Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally 1160 2025 — Specifications

We often talk about adventure bikes as two-wheeled SUVs, but with the Multistrada V4 Rally, Ducati aims more for an over-equipped Range Rover, the kind that can cross a desert but spends most of its time on the ring road. At nearly €29,000, you're not buying a simple motorcycle; you're investing in a symbol of absolute adventure, even if that adventure is limited to the office parking lot. With its 30 liters of fuel and 260 kg when fully fueled, this Italian is a rolling fortress.

Under the swollen tank beats the heart of a sportbike: the 1158 cm3 Granturismo V4, which delivers its 170 horsepower with a vehemence that borders on indecency for an adventure bike. On the asphalt, acceleration is truly breathtaking, with a spiritedness that recalls a Panigale dressed for winter. Yes, it's thirsty if you tap into this power, but the magic happens. Cylinder deactivation, now active at low speeds, is more of a technical flourish than a necessity, as the engine remains the centerpiece of the experience. Facing a BMW R 1300 GS Adventure or a Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer, Ducati clearly focuses on pure sensation, sometimes at the expense of serenity.

The true argument for the Rally, beyond its monumental tank that promises 400 km of range, lies in its adjustments for off-road terrain. Ground clearance gains 10 mm, Skyhook suspension offers 200 mm of travel, and the recalibrated Enduro mode judiciously deactivates the aids for more freedom. However, don't be fooled: with this weight, you won't be doing serious enduro riding. It's a grand touring trail, ultra-versatile, that accepts the rocky track to reach a dream bivouac. Spoked wheels, a reinforced engine guard, and a wider screen contribute to this theatricality of adventure.

In everyday use, this excess comes at a price, literally and physically. The 870 mm seat is high, very high. Fortunately, the Easy Lift electronic assistance is there to save face and the rider's back. The electronics are plentiful: radar adaptive cruise control, six riding modes, semi-active suspension, 6.5-inch TFT screen... Everything is controllable, adjustable, sometimes to the point of drowning out the simple pleasure of riding. It's a motorcycle for affluent tech enthusiasts, demanding globetrotters who want the ultimate Swiss Army knife, capable of tackling an alpine pass at a sporty pace before swallowing a national road in almost automatic piloting.

The Multistrada V4 Rally is therefore a paradox on two wheels. A machine of formidable efficiency, of impressive comfort and equipment, but which, by its excessive power, its price, and its mass, sometimes seems to play a role. It is less a motorcycle for exploring trails than a statement of intent: to be able to do everything, everywhere, at any time. For the urban adventurer who dreams of wide open spaces from his living room, it is the ultimate weapon. For the true adventurer who counts grams and impacts, it remains a formidable luxury item, but perhaps too complex to be truly liberating.