There are motorcycles designed for Sunday mornings, motorcycles built for racetracks and motorcycles made for getting muddy, then there is the new Ducati Multistrada V4 S Grand Tour, which looks as though somebody in Bologna simply asked what you would need to keep riding until the road ran out.
Ducati has unveiled its latest long distance Multistrada with a specification aimed squarely at riders who want serious performance, comfort and technology without spending the first six months of ownership working through an accessories catalogue.
At its heart is Ducati’s 1,158 cc V4 Granturismo engine, producing 170 hp at 10,750 rpm and 123.8 Nm of torque at 9,000 rpm, with Extended Cylinder Deactivation helping reduce fuel consumption and emissions by shutting down the rear cylinder bank under certain riding conditions.
That is serious performance for a touring motorcycle, but the Grand Tour is really about what Ducati has wrapped around the engine.
Front and rear radar bring Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Detection and Forward Collision Warning as standard, while tyre pressure monitoring, auxiliary LED lights, dynamic indicators and a rear fog light add another layer of reassurance when the weather turns against you.
The semi active Ducati Skyhook Suspension EVO continuously adapts to conditions beneath the wheels, while automatic levelling compensates for changes in load and the rider can alter the suspension response from the handlebar while travelling.
Perhaps one of the cleverest features arrives when you are barely travelling at all, because Ducati’s Automatic Lowering Device drops the motorcycle by as much as 30 mm below 10 km/h before returning it to normal riding height above 50 km/h.
There is even an Easy Lift function which opens the suspension hydraulics when the ignition is switched on, reducing the effort needed to bring what is inevitably a substantial touring motorcycle upright from its side stand.
Long distance comfort has been taken equally seriously, with heated grips and heated seats for both rider and passenger, a hands free fuel cap and 60 litres of integrated side luggage fitted as standard.
Those panniers and the top case mounting position have been moved further back to give the passenger more room, a small detail which could become a very important one several hundred miles into a journey.
Navigation is handled through the 6.5 inch colour TFT display using Ducati’s phone mirroring system, while five riding modes cover Sport, Touring, Urban, Wet and Enduro.
The Grand Tour rides on 19 inch front and 17 inch rear alloy wheels wearing Pirelli Scorpion Trail II tyres, with Brembo Stylema radial calipers working on twin 330 mm front discs and a 280 mm rear disc.
Ducati has also tackled one of the traditional anxieties surrounding high performance Italian machinery, with valve clearance checks scheduled only every 60,000 km and a four year unlimited mileage warranty in Europe.
Roadside Assistance goes considerably further than simply sending somebody with a van, with provision during the applicable coverage period for roadside help, transport for rider and passenger, a replacement vehicle and even four star hotel accommodation if things go wrong.
Visually, Ducati has resisted turning the Grand Tour into a rolling accessories catalogue, giving it a dedicated livery with red accents against black finishes on the frame, swingarm, handlebars, triple clamps and integrated cases.
There is still plenty of Ducati in its character, but this is a Multistrada built around the idea that 170 hp and a winding mountain road should be just as enjoyable when there are panniers attached and another thousand miles waiting beyond the next bend.
The new Multistrada V4 S Grand Tour reaches European Ducati dealerships in November, and for riders who believe the journey matters every bit as much as the destination, it might be one of the most complete Multistradas yet.
