New bikes that matter
DUCATI MULTISTRADA V4 S
The key bikes on sale for 2021
168bhp 92lb·ft 240kg £18,565
THE NEW MULTISTRADA V4 S is very much a BMW R1250GS rival – but truth is, so was the previous V-twin Multistrada. The road-based 1260 S had the Beemer beat on engine performance, with equivalent tank range and running costs, was just as comfy and just as tech-laden. It was also more conventionally road-focussed than the GS — shorter suspension travel, 17in wheels. Now, with a 19in front (only available on the now-discontinued Enduro model), Ducati is pitching it as a ‘true’ adventure bike, just like a GS.
The new Multistrada’s V4 S uses a much-revised Panigale motor, detuned to 170bhp (40bhp up on the R1250GS), without Desmo valve gear but now with a huge 37,000-mile major service interval and 9000-mile oil changes (GS’ is 12,500 miles for valves and 6200 miles for oil). Torque is down on the GS — 92lb·ft to the GS’ 105lb·ft — and down on the V-twin’s 95lb·ft, but that’s what happens when the V4 gives away 96cc to the Beemer and 104cc to the V-twin.
But ultimate performance on an adventure bike is a bit moot. On paper the new Multi wins on engine spec; it goes like the clappers, has a ton of midrange, and the only place the GS will beat it, possibly, is the first few yards off the line and maybe in top-gear roll-ons.
And at the pumps, where the V4 loses both on fuel economy and tank range against the flat twin. With a 22-litre tank, it can’t match the 30-litre, 300-mile plus ranges of the 1260 Enduro or 1250 GS
Adventure. And even though it’s two litres more than the base GS’ 20 litres, it won’t go as far as a standard GS either. BMW claims 60mpg; Ducati only 43mpg. Real world, the GS averages 55mpg and the V4 under 40mpg, so the V4 will be at the pumps some 40 miles sooner.
New riding position too
Both the GS and the Multi V4 have ergonomics that far out-reach their tank ranges. The compact V4 engine has allowed Ducati to optimise the Multi’s riding position, giving freedom to place the seat, pegs and bars optimally; seat height is lower than the GS, at 840mm/860mm vs 850/870mm (but higher than the V-twin’s 825mm/845mm), but both bikes have classic wide, balanced positions. The V4’s is slightly sportier, with the rider canted forward to narrower bars than the GS. The Multi also has a better screen — one-finger adjustment slider instead of the BMW’S wheel adjuster. The Ducati has stunning wind management too, but riders have their own preferences and it’s rare to see a GS with a stock screen.
But ultimately, because Ducati is basically merging the Enduro and S Multis into one bike, it’s still more of a compromise than having two discrete models, where BMW continues to have
a big-tank Adventure model.
And while switching from the old 1260 S’ 17in front and
6in-wide rear rim to a 19in front and 4.5in rear rim (and from single-sided swingarm to conventional) may seem like a backward step, it’s not; the V4 will attack a back road with as much confidence as a 1260.
So, the V4 is a big, expensive, absurdly powerful road bike with varying off-road potential depending on your skill level and commitment, just like an R1250GS. The new bike levels the playing field in some respects, but falls behind in others.