DUCATI has done the difficult, if not the impossible – at its first attempt at building an adventure bike, built a machine which really takes it up to the established brands and models.
Of course it’s not perfect and it won’t be the right choice for everyone, but it does most things better than I expected and is a capable and highly desirable motorcycle.
The adventure class
Nearly all the major European brands and some of the Japanese brands now have truly off-road capable adventure bikes. Ducati, once considered a sportsbike manufacturer until it released the incredibly successful Monster range in the early 1990s, is late to the adventure party, but the Italians from Bologna have arrived in style – and while no adventure bike can be described as gorgeous, the Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro isn’t as ungainly or angular as some. She might have one of the longest names in motorcycling, but her legs are long, too…
Ducati has gone straight for the open class, using the latest 1200cc DVT motor to power the Enduro, giving the rider 160 ponies to tear up trails, tarmac and tyres.
Those sorts of power figures put the Ducati at the top-end of high performance adventure bikes, too.
Controlling 160hp, especially off-road, isn’t a task to be approached lightly, so Ducati isn’t offering this machine without the latest in its rider aids, so the computer-controlled electronics package is extensive – there’s the expected ABS and traction control, but there’s also a hillstart function, cornering ABS, cornering lights, cruise control and lots, lots more, which I will go into detail when we have fully tested the bike.
“The standard Ducati Multistrada is fine on a good dirt road, but cast 17-inch wheels severely limit off-road tyre choices and the bike’s steering geometry and handling characteristics mean it’s not suitable for challenging off-road conditions.
At last Ducati has agreed, building the 1200 Enduro.”
The ride
Ducati’s Australian distributor asked Adventure Rider magazine’s Tom Foster to plan a route for the press launch, one which would allow the journos to experience the bike in its natural environment, dirt roads.
Tom took us into the hills inland from Coffs Harbour on the NSW North Coast, from fast open trails – and even some winding bitumen – to some fire trails and slightly more challenging terrain.
The Multistrada ate it all up.
My first impression of the bike when I got the wheels rolling was how it felt more like a trail bike than most adventure bikes – steeper steering to give lots of steering lock and low-speed manoeuvrability. Ducati’s added a steering damper so things don’t get ugly at higher speeds.
Ducati had also fitted the optional ‘knobby’ Pirelli Scorpion Rally II tyres for the launch, accepting that a dirt-focussed launch needed more serious off-road rubber. Do we need this high performance rubber? Probably not, the conditions were dry and firm, which if fine for rubber like the standard Pirelli Scorpions, but it sure was nice to know maximum grip was there if it was required. The downside is tyre wear was apparent after just one day of off-road riding, so don’t expect great wear out of these tyres, especially if used on the road in sports mode.
Multistrada background
Strada is Italian for street, but in terminology, we would use the word road rather than street. So, multi-road – everything from tracks to the countryside to urban use to dirt roads.
In 2010 Ducati introduced the Multistrada 1200 with four riding modes to cover those four areas: Sport, Touring, Urban and Enduro, and we loved it.
“This time Ducati’s engineers have used some amazing technology to put together this wonderfully powerful and versatile machine to deliver excitement on and off the bitumen,” wrote Cycle Torque tester Ray Macarthur of the first 1200 model, a man who now owns the 2015 DVT Cycle Torque project bike from last year.
However, he also went on to say, “Fitted with 17-inch alloy wheels front and back and comparatively limited ground clearance due to the under-engine mounted exhaust and fitted with Pirelli Scorpion dual sport tyres at high air pressure, its off road capability isn’t up for much more than dirt roads and good fire trails.”
We coped a bit of flack for those comments, with no end of Ducati fans telling us to fit the right tyres and get it dirty, that the bike would cope, but we still stand by what Ray wrote, and nothing really changed in the later models in this regard: the standard Ducati Multistrada is fine on a good dirt road, but cast 17-inch wheels severely limit off-road tyre choices and the bike’s steering geometry and handling characteristics mean it’s not suitable for challenging off-road conditions.
At last Ducati has agreed, building the 1200 Enduro.
Who is it for?
“Born to be unstoppable on any terrain, the Multistrada 1200 Enduro is a full-optional bike designed to satisfy even the most demanding globetrotter. Moreover, this maxi-enduro has specifically been developed and built to handle the stress and strain of off-road riding,” Ducati tell us in its press information.
Ducati Australia certainly weren’t afraid to let us put the bike through its paces, with various journos getting them sideways and airborne, and we even took them out on the beach, which probably wasn’t the best idea, but more on that later.
