Ducati Multistrada V4 S
With well over 100,000 bikes sold worldwide in the 20-odd years since its introduction, the Multistrada is a very important motorcycle that's come a long way since it first arrived on the scene in 2003.
The motorcycling landscape was pretty different back then. Sportbikes and sport tourers were in vogue, and adventure bikes were by and large the preserve of proper explorers who wanted big-mile comfort and reasonable off-road performance.
So when Ducati launched its first generation Multistrada, it didn't quite fit in. Despite its bold adventuretourer-cum-sportbike package being formidable enough to impress, its 999-inspired looks proved a little too Marmite for many.
The Italian firm stuck at it though, and by the time 2010 rolled around things were markedly different. Adventure bikes were big business and long travel suspension, wide bars and proper all-day comfort were the order of the day. There was room for variety, too; adventure didn't just have to mean getting up on the pegs and exploring off-the-beaten-path. The Multistrada was starting to make sense.
The second generation, tech-laden 150bhp, 1198cc Testastretta V-twinpowered Multistrada 1200 had broader appeal. Sleeker, sharper and capable of delivering big smiles for riders after a long-legged adventure bike for the road (or even the racetrack). The factory had found a winning formula.
And they rolled with it; releasing a bunch of variants, adding semi-active suspension in 2013 and VVT in 2015, before eventually releasing the subtly-overhauled and improved Multistrada 1260 in 2018, powered by the 156bhp longer stroke motor from the X-Diavel. The 1260 is a bike I know well. I've ridden to Scotland on the S, tackled trails on the Enduro and spent a glorious couple of weeks restraining my inner hooligan on the Pikes Peak. I was (and am) a fan.
This story is from the June 2024 edition of Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 2024 edition of Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Honda CRF1100L ES Africa Twin
Without panniers he was adventuring nowhere - so at least Bertie's got something sorted now
BMW R 12 nineT
Chad gets a track day surprise when BMW's R 12 nineT turns out to be surprisingly fun on track
Test fleet: VOGE 525 DSX
After testing the Voge's abilities on a long ride, it was time to take it to the Cotswolds and see how it would manage on the rougher stuff
Portuguese Perambulations
Nearly over before it had begun, a brief workshop stint allows Spain and Portugal to be explored
Highway to Heaven
Three friends take on the challenge of riding the length of Canada, from Vancouver in the southwest to Inuvik in the north. The road is long, the conditions merciless, and wildfires are tearing through the country. To top it all off, the final leg of the journey is the ultimate test of gravel riding skills, nerves, and courage - it's the legendary Dempster Highway...
Battlaxes at the ready!
We tend to take tyres for granted, never really looking at them in any detail, or at how they work, just hoping that they keep us shiny side up at all times. Even in the wet
Ducati Riding Experience
When I rode the Ducati DesertX to France last year, I did have a bit of an explore on some easy fire roads and gentle green lanes in the wilds of the Médoc area, but was left with the feeling that, had I the experience, the DesertX would have been capable of taking me along some more extreme trails to some even more exciting places. If only there was a way of finding out just how well the Italian adventure bike could cope with some more extreme terrain...
Four pot flyer
Many said that sports bikes, and particularly bikes in the traditional Supersports class that was populated by 600cc inline fours, were dead. Maybe they spoke too soon?...
Eastern adventurer
With an increasing interest in smaller capacity adventure bikes, the market expands with a new entry
First Time Lucky?
It's ironic that the first all-new MV Agusta model to hit the marketplace right after Italy's No.1 trophy brand was acquired by Austrian giant Pierer Mobility, owner of off-road titans KTM, should be the company's first dual-purpose model of the modern era, powered by MV's all-new 931cc three-cylinder engine that's destined to form the basis of a whole series of new models in coming months and years.
