Ducati Multistrada V4 unveiled globally

After lots of spy images and chatter about the new engine, Ducati has finally unveiled the Multistrada V4, which is essentially the fourth-gen Multistrada. Additionally, this time around Ducati has given us three variants of the Multistrada V4: the standard V4, the V4 S, and the V4 Sport. So what all is new in the Multistrada V4? Let’s get started with a small glimpse about...

The engine
The main bone of contention among Ducati purists, the 1158cc V4 Granturismo engine features conventional valve springs instead of a Desmo valve setup. However, the change has caused Ducati to add in quite a bit of reliability within the engine. This means that despite being quite powerful (168bhp @ 10500rpm and 125Nm @ 8750rpm), as well as lightweight (66.7kg, or 1.2 kg lighter than the 1262cc Testastretta unit it replaces) Ducati says the oil change (and service) intervals will be 15,000km or two years, with air filter replacement at 30,000km, and the gap between valve adjustment services an astonishing 60,000km!

The variants

Before we go through the differences, let’s first club in the parts which are shared. There’s a 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheel shod with Pirelli Scorpion Trail II rubber, 120/70-19 at the front and 170/60-17 at the rear. Coming in straight from the factory are spoke-wheels wrapped around with Scorpion Rally STRs which can also be found in the same size on the Scrambler Desert Sled. The Marzocchi electronically adjustable suspension offers 170mm of travel at the front and 180mm at the rear on the S and Sport. The standard variant gets mechanically adjustable 50mm stanchion combined with fully adjustable monoshock at the rear with cantilever setup. Additionally, the seat height is adjustable between 840mm and 860mm, with options for a lower 810mm or taller 875mm seat also available.

All the variants also get IMU-assisted Bosch-Brembo 10.3ME cornering ABS system, Ducati Wheelie Control and Ducati Traction Control Evo system, along with the usual rider-adaptable settings. A nifty feature is the smartphone storage compartment on the tank with a built-in USB charger. Additional options include a tyre pressure monitoring system but the new radar-assisted adaptive cruise control system (the USP of the Multistrada V4), which is four-way selectable and modulates both braking and acceleration depending on the vehicles in front is available on the S and S Sport only.

The rear radar, on the other hand, features Blind Spot Detection, and signals when vehicles approach at high speed from behind. There’s also a wireless charging module along with an USB port mounted onto the fuel tank.

We now move to the differences between the various trim levels, starting with the standard V4. It gets Marzocchi suspension front and rear, with 50mm forks, along with Brembo M4.32 radial calipers. There’s also a 5-inch colour TFT screen, with Ducati’s multimedia system. Moving now to the S variant, and the first big change is the electronic semi-active Skyhook suspension, the upgrade to Brembo Stylema calipers, and the option for wire-spoke wheels as well as cornering lamps. Once in the saddle, there’s keyless ignition and a larger 6.5-inch TFT dash (which can be toggled via a new backlit, bar-mounted joystick control system) featuring smartphone-based navigation via the Ducati Connect app, along with an up-and-down quickshifter, cruise control and hill hold control.
Finally, the top-end V4 S Sport variant gets everything the S variant does, along with a special Sport livery with glossy black wheels, a carbon-fibre front mudguard and a carbon and titanium Akrapovic road-legal exhaust (both of which are optional on the base V4 and V4 S variants) as standard.

So when can I get one?
Well, Ducati has only unveiled the Multistrada V4 for the global audiences at the moment. This means we should give Ducati some time to ramp up production for the overseas market, before the Multistrada V4 makes an appearance on our shores. Hence we expect it here sometime towards the end of 2021. Once here, the Multistrada V4 will go head-to-head with the other big daddy ADVs, such as the BMW R 1250 GS, Triumph Tiger 1200, BMW S 1000 XR and Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin.