When I first saw the Ducati
Multistrada at the NEC a couple of years ago I said to myself "Now there's an
ugly bike, what are Ducati doing by building that?" It is complete departure
from the Italian exotica the factory is renowned for producing, in fact I would
have gone so far as to say that it was not a Ducati design when I first saw it.
But times change, and first impressions can sometime be completely wrong!
Sometimes it takes me a while to make my mind up about a new bike when riding it
for the first time. When I collected the Multistrada from Ducati I also
collected a 1000DS which I started to ride immediately. It wasn't until about a
week later that we swapped bikes over after being told by Simon "You've just got
to ride this Multistrada It's just great, you can take so many liberties with
it" so we swapped and I did!
This bike is not just good, it's great, and seriously good fun to live with. It
is so unlike any other Ducati I have ever ridden and I must say that I am very
impressed with the end result created by Ducati's designers and engineers, it is
after all previously unexplored territory for Ducati. Director of design at
Ducati, Pierre Terblanche, wanted to build a bike that was fun to ride on the
roads he enjoyed. OK so that's a good enough reason, but the new bike had to
cope with not only the twisting and often bumpy mountain passes, it also needed
the ability to ride in town and tackle long-distance work as well. There are
lots of winding roads in the mountainous areas of Italy, many of them are also
rutted with breaking surfaces and strange repairs, much like the roads in the UK
really! But it's on these types of roads that the Multistrada truly excels.
My first ride on the Multistrada was
in fact on the pillion for some 40-50 miles, I found out then that it was indeed
very comfortable on the back, and that the bike had plenty of grunt for some
serious touring either with a pillion or with lots of luggage. We then swapped
bikes and I took the quick route home to get out of London, the M25, oh well it
had to be done! On the way back I took the longer way home and exited the M40
and off into the Oxfordshire countryside for some rather more serious riding.
That's when I saw the Multistrada come into it's own. Having spent many a happy
day riding these roads on all sorts of serious sportsbikes, tourers, customs and
other strange bikes I suddenly saw the light! The Ducati Multistrada is possibly
the ultimate all-rounder on these roads, it's so much fun to ride with it's
perfect blend of sportsbike handling and performance with a high riding position
akin to something like a 2 wheeled Range Rover. It is comfortable, has a great
riding position, it's practical and when needed can actually do a little
off-road work as well.
The 1000 DS 'Dual Spark' motor that powers the Multistrada is the same variant
that is currently fitted to the 1000DS Supersport, and the Monster. This new
engine gives you effortless power and torque, it's not arm-wrenching but the way
it fits in to the design and approach of the bike really lets you use all of it.
There is a little vibration through various parts of the bike at certain speeds,
but it's never that annoying, it's just enough to let you know you are on an
Italian masterpiece. There's lots of torque available from just off idle, and it
will rev up to 8700rpm redline easily in almost all of the 6 gears. In 6th gear
at a leisurely 4000rpm you will see a legal 70mph which says that it is relaxed
and has a serious potential as a tourer.
The Multistrada rides on a signature Ducati trellis frame, it feels just right
for the bike giving a solid feeling and perfectly rigid. The front end is fitted
with USD Showa forks and the rear with a monoshock set-up as found on Ducati's
999 and 749, It rides with total confidence and gives you a grin every time.
There are some differences in the suspension however, mainly the 165mm of
travel, and also the compression damping adjustor has been re-positioned to the
outside of the fork legs, this makes it so much easier to adjust over the other
versions.The end result is that the Multistrada has sportsbike handling, can
soak up potholes and ruts, and with the 24-degree steering angle has a near
perfect balance of agility and stability on all roads. One thing I must say here
is I am not used to any Ducati having a good steering lock, but to my surprise
the Multistrada actually has. This together with a low centre of gravity make
tight U-turns dead easy for anyone. The clutch is a little heavy, but then it
just reminds you that you are in fact on a Ducati, it's not a problem in town or
traffic at all. The gearbox is very good indeed, it is positive and slick around
town, out on the open roads or even at a track day. Trackday? I hear you say,
well yes is the answer. I think that this bike in good hands will seriously
upset many a sportsbike, after all it has all the trademark handling qualities
of any other Ducati.
