VOL. 52 ISSUE 16 APRIL 21, 2015 P61
sports bike performance and
multiple engine modes. It offered
what was essentially four bikes in
one for the very first time—from
Supersport roadburner to long-
distance tourer, from everyday
commuter to dirt roads enduro.
Over 10,000 units were sold
in the first year. After which,
Ducati built on its trademark
blend of sportbike and go-any-
where tourer with a 2013 update
that included the addition of Sky-
hook semi-active suspension to
variably control damping rates,
as well as a second genera-
tion version of the Testastretta
11-degree motor (now fitted with
twin-plug cylinder heads for
smoother, more efficient com-
bustion, which contributed to
a 5 percent increase in torque
and a 10 percent improvement
in fuel consumption). More than
35,000 examples of the model
have now been delivered to cus-
tomers since 2010.
Inevitably, though, the Mul-
tistrada's success has led to it
coming under increasing attack
by rivals, which for 2015 include
BMW's new S1000XR and the
KTM 1290 Super Adventure.
Ducati's response is now reach-
ing showrooms around the
world in the shape of the all-new
Multistrada 1200 and higher
specification 1200S. The latest
version of the Multistrada fea-
tures new bodywork, increased
peak power output of 160 bhp
(matching exactly the figures of
those new rivals) and the novelty
of variable valve timing for the
1,198cc desmo V-twin engine
via a state-of-the-art Testastretta
DVT (Desmodromic Variable
Timing) technological package.
Thanks to the enhanced
performance and greater flex-
ibility this delivers, Ducati is
indeed entitled to claim that the
all-new 2015 Multistrada 1200
is the multibike par excellence,
with cutting-edge technology
making it the four-bikes-in-one
offered by its choice of riding
modes (Sport, Touring, Urban
and Enduro). The Multistrada
1200 also sets a new electronic
benchmark for the sports tour-
ing category, thanks to its IMU
(Inertial Measurement Unit)
developed by Bosch. Shared
with the Panigale 1299, the IMU
dynamically measures roll, yaw
and pitch angles as well as the
rate of their change, enabling
the ABS to include a Cornering
system capable of controlling
braking even in bends on the
angle.
The all-new Multistrada's
revamped look sees its familiar
beaky styling and upright rid-
ing position remain, but the
all-new half-fairing bodywork is
wider than before for greater
protection, and its appearance
is enhanced by an aggressive
array of angled headlights. One
beam on each side is a cor-
nering light that illuminates in
bends, triggered by the new IMU
"PLUS, THE NEW
MULTISTRADA'S
REVAMPED MOTOR
GENERATES EVEN
MORE OF THE
ADDICTIVE MID-
RANGE TORQUE AND
FIERCE TOP-END
CHARGE THAT HAS
ALWAYS MADE IT
SUCH A SATISFYING
REAL WORLD RIDE
OVER ANY KIND OF
DISTANCE—LONG
OR SHORT."
New for '15 is a slightly taller
windscreen that is still easily
adjustable.
