The MV Agusta Story Behind This Motorcycle

In 2022, MV Agusta announced the Lucky Explorer 5.5, an adventure bike with a QJMotor powertrain, distinctive styling, and the promise of taking the Italian brand into the middleweight adventure segment. The model never entered production. After the KTM Group became involved with MV Agusta, the project was shelved.

The concept, engine, and key design elements subsequently ended up with Spanish manufacturer Rieju. At EICMA 2024 in Milan, Rieju unveiled the Xplora 557 and Xplora 707—both using QJMotor technology and both carrying the unmistakable visual language originally intended for the Lucky Explorer.

The engine is technically related to the unit used in the Benelli TRK 552. QJMotor supplies several European brands, including Benelli, so riders familiar with that technical family can at least draw on some longer-term experience from the Benelli owner base.

Engine: 554 cc, 47 hp, 51 Nm at 4,500 rpm

The liquid-cooled 554 cc parallel twin produces 47 hp, right at the 35 kW A2 limit. Peak torque of 51 Nm arrives at just 4,500 rpm, promising useful roll-on performance without requiring high revs—exactly the kind of delivery that suits a touring-oriented crossover. The six-speed gearbox uses a wet slipper clutch, with chain final drive. The engine meets Euro 5+ requirements.

Compared directly with the Rieju Aventura 500, whose Loncin-built 485 cc twin produces 48 hp and 44 Nm at higher revs, the Xplora’s QJMotor twin delivers more torque earlier. It is more elastic, stronger in the low and midrange, and more road-oriented in its calibration, which fits the crossover concept.

Chassis: KYB, 17-Inch Spoke Wheels, Crossover Geometry

The Xplora 557 runs on 17-inch aluminum wire-spoke wheels front and rear, a clear statement of its road-focused mission. The larger Xplora 707 uses a 19-inch front wheel, underlining the different positioning. A 43 mm KYB USD fork uses a long-travel calibration and allows spring-preload adjustment. The rear shock is also preload-adjustable. The suspension is not fully adjustable for compression and rebound; that higher specification is reserved for the Xplora 707.

Braking is handled by twin 320 mm front discs with four-piston radial calipers, plus a single 260 mm rear disc. Bosch two-channel ABS is standard and can be switched off completely. For a crossover intended to handle occasional light gravel, fully switchable Bosch ABS is the right kind of equipment. Tire sizes are 120/70-17 front and 160/60-17 rear—pure road dimensions rather than off-road sizes.

Ergonomics and Positioning: Crossover, Not Enduro

Rieju’s website lists seat height at 820 mm, while earlier media reports after EICMA 2024 quoted 795 mm. The official 820 mm figure is still moderate and accessible for a crossover; the Aventura Rally 307, by comparison, sits at 890 mm. Ready-to-ride weight is 237 kg. The riding position is upright and touring-oriented, while the “Eagle Eyes” headlight design gives the motorcycle a strong and distinctive visual identity.

The Xplora 557 is positioned as a road-oriented crossover: asphalt, backroads, and light gravel. It is not an enduro. The 17-inch wheels and road-format tires make that clear. Riders with genuine off-road ambitions should choose the Aventura Rally 307 at EUR 4,790 and 158 kg with 235 mm of suspension travel, or step up to the Xplora 707 with its 19-inch front wheel.

Equipment and Five-Year Warranty

The equipment package is comprehensive for the price class: a 7-inch TFT with Mirror Link and navigation, full LED lighting, backlit switchgear, gear indicator, temperature sensor, fuel gauge, USB-A and USB-C ports, adjustable levers, hand guards, radiator protection, and a luggage rack. Crash bars and a luggage system are optional.

The most distinctive selling point outside the hardware is the five-year warranty across the XPLORA range, provided scheduled maintenance is carried out exclusively by an authorized Rieju dealer. Most manufacturers in this segment offer two or three years. Five years is a strong statement and directly addresses the hesitation some buyers may have toward a relatively unfamiliar brand in Germany.

Xplora 557 vs. 707 and Market Positioning

The German price is around EUR 6,940. For comparison, the technically related Benelli TRK 502X costs around EUR 6,490, the Honda NX500 around EUR 8,400, the Kawasaki Versys 650 around EUR 9,000, and the Yamaha Tracer 700 around EUR 10,400. The Xplora 557 undercuts all of the Japanese 650/700-class crossovers according to our sources and sits close to the Benelli, with the five-year warranty providing an additional point of distinction.

