Ducati Multistrada V4 S Sport 1160 2021 — Specifications

It’s impossible to evoke the Multistrada without thinking about this perpetual quest for perfect balance. Can you really encase a 170 horsepower engine and 124.5 Nm of torque in a trail bike and claim the agility of a sportbike? Ducati believes it wholeheartedly, and the V4 S Sport is its latest attempt to seduce the racer that lies dormant beneath the touring rider’s jacket. With a price tag approaching €24,000, this is far from a simple aesthetic evolution. It’s a strategic repositioning, almost an admission: the Pikes Peak, too radical, cedes its place to a more accessible machine, but resolutely focused on asphalt.

The first major change is philosophical. Custom-made Öhlins and Marchesini components, reserved for an elite, are a thing of the past. The Sport focuses on the standard Performance equipment, already available as an option on the V4 S. The key selling point? A titanium Akrapovic exhaust, a carbon fiber front fender, and a racing-inspired livery. The weight saving is symbolic, just a kilo, for a total of 242 kg ready to ride. The advantage is primarily financial, with around €850 in savings compared to an S equipped with the same pack. A clever way to simplify the offer and propose a finished product, immediately ready for sport.

Don’t be fooled, beneath this alluring exterior beats the most advanced technological heart in the category. The 1158 cm3 Granturismo V4 is a marvel of versatility, as comfortable at low revs as it is explosive at 10,500 rpm. It is flanked by an electronic arsenal worthy of a spaceship: the semi-active Skyhook Marzocchi suspension, the Brembo Stylema braking system, and the entire suite of riding aids powered by an inertial platform. Cornering ABS, adaptive cruise control with radar, wheelie control, it’s all there. The bike is civilized, almost too much so. Fortunately, the four riding modes allow you to dose the interventionism, from the castrating Urban to the more permissive Sport.

So who is the rider targeted by this Multistrada V4 S Sport? Certainly not the off-road adventurer, despite its evocative name. The 840 mm seat height and 19/17 inch wheels orient it towards the asphalt. It is aimed at the demanding touring rider who refuses to sacrifice the sensations of a sportbike on weekends. Faced with a BMW R 1250 GS Adventure, more touring and comfortable, or a KTM 1290 Super Adventure S, more wild and nervous, Ducati plays the card of sophistication and road efficiency. It is the hypertrail of the gentleman driver, the one who wants performance without sacrificing comfort and technology.

Ultimately, this Sport is a clever marketing move. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it condenses into a unique formula everything that made the most popular options successful. Is it the sportiest of the Multistradas? Probably not, the Pikes Peak retained that title. However, it is undoubtedly the most accomplished and consistent for those seeking an exceptional machine, ready to swallow the highway as well as enjoy twisty roads, without ever compromising safety or refinement. A supremely efficient touring tool, which, if needed, recalls that Ducati knows how to sell dreams with remarkable commercial effectiveness.