Why I’m Excited About the Ducati V4 Multistrada! — USA Motorcycling
What? But you like Aprilia.
Look, I’m no Ducati fanboy. I’m actually an Aprilia man. I currently ride a Dorsoduro 750 and an RSV4R and previously owned an SXV 450 Supermoto — all are awesome, and I believe best in class.
For several reasons, I would argue that Aprilia is generally more desirable than Ducati, but let’s not get into that right now. (Owning an Aprilia has downsides too.)
So to be honest, I’m not excited to actually own a Ducati V4 Multistrada, nevertheless I’m excited about its release.
What is So Good?
First off, the Ducati V4 engine is amazing.
Despite Ducati saying the “V4 is finally here,” Honda has been doing V4s for decades, the RSV4 Aprilia came out in 2009/10, and several MotoGP bikes have run that configuration for a long time now. But the Ducati is unbelievably good.
In superbike form the V4 has over 220 HP! The electronics package keeps that power in check remarkably well too. The superbike suffers to some degree on the handling side, but in many shootouts and tests it comes out on top because time and again testers say something to the effect of, “you can always find a way to make it turn, but you can’t always make it faster.” It’s a rocket, trust me.
My friend has one and it’s fast. At Club Motorsports, I catch him in the turns….just to watch him pull away on the next straight. Lather, rinse, repeat. Most of the time, it’s with his front wheel 8" off the ground and the rear Pirelli leaving a smoldering black strip on the pavement.
I’m sure he’s laughing like a maniac inside his helmet; I know I would be. (see it HERE)
So back to the Multistrada. The V4 engine, tuned for a purported 170HP, 92ft-lb of torque, and smoother acceleration, is going to be an absolute beast on the street, and maybe a bit of a handful doing light off-road duty.
Luckily, it’s highly likely that the electronics will be as fantastic as they are on the superbike. The bottom two of the four mapping choices (Sport/Touring/Urban/Enduro) will limit that HP to 115 and all will have varying rates of throttle response, engine braking, and torque curves depending on the type of riding you are planning on doing.
Standard with those electronics are the almost now obligatory traction control, ABS, and anti-wheelie with the ability to choose how intrusive those functions are or turn them off completely.
Semi-active electronic suspension is available on the S and S-Sport trim options as well. In the past this has proven remarkably effective for two-up riding, off-road, and if you want, stiff enough for a few laps at the track.
New though is adaptive cruise control, plus blind spot monitoring provided by radar. This is one of the few times in my opinion that car stuff is making its way to motorcycles and is actually a welcome addition.
And let’s be perfectly honest. It looks beautiful. Italian styling and class just as we’ve come to expect from Ducati (the 999 — one the top 10 ugliest bikes in the world — being the exception that proves the rule).
No doubt the chassis will be good. A 3×19" front wheel and a smaller more manageable 4.5×17" 170 profile on the rear (down from the 190) makes a lot of sense for a “do-it-all” bike and creates a multitude of choices from full-on knobbies to hypersport tires.
Suspension travel is 6.7" front and 7.1" rear offering just over 8.5" of ground clearance. Weighing in at around 480 lbs. (depending on model) it is a bit heavy, but not unacceptable in my opinion.
Ducati throws in a TFT dashboard, GPS connected app
, adjustable seat height, monobloc Brembo brakes, spoked or alloy wheel options, and all the bells and whistles you could ever want on the higher spec options and of course, it comes at a price. $20–26K is a lot for a Sport-touring/ADV bike.
Fingers crossed that once I ride it, I’ll be able to tell you if I think it’s worth it. Spring will be here soon.
So those are the specs for the most part. You get the idea — it’s an innovative, premium, no-holds-barred, “one of a kind” motorcycle. On paper, I will admit it is utterly amazing.
That is Exciting!
Obviously it’s exciting. But I already said I don’t plan on owning one. Let me tell you why am I so excited.
It raises the bar so high, so fast that in an effort to keep up and be noticed the entire industry is going to have to innovate and dig deep. Granted KTM has the 1290 Super Adventure R carving out a prominent place in this space already.
(According to another friend who is part of the BDR team the KTM the best ADV bike he’s ever been on, so that’s already a pretty high bar.) BMW has owned this segment for years and years, and will always be there but, now has challengers. Big ones.
Obviously, I’m excited to see what Aprilia does to compete, the Caponord is good but getting dated. Hopefully, Moto Guzzi makes changes to help the TT85 reach its full potential.
I’m excited by rumors that Kawasaki might FINALLY update their KLR series or transform the Versys into something truly versatile. Yamaha’s Super Tenre 700 is underwhelming but the S10 has potential.
And I’m thrilled to see even Harley Davidson get into the mix with the upcoming Pan-America. Fantastic options will soon be bountiful for big, fast, versatile adventure bikes, with all the latest tech, and perhaps some new innovations as well. That’s good for all motorcyclists.
Times are changing in the motorcycle industry, with companies like Ducati and bikes like the Multistrada V4 leading the way. Grazie mille to the company from Bologna. Keep up the great work!
Originally published at https://usamotorcycling.com on January 7, 2021.
