Ducati Multistrada 1260 Pikes Peak
We get our hands on the sportiest Multistrada around
Getting down and dirty with the most powerful Multi of them all
Last year Ducati upgraDeD their highly successful Multistrada 1200 with a bigger engine, several chassis refinements, updated dash, and better equipment levels, creating the new Multistrada 1260. the bike you see splashed across these pages is the pikes peak variant of this formidable machine, created to commemorate Ducati’s multiple victories at the pikes peak international hill climb — an annual 20-kilometre race up a mountain in colorado, usa. tight corners, sheer drops, and massive changes in elevation make this a gruelling experience for man and machine and the event is considered one of the most dangerous races in the states. Various editions of the Ducati Multistrada have been victorious here since 2011 and it was a Multi that was the first two-wheeler to set a sub-10-minute time up the mountain at the 2012 event, piloted by american racer carlin Dunne. Naturally, Ducati are extremely proud of these achievements — the Multistrada 1260 pikes peak sits at the very top of the Multistrada range and is extremely close to the bike that Dunne rode to victory last year. (Shortly before this issue went into print, we received the regrettable news that Carlin Dunne was killed in a crash during this year’s Pikes Peak event. He was riding Ducati’s new V4 Streetfighter prototype, was on his way to victory and a new record, but lost control of the bike after hitting a bump on one of the last corners, with the finish line barely half a kilometre ahead. May his soul rest in peace.) the word Multistrada is italian for “many roads” and Ducati’s intention when introducing this model to the world back in 2003 was to create a fast and sporty
motorcycle that was versatile enough to take on a variety of conditions. the earliest Multis were sort of a mash-up between sport tourers and supermotos, and today the line has evolved to visually fit the accepted mould of a long-distance adventure tourer. the wide bodywork, protruding beak, and broad handlebars with hand-guards fit this image perfectly, and you wouldn’t think that this tall and heavy machine would be much good up a narrow mountain road. shift your gaze lower and the 17-inch wheels shod with road-biased rubber, superbike-spec brake and suspension components, and that compact carbon-fibre akrapovic make you realize that this bike comes equipped for hard-core performance riding on the tarmac — it is Ducati’s take on a modern sport tourer, and ticks all the right boxes for covering long distances at high speeds and in relative comfort. With tall suspension at both ends and generous ground clearance, bad roads and speed-breakers pose no challenge to the
Multi, and it will even take on a dirt road if necessary — but don’t be fooled by the adventure bike styling. this is a road bike through and through and it is extremely skittish on the dirt, feeling more like a tall sportbike than an enduro-inspired adventure motorcycle.
the first visual difference that you would notice between this bike and the 1260 s positioned just under it is the colour scheme. While the base Multistrada 1260 and the betterspecced s variant come in a solid red colourway, this pikes peak version looks a whole lot flashier thanks to the dash of white on the fuel tank, with a strip running down the length of the bodywork, and black accents that run along the sides, from the fuel-tank to under the rider’s seat. in place of the large touringstyle screen seen on the rest of the Multistrada range, the pikes peak gets a smaller carbon-fibre unit that you need to look over rather than through, while you can find more carbon-fibre on the front mud-guard and the strips of bodywork that run from under the headlights on either side, towards the beak.
from certain angles, the Multistrada seems to have a very angry countenance; first you have those flared nostrils that direct air to the oil-cooler nestled within, then you have those leD headlights that bring a leering, slit-eyed look, while the juncture where the carbon-fibre screen meets the bodywork resembles a furrowed brow. looks may be subjective, but to me this is definitely a very aggressively styled machine that oozes sex appeal the way only an italian motorcycle can. My only criticism concerns the extremely discoloured exhaust plumbing under the forward cylinder and the bulky collector peeking out from behind the engine. Both parts look badly corroded and rusted, and stick out like sore thumbs on this otherwise beautifully finished bike. this is a relatively new motorcycle and Ducati could have, perhaps, used a heat-resistant finish on these bits to prevent this from happening so soon.
swinging a leg over and settling into the wide, scooped-out seat, i am immediately relieved that i can comfortably reach the ground from the 825-mm-high saddle. taller riders can raise the seat to 845 mm for a more relaxed knee angle on long rides, but at 5’ 5”, the lower setting suited me just fine. the tank rises up in front of me, leading up to the wide handlebars and i have the distinct impression of sitting in rather than on the motorcycle. i am faced with the latest version of Ducati’s information-packed fullcolour five-inch tft, backed by a textured plastic surround, and that short carbonfibre screen up top.
this bike is equipped with keyless access and the lack of a physical ignition cleans up the cockpit considerably. the key fob is safely in my pocket as i thumb the lock button on the right switchgear to wake the big Multi up and push the starter button just above it to bring the 1,262-cc testastretta V-twin to life with an intimidating rumble from that slim akra. this engine, mounted within a traditional steel trellis frame in bright red, first did duty in Ducati’s muscular XDiavel cruiser, and for the Multi it has been tuned to make an eye-watering 158 hp at 9,500 rpm and a hefty 129.5 Nm of torque at 7,500 rpm, with the bulk of this twist being made available from extremely low revs. the updated DVt (Desmodromic Variable timing) system has done wonders to fill up the hole in power delivery between 4,000 and 6,000 rpm that plagued the outgoing Multistrada 1200, and this bike now features a flatter torque curve, with over 120 Nm on tap all the way from below 4,000 rpm to 8,000 rpm. the resultant seamless rush of acceleration
The Multistrada 1260 Pikes Peak is properly superbike fast and blasts past 200 km/h, continuing to accelerate at an outlandish pace
all the way through the rev-range can propel the Multi and its rider to seriously illegal speeds in the blink of an eye, and due caution should be exercised when twisting the grip.