Ducati hired a former Dakar racer to help develop the bike, and the company is offering rider training in Europe for those who want to get the best from the new bike.
Ducati has aimed the bike at the BMW R 1200 GS Adventure and KTM 1290 Super Adventure market. All three have 30 litre tanks, comprehensive electronics, optional alloy panniers, laced 19-inch front, 17-inch rear wheels and a style which screams long-distance riding.
The Japanese brands are offering a myriad of machines which can be classed as Adventure but all are have lower price points and varying capabilities and options.
Interestingly, Ducati Australia wanted to emphasis the new 1200 Enduro wasn’t just for the big long-distance tour, but was also very capable solo, for fun day rides with your mates and no luggage, taking the off-road a bit more seriously, pointing to things like the very serious bashplate, standard handguards, semi-active suspension and off-road optimised enduro riding mode. Conversely, BMW and KTM market their machines as touring bikes, but both of those brands have other machines which might better suit the more serious off-road adventure bike rider.
Capabilities
Ohh, I love a good press release, especially when they write things like “Unstoppable on any terrain”. Well, we stopped them – look, don’t take your adventure bike onto the beach when the sand is soft! In doesn’t matter which one, it will sink.
That said, turning off the traction control meant we got out pretty easily, although it would have been tough for a lone rider to have done so.
The reality if the 1200 Enduro is very, very capable in nearly every situation a buyer is likely to put one in. Ducati has put a lot of effort into making the bike more suitable for off-road riding than earlier Multis.
Starting at the front, the wheel, forks, mudguard and beak are all very different and optimised for off road. The new tank has easily replaceable alloy panels designed to take a flogging in minor tip-overs and crashes, which one of Ducati Australia’s staff kindly demonstrated when he toppled on some loose rocks – pretty well all the damage was absorbed by the panel and the bike continued on without a problem.
Like the standard Multistrada, the Enduro has handguards with integrated indicators, which to me look a little fragile. I’d like to have seen sturdier Barkbuster-style guards.
The taller handlebars will suit most riders, although even higher risers are available. The footpegs are wide triple-row toothed units with a rubber insert for road riding, and the gear lever has a spring-loaded tip – you can pull it out and flip it over to change its height, a better system than BMW’s fold-down riser. The gear lever is articulated, so it folds back to reduce the likelihood of breaking in a minor incident.
The last part of the riding position is the seat, and this had me concerned from the first time I laid eyes on the machine – unlike nearly every other off-road capable bike, the 1200 Multistrada Enduro has a scalloped rider’s perch rather than a flat seat.
The reason dirt bikes have a long, flat seat is for movement – you want to get your weight back on soft surfaces, like beaches. Potentially making matters worse is the passenger seat, which is fat… but it turns out Ducati’s already thought of these things. They are offering both taller (890mm) and lower seats (850mm) than standard (870mm) – at 185cm, I’d definitely order the taller seat, even if it might make throwing a leg over and manoeuvring a little more awkward, and there’s an optional narrower and lower passenger seat, too, but it turned out I didn’t crash my arse into the pillion perch anyway.
Ducati has positioned the footpegs quite high, which is great for ground and cornering clearance, but the seat to footpeg distance I found a little cramped, the other reason I’d order the taller seat.
Overall I loved the standing position, the new narrower seat and tank design working well and I suggest you order the seat height which will best suit you.
The electronics
The 1200 Multistrada has long made good use of a powerful electronics package, from its ABS and traction control to riding modes… and the Enduro model is stepping it up again.
The enduro features a Bosch Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), which dynamically measures pitch and roll angles along with acceleration along the 3 axis to better understand what the bike is doing, so if you snap the throttle open, Ducati Traction Control knows if you’re cranked over hard in a corner (and thus to ignore you) or upright (and thus to pour on the power).
There’s also cornering ABS, the IMU communicating with the ABS unit your angle, so the ABS will kick in a lot earlier if you’re cranked over.
There’s also Ducati Wheelie Control which is there to keep the front wheel down when it shouldn’t be airborne and new-for-the-Enduro Vehicle Hold Control (VHC) has been introduced with this model.
When activated, VHC applies the rear brake and uses the ABS system to determine when you’re riding away, releasing the brakes gradually as you do.
The rider interface for the electronics is through the instruments, which is a big flat panel television in the fairing.
