Ducati Multistrada 950
Ducati’s Multistrada 950 is a rugged motorcycle that is also at home in the urban jungle.
THE handsome Ducati Multistrada 950 is positioned as an adventure bike.
If you do not know much about the Multistrada models, you will be confused between the 1200 and the 950. Both look very similar.
The all-new Multistrada 950 comes with the Testastretta 937cc that is popular in the Ducati lineup.
This Testastretta engine is smooth and revs easily on my command.
Being an adventure bike, the Multistrada 950 comes with a 20-litre fuel tank which allows the bike to travel up to for 320km until the next fill-up.
The motorcycle’s instrument panels have all the needed information for any riders.
It is easy to use and to read especially when I was riding under scorching hot sun.
The instrument panel shows info on speed, rpm, total distance ridden, selected gear, trip1 and trip2, engine coolant temperature, fuel level and, of course, a clock.
The ergonomics of this bike is an upright sitting position with firm saddles.
My ride to Pantai Remis, Perak and back to Kuala Lumpur on the same day; is a testament that my cheek bums were well taken care by the comfy saddle.
The Multistrada 950 is designed for a memorable riding experience while at the same time making safety a priority.
Thus, the bike is fitted with the Ducati Safety Pack (DSP) which comes with anti-lock braking system and Ducati Traction Control.
Not only that, the four riding modes – Touring, Urban, Sports and Enduro - which is the highlight of the bike besides performance, design and safety.
The Multistrada 950’s panniers is good enough for a long distance ride.
I could pack in comfortably at least four days of clothes in one pannier.
The panniers are big enough to store a fullface helmet.
Their design is sleek and easy to handle.
Opening and closing of the panniers are simple for a first-time user like me.
While on the highways, the sports mode was simply amazing.
Taking every corner on the highway with this bike was amazing.
The clutch, gear and throttle response were impeccable.
There is so much power at every twist of the throttle.
At 3,100rpm, the bike’s springs into action and the rest is history. Wheee!
The 113hp output from the engine kicks in without any hesitation.
The sturdy chassis holds the bike together well, thus allowing me to get very adventurous. Sorry Ducati Malaysia, it’s all done in the name of review.
On a few sweeping and tight corners outskirt of Sitiawan on the way to Pantai Remis, the bike was able to hold the riding line despite the imperfect roads.
I was bit worried that I would be thrown off, but everything was perfect.
The torque on the bike kicks bit late just at the beginning of the second gear at about 3,500rpm and from there onwards there is abundance of torque for me to handle.
After three hours on the bike, I decided to push the engine to 8,000rpm and bike was as solid as rock.
Very little vibration and I did not feel any wind blast because of the good height of the wind shield.
I was taking corners above 110kph and my riding buddies told me that I looked like the professional rider in the Ducati advertisement.
It was effortless even at that speed.
My favourite mode was the touring. It was less aggressive and the power delivery was gradual but with enough torque to jackrabbit-off once the traffic lights turn green.
The mapping of the touring was much smoother. Even at high speed on touring, it felt like a slow cruise on a lazy Sunday evening.
Taking sharp corners and hairMultistrada pins with the 950 was a walk in the park.
Meanwhile with the Enduro mode, I was able to climb a small hill laden with sand and gravel with countless potholes.
The wide handle bars allowed me to have a good control on the bike while standing on the pegs and manoeuvring through the imperfect trail.
A must mention here is the Ducati Traction Control (DTC) which assisted me in controlling the rear wheelspins on slippery surfaces.
This bike was bit heavy for me; thus, while stationary, you might need a friend’s help to back this bike out from a parking spot.
It is very common that all the brakes on Ducati are from Brembo, so is the Multistrada 950.
The Brembo braking system is equipped with ABS and the addition here is the Bosch 9.1 MP control unit with integrated pressure sensor.
I disabled the ABS while riding on the highway and the minute I was off-road in Pantai Remis, I got the ABS back on.
The suspension did wonders while riding off road.
The humps and bumps caused by the dirt track on the oil palm plantation was well absorbed by front KYB forks and the rear Sachs monoshocks.
The front 48mm KYB inverted forks has 6.7 inches of travel with full adjustability which includes spring preload, variable compression and rebound damping.
Meanwhile the rear suspension is a Sachs monoshock with the same travel range and same adjustments as the front.
The combination of the front and rear suspension on an unpaved tarmac or back road is a plush ride.
Please do not compare the Mutistrada 950 with the Multistrada 1200 which is a more powerful machine.
However, this modern multipurpose bike, costing RM81,037, can tame any highways, dirt roads and is also an efficient daily commute bike.