although it weighs in at a hefty 229 kg (wet), the Multi feels extremely easy to ride and, once you get used to those wide handlebars, filtering through traffic comes quite easily. the bike doesn’t need much persuasion to change direction and, at the same time, feels extremely surefooted and planted once its line is set. Ducati engineers felt that the older Multi 1200 was somewhat jittery at high speeds, especially when loaded with a pillion and luggage, and this prompted them to increase rake angle by one degree to 25 degrees and lengthen the single-sided aluminium swing-arm for a 50-mm longer wheelbase. thankfully, this hasn’t dulled steering response too much when riding sportily, and you can be confident that the Multi 1260 will eagerly go exactly where you point it.
i was soon out on the highway with the city far behind me and was itching to stretch the Multistrada’s legs on an open stretch of tarmac. Open the ride-by-wire throttle anywhere above 4,000 rpm and the massive bike shoots forward with unbelievable force, although sitting upright and insulated from most of the wind blast behind the wide bodywork, the sensation of speed is somewhat reduced. the numbers on the speedo change faster than you can decipher them and the guttural growl of a highrevving V-twin escapes the carbon-fibre exhaust as the wave of torque builds till its 7,500-rpm peak. you then experience a momentary lull, call it a flat spot if you will — i think it’s just the big Multi giving the rider a moment to consider shifting up a gear if they aren’t ready for what’s coming. stay on the throttle and the growl turns to a menacing roar; revs build even faster than before, as a savage burst of top-end acceleration propels you forward at an astonishing rate and your brain and eyes struggle to keep up.
the Multistrada 1260 pikes peak is properly superbike fast and blasts past 200 km/h, continuing to accelerate at an outlandish pace if you have the nerve (or stupidity) to not roll off. thankfully, the predictable fuelling and advanced electronics package keep surprises at bay and the bike pointing in the right direction with both wheels firmly on the ground — even if the rider gets carried away.
considering the unpredictability of our roads, i would not advocate riding at these speeds, and found my sweet spot cruising at a more sensible 80 to 120 km/h. shifting up to sixth at below 100 km/h drops revs to about 3,000 rpm, where the engine starts to feel somewhat lumpy, and i preferred staying slotted in fourth or fifth, with the motor feeling smoother at about 4,000 to 4,500 rpm and instant acceleration on tap at all times. the butter-smooth six-speed gearbox is helped along by a two-way quickshifter/auto blipper and upshifts with the throttle held open are executed smoothly and effortlessly at low as well as high revs; however, i found the shifter on our test bike to be quite stubborn going the other way and, after failing to make smooth downshifts on a few occasions, i resorted to using the clutch and a manual blip when dropping gears.
all this performance would be meaningless without an equally strong way to shed speed as well, and Ducati have that covered with some of the most impressive anchors that i have used in recent times. a pair of four-piston Brembo M50 monobloc calipers grip 330-mm floating discs up front, and are actuated by a radial master cylinder with reach-adjustable lever. the rear wheel gets a 265-mm disc gripped by a two-piston floating caliper, and the braking system is managed by a state-of-the-art Bosch three-level cornering aBs system that relies on a six-axis iMu for lean-sensitivity, while steel-braided lines keep brake fade at bay. a firm two-finger squeeze at the lever results in extremely strong and linear retardation, even from stratospheric speeds and without any fuss. i was happy to note that the initial bite was extremely smooth and did not cause too much fork dive; i have heard people occasionally complain about very sudden, unpredictable initial bite from modern Brembo systems, but that’s not the case here.
i soon turned off the highway on to a narrow mountain road where i could properly exploit the handling capabilities of this do-it-all Ducati, and she did not disappoint. the Multi may look like a tall, unwieldy machine, but show it a set of corners and the advantages of that Öhlins suspension become apparent. the 48-mm fully adjustable fork up front is complemented by a ttX36 adjustable shock at the rear and the stock settings felt like a perfect compromise between pliant enough to soak up rough bits and taut enough to provide me with excellent feedback from the road surface. the bike leans further than you would think was possible and holds its line assertively through corners, powering out of them with an angry bark as the pair of traction control lights let you know that the electronics are un-intrusively watching your back. it is quite a strange sensation, sitting comfortably upright with your arms out in front of you while your boots scrape the tarmac as you accelerate hard at full lean.
this pikes peak variant does not get the much-acclaimed skyhook electronically-adjustable suspension that the less expensive 1260 s is blessed with, and that’s just a compromise you make when you wish to own a machine inspired by a bike built to race up a mountain. While the semi-active sachs units add the convenience and versatility you want from a touring package, the mechanically-adjustable Öhlins can not only be fine-tuned to a greater extent, they also save weight — an important consideration when performance is all-important. the pikes peak weighs six kilos less than the s variant, with most of the weight savings coming from the lighter suspension components. Other lightweight bits include the carbon-fibre exhaust and other parts scattered around the bike and those attractive forged aluminium wheels that, in conjunction with the hollow axles, keep unsprung weight down, contributing to the bike’s easy turn in.
ultimately, if you want a comfortable motorcycle that can munch miles at stupid fast speeds, one that won’t tire you out after 500 kilometres in the saddle, but is still exciting enough to get your pulse racing every time you glance at it, the Ducati Multistrada 1260 s seems to make a little more sense than the pikes peak we have here, and costs a few lakh less. after all, the taller, see-through windscreen and the electronic suspension do add some practicality for long-distance touring, and six kilograms isn’t that much more weight if you think about it. however, if you are a red-blooded Ducatisti who wants to own something a little more exclusive, dripping as it is in carbon-fibre and inspired by a race-winning bike, just follow your heart — the pikes peak will not disappoint!