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Fun on Multistrada doesn’t end when road does
Wheels motorcycle contributor Costa Mouzouris puts the Ducati Multistrada 1200 in enduro mode along a dirt road, then came the ditch.
LANZAROTE, CANARY ISLANDS — Ducati’s literature boldly boasts the new Multistrada 1200 as four bikes in one: sport bike, touring bike, urban runabout, and off-roader, or as Ducati perhaps mistakenly calls it, enduro.
That sounds like the marketing department spinning a tall tale. So to back the claim, Ducati uses complex electronics to offer four push-button-selectable riding modes (Sport, Touring, Urban and Enduro), each mode with different settings for power output and delivery, traction control level, and on 1200S models, suspension.
When the Multistrada first hit the streets in 2003, it was Ducati’s entry into the adventure-touring category. It used a 992 cc air-cooled V-twin, which was bumped to 1,078 cc three years later. The latest ’strada has been entirely redesigned and refocused, getting sportier and much more flexible in the process, as well as boasting some very advanced electronics.
It does away with the air-cooled mill and in its place is an entirely new 1,198 cc liquid-cooled V-twin called the Testastretta 11i, ¡, derived from the firm’s 1198 supersport engine, but with smoother power delivery, increased fuel economy and reduced emissions.
Despite a slight reduction in power, it still pumps out a superbike-like 150 hp, the highest power output in its class. With this new engine Ducati has also significantly increased the interval between valve adjustments from 12,000 km to 24,000 km.
Three versions of the Multistrada 1200 are available: the $17,495 base model, and the 1200S Sport and 1200S Touring models, both priced at $20,995. The base model has manually adjustable suspension and optional ABS ($1,000), while the 1200S models are equipped with electronically adjustable suspension and standard ABS. Standard features on all versions include DTC (Ducati Traction Control), hands-free ignition, and a slipper clutch to reduce rear-wheel chatter on hard deceleration.
A new frame is a hybrid construction using a forward steel tube trellis section, die-cast aluminum side plates (to which bolt a massive single-sided aluminum swingarm), and a rear subframe composed of steel tubes and a Techo-polymer tailpiece.
Once seated on the tallish perch (85 cm seat height), the first hint of the bike’s electronic gadgetry is the absence of an ignition switch; an electronic key pod tucks into your pocket and activates the bike when within two metres of it. The kill switch is then used to turn on the ignition. There are several foolproof measures that ensure you’ll get home if you lose the key.
Ducati engineers went to great lengths to simplify the interface between electronics and rider, and they did a fine job. A single handlebar-mounted button selects riding modes, which can be changed while moving (closing the throttle confirms your selection), but it is also used to adjust the suspension for varying loads.
To keep the handlebar switch pods as uncluttered as possible, some switches serve double duty — the turn-signal cancelling button acts as riding mode selector when the turn signals are inactive, and on the 1200S models, the starter button also operates heated handgrips.
A large, logical and easy-to-read LCD instrument panel displays speed, rpm, gear position, riding modes, and trip computer info among other things.
We began the ride with the bikes set in Touring mode, in which suspension settings were set for comfort and traction control was set to five of eight levels, eight being the highest intervention. Full power is available in Touring mode, as it is in Sport mode, though power delivery is softer.
The riding position is relaxed and upright and not that different from a naked bike, but with more legroom. The two-piece seat is flat and wide and the passenger portion (beneath which is a three-litre storage compartment) doubles as a bolster that holds you firmly in place when unleashing the bike’s impressive power. The seat proved quite comfy after a day of riding.
Atop the handlebar are mirrors that offer an unobstructed rear view and the frame-mounted fairing has a windscreen that is manually adjustable over a six-centimetre range vertically. Wind protection was quite good with the windblast directed above the shoulders, and hands stayed out of the wind behind hand guards that feature integrated LED turn signals.
