Cycle News

Cycle News 2017 Issue 04 January 31

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/779724

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2017 DUCATI MULTISTRADA 950 FULL TEST P76 engine braking on the settings of the ramp-style slipper clutch. The Multi 950 further shares with the Enduro not only the same gunmetal-colored tubular steel chassis common to all three Multistrada variants, but also its 2-1 exhaust's flat-sided left-hand silencer, its seat and passenger handgrips, and espe- cially its double-sided swingarm and 19-inch front wheel/17-inch rear, all cast in aluminum. This signals some degree of versatil- ity, and indeed there's a mini-En- duro version of the new bike also available via the aftermarket cat- alog, which delivers wire wheels and Pirelli block-tread rubber. As on the 1200 Enduro, this bike is, once again, the work of the man Ducati hired from KTM last year as Product Manager for the Multistrada family. Canadian- born Federico Valentini spent eight years in product develop- ment for Husqvarna, both during its MV Agusta ownership, then later when BMW bought the brand. He followed it to Austria when KTM purchased it, and he worked there for two years on Husqvarna's new off-road models. The very fact that Ducati would hire a man with Valentini's experience and status in the off- road industry demonstrates its commitment to producing such dual purpose motorcycles in its Bologna factory, though here on the Multistrada 950 he's worked with a former Ducati MotoGP race engineer, project leader Davide Previtera, to produce what's ultimately a very fine real- world road bike. The riding stance on the Multistrada 950 is very road- oriented, with the 33-inch-high seat (32.2/33.8-inch options are available) well padded enough to be plush rather than merely adequate, and very accommo- dating for a 5'10" rider, who'll find it easy to put both feet down at rest. This new 950 feels light- steering and agile at any speed, seemingly more so than the 1200 in spite of its weight and general architecture being so similar. It handles intuitively, since you sit so snugly in the bike that you feel a part of it, with the flat, fairly wide handlebar giving good le- verage to hustle the Ducati along twisting mountain roads, where it hugs your chosen line even under power—it steers impec- cably. The handlebar's quite fat grips (even without the optional

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