DUCATI MULTISTRADA 1200 S
In the world of adventure tourers the Multistrada has always stood out, but the new Multi takes things to a whole new level
A bike for all seasons
TTHIS STORY STARTS WITH A PROBLEM, and it’s red. It’s also tall and I don’t really like the way it looks because I think it’s just way too outlandish. Of course, looks are subjective and I know that on this one I’m definitely part of the motorcycling minority junta. But as far as I’m concerned, I should have dismissed the Ducati Multistrada 1200 S as a bike I don’t like then and there. And that’s where the problem lies. I rode it and once you ride the bike there’s no way you can dislike it.
The Multistrada spearheads Bologna’s Italian onslaught into the increasingly popular adventure touring motorcycle format. And there’s good reason for the rise of the adventure tourer too. For starters, they’re comfortable and don’t break your back with that race crouch that you need to get in to every time you get in the saddle. You don’t need a racetrack to enjoy the full potential of these bikes, any good road (or dirt track) will do. And they’re plenty fast (this Multi breaches 100kmph from a standing start in sub-five seconds, which is very much in sportsbike territory). So what exactly are you missing out on? Frankly, not much. And that’s precisely what I have discovered during the time I spent with a machine that I didn’t find exciting (visually at least) on instinct.
But before I get started on how the Multistrada feels on the go, one must spend some time looking at the gizmos that come with the bike because the list is long. We won’t spend time on the simple stuff like the full-TFT instrument panel or the Ducati Traction Control
Thanks to Bluetooth connectivity you can even accept incoming calls
that offers eight levels, four of which can be adjusted via the riding modes. Instead we’ll move to the toy we had been fascinated with when we rode the bike in Thailand last year – the Ducati Multimedia System (DMS). Thanks to Bluetooth connectivity you can even accept incoming calls (we don’t really recommend it though), get SMS alerts and select and listen to songs. You’d be forgiven for thinking that we’ve got things confused with some car.
But the Multistrada is very much a motorcycle. A Ducati no less and therefore the joy of the Multi is in the way it rides. Of course the highway is its home and that’s where it really shines but that doesn’t mean that the bike is a pain off the highways, as many such big (and tall) bikes tend to be. A lot of that has to do with the 20mm adjustability of that tall seat. Think about it, twenty odd millimetres can actually spell the difference between stopping at a red light and falling off. And that knowledge that your feet can touch Mother Earth when you need them to, makes a world of difference to the amount of confidence you can channel into your wrists, irrespective of whether you’re using it for steering inputs and flicking through traffic or throttle inputs to get ahead of Agony Aunt’s beat up old hatchback.
That said, it’s still advisable to leave the bike in Urban mode, which cuts peak power to 96.8bhp (max is 158). The enjoyable one, Sport mode, is of course the one to go after once you’re out on the highway. Sure, there’s Touring also but leaving it in Sport mode is what will really help you appreciate this bike. Using different maps and with Ducati’s Testastretta Desmodromic Valve Timing (essentially variable valve timing) at work, the power and torque delivery characteristics change from smile mode inside your lid to grin mode. Suddenly, the bike responds with an alacrity that you hadn’t noticed before. It’s a tourer, but has the soul of a sportsbike. So unlike American cruisers, that are also meant for touring, where you want even a short ride to feel never-ending, on the Ducati you don’t want the ride to end. Rather, you extend your journey so that the Thrill of Riding stays with you longer.