Oops, did I say TV? Nope, much sharper than a television, although not quite as big as most of us have dominating our lounge rooms these days.
Underneath the gorgeous 5-inch TFT (Thin Film Transistor) dashboard (it’s not really a TV) is a power outlet, which is really handy because the Bluetooth connection to the bike – which can display text messages, tell you when your phone is ringing and much more – it will drain your phone’s battery (like any Bluetooth accessory). There’s another power outlet and a USB power port under the seat.
The Bluetooth connection is also important for the Multistrada App (now available for iOS, coming soon for Android) which will allow the recording of bike data – speed, lean angle, power and fuel consumption can be recorded onto the map and riding diary, so you will know where you went, how fast you went there.
Not sure if it can display where you arse got all puckery from charging into a hairpin too quick, but maybe that will be next year’s model…
The dash also displays everything you’d expect, including speed, rpm, selected gear, total kilometres, trip 1 and trip 2, engine coolant temperature, fuel gauge and a clock. Other information shown includes the selected Riding Mode, kilometres remaining, current fuel consumption, average fuel consumption, average speed, air temperature, travelling time and an icy road surface warning.
The riding mode is displayed, of course, but if you select Enduro a small yellow warning comes up displaying ‘Enduro ABS’, reminding you the rear wheel now has ABS switched off.
The four modes on the Enduro are Sport, Touring, Urban and Enduro.
Each one gives the bike different characteristics – suspension settings, DTC, ABS, power delivery. And most of the settings can be tailored to suit the owner, too. For example, if you’re a serious off-road rider buying a Multistrada Enduro for a big trip, you might want to turn off the ABS completely when in Enduro mode, but have it come on quite early on the bitumen. Someone buying the Multistrada Enduro as their first ‘big’ bike might want to stick to the reduce output of 100hp you get from the Urban Mode.
Me, I like to turn off the traction and wheelie control in sports mode, so I can loft the front wheel… and there’s a button to return everything to standard, too.
The dash will also display info about your use of the standard cruise control which is operated through the left switchblock.
When you’re riding the Multistrada Enduro your connection to the engine is via a ride-by-wire throttle, which has three different power maps.
Instrument panel and lighting
The dashboard consists of a large full colour 5” TFT display. It provides info on speed, rpm, selected gear, total mileage, trip 1 and trip 2, engine coolant temperature, fuel gauge and a clock. Other information shown includes the selected Riding Mode, miles remaining, current fuel consumption, average fuel consumption, average speed, air temperature, travelling time and an icy road surface warning.
Each Riding Mode displays information differently. Enduro Riding Mode, moreover, displays the Trip Master function, which allows the progress of a specific trip to be adjusted (reduced or increased).
At a standstill it is possible to gain access, via the left handlebar switchgear, to a settings menu which enables and adjusts various functions such as DTC and DWC personalisation and the 3-level Cornering ABS function. Suspension can also be adjusted through the settings menu. It is also possible, either at a standstill or on the move, to select the Riding Mode (Sport, Touring, Urban or Enduro) and load settings to correspond with the current riding configuration: rider only, rider with luggage, rider with passenger or rider with passenger and luggage.
“The DVT Testastretta motor which powers the Multistrada Enduro is the best Ducati motor ever mass produced. It’s that good.”
The riding modes in detail
To get the most out of the Multistrada Enduro select Sports mode: you’ll have all 160hp and 136Nm of torque available through an aggressive throttle map. Unless you go in a change the settings yourself, the suspension will be firm, the traction control and wheelie control are minimal, while ABS is set to level 2, rear wheel lift detection is disengaged but the cornering function remains on… so this setting is good for experienced riders looking to set good lap times. Ahh, I mean have fun in the twisties…
Ducati Traction Control (DTC) was developed for the company’s superbikes and has eight levels. On the Enduro levels 1 and two are aimed at off-road – the default is 2, but for the launch Ducati set it at 1 for us journos, and I loved the way it would flash the hazard lights at you when trying to light up the rear tyre. The guys from the dirt bike magazines turned it off altogether off road, but I liked level 1.
On the public roads with the knobby tyre I didn’t push the DTC too much, although I did feel it kick in when I hammered the bike in Urban mode, just to see what it would be like.
Touring mode softens everything up a bit – from the power delivery to the suspension to the ABS and DTC, touring mode is designed to be more comfortable and easier on the rider, but there’s still the full 160hp available.
Urban mode reduces power to 100hp and softens the suspension further, so hitting urban bumps is easier on man and machine.
