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What It’s Like Riding the Ducati Multistrada V4 S, A Review

By 62 COMMENTS

One of the most anticipated motorcycles of the 2021 model year is finally here for us to test, and in case the title to this review didn’t give it away, I am talking about the Ducati Multistrada V4 adventure bike.

Ducati has teased us long enough on this new ADV machine, including giving us an early look at its new Granturismo V4 motor, which is most notable for its lack of desmodromic valves. *Gasp* goes the Ducatisti collective.

With 168hp (125 kW) on tap, and 92 lbs•ft of peak torque coming from the compact V4 engine, it is hard to imagine why anyone would complain about what is beneath the fairings on this new Multistrada model, but then again…Ducati did leave a few sacred cows on the slaughterhouse floor when designing this motorcycle.

A pillar to Ducati’s two-wheeled lineup, the Multistrada V4 is a critical bike for Ducati to get right, as it accounts for roughly 20% of the company’s unit sales.

And for all of its changes and upgrades, the Multistrada V4 continues Ducati’s core principle for the Multistrada lineup – of having a model that is four motorcycles in one.

To see if Ducati got this recipe correct, the Italian brand invited us down to Borrego Springs, California, to ride the 2021 Ducati Multistrada V4 S in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

Our ride involved equal parts of curvy mountain roads and sandy desert tracks, giving us a good glimpse of what the Multistrada V4 S was capable of on the street and in the dirt.

The verdict? It’s a big one. If there was only one motorcycle we could buy with our hard-earned blogging dollars, this would be it. The Ducati Multistrada V4 S is the new standard in the premium ADV space. Let me explain.

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Reviews

Gone Riding: Ducati Multistrada V4 S

By 87 COMMENTS

The much rumored, much anticipated Ducati Multistrada V4 S is finally hitting US soil (in dealers, as we speak) and today we get a chance to ride this new adventure bike in anger.

Ducati North America has brought us to the Anza-Borrego desert in California to try this new machine, and put it through its paces both on the street and in the dirt.

Our bikes are also equipped with the new front and rear RADAR systems from Bosch, which means that we will get to test the adaptive cruise control and blind spot warning systems on the Ducati Multistrada V4 S, even though they won’t officially be available on the bikes until later this summer.

It should be a lively day of riding, and a prime chance to get your questions in about this machine and its new systems.

The Italians have been talking a big game with the new Multistrada V4, so we will be looking to see if this Ducati can top the very best in the big-bike ADV class.

Per our new review format, I will be giving you a live assessment of the Ducati Multistrada V4 S right here in this article (down in the comments section), and I will try to answer any questions you might have about this exciting motorcycle.

So, here is your chance to learn what it’s like to ride the Ducati Multistrada V4 S, before even our own proper review is posted.

As always, if I don’t know an answer, I will try to get a response from the Ducati personnel. So, pepper away.

You can follow our thoughts on the bike live via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and you can see what our colleagues are posting by looking for the hashtag #MultistradaV4 on social media.

Spec-Sheet Comparison of Relevant Models to the Ducati Multistrada V4 S:

  Ducati Multistrada V4 S BMW R1250GS KTM 1290 Adventure S
Horsepower 168 hp 136 hp 158 hp
Torque 92 lbs•ft 105 lbs•ft 103 lbs•ft
Weight 529 lbs (wet) 549 lbs (wet) 524 lbs (wet)
Engine 1,158cc / V4 1,254cc / Boxer-Twin 1,301cc / 75° V-Twin
Price (w/ bags) $24,095 $22,415 $19,847

Source: Ducati

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Bikes

Brap Talk Podcast #41 – A Loose Relationship with the Truth

By 3 COMMENTS

Episode 41 of the Brap Talk motorcycle podcast is back with another weekly episode, for your two-wheeled listening pleasure. In this show, we sit down and talk about a few bikes in particular.

We start out with the BMW R18, which has been sitting in the garage at A&R HQ these past few weeks. Accordingly, we give some initial thoughts on riding this unique cruiser, and what it means for the German brand.

