In curves and on straights - Ducati Multistrada 1200S test

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Ducati Multistrada 1200S: transformer, 2010, 1198 cm³, 150 hp, 210 kg, €24,400 (in this configuration)
Ducati Multistrada 1200S: transformer, 2010, 1198 cm³, 150 hp, 210 kg , €24400 (in this configuration)

I'll start with the prose of life. Literally from the first meters of our acquaintance with the motorcycle, which, according to Moscow tradition, began with a dead traffic jam, it became clear: this “Duka” is not like other “Dukas”! Be it Monster or Hypermotard, or any of the galaxy of “reds”: in the character of each there is what admirers call a zest, and the rest - “awkward jambs”. One offers the perfect riding position for the city, but try spending three hours straight in the saddle! And the complete lack of wind protection makes it completely unsuitable for long-distance travel. The second one is insanely fast and nimble, but with its power and microscopic size it will only please a very experienced rider. To put it mildly, Ducati are very specific motorcycles. But “cartoon” is a completely different matter! It is absolutely obedient, predictable and easy to control - truly a motorcycle for people, and not the other way around.

Ducati Track Control (DTC)

It uses the same software logic that was developed and used by the Ducati Corse racing division for motorcycles that have competed in MotoGP and World Superbike, and offers eight engine modes developed by a team of professional test riders and racers. When the mode that best suits the combination of given road or track conditions and riding style is selected, DTC is activated, compares front and rear wheel speed sensor signals and speed differences, and monitors rear wheel slip (wheel spin). DTC calculates the best combination of two different electronic controls, taking into account data that comes from several sources. Sport Edition – The Sport variant features electronically adjustable ?hlins suspension and ABS, the Sport 'S' model features carbon fiber parts including a front air intake, drive belt guard, rear wheel guard and side air extractors that highlight its performance and sportiness. style.

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At first, as soon as I sat in the saddle, the thought crept into my head: “What kind of fashion have they taken, they make “liters” the size of a Japanese six hundred.” There is no trace of the feeling of sitting on “two hundred liters”. Narrow, light, even in place - almost weightless... a complete disappointment. “Where is the liter?” But all the dissatisfaction ended as soon as I started moving. Still, marketers and advertisers don’t lie! A compact car with a decent steering angle even by enduring standards and a low steering angle in traffic jams no worse than a quarter! To hell with your “feeling of a big iron motorcycle” if a “two hundred liter” in a traffic jam behaves like a light motard! The first, city, stage of the exam for the title of “multi” was passed with an “A minus”.

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And the downside is traditional for Duca: mirrors. No, visibility, vibration resistance and even the appearance of the mirrors are “excellent”, but the location... So that the pilot sees in them something other than his own manly shoulders, the designers positioned them so that the edges protrude beyond the dimensions of the steering wheel by four centimeters on each side hand, and coupled with a wide enduronic steering wheel, this noticeably reduces the vehicle’s cross-country ability among Gazelles and SUVs “buried” in traffic jams.

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I will not describe all the wonders of the DES, DTC and ABS systems - we have already talked about them (Moto No. 5, 2010), but I will dwell in more detail on the engine operating modes. I'll start with the most “brutal” mode - “Sport”. Yes, the flagship Ducati Testastretta engine, retuned for “traction” in the middle of the range, evokes delight, intoxication with power, the thrill of complete control, “follows the handle like glued” and the like - it’s all true. But emotions aside, the test is not over yet. After switching from the “Sport” mode (full engine output, “tightened” suspension and instant response to turning the throttle) to the “Urban” mode (“loose” suspension by about two-thirds and an engine with up to a hundred horses), I’m sure: many , like me, culture shock will come. It's necessary, with one press of a button you can ruin your motorcycle like that! Judging by the editorial measurements on the dyno, the dynamics “up to a hundred” in this mode remain almost the same, but the subjective sensations can be compared with those that you experience when transferring from a Mercedes to a Zhiguli. Noticeable swings appear during acceleration and braking, and the gas handle is so dampened that it seems that the signal from it to the throttle valves goes not through wires, but through rubber bands. Looking ahead, I will say that these same engine settings in the “Enduro” mode on the ground are really what the doctor ordered: the engine’s soft response to gas and an even, flat torque curve allow a lot, but here, on the asphalt, it feels like with the press of a button someone sawed off half of the engine. I am sure that many, like me, will quickly switch back to sports mode - there is no point in “horse stealing” from yourself. Still, let’s not forget that the “cartoon” is, first of all, a motorcycle for traveling. And traveling is always more pleasant in company. Another thing is that often a passenger on the “back of the neck” turns the “flight of soul and body” into hard work, especially when it comes to enduro and not always smooth roads. Often, the presence of passenger footrests does not mean that the motorcycle is designed to carry a passenger. With “ballast,” the weight distribution of the vehicle changes dramatically, it becomes poorly controlled, rolly, constantly roams with its “nose” and generally behaves disgustingly, and the passenger seat itself is often no more than nominal. There is no pleasure, neither for the pilot nor for the passenger.

