Ride the touring Ducati Multistrada 1260 Enduro 2021

Ducati Multistrada 1260 Enduro 2019

158 horses for a tourenduro is serious. Hell, 158 horsepower on any bike is pretty impressive, but when you're sitting up high, holding the wide handlebars behind the tall windshield and seeing everything ahead of you, it's especially impressive. They say that touring bikes don’t need such nonsense, and there is some truth in these words. But those who say so are quickly diminishing in their rearview mirrors.

First look at the Ducati Multistrada 1260 Enduro

At first glance, adding bulk and mid-range torque seems like a strange way to make a touring bike more friendly. But the trick here is that instead of revving the engine to get thrust, DVT (Desmodromic Variable Valve Timing) makes the engine more torquey at any speed. Thanks to this, you can click the gearbox up and down less, and not only: the motorcycle now allows you to lift the wheel in high gear and drive out of places with poor grip. But the new Ducati Multistrada 1260 Enduro engine performs best on asphalt: thanks to variable timing of the opening and closing of the valves, traction is present at any speed, so you can use one gear on any section of the road. In third, you can safely lower the revs to 2000, and when you open the gas, the motorcycle will accelerate freely from the very bottom.

There is some unevenness in the throttle response of the Ducati Multistrada 1260 Enduro in the mid-range, but this is only noticeable when the maximum power and the most aggressive fuel map are set. In soft mode, the bike responds smoothly to the throttle and rides just right for a comfortable ride on rough, unfamiliar roads. In this mode, you can easily forget that this is a 1262 cc L-twin, as the thrust is transmitted much more smoothly than you would generally expect from such a cubic capacity and configuration. The character of the engine changes from plush to sporty with wild habits, depending on the mode.

In the default Urban mode, you have a motorcycle with smooth throttle response and soft suspension - a comfortable tourer for trouble-free riding on any road. A quick switch to Sport mode via the 5-inch LCD panel and everything changes immediately: the response of the Multistrada 1260 Enduro is instantaneous and the acceleration is sharp, to the point of breaking the wheel, which the DTC traction control system struggles with. Which, by the way, performs well on any surface, including bumps, dust and patches.

The Ducati Multistrada 1260 Enduro motorcycles we tested during the first half of the journey were equipped with high windshields and a Touratech luggage system. And when you move off the asphalt, the weight begins to be felt, especially when quickly changing direction. But if you don’t push it too hard, the maneuvering dynamics are impressive: precise, but not overly aggressive steering gives the motorcycle confidence in the very first turns. The Multistrada 1260 Enduro doesn't have to be coaxed to stay on line, either on the straight or in a corner. The more aggressive the ride, the stiffer the programmable Ducati Skyhook Suspension becomes, responding to changing conditions and making the motorcycle resistant to late dynamic braking and hard acceleration.

On curved, winding roads, the quickshifter does not always cope with shifting as quickly as we would like. On faster sections it worked flawlessly, throwing both up and down without the need to disturb the clutch lever.

Slow, tight turns on rough roads are the best way to test the agility of the Multistrada 1260 Enduro Tourer in challenging conditions such as gravel or undulating terrain. Reducing the suspension travel by 15 mm and lowering the seat height by 1 cm made the motorcycle more squat and lowered the center of gravity, plus at this height it became easier to push off with your outstretched leg. In the accessories catalog, seats are available 2 cm higher or lower than stock, giving 88 and 84 cm respectively.

Be that as it may, the Multistrada in all its many guises has never had any problems on the road. It was nice to see that the Enduro version did not sacrifice on-road capabilities in favor of off-road capabilities. In sport mode it amazes with available power, and in softer modes it becomes an extremely comfortable device for a relaxed ride. Even by today's somewhat inflated standards, the Multistrada Enduro is an incredible bike in the engine department and quite good in the chassis department.

Motorcycle DUCATI Multistrada 1260 Enduro

Comfortable, powerful and stylish - these are the words to describe the new DUCATI Multistrada 1260 Enduro (Color: Sand). The line of popular motorcycles has been significantly redesigned by engineers, thanks to which the new model boasts excellent technical parameters. The designers, in turn, decided to keep up by adding two bright solutions. One of them received the modest name Sand.

The DUCATI Multistrada 1260 Enduro Sand has a black and white color scheme with a pronounced sand front. Thanks to carbon fiber parts, the sporty style was emphasized, and on the side there is an inscription with the name of the model itself.

