Ducati’s Multistrada 1200 Enduro

Ducati launched its new Multistrada 1200 Enduro last month claiming that this version of the big Adventure bike was the most ‘off-road’ big bike it has ever made. The bike will cost £16,690 in red or £16,890 in grey/white.

Ducati boss, Claudio Domenicali, said: “The new Enduro 1200 is a product that we really never ever had in our range. It’s a product that’s been developed to cope with extreme situations and is a product with which you can start dreaming about how to conquer any terrain. We call it the wild style of Ducati.

“Playing with accessories and components you can create different versions of the same motorcycle. With this bike you can have a pure off-road version, a true off-road motorcycle, the other version that we are showing today is a true globe trotter, so you can travel with a lot of luggage.”

Powered by the same 1199cc DVT (Desmodromic Variable timing) motor that is in the standard Multistrada 1200 and S models we’ve already got, the changes are all about how well the bike can now cope with serious off-road action. The new bike gets different sized wheels to the bike it replaces. There’s a 19in front wheel, a 17in rear spoked wheels and the tyre sizes are 120/70 and 170/60.

Domenicali added: “The original bike was conceived as a road motorcycle. But this is different. The bike’s bodywork is more rugged, the panels are in aluminium so that they are lightweight and tough – they are more robust.

“The 200mm stroke suspension is longer in stroke but the harder and softer parts of the electronic suspension have been designed specifically to cope with tougher terrain. The ground clearance, at 205mm, is 31mm higher than on the previous model and there is also a double sided swingarm, high-exit exhaust, a 30-litre new shape fuel tank with a 280-mile range and a new seat too.

“The new seat lets the rider move back and forth when riding upright, standing on the your flat feet while riding off-road. The bike also gets various riding modes, wheelie control, traction control and for this bike specifically we have vehicle hold control for when riding and stopping/ starting on a hill.”

The bike’s cruise control is standard and it also comes with combined ABS with mid-corner function too. There are four accessory packages; touring, sport, urban and enduro.

The Enduro tops the scale at 234kg wet and the seat height is 870mm. The bike gets three colours; Phantom grey, Star white and Ducati red.

Ducati also revealed a Multistrada Pikes Peak edition in the range. Basically, it’s a high-end, specific spec version of the bike with a carbon windshield and carbon bodywork, a complete Termignoni exhaust system, three spoke wheels and Ohlins suspension. The Pikes Peak special edition will sell for £19,220.