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Bikes

Pricing on the Ducati Multistrada V4 Starts at $20,000*

By 11 COMMENTS

The big news yesterday in the motorcycle industry was the debut of the 2021 Ducati Multistrada V4, but one key piece of information was missing when we got to see it: the price.

Well, we have that answer today, as Ducati North America has provided to us the MSRP for the various trims levels of the Multistrada V4 – for both Canada and the United States.

And normally, this would be a straight-forward story to report, but as we understand Ducati’s moves for the Multistrada V4 in 2021, the pricing is anything but just a couple of numbers.

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Bikes

The Ducati Multistrada V4 Debuts as One Bike to Rule Them All

By 57 COMMENTS

After much anticipation, the next-generation of the Ducati Multistrada motorcycle has debuted, and as was expected, the machine features a V4 engine. Accordingly, say hello to the 2021 Ducati Multistrada V4.

As is Ducati’s custom, the Ducati Multistrada V4 will really only come in two trim levels, with the Ducati Multistrada V4 S featuring more up-spec components over the base model bike.

Both bikes though have a new monocoque chassis, a double-sided swingarm, and a 19″ front wheel (with a 17″ wheel in the rear), and a robust electronics package.

With these choices, the Italian’s are clearly pitching the Ducati Multistrada V4 as the bike to have, if you can only have one motorcycle in your garage.

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Rumors

Ducati Multistrada V4 Details Leaks Ahead of Tomorrow’s Reveal

By 22 COMMENTS

UPDATE: The 2021 Ducati Multistrada V4 has officially debuted. Read about it here.

The eagle eyes at Motorcycle.com have spotted an early look at the finalized version of the Ducati Multistrada V4, ahead of the bike’s debut tomorrow morning.

As you can see from the photos above, the resolution is a bit lacking, but the documents that go along with those photos do provide us with some insights.

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News

Ducati V4 Granturismo Engine Debuts w/o Desmodromics

By 52 COMMENTS

After a bit of teasing, we finally get to know the details of Ducati’s newest engine, the V4 Granturismo. This is the four-cylinder motor that will power the new and upcoming Ducati Multistrada V4 motorcycle.

The engine is based off the Desmosedici Stradale motor that is found in the Panigale V4 and Streetfighter V4 motorcycles, but with some obvious and core changes to suit it for touring and ADV riding uses.

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News

More Details about the Ducati V4 Granturismo Engine

By 7 COMMENTS

In two days, Ducati will officially unveil the V4 engine that will power its new Multistrada V4, which means that the Italian brand is currently in the midst of an extensive media campaign on the new motorcycle.

Today, we learned the name of this new motor; the Ducati V4 Granturismo engine, which is interesting in its own right, as it shows a departure from the “Desmosedici Stradale” nomenclature that powers the Panigale V4 and Streetfighter V4 motorcycles.

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Bikes

Ducati Multistrada V4 Heads into Production, With Radar

By 4 COMMENTS

Ducati is currently in the midst of a teaser campaign for the V4 engine that will power the new Multistrada V4 adventure bike, so it is a bit interesting to see them today promoting the new machine outside of that marketing campaign.

The news from Bologna tells us that the 2021 Ducati Multistrada V4 is currently being produced on the Borgo Panigale factory floor, and that when it goes on sale, it will be the first motorcycle with rider aids that uses a front and rear radar system.

In that announcement, Ducati does let slip a few more details about this eagerly anticipated 170hp motorcycle, namely that its new V4 configuration will allow for much longer service intervals, and that its motor (which is presumed to be 1,158cc) will produce silky smooth power.

Perhaps the biggest news is that the Ducati Multistrada V4 will officially debut on November 4th, though the motor powering this machine is expected to have a full announcement on October 15th.

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Dirt

Ducati Multistrada V4 Will Make 170hp, But Will It Disable Cylinders?

By 2 COMMENTS

Ducati is onto its second of four teasers about the upcoming Multistrada V4 model, and today we learn the theorem that “the power is smooth and thrilling on demand.”

That isn’t too much of a reveal, but reports from Italy are saying that the follow-up to that release is that the Ducati Multistrada V4 will make 170hp when it debuts, which is a bit of news.

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