Behind the unobtrusive modesty lies an arsenal of impressive details: the updated DUCATI Testastretta DVT 1262 engine, which produces 85% of the maximum torque at 3,500 rpm. This is 17% more than last year's version. The motorcycle was equipped with advanced electronics, including the new Human Machine Interface system with a color 5'' TFT display. The DUCATI Multistrada 1260 Enduro can be equipped with a TPMS tire pressure monitoring system and anti-theft control.

Off-road part of the tests

The off-road part of the tests was with short windshields, without luggage and on Pirelli Scorpion Rally tires. This is where the Multistrada Enduro came to life. This outfit transformed her from an outrageously fast road warrior to a true touring SUV. Gravel, dirt, dust, rocks - everything slid under the belly of the bright red herd of 158 horses. And if the steering wheel seemed somewhat strangely positioned when sitting on the road, then off-road, in a position closer to the steering wheel, it feels completely natural and comfortable. It is also worth noting that for tall riders, riding in a standing position will be extremely comfortable.

With the Multistrada 1260 Enduro, Ducati has achieved an impressive balance of on- and off-road performance. The fact that the suspension travel has been reduced by 15 mm and the steering wheel has become lower by 3 cm sounds like bad news for those who like to drive off the asphalt. The footpegs also became lower by 1 cm in conjunction with the steering wheel. When production manager Stefano Tarabusi announced the reduction in suspension travel at a press conference, I think he heard puzzled exclamations from the audience and quickly moved on to talk about the evolution of electronic suspension.

The DSS (Ducati Skyhook Suspension) has been reprogrammed and takes data from the Bosch six-axis inertia platform, which is also the heart of ABS, traction control and wheelie control. Thanks to all this, the Multistrada system is smart enough to detect the nature of the surface and adjust the behavior of the suspension during driving according to it. As a result, the Multistrada 1260 Enduro is soft and compliant at low speeds and feels more composed when riding faster . On fast descents or jumps, it senses lift off the ground and tightens the damping to soften the landing. The difference in the suspension response is quite noticeable when changing the surface under the wheels.

Ducati planned to update this model to create an easy-to-use touring motorcycle and expand the brand's audience. The result can be considered quite successful - the touring Multistrada 1260 Enduro is really easy to use and does not cause any difficulties either when riding or when manually adjusting the suspension. The 17 percent increase in low-end power means it has more usable thrust and less difficulty using that thrust. Change the settings and the Multistrada Enduro can shoot on the pavement or stand on its rear wheel in the mud in third gear to pass obstacles. Switching driving modes is easy and convenient, and adjusting them to personal preferences (in terms of power and suspension) is simple and straightforward. You may not need 158 horses in the dirt, but it's good to know you have them.

Ducati Multistrada 1260 Enduro 2021

Looking at how the touring enduro market is rapidly developing, and eminent manufacturers are updating their flagships in pursuit of potential buyers, Ducati decides to take its main off-road model – the Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro – to a new level.

As the name suggests, the new Ducati Multistrada 1260 Enduro is equipped with a 1262 cc 158-horsepower L-twin Testastretta DVT with variable valve timing, which was installed on the Ducati Multistrada 1260 a year earlier. Most likely, marketers from the Bologna factory deliberately delayed the presentation of the new semi-off-road version in order to to root in the minds of fans of the brand the deep differences between the regular Multistrada and the Enduro version.

One way or another, the Ducati Multistrada 1260 Enduro really boasts extended off-road potential. As before, this bike is equipped with different-sized 19- and 17-inch wheels on spokes, shod with Pirelli Scorpion Trail II tires measuring 120/70 R19 at the front and 170/60 R17 at the rear, which are a good 2 kg lighter than the old ones.

The new product features a lower center of gravity than the previous version, as well as a seat (859 mm) and handlebar lowered by almost a centimeter (modifications are also available for riders with different performance characteristics: with a seat height of 879 mm and 838 mm).

The motorcycle will have two colors: sand yellow and red.

The motorcycle is equipped with the latest 5-inch full-color instrument panel, like the Panigale V4 sportsbike, as well as modern electronic systems, including electronic throttle, four driving modes (full-power Sport and Touring, as well as Urban and Enduro trimmed to 100 hp), working on bends, Bosch ABS, wheelie control and traction control, each with eight levels of intervention, as well as cruise control and Vehicle Hold Control mountain assistant.

The company has prepared a wide range of additional equipment and accessories for the new Ducati Multistrada 1260 Enduro 2019

In addition, the motorcycle is equipped with a quick shifter, and its semi-active suspension is tuned in a new way. The geometry of the motorcycle remained unchanged, with the exception of the distance from the wheel axis to the steering column axis increased by a millimeter. The cost of the new product has not yet been disclosed.

Photos of the Ducati Multistrada 1260 Enduro 2019:

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Photo – Ducati