VOLUME 59 ISSUE 5 FEBRUARY 1, 2022 P67
tailor engine character, traction control,
wheelie modulation, ABS sensitivity,
suspension preload and damping levels.
They allow riders of differing skill levels
and bike-setup preferences to quickly
dial in the motorcycle to better suit road
conditions, as well as compensate for
passenger and luggage weight.
Along with replacing the standard
model's dirt-focused 19-inch front wheel
and dual-sided swingarm, the Multistrada
V4's Enduro riding mode was eliminated
(but strangely, not its folding shifter and
brake pedals). Now, the Pikes Peak
has Urban, Touring, Sport and a first-
ever Race mode that kicks the motor
up a notch, lowers traction and wheelie
control to just 25 percent of their max
settings and stiffens preload by six clicks
over the Sport setting.
Any of the four presets can be saved
as the preferred riding mode. And, un-
like many earlier and less sophisticated
current systems, each parameter can be
customized individually (or turned off) and
saved by users. Once chosen, these set-
tings "stick," instead of reverting to factory
defaults when the bike is turned off.
(Above) Electronic
Ohlins allow you to
dial in a near perfect
auto-assisted ride.
If you can't find
one, you can always
switch it to manual
and go old school
with compression,
rebound and
preload adjustment.
(Above left) Carbon
fiber cloaks the
little black box for
the radar-assisted
Adaptive Cruise
Control.
ergonomics more pleasant than the base model
Multi, which is designed to go both on and off road.
With 17-inch wheels and no concessions to
off-road performance, the V4 Pikes Peak is the
grandest of grand sports tourers. It'll get up and
boogie with the best of them (170 horsepower
will do that) but the way in which it delivers said
power, and the slightly lazier geometry makes
for exceptional stability and poise.
Although it's stable, it's also far sportier than
you may think at first glance. For a bike weighing
north of 500 pounds fully fueled, it's dynamically
nimble in the twisties and once you get out of the
city you'll hardly want for anything else.
The riding modes are all well and good, but I
like the snappiness of the Race mode and thus
left it in there for the duration of my week's ride.
Of course, there's the Adaptive Cruise Control
and Blind Spot Detection software built in, and
this is something every rider simply must try. It's
an absolute game changer for highway use and
puts this bike on a higher pedestal than most.
The Multistrada V4 S was my pick for Bike of
The Year in 2021, but it's a good thing I hadn't
ridden the V4 Pikes Peak edition before I made
my selection. As good at the V4 S is, it's a big bike
and I'd sooner go for a mid-size ADV machine if
serious off-road usage is on the cards. But the V4
Pikes Peak is so damn good at being a damn good
street bike, that it's already going to be hard to
top for 2022.
Rennie Scaysbrook
