‘That’s a wrap’
After eight months it’s time to say goodbye to the big Multistrada
My plan to do a big-mile European trip on the V2S was unfortunately scuppered when I sustained a leg injury riding a Ducati DesertX in an off-road Baja event at the Sweetlamb adventure centre in Wales. That meant the longest trip I did was an 800-mile three-day tour of Northern England to interview TT stars Dean Harrison, Peter Hickman and John McGuinness for MCN’s TT season preview. The Multi took it all in its stride offering comfy seat, great screen and excellent cruse control functionality.
Carrying capacity
The Ducati panniers offer 26 and 30 litres of storage and fit securely and easily to the bike. Unlike some aftermarket panniers which require an additional rack system, which in turn makes the panniers stick out those extra few centimetres, the Ducati ones fit snuggly to the side of the bike. This makes it much easier to filter through traffic if needed and also means the bike feels well balanced even when adding weight. The only downside is the size and internal shape which meant it was difficult to fit an adventure style helmet into either side.
Pillion happy
I don’t have to carry pillions often but it’s good to have a bike that can do it with ease as and when. The seat is comfortable and spacious and being able to set the electronic suspension to cope with the extra weight meant the Multi’s balance and geometry was largely maintained.
Over to the Island
One of the highlights of the year was joining the annual pilgrimage to the Isle of Man for the TT. There’s something special and unique about those ‘two weeks in June’ from the ferry crossing to exploring the Island, doing laps of the course – not forgetting the racing itself. There’s a genuine festival atmosphere and sharing the time with like-minded people in an environment where bikes and bikers are the majority, not the minority, is truly enriching.
Puncture fall out
Seeing a nail firmly embedded into my rear tyre as I boarded the ferry from the Isle of Man to Liverpool brought me down to earth after 10 days on the Island covering the TT. The tyre wasn’t flat and after limping to the first petrol station where it read 13psi, I pumped it up to the correct pressure and started my 200-mile journey home. Three more stops to check the pressure later and I arrived home safely. The only plus side of the puncture was that it forced me to fit new tyres. I opted for the Dunlop Roadsmart IV which proved to be excellent and a perfect match for the Ducati.
London vibes
Having done pretty much everything else on the Multistrada, a trip to see friends in London gave me the opportunity to see how it handled congested streets, filtering and the general attitude of our capital’s finest road users. The single biggest issue is the width of
£12,695otr Ducati Multistrada V2S