Our ride is unfortunately halted
when one of our party has, shall
we say, a little oopsie in which
one of the Multistradas is ren-
dered rather wrecked, but being
a press launch, there's always
a second bike on hand and we
continue on, this time up State
Highway 149 and eventually to
the top of the Cinnamon Pass at
an elevation of 12,640 ft.
I've lost a bit of fitness since
my Pikes Peak days, which has
an elevation of 14,115 feet. I'm
running way short of breath, and
I don't remember anything like
this being the case when I was
racing.
The elevation is also playing
havoc with the Multistrada's
power delivery—or lack thereof.
It feels as though the motor
has lost about 30 percent of
its punch, and, despite my best
efforts, won't even pull second
gear wheelies. During the launch
of the very first Multistrada V4 S
at the 597-feet-elevated Borrego
Springs, fourth-gear stand-up
wheelies were not a problem.
It's interesting to note be
-
cause the two bikes are almost
identical, certainly they are in
terms of the motor hardware.
The 1158cc V4 Grantourismo
Evo engine is the same as you'll
find in the V4 S and the Pikes
Peak edition, which pumps
out a claimed 170 horsepower
at 10,750 rpm and 89 lb-ft of
torque at 8750 rpm. However,
the Rally gains modifications to
the Enduro ECU mode that limits
power to 114 horsepower but
with a sharper throttle response.
In truth, 114 horsepower is
plenty fine for off-road riding,
and the Multistrada V4 S's off-
road capabilities were never in
question to begin with. The new
Enduro mode works, as do all
the engine modes within the
ECU, with the Ducati Skyhook
Suspension by softening the
RIDE REVIEW I 2023 DUCATI MULTISTRADA V4 RALLY
P100
Ready for a blast to
Baghdad. The Multi Rally is
a tough looking steed.
