VOL. 53 ISSUE 12 MARCH 29, 2016 P53
much out of its depth as outshone
by its road-orientated brother, which
is only to be expected. That said,
even with the 19-inch front wheel
and lazier geometry, the Enduro
does handle the twisty stuff beauti-
fully for such a large bike. That sport
Ducati DNA is still well and truly
alive in the Enduro when all you've
got is blacktop under your wheels,
the ride matched to a now uniquely
hollow low rpm exhaust note via
the new single-barrel silencer. Gun
that bad boy and you're met with
knocking system, which is also an
update available for the standard
Multistrada. The previous system
was reducing spark advance too
much, even though the engine was
not close to detonation. The result is
a smoother throttle, especially in hot
conditions.
Ducati has created a machine
that is now truly worthy of the
four-bikes-in-one label. Although
the Enduro isn't going to stay with
a standard Multistrada when the
going gets fast on the blacktop,
an induction roar that far outweighs
the exhaust as the Enduro climbs
through the rev range with the same
zest as the standard Multistrada,
and if you're cruising at moderate
speeds the differences in geometry
and that larger front wheel won't
weigh too heavily on your mind
as you carve corners. Ducati has
graced the Enduro with the latest
ECU update that houses revised
settings for the anti-detonation/
it's either a match or far superior
to it everywhere else. The Ducati
Multistrada 1200 Enduro is now
a genuine contender as the top
big-bore adventure dog, plus the
ride has a certain factor of luxury
thanks to the five-inch TFT digital
dash, aesthetically pleasing switch-
es and reworked seat that others in
the category don't have.
For me, it's the bike the Multistra-
da should have always been. CN
(Right) This little
chart, swiped
straight from
the Ducati press
pack, gives you
an idea of the
relationship
between the
four riding
modes within
the ECU with
the suspension
settings,
traction control
and ABS. Of
course, you can
change these
parameters
within the dash
if you wish.