Urban is designed to make life in the traffic and the city as safe and comfortable as possible, with mare active ABS, DTC, wheelie control and optimised combined braking.
In Enduro mode power is again 100hp, but the suspension settings are aimed at rough terrain, DTC is set to minimal so it doesn’t kick in too early, the rear tyre’s ABS is switched off and wheelie control disengaged so popping the front wheel over logs is possible.
DWC, or Ducati Wheelie Control, is monitored by the attitude of the bike, not just the difference in wheel speed. It adjusts power and torque to reduce output when called in to keep the front wheel on the deck. It also has 8 levels of adjustment.
Each of the riding modes has its own character, but the fact you can tailor the settings within each mode is awesome. Although potentially very confusing, for the rider with the patience, experience and skill to get the best out of the Enduro it really is a great system – and for those without the patience to play, just being able to set the modes you want makes life pretty easy.
Changes for off road use
The changes to the Multistrada to produce the Enduro model run wide and deep. Of course there’s the obvious tank, handlebars and wheels, but did you notice the swingarm is double sided, compared to the single-sided unit on the standard Multi? No doubt that’s for increased strength when taking the big hits off the triple jumps… actually, don’t do triples on your Multistrada. Bad idea. Fun if you got it right, painful otherwise.
The shell-cast aluminium swingarm is described by Ducati as the perfect design for off-road riding because it combines Ducati style and the strength needed for off-road riding.
Ducati’s worked hard to find what it considers the best compromise between off-road riding and on-road performance in regard to steering geometry, wheelbase, ground clearance and suspension travel.
There’s also a Sachs steering damper hidden in there somewhere, designed to help if things get tankslappy, something off-road bikes have a reputation for when pushed hard on bumpy roads, and we wouldn’t wish that on anyone riding a bike as big as the Multistrada Enduro.
Ducati has changed the gearing of the Multistrada for the Enduro. First is shorter, making it easier on the rider off-road. There’s a slipper clutch fitted too, but I think that’s the same as the other Multistradas.
There are tubeless spoked wheels suited for off-road use on the Multistrada Enduro, in 3.00×19-inch front and 4.50×17-inch at the rear.
Far more suitable for off road riding than the wide 17-incher on the stand Multistrada, these wheels come standard with the new Pirelli Scorpion Trail II rubber, but we rode on the Pirelli Rally ‘knobby’ hoops.
I loved the Rally rubber but they are looking pretty sad just 1000km later – not worn out mind you, but they won’t last very long. The price of fun.
The best Ducati engine ever?
The DVT (Desmodromic Variable Timing) Testastretta motor which powers the Multistrada Enduro is the best Ducati motor ever mass produced. It’s that good.
Lots and lots and lots of free spinning grunt delivered to the back tyre seamlessly, I love this motor. It is so much fun, both off road and on.
It even sounds great, which is a big achievement given it passes the latest Euro 4 emission and noise laws.
I’m going to let Ducati describe how the DVT system works: “The DVT system is divided into two parts: an external housing rigidly connected to the pulley driven by the timing belt and an internal mechanism connected to the camshaft: the latter is coaxial to the former and can rotate in advance or delay with respect to the housing depending on the oil pressure in special chambers. This oil pressure is adjusted by dedicated valves and the timing of each cam is controlled dynamically by a sensor in the cam covers.”
So if you think the old desmo system of using cams to both open and close valves (rather than springs, used by almost every other four-stroke motor) Ducati’s DVT is mind-spinningly complex in operation, but does not complicate maintenance. It’s also precision engineered, allowing maintenance intervals to be extended – routine maintenance is required just once a year or after 15,000km, with valve adjustments at 30,000km.
Ducati Testastretta DVT
By independently varying the timing of the camshaft that controls the intake valves and the camshaft that controls the exhaust valves, the DVT engine optimises high-rpm performance to provide maximum power. At low-to-medium rpm, instead, it smoothes operation, making power delivery more fluid and boosting torque.
Ducati claims 100Nm of torque is available at just 3000rpm, rising to a peak of 136 at 7500 (peak power is at 9500rpm, 160hp). Having 100NM available at such low revs helps make the bike easier to handle in tough terrain. With at least 110Nm available from 5000-10,000rpm, overtaking, carrying a passenger and blasting along the road will be easy and fun. This is an engine which changes its characteristics as rpm varies while complying with Euro 4 specifications and ensuring good fuel economy.
