The 2021 Ducati Multistrada V4 (S) was recently named European Motorcycle of the Year, but if it’s a little outside your budget (…) you can always go back to one of its predecessors.
In 2010, Ducati replaced the Multistrada 1000 DS with the 1200, fitted with the Testastretta block from the 1198 superbike. With 150 horsepower, Ducati started the horsepower race we are still faced with. That Multi 1200 was presented on some Canary Island, but our man only remembers the kick in the ass when he opened the gas the first time.
The Multistrada was then (and still is) a superbike on stilts. The first 1200 was therefore rather a brute that needed free rein to come into its own. So the city was not immediately its natural habitat, even despite the driving modes (still a fairly new phenomenon at the time) and traction control. There was the regular version, the S Sport and the S Touring. The S models already had electronically adjustable springs, the Touring threw some suitcases on top. The Multistrada 1200 was bloody fast and despite a fairly hard saddle quite comfortable, which made it one of the better intercontinental cruise missiles on two wheels.
A production error with a limited batch of cylinder heads meant that gradually wear could occur on certain first-generation units, as a result of which the wall of coolant, which was designed too thin, allowed the passage of coolant into the cylinder. That’s why it’s best to look out for a copy where the service history mentions the replacement, or one with more than 20,000 km (where the wear has manifested itself). While you’re at it, it’s best to also take a look at the oil gaskets, the electronic suspension (which can malfunction after a long time), the operation of the heated grips and the sensor for the fuel supply. The mountings for the luggage can also be broken, and the bumpers of the centerstand have a reputation of disappearing with the northern sun.
In 2013, the Multi 1200 received the so-called semi-active Skyhook springs, which adapt the damping and spring preload to the load. More important was the introduction of a new cylinder head with two spark plugs (Twin Spark), which drove a lot smoother and less brutally. In 2015, the Multistrada got the so-called Desmodromic Variable Timing (DVT) with variable valve timing and 10 hp on top. That meant that the major maintenance (every 29,000 km or five years) became quite expensive, four-digit amounts were no exception. ABS and traction control became lean angle sensitive. From 2018 to 2020, the Multistrada used the 1.262cc block of the Diavel and from then on it became the Multistrada 1260, which also picked up smoothly below 5,000 rpm and received a slightly more stable bicycle part.
Liquid-cooled L-twin | 1,198cc | 150/160 hp | 189 kg (dry) | 20 liters | €8,500 – €16,500)
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