Cruiser engine in sports bike sounds crazy but it works
GRAND CANARY I SLANDS,
SPAIN • Liberating a V- twin engine from your ( supposedly) lowly cruiser lineup and putting it, completely unadulterated (save for a relocation of the water pump) into the chassis of your premiere sports adventure-cum-superbike wouldn’t seem the most obvious method of upgrading your sport(y) bike, would it? Cruiser engines, after all, are visual not visceral products, designed primarily for the aural, not instinctual, senses. For lack of a better — or, at least more polite — descriptor, they’re typically duds.
But the Ducati’s xDiavel is hardly your ordinary cruiser and its 1,262- cc Testastretta DVT is not exactly your typical V- twin. Traditional cruiser twins, for instance, don’t boast the most intricate valve actuation mechanism (Desmodromic) man has ever devised, a complex variable valve timing system or, most importantly, 158 horsepower. Yes, you read that right, 158 romping stomping horsepower, the most Ducati has ever blessed one of its adven- ture bikes with. And, yes, for anoraks already writing in to point out that the previous 1200 version of the Multistrada boasted two more, know Ducati has changed its dynamometer and the old 1,198- cc power plant only generates 152 hp by the company’s latest standards.
What should get you excited is how much punchier the 1260 now feels in its mid- range. Ducati officially claims there’s an 18 per cent boost in grunt at 5,500 rpm. I know that most such claims of boosted mid- range turn out to be disappointing in real-life, but there really is a noticeable bump in the big Duke’s mid-range.
Anything over idle is a lunge forward, the Multistrada’s 213- kilogram dry weight almost superbike light, so the 1260’s 95 poundfeet of torque — 85 per cent of which is available at 3,500 rpm, says Ducati — really moves t hings along. To Testastretta is to never have to worry about passing margins or downshifting; just whack it and go.
Ducati’s biggest twin is also its most civilized. Cruisers may pump up the tougherthan-thou volume, but in real life, the clientele are spoiled and suffer little in inconven- ience or discomfort. The xDiavel engine, is gloriously free of the low-speed lurching and rattling common to other big-inch Ducati powertrains. It’s also worth noting Ducati’s latest clutchless Quick Shift system lets you bang through the gears without letting off the throttle or disturbing your left hand. Despite the seeming abruptness of such behaviour, shifting is buttery smooth. As such systems improve — and Ducati’s is one of the best — they obviate the need for true, automotivestyle dual- clutch transmissions.
The engine is not the only thing that’s been upgraded, though a few of the revisions seem more brochure filler than practical improvements. Ducati’s press kit reminds me, for instance, that bodywork is slightly more aerodynamic ( I didn’t notice), there’s a better grab handle (lifted from the Enduro model) that makes the fitting of aluminum cases less problematic for passengers (again, hardly headline news) and there are new, lighter wheels that reduce unsprung weight.
Actually noteworthy, however, is the new TFT dashboard that is not only brighter, which was much appreciated in the sunshine I was enjoying, but more importantly, features an improved i nterface. Ducati’s l atest software features the easiestto- decipher digital display in the business. Yes, easier than comparable BMW, Harley and even Honda systems. Changing the engine settings ( four) and suspension adjustments ( seemingly endless) may require navigating myriad submenus, but the flow ( chart) is so obvious that you’ll pick it up in no time, a stark departure from lesser systems with which no amount of familiarity lessens the contempt.
It’s a good thing, since I needed to seriously fiddle with the electronically adj ustable Ducati Skyhook Suspension before rendering the Multistrada’s handling typically Ducati fleet. Worried that all that extra grunt would make the new 1260 overly twitchy, Ducati’s engineers looked for more stability by stretching the swingarm some 48 millimetres and kicking out the steering from 24 degrees to 25. The former adds the desired stability with no ill effect, but the rake change can make the Multistrada feel a little chopper- ish, at least if you leave it in the standard settings. But thanks to the DSS system — and those easy-todecipher submenus — I was quickly able to reduce the front fork damping to its softest position and jack up the rear preload to the maximum two helmets and full baggage. This transformed it from what was initially listless into the razor sharp handling one expects from a Ducati.
The changes took all of about 10 seconds to enact. Making the same alterations on a bike with mechanically adjustable suspension would have taken eons, so kudos to Ducati’s improved interface. The only downside is that, having used up all the rear shock’s spring preload while riding solo, loading a passenger on might make the Multistrada less fleet.
It’s also worth noting that the Multistrada’s electronic gadgetry also includes a novel Vehicle Hold Control ( squeeze the front brake for three seconds and the big Duke won’t roll backwards on a hill) and something called an Inertia Measurement Unit (IMU) allows the Multistrada’s anti- lock braking system to function even when you’re leaned over into a corner. The IMU also enables the traction and wheelie control systems and even Ducati’s new swivelling Cornering Lights, which illuminate the apex when you’re heeled over.
Despite all this focus on speed and comportment, the Multistrada is still as close as Ducati gets to a full- on touring machine. The seat, firm- ish as it may initially seem, is comfortable over the long haul. The windshield, though relatively small, provides turbulence- free, if a little limited, coverage. And the reach to the handlebar is quite commodious. Only a tight seat-to-peg relationship — the result of higher pegs for more ground clearance; it’s a Ducati, after all — mars what might otherwise be exceptional comfort. The seat is adjustable, which does alleviate things a little, but then you’re sitting up higher in the wind blast.
But those are known quantities, the Multistrada now in its eighth year without major platform revision. More important is that the new engine really ups the Multistrada’s game. While there may only be a 64-cubic centimetre difference between the new Testastretta and the previous engine, that difference really is transformative.