2013 Ducati Multistrada

2013 Ducati Multistrada

Multistrada translated to English literally means “Many Roads”.  This pretty much sums up everything that is great about the Ducati Multistrada.  More than one person in the dealership has remarked that if you were to own one bike, only one bike it should be the Multistrada.  This machine is literally 4 bikes in one because of its variable performance settings;” Enduro“ for off road, “Urban” for around town and in the neighborhood, “Touring” for highway and “Sport” for the thrill and fun of it.  Adjusting these modes sets the available horsepower from 100hp to 150hp as well as variances in the Ducati Traction Control and ABS Braking system. 

The Multistrada does everything well; I’ve ridden it off road, over twisty mountain roads with 180 switchbacks, on open highway and around town.  The motorcycle feels light for an adventure touring bike coming in at 454lbs in the “S” model with saddle bags, maybe too

light as I found it pushed around in the stiff Saskatchewan cross winds.  Out of the wind or head on the bike handles great, the new Sachs “Skyhook” suspension is smooth and compensates for rough road condition, an additional passenger or gear.  In “Sport” mode the Multistrada can move like a sport bike, cruise all day at 20 or 30 km/hr over the speed limit with lots of jam to pass if the need arises.  The bike I was riding is equipped with the Ducati Termi homologated slip on exhaust and ECM re-flash, this makes the motor sound incredible and for those of us that like to hear our bikes  it is a must have accessory.
If I were to find fault with the Multistrata it would be the smallish 20 litre tank as the bike seems thirsty and runs low in what seemed like a short order of time.  This could also have been the result of the input from my right hand as twisting the throttle, hearing the engine roar and getting that kick in your pants feeling is highly addictive on this bike.  My other complaint is the lack of adjustability in the seat height.  Most adventure touring machines have built in height adjustments in the seat platform but the Multistrada doesn’t come with this feature.   Once you’re in the riding position though you’ll want to stay there all day and you can as the ergonomics were perfect; seated or standing the Multistrada felt natural and extremely fun to ride for hours.

The Multistrada is a technological wonder but it can be a bit intimidating too.  From the cockpit you can adjust power settings, ABS, DTC (traction control), use a PIN code instead of a key to start the engine, read through the standard assortment of fuel economy stats, check your average speed, check the ambient air temperature, consult your running time clock adjust the suspension system for 4 different settings and if equipped adjust the heated grips in three settings.  You do all this from what at first glance is a simple assortment of hand controls.  It takes a bit of effort to memorize but Ducati uses a number of the same buttons to perform multiple functions, for example the signal light cancel button is pretty much intergraded into every task and the starter button doubles as the mode and power switch for the heated grips.  The advantage to these multi role buttons is that you don’t have a switch housing that looks like it was an engineering afterthought, buttons everywhere and most out of reach of the rider, (Triumph Trophy and Honda Goldwing are examples that come to mind).  What is new on the Multistrada is the Skyhook suspension by Sachs.  The suspension would not bottom out despite repeated attempts during an off road training session I attended with Ducati a couple of months ago.  The standard Ohlins suspension was top of the line stuff, and has been a staple for Multistrada owners up until 2013, but Skyhook is very cool and if you’re riding a Multistrada without it you should really try a 2013 with Skyhook.  The 11 degree Testastretta engine is also upgraded for 2013 featuring a secondary air system to help burn off fuel that is entering the exhaust system so the O2 sensor gets a clean reading.  This secondary air along with updated fuel injectors and dual spark plug heads make the Multistrada smooth and a machine you can lug around at slow speeds in second gear, something you may not have said of last year’s model.

At the end of my first ride on the new Multistrada back in March I was certain this was going to be my favorite bike this year.  Although I do have a few things I would change about it the Multistrada is an ultimate riding machine and if you were going to own one bike that has to do everything from adventure off road to two up touring while eating 600cc sport bikes light to light…  Look no further than the Ducati Multistrada.  Check it out at FFUN Motor Sports in Saskatoon.