Ducati Multistrada 1260 Pikes Peak 2019 — Specifications

Imagine a trail motorcycle that decides, one fine morning, that it’s had enough of playing the reasonable globetrotter. That’s roughly what Ducati meant when naming its extreme version after a legendary American hillclimb race. The Ducati Multistrada 1260 Pikes Peak doesn’t seek to please everyone; it seeks to please those who appreciate quality. Those who know that 158 horsepower on a 229 kg fully-loaded trail bike constitutes a statement of intent, not a style accessory.

The engine deserves a closer look. This 1262 cm3 V2 borrows its architecture from the XDiavel, with the DVT variable valve timing distribution retained and the displacement brought to its maximum. The result on the Ducati Multistrada 1260 Pikes Peak technical sheet is telling: 129.5 Nm of torque available from low RPM, peak power achieved at 9,500 RPM, and a consumption figure of 5.2 liters per hundred kilometers, which in reality depends mostly on the health of your right wrist. Faced with a BMW S 1000 XR or an Aprilia Caponord, the Ducati imposes its conditions with a immediately recognizable twin-cylinder character, aggressive during acceleration, and sonorous with the standard Termignoni exhaust. It’s a voice, not just a noise.

The chassis clearly betrays the machine’s ambitions. Öhlins integral, 48 mm fully adjustable inverted fork, TTX36 rear shock with remote preload adjustment, forged aluminum Marchesini wheels that bring the dry weight down to 206 kg. Compared to the standard S version, you gain three kilos and lose all touring aspirations. The geometry has also evolved: rake angle increased to 25 degrees, swingarm lengthened, wheelbase at 1,585 mm. These modifications make the Pikes Peak more stable in fast corners, sharper in chain reactions. The front 330 mm Brembo M50 brakes complete the picture with a bite that pushes you to recalibrate your braking references within the first few kilometers. The only debatable point for a machine of this nature: the Pirelli Scorpion Trail II tires remain versatile envelopes, where a more track-oriented profile would have perfectly complemented the motorcycle’s overall message.

The onboard electronics represent a solid argument when talking about the 2019 Ducati Multistrada 1260 Pikes Peak test. IMU inertial unit, cornering ABS, traction control, anti-wheeling, bidirectional quickshifter, cruise control, riding modes, five-inch color TFT screen with Bluetooth connectivity, adaptive cornering LED lighting: the list is exhaustive and above all functional. Nothing is there for the catalog. These aids precisely allow you to exploit the 158 horsepower without brutalizing the machine or sacrificing precision. The Pikes Peak is aimed at an experienced rider who wants high-performance tools, not electronic crutches.

At €25,590, the price of the Ducati Multistrada 1260 Pikes Peak clearly positions this version in the premium segment. You can find the Ducati Multistrada 1260 Pikes Peak used at more accessible prices on the used market, where 2018, 2019 and 2020 models circulate regularly. For this budget, you get a trail bike tailored for mountain passes, highways, and engaging road sessions, but which without regret abandons the comfort of long crossings with passenger and luggage. The 825 mm seat height, red stitching, carbon fiber inserts on the bubble and deflectors confirm this positioning: sporty first, practical if the desire arises. That’s precisely what it’s asked to do, and it accomplishes it with a consistency that is not often encountered in this category.