‘Bish, bash, bosh – job done’
Adding some protection and effortless usability to the mighty Multi
In my last update I promised to talk about the very few nonstandard bolt-ons that I’ve, er, bolted on in the pursuit of protection and usability. It’s not a long list. I’m not really a trinkets magpie, and more importantly, the Multi just doesn’t need much.
First up, let’s cover off a simple bit of functionally formed packing assistance. Side-opening panniers are, to be frank, a pain in the arse. Whoever decided it was the ideal design has clearly never tried to put anything in one, or suffered the ignominy of everything falling out when simply trying to retrieve a solitary item. Give me a top-loader any day. But – there is a way to improve life with your vertical clamshell: use liner bags. Ducati designed a set of shaped ones for the Multi, and they’re superb. You get a three-bag set: One for the left pannier, and two for the right (one main bag, and one slim little jobby to slide into the otherwise tricky over-exhaust cavity). Not only does it make it a doddle to pack off-bike and use every available millilitre of their literage when slid into place, but they prevent unwanted exits, and give you a handy off-bike solution to carrying your kit. Worth every penny of the £108 ticket price. My other two mods are both from Evotech Performance – designers and creators of superb bolt-on enhancements. They’re both pretty much invisible to the casual observer, though. First up is a three-piece set of radiator protectors (£110, evotech-performance.com) to prevent errant stones putting a hole in your cooling capabilities. Being all black powdercoated aluminium, they’re completely recessive – but it’s great to know they’re there, especially if you do venture off-road (and even more so if your mates think it’s funny to roost you on gravel). The other extra is a pair of their hand-guard protectors. Protection for protection? Yes – because while the standard guards will deflect vegetation and give you a good chance of not suffering lever-induced finger damage, they’re not robust enough to deflect a big branch, or offer unwavering protection during an interaction with the ground. The Evotech items (£160) are fitted over the OE guards, secured at the barend and by mating with the mirror mounts via a clever bit of bracketry. They’re robust and you don’t really notice them. Great additions, both.
‘Robust and you don’t really notice them’