Key points

Classical

• The ability to instantly adjust both torque and engine power;
• Controlling suspension and traction;
• Four different riding modes to create a unique, individual style tailored to the driver's preferences.

Sports

• ABS is used;
• Electronic adaptive suspension called Ohlins;
• There is an air intake, as well as a compact rear wing and side extractors;
• All the bells and whistles and innovations emphasize the power and character of the motorcycle.

Tourist

It was created specifically for those who love long, relaxing trips. However, it has all the features that are inherent in the first two modifications. The main difference is that the model is designed to provide the highest possible comfort for the driver. As an example, the possibility of automated heating is built into the handles, and on the sides of the motorcycle there are 57-liter panniers for long trips.

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In this discipline, “cartoon” really surprised me. Even without reconfiguring the “electronic” suspension for driving with a passenger (which, of course, is also done by simply pressing a button), the device does not show any tendency to lift its “nose” into the sky, does not “get heavier” and does not seem to notice at all what is on it. there is an extra rider on the ridge. Or rather, let’s be honest, the pilot practically doesn’t notice this. Except sometimes, with your own ribs, which the passenger’s hands grab into when you open the gas. By the way, passengers responded extremely positively to the comfort. It's time to evaluate the last of the four settings modes - “Turing”. At first glance, there is no difference in engine operation with sport mode: the same power and torque curves and 150 hp. (on the shaft; on the wheel - just over 130 hp - see graphs and table). Yes, but not so: the whole trick is in a smoother engine response to gas operation, and if in the city this damping, coupled with reduced power, caused nothing but disappointment, then the “150 cocktail plus soft gas” makes driving on the highway peaceful and calm. The passenger relaxes his stranglehold, exhales and begins to enjoy himself. On the contrary, this allows the pilot to finally take a deep breath. The last point to the excellent score for the long-range discipline is given to the Multistrada by its well-designed adjustable windshield. There is also a peculiarity here: at about 70–80 km/h the pilot begins to feel quite decent air pressure. And the trick is that at one hundred, and at one hundred and fifty, and even at two hundred, the oncoming pressure practically does not increase. And the intensity with which it puts pressure on the pilot can be described with that same romantic but hackneyed cliche: “elastic wind in the face” - pleasant and not enough. It’s a pity they haven’t yet come up with wind protection for the passenger - after two hundred it starts to blow away. Although this is rather from the category of non-applied experiments. Tea, not Hayabusa.

Ducati Multistrada V4 S off-road

Riding the new Ducati Multistrada V4 S off-road is an enjoyable and impressive experience, punctuated by small bursts of panic. Overall, the motorcycle is balanced and handles well, plus the clarity of the clutch modulation and smooth engine operation make it easy to sneak where you can’t go straight ahead. Jumping on the Multistrada V4 best reveals the benefits of the semi-active suspension. It's really cool to feel the bike tighten up as the suspension folds, absorbing the energy of the jump. But as soon as you exceed your capabilities, not only the weight of the motorcycle will fall on you, but also the unaffordable bill for its repairs - 260 kg and 25 thousand dollars are somehow not conducive to risky riding.

So, as an SUV, the Ducati Multistrada V4 S 2021 is not bad, but only as a last resort, and if you are prepared for the fact that a motorcycle that has helped you out more than once may try to kill you by being too heavy or too powerful, depending on the circumstances. As a touring bike, the Multistrada V4 S is excellent - except for one glaring issue, which is range.

