatility married to ability to move effectively and safely in whatever condition, from smooth asphalt to rocky terrain. With the aim to make this exclusive machine even more intuitive and easy to handle the saddle results adjustable in height.
Originally, on the historic Elefant model, at centre-stage in the Dakar races, the Lucky Explorer logo was immediately recognisable, even from a distance, to the point of characterising the whole bike and emphasising its racing-oriented personality. Today, on both new models that logo blooms again thanks to the graphic and set-up winning choices.
The 5.5 version, developed in close collaboration with our partner QJ, is a new adventure bike inspired by the heritage of the Elefant. Despite being a mid-sized bike, its appearance is that of a higher displacement travel-oriented motorcycle, capable of seducing European riders looking for a sturdy and unstoppable companion.
Such close collaboration with the partner has brought to life a truly advanced model if compared to the starting model: electronics, mechanics and chassis, in fact, have been carefully developed on the basis of detailed specifications. Electronics, for example, has been optimised to offer the perfect combination between performance and safety.
The two-cylinder in-line liquid-cooled engine with double overhead camshaft distribution has also undergone specific refinement, aimed at further improving the high efficiency. The increase in displacement up to 554 cc (70.5 mm bore and 71 mm stroke), distinctive content for this model, has the goal to further enrich the torque curve and smoothen delivery at all revs. That is what a motorcycle with such a wide spectrum of use deserves.
The distinctive design of the 5.5 version can be seen both from the superstructures and from other aesthetic crucial features, such as the bespoke optical groups. Stylistic inspiration is shared with the 9.5 model and inspired by the legendary races in the desert, not to mention other features, which allows this newborn to proudly claim its technical, conceptual and aesthetic identity.