Other high tech features of the engine include the Dual Spark sytem – two spark plugs per pot – with independent ignition control. There’s a secondary air system which allows a richer mixture without increasing emissions by oxidising unburnt hydrocarbons, an anti-knock sensor if you are forced to run low octane fuel, a catalytic converter in the exhaust system and fuel injectors positioned to spray the fuel toward the exhaust valves to improve fuel vaporisation and thus combustion and smoothness.
On tour
Cycle Torque rode the new Multistrada Enduro away from the launch and back to our base in Newcastle, and we went the long way. It performed faultlessly, and on the longer ride we were able to gain some insights on what the bike would be like on tour.
Firstly, it’s comfortable. No problem with the seat or really with the riding position, but I think I would prefer the taller seat for the extra padding and extra seat to footpeg distance. Pillion passenger accommodation looks good, but we didn’t have the opportunity to test it.
It was cold on the ride, so the one-handed manually-adjustable screen was mainly used in the up position, where it pushed most of the airflow over the peak of my adventure-style helmet, while the heated grips (part of the touring package) are awesome.
The engine’s vibration at highway speeds on freeways was noticeable: if you come to the Multistrada Enduro from a multi-cylinder bike you might find it intrusive, but if your earlier ride was a big single you’ll think it’s as smooth as silk.
Ducati has added many great features to make the bike good to tour on – things like the bluetooth smartphone link and App, the multiple power outlet ports to charge phones and power things like heated vests. There’s also a Garmin sat-nav available as an option.
There is a centrestand standard, and even a little bit of storage space under the seat.
One thing I’m not yet a fan of is the ‘hands-free’ ignition. You can leave the key fob in your pocket and simply press the ’on’ button to switch on the electronics and unlock the steering of the bike. But it’s no faster than inserting a key and you still need to dig out the fob to unlock the fuel cap or take the seat off, so like all remote ignition systems, I don’t really get it. And why do they call it ‘hands free’? You are still using your hands to press buttons, you can’t simply stand next to the bike and say “start up and set the handgrips to medium”. That would be cool.
Other great touring features include full LED lighting and cornering lights which come on as you tip in to a bend.
The Multistrada Enduro has gone right up on the list of bikes I’d like to ride around the country on.
Suspension and brakes
The Multistrada Enduro features Ducati’s Skyhook Suspension, a semi-active system built by Sachs.
It comprises 48mm leading axle USD forks and Sachs rear shock with 200mm of wheel travel at each end.
The semi-active system adjusts preload when you start the bike (to set ride height) and tweaks it for rider preference based on load settings (solo or two up, luggage) and the riding mode. It adjusts rebound and compression damping on the fly.
“DSS Evolution technology analyses data from numerous sensors on the sprung and unsprung weights of the vehicle to calculate and set the damping needed to make the ride as smooth as possible.” Ducati says in a press release abut the bike.
”An accelerometer on the steering yoke, one at the rear of the bike and one inside the control unit that tracks the DSS Evolution provide data on sprung weight while an accelerometer on the fork bottom provides input on unsprung weight. At the rear, another sensor measures suspension travel. The DSS Evolution processes this information via a semi-active control algorithm that, by referring to an imaginary fixed point in the sky above the bike, makes extremely rapid adjustments to the hydraulic damper to minimise vehicle movement in relation to this point: just as if the bike were suspended from it (hence the term “skyhook”).”
The computer controlling the suspension is also fed information from the Ducati Traction Control’s accelerometer and the Bosch IMU so it knows if you’re braking hard or pulling a wheelie or cornering hard, and adjusts the suspension accordingly.
The Brembo brakes feature cornering ABS; by knowing if you’re leaned over, the system makes decisions on how much braking force and to which wheel can be applied in a given situation.
The Multistrada Enduro didn’t feel like it had linked brakes, but I did think they could have been a little more powerful. The ABS performed as advertised, allowing the rear to lock in Enduro mode.
Colours, packs and pricing
Red ones go faster, because they are cheaper: $29,990. The white or grey versions are $30,290.
The bikes featured in this story all had the touring pack fitted – heated grips and handlebar packs, but the aluminium panniers also included weren’t fitted for the ride. The Touring Pack is priced at $2300.
There’s also going to be a sport pack of street-legal Termignoni exhaust and various billet aluminium covers, an Urban Pack with Touratech/Ducati aluminium top case, tank bag, tank lock and USB charging hub and the Enduro Pack which had crash bars, oil radiator protector, chain guide and rear brake guard.