[sportrider - features] - 2013 Ducati Multistrada Road Test Review | Multi Miles

[Ninjette Newsbot]

It always seems a little peculiar to find a Ducati Multistrada strewn across the pages of Sport Rider, doesn’t it? Especially when you consider that on the pages before and after it rests a 175-horsepower quarter-mile monster and exotic trio of rideraid- laden superbikes. That’s exactly what Ducati’s aimed to do with the Multistrada though; to shy away from the “rules” that divide each corner of the industry and to build a bike that suits almost every rider’s needs. So whether your life revolves around the latest electronics, canyon carving, twoup escapades, long-distance adventures, or around-town commutes, the Ducati probably works exactly as you’d like it to. And never has this been more apparent than it is with the 2013 Multistrada S Touring, Ducati’s next-generation adventure touring bike.

The S Touring model is only one of an impressive four Multistrada models that Ducati will sell in 2013. The others include a standard model, S Granturismo, and S Pikes Peak, the latter of which comes with an assortment of carbon fiber parts and celebrates the manufacturer’s success at the Colorado-based hill-climb event. So why would we choose the S Touring model for this test? Simple; it’s the one bike in the group that perfectly embodies the well-rounded nature of the platform. There’s also the fact that we didn’t have any hill-climb race events lined up. Nor did we have any cross-country trips planned for the near future, a task that the S Granturismo and its larger saddlebags would’ve handled with aplomb.

What makes the S Touring model even more special is that it’s the cheapest model in the lineup to come with Ducati Skyhook Suspension, a semi-active suspension system that the Italian manufacturer developed alongside Sachs. In the story that covered the system’s ins-and-outs (“Multistrada EVO?,” Jan. ’13) SR contributor, Alan Cathcart, would go on to say that Ducati had “successfully improved upon what was already an outstanding motorcycle.” Surely, we’d have to spend some more time with the bike stateside to see if this really was the case, and to also see how reliable the Ducati would be over a multitude of miles.

REFINEMENTS EN MASSE
The 2013 Ducati Multistrada isn’t an all-new motorcycle by any stretch of the imagination, but it is an undoubtedly different animal than its predecessor. Key to the bike’s transformation is the second-generation Testastretta 11° DS engine, which uses a dual-spark-plug head, secondary air system, and repositioned injectors to provide more torque and midrange power (or at least that’s the claim, more on that later).

The biggest changes are to the bike’s fuel injectors, which now spray directly onto the rear of the hot intake valve rather than onto the relatively cold surface of the intake port wall. The repositioned target vaporizes the fuel more effectively and guarantees a supremely efficient combustion, which more importantly, has allowed Ducati to return to a dual-sparkplug head (note the engine’s DS designation). In this design, engineers are able to provide the Testastretta engine with a more efficient combustion over a shorter period of time. Also new is a secondary air system (you’ll find an identical system on the Panigale and Hypermotard models) that takes fresh air from the main airbox and injects it into the exhaust port to help burn fuel that’s slipped past the exhaust valve. Engine smoothness is the primary advantage, claims Ducati.

It seems funny to think that electronic updates have surpassed engine or chassis updates in the “cool” department, but that’s exactly what the modern sportbike is all about— the electronics. And in the Multistrada’s case, we didn’t walk away disappointed with its technological advancements, most of which revolve around the Skyhook Suspension.

Skyhook isn’t a new technology mind you, and its Continuous Damping Control-roots can be traced back to the four-wheel industry with relative ease. Much of the automobile-related information released in European brochures even uses the same analogies; “As a result the body moves along like a sedan chair that’s parallel to the sky—as if it were ‘hanging from the heavens,’” says one article. Ducati didn’t do much to rewrite its benefits, and says that their version of the system “constantly re-adjusts damping to maintain optimum vehicle composure—as if the motorcycle was suspended from the sky.” No matter how unoriginal its description, we’ll credit Ducati with adapting one hell of a system to its bike.

So how does the system work on two wheels? Primarily off of accelerometers, claims the Italian manufacturer, who has mounted the aforesaid components methodically; two have been mounted on the “sprung” side of the chassis (at the subframe and lower triple clamp), whereas the other two have been mounted outside of the bike’s sprung mass (on the distal edge of the swingarm and on the fork leg). The system also measures throttle position, as well as data from the Ducati Traction Control (DTC) system and ABS pressure sensors to gauge—and compensate for—longitudinal forces created by braking and accelerating. As is the case with BMW’s Dynamic Damping Control system, a complex algorithm crunches all of the data and makes damping adjustment suggestions.

Electronic advancements trickle off from there, but the Multistrada does have a few more aces up its sleeve. The ABS is routed around a Bosch 9ME controller, for instance, and uses the same processer as the Panigale, which has allowed Ducati to outfit the Multi with front-torear combined braking in Urban and Touring modes. The braking system also makes use of a rear-end anti-lift feature.