The first thing that struck me once rolling was the Multistrada’s plush suspension, which is highly uncharacteristic for the Italian motorcycle maker with a long tradition of road racing. Compliance was just short of dreamy and entirely suited for what we passes as smooth roads in eastern Canada.
Along the winding lava-rock-lined road that traverses Timanfaya National Park, handling was surefooted with light, neutral steering and confidence-inspiring stability. At a claimed 217 kg with it’s 20-litre fuel tank topped up, the Multistrada weighs 12 kg less than BMW’s R1200GS and 11 kg less than Triumph’s Tiger. It carries its weight low, however, and feels much lighter than that.
As we headed north along scenic roads that lay atop Lanzarote’s barren, volcano-crafted moonscape, I switched the bike to Sport mode and immediately felt the more aggressive power delivery and firmer suspension settings. The machine rocketed out of corners with the urgency of a superbike, and the additional midrange power transformed it into a hooligan-esque wheelie machine.
Sport mode’s stiffer legs transformed the bike into a sharp handler with almost naked-bike agility. Only its tall stature, the result of 170 mm of suspension travel, reminds you you’re not on a track-bred sport bike. This tallness slowed tight turning transitions a tad, while the long-travel fork dived somewhat under hard braking — a fair trade-off for the added riding comfort.
On longer, straighter stretches the bike cruised effortlessly and quite smoothly, hinting at its long-distance capability.
Ducati isn’t the first to use electronics to offer selectable riding modes: Aprilia, Benelli, KTM, Suzuki and Yamaha have provisions for altering engine power characteristics and BMW offers ESA (Electronic Suspension Adjustment) on several models, including the GS. The beauty of Ducati’s system is that it is entirely tuneable, and on the 1200S models, combines engine management with suspension adjustment to provide entirely different riding experiences.
Ducati allows you to deviate from factory settings and damping (compression and rebound front and rear) can be altered and saved in memory, though the default settings worked remarkably well for me. You can also change the power settings and Ducati Traction Control levels in each of the riding modes. For instance, if you find the power output in Touring mode is too much, you can set it to 100 hp.
We ended the day on a stretch of dirt road, where in Enduro mode the Multistrada’s suspension easily soaked up the bumps and the bike steered with the same ease it did on pavement. Enduro mode’s 100 hp was more than enough for off-pavement riding.
Now, this is not a dirt bike and with its 17-inch front wheel it won’t be as off-road worthy as other adventure touring bikes — but it does handle well enough that the fun won’t end when the asphalt does. Urban mode is similar to Enduro mode, but with the rear preload set to minimum for a lower seat height.
The base Multistrada is ideal if you prefer making suspension adjustments by hand (suspension damping and spring rates are the same on all models), and it will also leave a substantial chunk of cash in your wallet. The Sport model has a carbon fibre nosepiece, cam belt covers, and inner rear fender, but I can’t see how anyone would choose it over the Touring model, which substitutes the aesthetic trim pieces with useful saddlebags boasting 58-litres capacity, heated handgrips and a bona fide centre stand.
After spending a day on the new Multistrada 1200S, I have to disagree with Ducati’s claim that it is four bikes in one. It has superbike power and handling, naked-bike agility, a definite hooligan-bike streak, long-distance capability, commuter-bike versatility and it doesn’t shy away from off-pavement excursions. Far as I can tell, that’s six bikes in one — and counting.
Costa Mouzouris is a freelance journalist whose travelling expenses were paid by the manufacturer. wheels@thestar.ca
2010 DUCATI MULTISTRADA 1200
PRICE: $17,495—$20,995
ENGINE: Liquid-cooled 1,198 cc V-twin
POWER/TORQUE: 150 hp/87.5 lb.-ft.
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 5 L/100 km (56 mpg)
COMPETITION: BMW R1200GS, Honda Varadero, Triumph Tiger
WHAT’S BEST: 24,000 km major service intervals; real-world suspension
WHAT’S WORST: Sport edition is redundant
WHAT’S INTERESTING: Complex and effective electronic ride management made simple
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