FIRST RIDE
New Ducati built for sporty adventure
The 2019 Multistrada VALENCIA, SPAIN 950 S motorcycle, with essentially the basic engine and frame as previous 950s, has a whole bunch of goodies from the upscale 1200/1260 ladled on. There’s still a base model for other markets, but for Canada — and the United States as well — only the full-zoot 950 S will do.
That means even the (air quotes) lowly 950 gets a full complement of goodies: Ducati’s vaunted Skyhook Suspension (electronically adjustable dampers), Ducati’s Quick Shift transmission and, stealing a trick from the automotive world, Vehicle Hold Control, so the Multistrada doesn’t roll backwards when taking off up a steep incline. Factor in Cornering ABS (which prevents wheel lockup even when leaned right over), traction control and the company’s latest multimedia interface, and you have a mid-displacement motorcycle with all the toys.
Ducati’s 937-cc V-twin is largely unchanged from the previous version and, having spent three weeks touring the Swiss Alps — two up and loaded with Herself ’s every cosmetic — I can assure that the 113 horsepower and 71 pound-feet of torque are more than up to the job. Oh sure, occasionally, if the Alpine pass was particularly steep — like the Stelvio — and high (ditto), I might have to rev the 950 a little harder than the 1260 version, but there was never a paucity of power and always more than enough, even two up, for some serious sporting fun.
Besides, the smaller Multistrada has the more willing engine. What it lacks in outright urge, it makes up for in enthusiasm. All the engine’s internals (crankshaft, pistons and flywheel, etc.) are lighter, so the 950 revs eagerly, blowing past its (supposed) 9,000-r.p.m. power peak. It’s so fast that you’ll swear the Italians are lying about how many horses the S is pumping out. It’s a sweet, high-revving engine.
The redline is 11,000 r.p.m., sky high for a big(ish) twin, and its eight valves are still actuated by Bologna Panigale’s trademark Desmodromic valve system. But, unlike the bad old days when Dukes needed serious fettling every second weekend, the Multistrada’s official service interval is now 15,000 kilometres, and those complicated valves only need checking every 30,000 km, one of the longest such intervals in the business. Italian passion meets Japanese stolidity — not a bad deal.
The big news for the 2019 Multistrada 950 is the addition of Ducati’s vaunted DSS Skyhook Suspension Evo, a semi-active system that lets you futz with the compression and rebound damping, as well as spring preload of both front fork — a 48-millimetre upside-down affair — as well as the Kayaba rear monoshock.
The system is more useful than most such electronic systems, allowing you to easily customize your settings to your particular quirk. My fave is the soft, touring-mode up front with firmer “sport” damping in the rear and lots of rear preload to quicken the steering. Its complexity is a large part of the reason that the new S costs almost $5,000 more than the previous bare-bones 950.
Ducati’s DQS Quick Shift system allows the rider to change gears up and down without fiddling with the clutch. Unlike automotive dual-clutch systems, there’s still a clutch lever on the left handlebar and you can use it if you want. But the DQS system makes it redundant by cutting the ignition every time you toggle the gearshift lever.
Upshifting is as simple as lifting the lever with your toe, the on-board computer doing all the rev-matching, et cetera.
Ducati is an excellent example of the breed, although all the hardware does seem to add a little more effort when shifting old school and manipulating the clutch yourself.
The price is five grand higher than the previous, un-digitized one. For 2019 a Multistrada 950 in grey — hey it’s glossy — costs $20,495 while the it’s-ItalianforGod’s-sake blood-red model retails for $19,795.