Ducati Multistrada V4 Review – It’s ‘multi’ in Every Sense!

Overview

India is one country which is perfectly fit for adventure tourers, which is why, in recent years, many such motorcycles arrived on the Indian soil. The Ducati Multistrada V4 is one of the high-end offerings to make its way here now, and promises the best of engineering from the Italian bike maker with its top-spec V4 configuration. The new Ducati Multistrada V4 has become much more tech-packed than ever before, with a new sleeker design and more powerful and bigger engine adding to its desirability. 

Price List

Priced higher than its direct rivals, the Ducati Multistrada V4 has a starting price of Rs. 18.99 lakh for the base standard version. Available in two variants, the Ducati Multistrada V4 has two color options of red and grey, with the latter commanding a premium of Rs. 20,000 more than the red color option in the V4 S variant.

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Engine and Specifications

The Ducati Multistrada V4 is the first one ever in the history of the adventure motorcycle to feature a four-cylinder configuration. The new Multistrada V4 is powered by a four stroke, liquid cooled, 90-degree V4 1158cc engine, which makes 170 bhp of maximum power output and 125 Nm of maximum torque output. These figures do make the Multistrada V4 the most powerful version of the motorcycle till date. The engine has been paired to a slick 6-speed gearbox.

Like a true high-end European motorcycle, the Ducati Multistrada V4 comes with a wide range of electronic riding aids, the list of which includes riding modes, power modes, Ducati traction control, Ducati wheelie control, cornering ABS, 6-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU) and vehicle hold control.

Mileage

For the Multistrada V4, Ducati claims a fuel efficiency of 15.38 kmpl. However, in ideal riding conditions, expect an economy in the range of 12-14 kmpl.

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Handling and Braking

The Ducati Multistrada V4, being a top-spec adventure tourer, has been fitted with the best possible combination of suspension. The motorcycle comes with 50mm fully adjustable upside down hydraulic telescopic forks with electronic compression and rebound damping at the front and fully adjustable monoshock with double sided swingarm at the back. Riding on 19-inch front wheel and 17-inch rear wheel, the Ducati Multistrada V4 has been armed with dual 330mm Brembo M50 Stylema disc brakes at the front and a single 265mm disc brake at the rear, both of which get paired to a special cornering ABS setup.

Tyres and Wheels

The Ducati Multistrada V4, in a true adventure tourer fashion, comes with a bigger front wheel – a 19-inch unit in this case, with the rear one being a 17-inch unit. The motorcycles rides on 120/70 ZR19 front tyre and 170/60 ZR17 rear tyre, with both of them being Pirelli Scorpion Trail II rubbers in this case. The tall seat height of 840-860 mm, wheelbase of 1567 mm and kerb weight of 243 kg mean that the Ducati Multistrada V4 is a big motorcycle, which might take some time to get used to for new riders.

Colors

Apart from the traditional Ducati Red which is available in both the variants, the more premium V4 S variant also has the option of Aviator Grey, which commands a premium of Rs 20,000 over the Red color option.

Design and Features

The Ducati Multistrada V4 continues to have the big and intimidating stance of its predecessors. However, the motorcycle has lost some of its visual bulk, thanks to a slightly slimmer and sleeker design than before. The new Ducati Multistrada V4 retains the traditional design language, but with subtle tweaks here and there as well as new feature additions.

The changes include slimmer full LED headlamps with daytime running LEDs, shorter but wider beak with redesigned air inlets, redesigned front fully adjustable windscreen, bigger fuel tank, revised fuel tank extensions with new stepped air passages, all new upswept exhaust pipe and slimmer tail section with new LED tail lamp and luggage mounts.

The new Ducati Multistrada V4 also comes with a revised list of features, the most prominent one of which is the all-new 6.5-inch full TFT instrument console (smaller 5-inch unit in base model) with colored and configurable display modes. This system comes with in-built navigation system and Bluetooth connectivity. The Ducati Multistrada V4 is also the first motorcycle in India to get the front and rear radar systems, which work together for blind spot detection system. There are more features like cruise control, USB charging socket, backlit switchgear and four different ride modes – travel, enduro, sport and urban, all of which are a boon for long distance touring.

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Competition

The Ducati Multistrada V4 has entered into a very niche space of fully-blown adventure motorcycles, which might seem the best for our roads, but certainly don’t come cheap. The direct rivals of the Ducati Multistrada V4 include BMW R1250 GS and Honda Africa Twin, both of which offer similar levels of performance and equipment.

Verdict

With this new iteration, the Ducati Multistrada V4 has only become much more desirable than ever before, and there are many reasons to fall in love with its. Be its sleeker than before styling, better equipment levels, more powerful engine and the supremely capable list of electronics, there is no single reason to avoid the Ducati Multistrada V4. However, the motorcycle isn’t cheap to buy and maintain, and the limited number of touch points of Ducati in India do make the ownership experience and maintenance a not so easy task. But for those who can afford these chinks in its practicality, the Ducati Multistrada V4 is one expensive but surely an exhilarating experience to invest in.

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