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Source and link to full articlePeople get confused about Ducati's Multistrada.
Some look at the tall, upright posture and think it's the latest entry in the growing adventure-tourer category. But the Multistrada was not designed to leave pavement.
Others see the 17-inch tires, dual disc brakes and, on the 1000S model, the gleaming gold Ohlins suspension, and think "sportbike." But the Multistrada's riding position is as far from the sportbike tuck as a non-cruiser can get.
It all falls into place when you think of the Multistrada as a big Supermoto bike. One with enough power, wind protection and luggage capacity to carry you many miles beyond the urban streets and go-cart tracks that usually define Supermoto territory.
The confusion is understandable, because the Multistrada looks like nothing else on the road. Since the bike debuted as a 2004 model, Ducati has expanded the line, adding a 620cc version and supplementing the original 1,000cc Multistrada with both a lower-cost "Dark" version and the 1000S with upgraded suspension.
I rode a Multistrada 1000S from Southern California to the Columbia River Gorge on the Oregon-Washington border for the Sportbike Northwest Rally (watch for a report in a future issue of American Motorcyclist magazine), and it proved to be an ideal bike for the 2,510-mile round trip.
The fairing and the upright riding position made hours on the interstate more painless than on any of Ducati's superbikes, yet the Multistrada S still offered a dose of Ducati superbike handling once I arrived at the hairpin curves of the Rowena Crest on U.S. Route 30 in Oregon.
When it comes to styling, we all know what we like. But there's no way not to mention looks when you're dealing with the Multistrada. There's the signature Ducati single-sided swingarm and trellis frame, but it's matched with that unusual split fairing — half frame-mounted, half-fork-mounted.
Let's just say that everyone loves the way it looks. Except for those who hate the way it looks. You decide which camp you fall into.
Settle into the Multistrada S's cockpit and the riding position feels more like a BMW than most Ducatis. The windscreen swoops back close to your face, so airflow remains smooth, unlike some half-faired bikes with fairings so far forward they create turbulence. The S model's tapered aluminum handlebar provides an aggressive but stylish complement to the instrument cluster.
