29 Sep On Yer Bike: Ducatis
This month FMM Curator Wayne Harley goes damming on a pair of Ducatis…
On a recent business trip to Johannesburg, I was invited to visit an old school friend Mark Henderson, who is the proprietor at Henderson Racing Products (HRP). The visit was meant to be a catch up, remembering the good old days and to talk motorcycles, but what should have been a braai and a beer turned out to be a weekend of ‘bike stuff’, culminating in a couple of rides out to Hartbeespoort Dam, a part of the world I’ve not visited in over 30 years. On one of these breakfast runs, Mark offered me the opportunity to ride his two 2019 Ducati Multistradas, the difference being one is an Enduro model and the other an S. On the other run, we took Mark’s two Harley-Davidsons, but more of that later…
Ducati has always been associated with sporty or racing machines and are best remembered for TT wins, Superbike titles and, lately, MotoGP successes. However, for almost 20 years the road/street Multistrada has been available. First seen at the Milan Motor Show in 2001, the Multistrada was an uncompromising design by South African Pierre Terblanche. It was ‘different’ and wasn’t going to appeal to everyone, but it still maintained Ducati’s renowned performance and handling, packaged with unique styling and a dash of Italian panache. The 1000DS went into production in 2003 followed by the 1000S. In 2005, Ducati released the 620cc, which meant a disappointing loss of power while retaining a lot of the previous styling, and there was also a reduction in weight. With uprated suspension, handling was improved. Two years later, engine capacity was back up to 1100cc. DS power and torque were increased along with rider comfort, thanks to a new handlebar arrangement reducing vibration.
2009 saw the introduction of the 1200cc engine and a noticeable styling change aimed at bringing the Multistrada in line with more contemporary sport/adventure motorcycles. But, in my opinion, with its new duckbill-styled fairing, the Ducati’s styling fell in line with designs of other major brands, losing its unique look as a result. However, there were many improvements and upgrades, including the Skyhook suspension system, Bosch 9ME ABS, cruise control and four different riding modes. Then, as before with the 620cc, in 2017 Ducati released a smaller capacity – 950cc – version, which was naturally down on power, dropping from 119kW to 82kW. But it was lighter and cheaper with a few more rider aids and fully adjustable suspension.
Just a year later in 2018, the 1260S and D were released, with riders looking for a more usable bike, the focus shifting to better torque in the low- to mid-range with nothing being lost when you needed it. Getting astride Mark’s bike, I found it had a very comfortable upright riding position and a manually adjustable screen. There are four riding modes – Sport, Touring, Urban and Enduro. The 119kW output is limited to 74kW in Urban and Enduro modes. The uprated electronic equipment is current even by today’s standards, based on the IMU inertial platform and composed of Bosch Cornering ABS, Ducati Wheelie Control (8 levels), Traction Control (8 levels) and cruise control. On the 1260S, Ducati has retained the Skyhook Suspension (DSS) Evolution system. And both models I rode had ‘quick shifters’ as standard.
Riding the two Multistradas in tandem, I found both to be an absolute pleasure with very little to choose from, but the Enduro does seem wider, larger and is heavier than the S. Also, on 50/50 tyres, the Enduro doesn’t feel as smooth on the tar. At Highveld altitude, the performance on the Enduro is still top and handling is pin-point for an adventure motorcycle. The Brembo brakes are brilliant as per normal, which I appreciated while traversing the Johannesburg Friday afternoon traffic. Just the scale of the Enduro really doesn’t make it a good commuter, but then again that is not what this particular machine is intended for. The true Multistrada is the 1260S. I really enjoyed this motorcycle; it is sporty, nimble with pin-sharp handling and is also comfortable. Although weighing 215kg, it is not difficult to manoeuvre, even in tight traffic. Both motorcycles pull very well through the rev range thanks to the DVT engine and low-down torque, but on the open road the 1260S really becomes a wonderful machine to ride with easy, safe and predictable characteristics. One can feel Ducati’s racing heritage in the chassis.
It’s very difficult not enjoy the Multistrada as it is an excellent motorcycle even if it is already three years old. I believe the new 1260cc V4 is even better. As a rider who spends 90% of my time riding on tar, I would go with the S. It has got top-league power figures and is only fractionally more expensive than its class rivals. But the limited dealer servicing network remains a concern.
I will cover the Harley rides next month, as it was a totally different experience…
