After showing us three repainted Scrambler models at the INTERMOT show in Germany, Ducati has another reveal in the works, and the Italian company has begun teasing a new model that is set to debut this Friday.
Details are tight, but the teaser photo does give us a hint that the soon-to-be-released models like to play in the mud. Our guess? We think this will be the revised Ducati Multistrada 1260 Enduro – or so say our Bothan spies – with the same engine upgrade that came to the rest of the Multistrada lineup last year.
At the core of the update will be the Testastretta DVT 1262 engine, which makes 158hp in its Multistrada 1260 form.
The larger engine was designed to make its power down low (aided by its variable valve technology), and the Italians say that the Ducati Multistrada 1260 makes 85% of its torque below 3,500 rpm. This bodes well then for the Enduro variant.
Perhaps the most underrated motorcycle in Ducati’s lineup, we found the Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro to be a capable and rugged motorcycle – on par with the category-defining BMW R1200GS Adventure, if not beyond its German counterpart.
The Ducati brand hasn’t translated well to the hardcore ADV enthusiasts however, as the market sees the Italian motorcycle as fragile and unreliable in their minds. You can’t blame them too much for that though, as Ducati has done very little marketing to promote the Multistrada 1260 Enduro, especially here in the United States.
To its credit, the Italian brand runs an off-road Ducati Ride Experience (DRE) for the Enduro in Europe, which is a good introduction to the machine and dual-sport riding, though it lacks a level of experience that is being found elsewhere with programs like RawHyde Adventures.
If American consumers, or any adventure-tourers, are going to be convinced of the capabilities that the Ducati Multistrada 1260 Enduro brings to the table, Borgo Panigale is going to have to do more to convince this skeptical segment, otherwise the Enduro is likely going to continue to underperform in Ducati’s lineup, especially here in the USA.
Until then, we will wait to see what Ducati has planned for us with this announcement. Get your ADV gear ready for Friday though.
Source: Ducati & Bothan Spies
Comments