Ducati Multistrada V4 S 1160 2025 — Specifications

At what point does a motorcycle cease to be a simple vehicle and become a rolling technological platform? The new Multistrada V4 S 2025 poses this question with a certain audacity. With a price tag approaching €25,400, it doesn't just compete with other sport touring bikes; it redefines the notion of standard equipment. This is far from a simple machine for the hurried adventurer; we navigate the waters of an ultra-connected flagship.

Let's first talk about what doesn't change: the V4 Granturismo engine. Its 170 horsepower at 10,750 rpm and 124 Nm of torque remain ballistic arguments against a BMW R 1300 GS or a KTM 1390 Super Adventure. But the real magic happens elsewhere, in this ability to cut off the rear cylinders when coasting to save fuel, an electronic trick that now works even under light load. It's ingenious, almost unsettling not to feel that characteristic V4 pulse at low rpm. Ducati offers five mappings, including a new Wet mode dedicated to rain and a revised Enduro mode that limits power to 114 hp and deactivates rear ABS for gravel. Is it a trail bike then? Not really, but it gives itself the means to cross a field without panicking.

Where the S version justifies its supplement is in its almost therapeutic approach to rough roads. The Skyhook DSS EVO system evolves with a new front sensor that "reads" the road and predicts bumps to adjust the rear suspension in advance. The result is straight-line stability that borders on the unreal. The new gadget, the Automatic Lowering Device, automatically lowers the motorcycle below 10 km/h to facilitate stops, before returning it to its normal height above 50 km/h. A practical function, especially with a full tank and a passenger, even if purists will probably prefer to disable it.

The list of rider aids is reminiscent of an aeronautical catalog. The radar duo manages an adaptive cruise control (ACC) and a blind spot warning (BSD). For 2025, Ducati adds a forward collision warning (FCW) and a brake light that flashes in the event of emergency braking. The icing on the cake is called Ducati Vehicle Observer, a central unit that analyzes data from 70 sensors to optimize in real time the intervention of ABS Cornering, the wheelie control and the traction control. One feels almost like a spectator of one's own trajectories.

So, who is this machine for? For the demanding globetrotter for whom comfort and safety are not options, but prerequisites. For those who want to cover 500 kilometers of highway without fatigue and then chain onto alpine passes with the same aplomb. The price of €25,390 is an obvious barrier, placing it well above a Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Pro. But for that budget, one is not just buying a motorcycle; one is acquiring a technological demonstration that, it must be recognized, transforms every ride into a smooth and secure experience. The question remains whether this aseptic perfection will end up erasing a part of the soul and sensations that make motorcycling special.