The Xplora 707, at EUR 8,240, differs through its 693 cc engine with 70 hp and 70 Nm, a 19-inch front wheel instead of 17, Brembo brakes, and slightly greater weight at 243 kg. The roughly EUR 1,200 premium buys noticeably more performance, better gravel capability through the larger front wheel, and Brembo hardware. A2-license holders are effectively directed toward the 557. Riders with an unrestricted license should test both.

Verdict

The Rieju Xplora 557 brings to market a concept MV Agusta announced in 2022 but never produced. The QJMotor twin is established technology, the equipment package is complete, and the price is competitive. The five-year warranty is exceptional in the segment. The 557 is a road-oriented crossover, not an off-road motorcycle. Riders who understand that brief get a fully equipped, A2-compatible motorcycle for around EUR 6,940, powered by an engine family with some long-term experience through related Benelli models.

Quick Check

+ Five-year warranty across the XPLORA range when scheduled maintenance is performed by an authorized Rieju dealer: exceptional in the segment and a direct answer to brand skepticism.

+ QJMotor 554 cc twin: 47 hp, 51 Nm at 4,500 rpm; A2 compliant; elastic and torque-rich from low revs; related to proven Benelli TRK 552 technology; slipper clutch; Euro 5+.

+ Fully switchable Bosch two-channel ABS; twin 320 mm front discs with four-piston radial calipers; 43 mm KYB USD fork; 7-inch TFT with Mirror Link navigation; 20-liter tank.

+ Official 820 mm seat height; full LED lighting; USB-A + USB-C; hand guards and luggage rack standard; crash bars + luggage system optional.

+ Approx. EUR 6,940 incl. ancillary charges: less than Honda NX500, Kawasaki Versys 650, and Yamaha Tracer 700 in the source comparison; five-year warranty; MV Agusta Lucky Explorer design DNA.

 

– 17-inch wheels front and rear: no off-road wheel format; road tires standard; suitable for light gravel, not genuine terrain.

– KYB suspension is preload-adjustable only, not fully adjustable; no compression adjustment. Xplora 707 has the clearer chassis advantage.

– No Brembo brakes, unlike the Xplora 707; four-piston radial calipers without premium branding.

– Stationary noise not officially published; confirm Tyrol compatibility with dealer.

– Young model in Germany, available since May 2025; dealer network still developing.

– Five-year warranty is conditional on maintenance exclusively through authorized Rieju dealers; with the network still growing, dealer proximity should be checked before purchase.

 

Technical Specifications: Rieju Xplora 557 (2026)

Brand / Model: Rieju Xplora 557; manufacturer: Rieju España S.A., Figueres; engine: QJMotor, also supplier to Benelli; technical basis: MV Agusta Lucky Explorer 5.5, announced in 2022 but never produced; variants: 557 S, road, and 557 X, mild dirt orientation; colors: White, Black

Engine: Liquid-cooled 554 cc parallel twin; fuel injection; wet slipper clutch; six-speed; chain drive; Euro 5+; A2 compliant, 47 hp / 34.6 kW

Power: 47 hp / 34.6 kW, exactly at the A2 limit; some sources round to 48 hp

Torque: 51 Nm at 4,500 rpm

Technical Relationship: Benelli TRK 552, same QJMotor engine supplier

Top Speed: Approx. 150 km/h

Fuel Tank: 20 liters

Frame: Steel-tube frame

Fork: 43 mm KYB USD; long-travel calibration; preload adjustable; not fully adjustable

Rear Shock: KYB; preload adjustable; not fully adjustable

Front Brakes: Twin 320 mm discs; four-piston radial calipers, non-Brembo; Bosch two-channel ABS fully switchable

Rear Brake: Single 260 mm disc; ABS switchable

Wheels: 17-inch front and rear; tubeless aluminum wire-spoke wheels

Tires: 120/70-17 front; 160/60-17 rear, road format

Ergonomics: 820 mm seat height; upright crossover riding position; 237 kg ready to ride

Equipment: 7-inch TFT; Mirror Link; navigation; full LED; USB-A + USB-C; adjustable levers; hand guards; radiator guard; luggage rack; crash bars + luggage system optional

Stationary Noise: Not officially published; confirm Tyrol compatibility with dealer

German Price: Approx. EUR 6,940 incl. ancillary charges

Warranty: 5 years across XPLORA range, conditional on scheduled maintenance exclusively at authorized Rieju dealers