Ducati 1200 Multistrada DVT 2017 — Specifications

Imagine an L-twin 1198 cc engine whose camshafts move in real time, adjusting their timing to the fraction of a second depending on how you open the throttle. This is not onboard science fiction — it's the DVT, the Desmodromic Variable Timing that Ducati slipped into its Testastretta for this third generation of the Multistrada 1200. Before this model year, only the Honda VFR 800 and the Kawasaki GTR 1400 played with variable valve timing, and even then only partially. Bologna goes further, simultaneously shifting the intake and exhaust cams via hydraulic phasers controlled by the ECU. The result on paper: 160 horsepower at 9,500 rpm, a torque figure of 136.3 Nm available from 7,500 rpm, and already 80 Nm on tap at 3,500 revs. The curve never truly collapses between 5,750 and 9,000 rpm, meaning you are permanently riding in a range where the machine responds with conviction, whether you're exiting a village or eating up a stretch of motorway.

The chassis followed the same logic of rigorous evolution. The tubular steel trellis frame was redesigned and stiffened, and its ground clearance rises to 180 mm, which firmly positions the machine on tarmac rather than on dirt tracks. The 48 mm upside-down fork and the monoshock, both Sachs units and fully adjustable, offer 170 mm of travel at each end. On the S version, the Skyhook semi-active suspension joins the equation, with continuous adjustment to road conditions. The Brembo brakes bite into two 320 mm discs up front with four-piston calipers; at the rear, a 265 mm disc with a two-piston caliper is more than sufficient. And the ABS, coupled with the IMU inertial measurement unit, remains active in corners, modulating braking according to lean angle. For a touring bike weighing 232 kg fully fuelled, it's the kind of safety net you end up exploiting freely, so much confidence does it inspire.

What truly sets this Multistrada apart from the BMW R 1200 GS and other rivals such as the Triumph Tiger Explorer competing in the large adventure-touring segment is its ability to overlay four distinct characters in a single machine. Sport, Urban, Touring, and Enduro modes are not marketing gimmicks: they concretely alter power delivery, anti-wheelie intervention, and traction control sensitivity. Switching from Sport mode, where all 160 horsepower land like a verdict, to Urban mode for navigating a congested city centre takes two thumb presses. The adjustable seat at 825 or 845 mm, the 20-litre fuel tank, and the cruise control handle the rest for long-distance riding. The keyless start via badge detection at two metres is the kind of detail that seems superfluous until the first rainy morning when you're wrestling with luggage.

The question of the price of a 2017 Ducati 1200 Multistrada DVT in France deserves a straight answer: €17,990 in base configuration. That is significant, and it is the main sticking point against German or British competition. Ducati has also abandoned the fixed Granturismo and Touring variants in favour of an optional packs system — Touring, Sport, Urban, or Enduro — each steering the machine towards a specific use with dedicated accessories, from the Termignoni exhaust to the Touratech off-road kit. The other shadow over the picture remains weight: 232 kg fully loaded, eight more than the previous generation. With 160 horsepower to compensate, you barely notice the difference once moving, but parking manoeuvres are a reminder that you don't park a Multistrada like a 125.

This hypersport adventure tourer is aimed at an experienced rider, curious about technology, who wants a single vehicle to chain together motorway transfers, Alpine passes, and city escapes without ever having to choose between comfort and performance. That profile exists, it is numerous, and the Multistrada 1200 DVT speaks to it directly.