Ducati Multistrada Review

Posted: 27 Oct 2011

Few bikes of recent times have caused as much of a stir as Ducati’s Multistrada S. It has been called revolutionary, the future of motorcycles, but the simple fact is that Ducati have given riders exactly what they want – a comfortable bike that is sporty, fun, practical and loaded with technology. It’s a true do it all.

You can’t really put the Multistrada in a category. It isn’t a big trailie, it’s not a sportsbike, it’s not a sports tourer and it isn’t a supermoto – so what is it? It’s the best of all worlds, simple.

The engine is derived from the company’s sportsbike, the 1198cc, and packs a hell of a punch with 150bhp on tap. This may seem a bit extreme, but to tame this the Ducati comes with traction control, ABS and at the touch of a button you can reduce the power by swapping to one of four riding modes. Each mode has a different level of traction control, throttle response and power delivery to help the rider deal with the road’s conditions. And that’s not all, the suspension also adjusts.

It wouldn’t be a Ducati if it didn’t handle properly and as well as an excellent chassis, the Multistrada comes with electronic suspension that alters its damping with each mode or via the LCD display. Not only does this firm up the handling in bends or soften the ride for motorway use, it also allows infinite adjustability to tailor the bike to the rider’s weight. All very clever, and it’s practical.

With its upright riding position and adjustable screen the Multistrada is an excellent touring bike, comfortable for long journeys and relaxing to ride. Is there anything it can’t do? Well, it doesn’t come with an inbuilt toaster, but that’s about it….

+ points – The only bike you will ever need
- points – Price, lack of toaster

Price: £14,795 (£11,295 basic model)
Power: 150bhp, 87ft.lbs
Weight: 192kg
Seat height: 850mm    
Colours: Red, white, black

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