Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally 1160 2023 — Specifications

Who would have bet, twenty years ago, that the scene of large trail bikes would become such a fierce battleground? Today, every self-respecting brand must field its adventurer flagship, from the monumental BMW R 1250 GS Adventure to the more civilized Honda Africa Twin. In this melee, Ducati has long played the card of sporty elegance with its Multistrada. But with the V4 Rally, the brand from Borgo Panigale goes on the offensive and places on the table a desirable object as technical as it is controversial.

The idea is simple: to push the concept of the V4 Granturismo where the road ends. Let's be clear, we're not talking about an enduro. With its 260 kg when the tanks are full, the beast is a two-wheeled SUV. But it prepares for adventure with a new conviction. The tank swells to 30 liters, a capacity that speaks directly to long-distance travelers and places it in the league of giants like the Tiger 1200 Rally Pro. The seat rises to 870 mm, the suspensions gain 200 mm of travel, and an imposing aluminum skid plate protects the engine. Visually, it displays more squared shoulders, a higher screen, an air of robustness that is not just a facade. It is a machine that clearly announces its desire to cross continents.

But the heart remains that of a sports car in disguise. The 1158 cm3 V4 delivers its 170 horsepower with a ferocity that brings a smile to your face on asphalt and makes you shiver on gravel. The power is there, immediate, reinforced by a torque of 120 Nm that sticks you to the seat. It is excessive, almost absurd for off-road, and yet so enjoyable. Ducati has even refined the trick of cylinder deactivation, which can now operate at low speed to save a few drops of fuel before the fantastic ride resumes. The electronics are an armada: the specific Enduro mode intelligently deactivates the wheelie control and rear ABS, the adaptive cruise control radar keeps watch, and the Easy Lift function helps to get the motorcycle out of its parking space, a welcome detail for a machine of this mass.

So, who is this over-engineered Italian for? Certainly not for the beginner, frightened by its size and its raw power. It targets the demanding and wealthy traveler, the one who wants to link days of 500 km on the highway to the exploration of a mountain trail, without ever compromising on thrills and technological refinement. At nearly 28,000 euros, the entry price is a wall. Here, you are buying the ultimate technological Swiss Army knife, a machine that does everything brilliantly, but which in return demands a rider up to its excessive means. Faced with a BMW GS, more serene and predictable, or a KTM 1290 Super Adventure, more radical off-road, the Multistrada V4 Rally chooses its camp: that of crazy passion and technical prowess. It will not convince purists of lightweight adventure, but it offers a riding experience as intense as it is unparalleled in luxury and complexity. It is a bold gamble, and only Ducati could have attempted it.