Ducati Multistrada V4 S Sport 2021 — Specifications

When Ducati decides to make its Multistrada even more incisive, one is entitled to wonder if it’s really necessary. One hundred seventy horsepower extracted from an 1158 cm3 V4, a torque of 125 Nm delivered at 8750 rpm, a monocoque aluminum frame: the base S version already had plenty of arguments to make a BMW S1000XR or a KTM 1290 Super Adventure S blush. Yet, since 2011, Bologna has maintained a derivative even more focused on dynamic performance within the Multistrada family. Long known as Pikes Peak, in reference to the legendary American climb, this variant proudly displayed Marchesini forged wheels, Öhlins suspension, and fairing tailored for attack. With the arrival of the V4 engine, all this heritage has been completely overhauled.

The name change says a lot. Pikes Peak sounded like a challenge, a provocation launched at road machines dressed as adventurers. "Sport" is more restrained, almost timid. But behind this label lies an assumed commercial logic: the Ducati Multistrada V4 S Sport is not a radically different machine from the V4 S equipped with the Performance pack. It is, in fact. Ducati has simply integrated a titanium Akrapovic exhaust with a carbon fiber tip as standard, added a front mudguard made of the same material, refined the decoration with a racing livery, and shaved a kilo from the scale to display 242 kg fully fueled. The €850 price advantage over the catalog price of €23,940 is the real selling point.

What disappears, however, deserves attention. The forged Marchesini wheels and Öhlins suspension have given way to semi-active Marzocchi Skyhook suspension, common to the S range. For the pure track rider or the powerful Pikes Peak pilot, this is a symbolic step back. For the rest of the clientele, those who seek a full Ducati Multistrada V4 S Sport with all the onboard electronics without getting lost in fork settings, it is a welcome simplification. The 50 mm fully adjustable fork sleeves, electronically controlled in compression and rebound, do the job on the road, and the single shock absorber with remote preload manages the rear with seriousness.

The electronic equipment, for its part, is unimpeachable. Front and rear radars for adaptive cruise control and blind spot alert, IMU inertial sensor unit, Cornering ABS, traction control, anti-wheeling, four riding modes including an Enduro that recalls the machine's trail aspirations, bidirectional shifter, integrated GPS navigation: the list would make many premium sedans pale. Brembo M50 Stylema monobloc four-piston calipers ensure bite worthy of the 170 horsepower available at 10,500 rpm, and 120/70-19 tires at the front with 170/60-17 at the rear guarantee a consistent stance for a machine that approaches 200 km/h top speed. The 840 mm seat filters a public of medium to large builds, and the 22-liter tank allows for serious stages despite a consumption announced at 6.5 liters per 100 km.

What the Ducati Multistrada V4 S Sport is beginning to represent on the used market confirms its position: a machine for demanding pilots who want everything, now, without compromise on versatility. It does not replace the Pikes Peak in spirit, it opens another territory, that of high-end sport-touring with MotoGP-derived technology. The target audience is not the beginner or the track adventurer on dirt, but the seasoned motorcyclist, grand touring or fervent weekend sports enthusiast, who accepts paying the price of excellence without wanting to be burdened with manual suspension adjustment every morning.