Revisions are just as plentiful on the cosmetic side and start at the redesigned front fairing, which is negligibly different but bolstered by way of new LED low-beam lights. The latter change seems trivial, but does in fact play a huge role in visibility at night. Also updated is the windscreen, which is 18mm higher, 43mm wider, and designed to flow air over the rider’s helmet rather than directly toward his upper body. The mounting mechanism is new as well, and provides for 60mm of adjustment.

READY FOR AN ADVENTURE
The Multistrada’s ergonomics are formidable, although the bike can be considered too cumbersome for some thanks to the fact that its seat mounts 33.5 inches off of the ground—a substantial amount that forces anyone with less than a 30-inch inseam to balance the bike on their toes. A 25mm-lower accessory seat is available, and is probably a good option for anyone who doesn’t trust the $20,000 motorcycle to the small end of their feet. The Multi is comfortable elsewise, and hindered only by the electronic key, which we’d occasionally have to shove into the dash’s face before the bike would turn on. The hands-free ignition isn’t inferior to a key-type ignition, mind you, but small things like having to dig the key out of your backpack to open the fuel cap can quickly turn into a pain.

The Multi’s digital dash comes to life post haste once you’ve talked the key fob into making friends with the ignition and provides a plenty decent view of the revs in addition to a portal for riding mode selections. Speaking of riding modes, those go unchanged and are highlighted by a Sport, Touring, Urban, and Enduro option, all of which can be set to a default setting or customized to provide different horsepower output, suspension settings, ABS settings and DTC settings. A plus to this setup is that it’s unbelievably easy to manipulate each mode.

We didn’t adjust the DSS system’s settings regularly, but that’s more a product of the system’s aptitude than our refusal to spend five minutes navigating the options menu. Poke and prod for yourself, and you’ll be impressed with how easy it is to make changes, if not only a little disappointed in the fact that you can’t adjust rebound and compression separately— Ducati says that the new menu, which separates adjustments by Hard, Medium, Soft, and in-between settings, allows for “easier and faster front and rear damping personalization,” and we’ll agree.




As for the suspension’s actual performance, we’ll say that it’s stellar and perfectly tuned for each mode’s intended purpose. Sport is a touch on the stiff side, with enough damping and aggressive enough reactions to keep the bike composed through a quick canyon road. Touring removes some of that aggressiveness and makes for a better mode in all other situations, especially since it helps the Ducati absorb more of the road’s imperfections. What we like about both modes though, or about the DSS as a whole, is how quick it reacts to bigger divots by soaking up the initial hit, while still maintaining enough damping to keep the front end from bottoming out or allowing excessive chassis pitch. Also interesting to note is how little we felt the bike tighten up on the brakes, something that Ducati says they’ve accounted for. BMW’s Dynamic Damping Control makes these types of changes in a much more aggressive and noticeable manner, but we like the Ducati’s seamlessness.

The Multi’s DSS feels equally as in control once you toggle over to Enduro mode and ride off into the dirt, although we still had a hard time coming to grips with the idea of putting a $20,000 motorcycle in the dirt. It doesn’t help that the Multistrada is, by no stretch of the imagination, a dirt bike, and constantly reminds you of that by rattling itself through every rough section of trail. The dirt-oriented ABS and DTC settings don’t exactly add to the experience, and disallow any Jeremy McGrath-style heroics. The bike will get you from point A to point B on a mellow stretch of dirt road; don’t get us wrong, it’s just not the most adventurous bike in the Adventure Touring category.

If you want to be reminded of why the Multi hovers over the competition regardless of that characteristic, then toggle back over to Sport mode, find yourself a twisting canyon road, and roll the bike’s throttle on with only a bit of aggression. You won’t be disappointed. The engine characteristic is everything we’ve come to expect from Ducati’s 11° platform and focuses on low-end grunt, which surprises you with its ability to loft the front wheel under acceleration. The bike’s got so much power through the low-end, in fact, that we rarely ever let it run remotely close to the rev limiter and put its peak horsepower to the test. A good thing possibly, as we dyno tested our 2013 model and found that it made around six horsepower and four foot-pounds of torque less than our 2010 Multistrada. That’s a discerning point considering Ducati had claimed that the newer bike would provide around four foot-pounds more torque than the outgoing model.

Ducati also claimed that the Multi would see improved fuel economy, but our test bike averaged 39 mpg and was no easier on our fuel card. Also frustrating is that the new fuel level gauge, which is intended to provide an “improved quality of signal,” would show us at or around a half a tank with just 60 or so miles on the trip meter; it seemed like the thirsty Multi was always at or near empty, and we’re not sure how that’ll bode for the adventurous types.

