A ‘It’s thirsty and expensive but still a phenomenal road bike’
The Multistrada V4 S demolishes any worn-out preconceptions about Ducati: they’re rattly, stiff, uncomfortable, have useless mirrors and only work on a track. The new Multi is none of these.
It’s not a fire-breathing Panigale on stilts either. It’s the polar opposite: one of the most sophisticated, refined, smart, capable and versatile all-rounders yet.
It is a phenomenal piece of work. Yet it’s also so well-mannered, so obedient and so polite that you might step off after your first ride impressed rather than blown away. But as the miles rack up, you’ll appreciate the motor’s subtle smoothness and its forgiving flexibility, as well as the suspension’s resplendent ride quality. And all the details, from the one-handed screen-height adjuster to those incredible service intervals …
When you consider all that and then wind the throttle open to the stop — well, that’s when the Multi gets you. When you realise that practicality, purpose, passion and performance have been combined to a level perhaps no other bike has ever managed before.
It’s not perfect — no bike is. The ultra-premium pricetag means it’s for the privileged few, not the many. It’s excessively thirsty: our on-road average of 35mpg is dreadful. The front mudguard is too short. A keyless filler cap should be standard. And while we haven’t tested its adventure credentials off-road, a 253kg, £21k techo-fest doesn’t appear to follow the blueprint of a natural mud-plugger.
Some will have reservations over the long-term durability of so many sensors and gadgets too. It’s a fair question but one only months and miles can answer.
For now, the Ducati Multistrada V4 S has set an outrageously high bar for all other new bikes arriving in 2021.