Ducati Multistrada V4 S 2021

Firstly, the V4 is power hungry. I got from 6 to 8 liters per hundred, which means that a 22 liter tank in theory should be enough for about 300 kilometers. In reality, the beggar lights up a little after two hundred, and it is advisable to find a gas station after 50 kilometers. Once I was on the verge of drying out, judging by the range reading (in his opinion, I had 3 kilometers left) - and only 20 liters fit into the tank. It's all strange.

If this didn’t seem critical to you, I’m happy for you, because the rest of the motorcycle is great. The seat is quite different from the previous version, it is narrower at the back, and the passenger area has thicker padding. My passenger praised the comfortable footrests and heated seat. Wind protection is quite good, and Ducati has somehow managed to improve the adjustment of the windshield - now by moving a peg on the dashboard back and forth, the windshield easily rises and lowers and is securely locked in place.

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Technical characteristics of the Ducati Multistrada 1200S

Of course, there is no need to talk about full off-road use of this motorcycle. Turning to my favorite automotive analogies for clarity, it’s time to compare the “cartoon” with a large luxury SUV, be it a Porsche Cayenne or a Cadillac Escalade. Powerful engines, all the bells and whistles imaginable, electronic systems for off-road driving, variable ground clearance, huge wheels... but would it even occur to anyone to climb into the Tver swamps of such luxury with polished sides and a leather interior together with “charged” UAZs? and “defenders”? Only for a very extravagant rich man with a reputation as a complete freak. The car may do the job, but is that what it’s for? Here is Multistrada from the same “sandbox”. Eat hundreds of kilometers of roads of varying degrees of disrepair? Yes! Walk along Sunset Boulevard, or at least roll up to the observation deck and conquer all the girls? Easily! Going out for a light picnic on a compacted dirt road in a Porsche? No problem! He can even drive around the city every day, leaving those same “Cayennes” to languish in traffic jams, he can do it with ease, but to think that a “cartoon” is an SUV means, at the very least, to admit his own amateurism and lack of taste. You know, even those who have a full garage don’t drive a Ferrari to pick up potatoes.

Moto measurement results

CONCLUSIONS. “Mult” turned out to be an excellent student. He fell just short of the gold medal. To confirm the “A minus”, I’ll add: I couldn’t find on my own where the heated steering wheel grips turned on. So the controls are also a minus. All jokes aside, the creators of the Multistrada 1200 have fulfilled their promise to assemble “several motorcycles in one.” Although, in my opinion, there are still not four of them in the “cartoon,” but two. An excellent “tourist”, capable of keeping up with “sports” on the highway and leaving them far behind on the routes Uryupinsk - Gadyukino, and a wonderful city motorcycle for every day, comfortable, practical, easy to ride and, of course, incredibly beautiful.

Moto experts' assessments

The motorcycle for the test was provided by Ducati-Russia, dyno tests were carried out in the Multipass workshop, Dainese equipment was provided by the Eurosport Motors salon.

In curves and on straights - Ducati Multistrada 1200S test

Specifications

Even fighter pilots can envy the amount of standard on-board equipment on the Multistrada bike. The factory alarm system of the model has an auto-start function and recognizes the key at a distance of two meters. The option of heated steering grips also adds to the comfort.

ABS, DTS and DES technologies make driving as safe as possible, since these “smart” systems respond faster than the pilot and make corrections, reducing the likelihood of a fall, in dangerous situations.

In 2013, the Italian company updated the Ducati Multistrada 1200 line, adding new technologies to an already “advanced” machine. Overall dimensions remained unchanged after the update:

• Length - 220.0 cm;
• Width - 94.5 cm;
• Height - 131.1 cm;
• Saddle height - 82.5/85.5 cm;
• Wheelbase - 153.0 cm.

The dry weight of the motorcycle is 196, 206 and 217 kilograms for the basic version and the Sport and Touring modifications, respectively.

The fuel tank capacity is standard for all - 20 liters.

The new product of 2013 received a completely new suspension with a DSS system and adapted for driving on any surface, a next-generation Testastretta engine, the latest Bosch-ABS Brembo brakes equipped with ABS, a Ride-By-Wire electric drive for the throttle, as well as proprietary Ducati systems Skyhook and Ducati Traction Control.

Despite the modernization, the motorcycle's front fork (customizable, Marzocch) retained its 25-degree rake, and the frame remained tubular and steel (Trellis type).

The changes did not affect the chassis, the tire size of which is 120/7-17 and 190/55-17 front and rear, respectively.