On other more sports focused Ducatis
the injection system has a tendency to jerkiness around town, this was something
I could not find on the Multistrada. The Marelli system is slightly different to
the normal version and has no cold idle lever like the 1000DS Supersport or
Monster. It is crisper to ride in traffic and has great response right up
through the rev range. You can bring into play all those 84 horses to get the
200kg of Multistrada going in a flash. I suppose sometime in the future we will
see a 998 or maybe a 999 powered version, that day will be fantastic if this
bike is anything to go by! In the braking department Ducati have yet again set
the standards for seriously good brakes, in fact the brakes fitted to the
Multistrada are the same as you will find on the 999, 749, Supersports and so
on. You get fantastic stopping power, great feel and tyre squealing from both
ends. Of course they're Brembo 'Gold series' to be exact, need I say any more!!
So after all the mechanical stuff what have we got here? Well on first
impressions the Multistrada is not the best looking bike in the world, but it
has character and that's what it is all about nowadays. To top that off the
entire package delivers an adrenalin rush that most other bikes don't even come
close to, it's user friendly and will take you almost anywhere you want to go.
So don't be put off by first impressions, this bike has it all and it grows on
you very quickly.
The riding position and general feel
of the bike is that of a slightly grown-up Supermoto, it's very slim, has wide
bars and a low slung engine. Taking it around the lanes and 'B' roads is just a
pleasure with the precise steering and linear power delivery. It's so easy to
just sweep through corners and around long bends without a hint of any weave or
deviation off-line, in fact all you have to do point it and that's where it will
go. Quick changes of line mid corner didn't seem to pose any problems at all, a
couple of Pheasants and a sheep can vouch for that!
The riding position is just perfect and pretty comfortable as well. The low
footrests give plenty of legroom and don't restrict the cornering clearance in
any way. It has a seat height of 850mm so maybe some shorter riders will have a
little difficulty with it's height, but with it's exceptionally low C of G
there's very little high up weight to balance even on tip-toes. Although the
bars are quite wide they are not a problem in traffic or when filtering, the
Multistrada has a serious amount of steering lock and can get you out of a lot
of traffic situations with ease, there's so much leverage and control of the
bike with the standard bars and I for one would not want to change them for
anything smaller, the only thing I would possibly change about them is the
colour. Chrome bars on this bike just doesn't quite look right, I would like to
see a set of high quality alloy bars fitted with a brace for that Supermoto
finishing touch, these together with some hand guards from the vast array of
Ducati accessories available for the Multistrada.
Up top and in front of the bars comes the other modification I would make. The
standard screen is just a bit low to give full protection, at normal speeds the
windblast hits me right in the upper chest and starts to buffet you around at
higher speeds. There is a higher version available from Ducati and would
certainly be a must for any type of touring or motorway riding. Incidentally the
top fairing/screen is in fact handlebar mounted and moves independently from the
lower fairing, strange but true and it does take a little getting used to. Also
on the subject of covering a lot more miles I would invest in the alternative
seat from the accessory list due to the 'plank like' comfort of the standard
one! It was never a problem on the ordinary roads as you tend to move around a
lot anyway, but on longer runs when you are more still in the saddle it does get
to you after a while.
Everything about this bike is quite novel, from the overall styling to the funky
mirrors and built-in indicators. They do look very cool but I can't help
wondering why they are so small. Under the rear seat you have absolutely no
storage space at all due to the fast that the exhaust cans are high mounted and
there is a catalytic converter just where the storage should be, it does however
keep the pillions rear end warm on winter runs though! Instead of seat storage
you have a small lockable glove compartment in the right hand fairing panel, it
doesn't really fit more than a wallet and a pair of sunglasses and the toolkit,
but it's better than no storage at all. The quality of finish is absolutely
typical of a modern-day Ducati, it's well put together, is fitted with some of
the best available parts in the biking world, it has so much style and some
seriously trick instrumentation, it really makes you feel like you are aboard a
very special machine.
If you are not convinced by now then I suggest you get down to you nearest
Ducati store and try one. Apart from the initial looks, and getting used to them
its a fantastic package. Personally I think it looks great from all sides, and
has tons of character. Take a look at the Ducati accessory catalogue for the
Multistrada and kit it out with carbon and performance parts, yes they are all
available for this bike, just like it's Supersports brothers. But that's where
the difference ends, get some panniers, engine guards and some other off-road
type stuff and you will have a serious alternative to the BMW1150GS Adventure
that will shock almost every sportsbike rider on the road!
As designer Pierre Terblanche says, "What is important is that it doesn't pass
unnoticed - it must be striking, it must stand out in the crowd, and it must
work extremely well."
Well in the case of the Multistrada they have certainly achieved that. The
factory have created a bike that re-defines how people perceive Ducati, and to
those customers who buy one I'm envious of you, I certainly would love one of
these bikes.
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