Ducati Multistrada 1100 DS - Roadtest

Performance

Handling

Comfort

Looks

Equipment

Value

Overall

Technical summary

List Price:

£8,750

Insurance:

Group 15

Engine:

992cc V-twin

Performance:

135 mph max speed

Power:

85bhp

Weight:

196kg

MPG:

34mpg

Range:

160 miles

Review

This is the Ducati Multistrada, the Italian brand's quirky rival for mainstream adventure tourers like the BMW GS. It's been around since 2003, so is something of a veteran in Ducati's modern line-up, but there's been numerous upgrades to the original package since, and this particular S model is the latest and last before an all-new version is launched next year.

Sales figures show that the Multistrada is one of Ducati's least popular bikes (most potential customers are driven to the brand by the allure of machines like the 1198) but it deserves more recognition. It's a bona fide piece of Italian exotica with all the high-spec components you'd expect. Ohlin suspension, Brembo brakes and Magneti Marelli are all here.

Yet the Multistrada blends these stylish high-end components with real practicality. Jump on and you're perched in a commandingly high riding position, knees comfortably pressed into the contours of a neatly designed tank and half-fairing, with a small windshield keeping some of the breeze off your upper body. Most impressive are the sleek and lightweight panniers, which click on and off with a full twist of the key and a sturdy pull.

Power comes from a gutsy 992cc V-twin engine, which offers 85bhp. This motor, while grunty and honest, is getting a bit long in the tooth. Lazy injection at low revs made our test bike easy to stall in stop-start traffic. Performance is spirited enough and there's a decent dose of midrange go which is useful for overtakes. But is it lightning fast? No, not really - and it's not worth winding up the engine because it's all out of ideas way before the 10,000rpm redline.

Our biggest problem with the Multistrada, though, is the vibrations caused by the buzzy twin cylinder engine, which gets waring quickly when you're riding any sort of distance and is impossible to ignore. The mirrors shake, your arse goes numb (not helped by the overly firm and narrow seat), and another hundred miles down the road, so do your hands. Rivals like the BMW GS1200 are much easier to spend long periods of time on.

And there's more. The Multistrada's windscreen, while fine for shorter trips isn't big enough to keep the wind off on long motorway journeys and it's not adjustable either. If you're tall, you'll find your helmet buffeted by the poorly directed blast.