There are a few more positives and negatives that came to the foreground during our extended stay with the Multi, such as the bike’s ability to flow air over the easily adjustable windscreen and keep the rider supremely protected from gusts. It also surprised us with its heated grips setup, which we admittedly forgot about simply because of the handle grips’ diminutive size (the wires necessitated for heated grips generally renders them unwieldy), but grew to appreciate on colder mornings.

As for the negatives, they reared their ugly head in the form of an imperfect transmission, clunky saddlebag locks, and a DSS error that we couldn’t get rid of. We put out an email to Ducati prior to going to press to see what could be going on, and until we get an official word, we’ll continue to have nightmares of the suspension locking up on us. Our guess is that the fork and/or shock didn’t much appreciate our time in the dirt but that’s to be determined.

IS IT BETTER?
We’ve always been huge fans of the Multistrada platform, but will admit that Ducati has upped the bar this time around with its Ducati Skyhook Suspension, which has turned the Multi into an even more versatile machine than it already was. The fact that Ducati has been able to do all this without raising the price tag is even more impressive, and leads us to believe that the adventure touring category better shape up, else be trampled on by this next-generation Multi.

The Multistrada’s success, of course, will depend heavily on the bike’s ability to withstand the beating that the adventurous owners are sure to give it. And we hope to see just a small amount more security in the years to come.




OPINIONS

BRADLEY ADAMS
I’ve put more miles on the Multistrada—and seen more of my home state on it—than I have on any other test bike, and I think that says a lot about the bike’s willingness to go wherever, whenever. There’s a lot more to love than its adventurous character; I really like the DSS system, for instance, and was amazed at how seamless the thing felt as it was making changes to the damping. Then there’s the power, comfortable ergonomics (at least they were comfortable for my lanky self), and superb wind protection, all of which turn the Multistrada into this well-rounded machine that’s just as capable of running you around town as it is running you across the country. Am I worried about the DSS error that I had to live with? Sure, but as long as I get a straightforward answer regarding its presence, I’ll be content.

KENT KUNITSUGU
In a world of adventure-tour models that are usually cumbersome and underpowered, a slim V-twin that cranks out nearly 130 rear wheel horsepower and packs an impressive electronics suite tends to stand out like a diamond in a bed of coal. The Multistrada really is one of those do-it-all motorcycles that packs enough performance to make all those roles a ton of fun. And the addition of the Ducati Skyhook Suspension only makes it even better; the system works well over varying terrain and riding situations, but it is fairly subtle. If you’re one of those serious off-road adventure types then the Multistrada probably isn’t for you, but for the 95 percenters out there who will do some dirt roads here and there along with everything else, the Ducati is seriously worth a look.

SPECIFICATIONS

MSRP: $19,995

ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, 90-degree V-Twin
Valve arrangement: DOHC, 4 valves/cyl.
Displacement: 1198cc
Bore x stroke: 106.0 x 67.9 mm
Compression ratio: 11.5:1
Induction: Mitsubishi EFI, Mikuni elliptical throttle bodies equivalent to 56mm diameter
Transmission: 6-speed

CHASSIS
Front suspension: 48mm Sachs inverted fork with adjustable spring preload, dynamic rebound and compression damping, 6.7 in. travel
Rear suspension: Sachs shock absorber with adjustable spring preload, dynamic rebound and compression damping, 6.7 in. travel
Front brake: Dual 320mm rotors with dual four piston Brembo monobloc calipers
Rear brake: Single 245mm rotor with dual-piston Brembo caliper
Front wheel: 3.50 x 17 in., cast aluminum alloy
Rear wheel: 6.00 x 17 in., cast aluminum alloy
Front tire: 120/70ZR-17 Pirelli Scorpion Trail
Rear tire: 190/55ZR-17 Pirelli Scorpion Trail
Rake/trail: 25.0 deg./ 4.3 in. (110mm)
Wheelbase: 60.2 in. (1530mm)
Seat height: 33.5 in. (850mm)
Fuel capacity: 5.3 gal. (20L)
Weight: 542 lbs. wet w/ bags (246kg); 510 lbs. dry w/ bags (231 kg)

PERFORMANCE
Quarter-mile: 11.105 sec. @ 124.95 mph
Roll-ons: 60-80 mph/ 3.35 sec.; 80-100 mph/ 3.87 sec.
Fuel consumption: 34 – 43 mpg, 39 mpg avg.

TEST NOTES
+ More power than you’d need
+ DSS works seamlessly
+ Easy to adjust/ change riding modes
– Clunky transmission
– Firm saddle for long rides
– DSS error
x Could please everyone from sportbike fan to touring afi cionado. Impressive.




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