Ducati Multistrada 950 2021 — Specifications

Visiting every corner of the city, valley, or countryside, whether at full throttle on a twisty road or tackling muddy paths, that’s the promise of a Multistrada. The 1260 offered substantial entry and driving power. Fortunately, since 2017, there has been a more accessible version, the 950. A few minor refinements increase the level of enjoyment.

Trail or crossover, the market offers a dizzying array of options. Ducati alone counts no fewer than 6 machines for wandering everywhere. The smaller one therefore has a lot to prove to earn its place. Can it really be called "small"? It’s still almost a 1000. But the sector is experiencing regular displacement inflation. Faced with the competition, it highlights a characterful twin, delivering no less than 113 horsepower at 9000 rpm and 9.8 ft-lbs of torque at 7750 rpm. That alone gives us a good amount of watts, quite enough to send it, without tipping into the horsepower orgies of the higher segment. Considering the first entry-level "multi-route" only had a 620 cm³ displacement, with 63 hp and the price of a Scrambler Icon...The 937 cm³ Testastretta doesn’s care, with technology light-years ahead of the old desmo. It continues its career in the same configuration as before. Mechanically, Ducati has changed nothing... Except for the hydraulic clutch actuation, now requiring less effort on the lever. So, where are the differences with the previous model?

Design-wise? A little, but nothing striking. Pretty quickly, all MTS models have gone through the evolution box without the design studio being truly involved. A keen eye will have noticed the retouched shoulders, drawing their traits from the 1260. Chassis-wise? Light but more effective. The new rims save 500 grams. Enough to improve the agility of a machine that is already among the sportiest in its class. Even in trail, a Ducati remains a Ducati. No one will suspect that the swingarm is lighter, nor that the overall optimizations provide a 2-kilo weight reduction; Details are sometimes where you don’t see them. Electronics-wise? Bingo. This is THE battleground for manufacturers. The massive arrival of the multi-axis inertial unit has added another layer. The 950 gets one back. The Bosch 6-axis IMU allows it to offer a reactive cornering ABS, a VHC hill-start assist, automatic canceling turn signals... and a few other improvements on the S version.

A mile further on, a pasture beside it, still searching for another turn, the Ducati will take care to fulfill its versatility missions with the family DNA, eternally stamped sporty – with more or less dosage depending on the machine. This almost obligatorily goes through the steel trellis frame, to which a fully adjustable 48 mm inverted fork is grafted. The shock is equally adjustable, in preload, compression and rebound. As we expect more comfort and investigations from it than from a sports bike, we will appreciate the 170 mm suspension travel. Still well-equipped with braking, this MTS relies on Brembo M4.32 calipers on 320 mm discs. The rear is entrusted to a 265 mm disc. A renewal without variations of the solutions already used on the first 950.

The tempo is the same for the electronics. The assists are the same, except that they will be more effective thanks to the additional information transmitted by the IMU. Gathered under the call "Safety Pack", we find ABS, 8-level traction control and the 4 riding modes: - Touring: with 113 hp channeled by a progressive response. DTC is set to level 5 and ABS to level 3, maximizing both braking stability and rear wheel lift prevention. - Sport: The 113 horses burst out with a direct response to acceleration; the setting is lower for DTC (Level 4) and ABS (level 2), without intervention on rear wheel lift. - Urban: Power is reduced to 75 hp, with a progressive throttle response. DTC is pushed to a higher level of intervention (6) and the ABS setting is at level 3, to maximize braking stability and prevent rear wheel lift. - Enduro: 75 horsepower are enough, with a progressive throttle response. The level of intervention of the DTC descends to position 2 for off-road use while the ABS setting is minimal (level 1), disabling rear wheel lift prevention.

Playing the balancing act between trail, roadster, and slightly sporty road bike is a delicate exercise. The Multistrada does not want to be a mixture of the three but a synthesis of their spirits. Tall, with a high seat at 840 mm from the ground, a 19-inch front wheel and a desire to explore everywhere for one; a claim to travel with an adjustable 60 mm bubble, two 12V sockets, a USB port, a large digital screen (but not TFT) with improved visual ergonomics for the other; for the third, a chassis and an engine faithful to the dynamism of the Via Aemilia, underlined by a latent impression that staying calm is far from being a priority.

So, is this an evolution or an update? I told you, it’s just a few refinements. Because Ducati has reserved the main new attractions for the S version of the Multistrada 950. For a while, customers wanted to be able to enjoy semi-active suspensions without having to crack for a large Multi. This will now be possible because the 950 twin offers Skyhook and many other delicacies: backlit switches, keyless start, TFT screen, directional LED lights, quickshifter and cruise control.

Ducati also thinks of a whole series of packs to enhance the machine, according to the field of use, the desire or the moods: - Touring Pack: saddlebags, heated grips, center stand - Sport Pack: Ducati Performance Termignoni homologated silencer, polished aluminum pump cover, LED turn signals - Urban Pack: top case, Tanklock saddlebags, additional USB port - Enduro Pack: additional LED lights, engine protection bars, aluminum radiator guard, aluminum crankcase guard, steel footrests.

M.B - Manufacturer Media