Rennie Scaysbrook | July 16, 2023
Ducati releases the third machine in the Multistrada V4 lineup, so we took in some of Colorado’s most spectacular scenery to sample it.
The Cinnamon Pass, one of Colorado’s many gems, is best seen behind a set of handlebars. In this case, the Ducati’s.
Photography by Grego Halenda, Scott Rounds | Video by Matthew Sanders
Sometimes, America can be so pretty.
For all her problems and social ills, the Land of The Free can still leave you breathless when she wants to.
A motorcycle is the perfect means of transportation on which to explore this fine wide land, a fact I was reminded of as we met in Durango, Colorado, all astride Ducati’s Multistrada V4 Rally, myself weary from my three hours sleep since returning from the Isle of Man TT.
From Durango we ride the ski resort tunnel past Baldy Trail, through the Uncompahgre National Forest, and then to Telluride, which is inundated by the Bluegrass Festival. A retreat away from the weed smoke is hastily made to our digs on the outside of town.
Ready for a blast to Baghdad. The Multi Rally is a tough-looking steed.
The following day we happen on a campsite just on the city’s outskirts, and Telluride’s natural beauty is proudly on display. I’ve seen a lot of nice vistas in my time on this planet but this one view of Telluride ranks up there with the very best of them. It is America at her finest.
Our ride is unfortunately halted when one of our party has, shall we say, a little oopsie in which one of the Multistradas is rendered rather wrecked, but being a press launch, there’s always a second bike on hand and we continue on, this time up State Highway 149 and eventually to the top of the Cinnamon Pass at an elevation of 12,640 ft.
I’ve lost a bit of fitness since my Pikes Peak days, which has an elevation of 14,115 feet. I’m running way short of breath, and I don’t remember anything like this being the case when I was racing.
New screen with wider flanks makes for a comfier ride. The radar cruise-control system is visible between the headlights.
The elevation is also playing havoc with the Multistrada’s power delivery—or lack thereof. It feels as though the motor has lost about 30 percent of its punch, and, despite my best efforts, won’t even pull second gear wheelies. During the launch of the very first Multistrada V4 S at the 597-feet-elevated Borrego Springs, fourth-gear stand-up wheelies were not a problem.
It’s interesting to note because the two bikes are almost identical, certainly they are in terms of the motor hardware. The 1158cc V4 Granturismo Evo engine is the same as you’ll find in the V4 S and the Pikes Peak edition, which pumps out a claimed 170 horsepower at 10,750 rpm and 89 lb-ft of torque at 8750 rpm. However, the Rally gains modifications to the Enduro ECU mode that limits power to 114 horsepower but with a sharper throttle response.
Brushed aluminum side panels ensure you don’t want to drop this thing.
In truth, 114 horsepower is plenty fine for off-road riding, and the Multistrada V4 S’s off-road capabilities were never in question to begin with. The new Enduro mode works, as do all the engine modes within the ECU, with the Ducati Skyhook Suspension by softening the suspension, reducing the Ducati Traction Control intervention, and deactivating the Ducati Wheelie Control. This allows you to wheelie over the logs and rocks you’ll encounter on the trail.
The Colorado ride is the first time I’m consciously switching between tarmac and off-road modes at the first sight of dirt. It’s exceptionally easy to do via the switch on the left handlebar and transforms the Rally’s behavior, making it a massive dirt bike that can take advantage of the factory-homologated Pirelli Scorpion Rally tires.
For a machine weighing the best part of 580 pounds (curb weight is a claimed 573 pounds), the Multistrada V4 Rally is exceptionally easy to ride off road. The weight is centered almost perfectly for slow-speed maneuvering, and it’ll munch hill ascents for breakfast with all that horsepower on tap.
Oh, Colorado. How pretty you are.
Part of the reason for this increased off-road capability lies in the new suspension. Marzocchi’s semi-active fork has been utilized in the Multistrada range from the very early days of Skyhook, but the 2023 edition is a far cry from that crude unit seen on the first Multistrada twin-cylinder machines.
The Rally takes things a step further by upping front-suspension travel by 1.18 inches and the rear by 0.79 inches, with a new fork position sensor to help keep things under control. There’s also 9.25 inches of ground clearance, as well as 30 percent more preload adjustment range on the shock. Compared to the V4 S the performance gap in suspension isn’t overly noticeable, but having the extra ground clearance is a win in anyone’s book. There is a bit of extra agility in the Rally over the V4 S in the form of spoked wheels that weigh a claimed seven pounds less—again, another win.
Even though these differences will make for a better off-road machine, the Rally is more akin to a long-distance touring bike than a rock jumper. There’s 7.9 gallons of fuel capacity on offer, up a very healthy 2.1 gallons over the stock V4 S.
Underbody protection comes in the form of a reinforced sump guard.
That puts the V4 Rally in the same dimension against the bike Ducati has long said is the one it’s aiming at for class supremacy—the BMW R 1250 GS Adventure.
One of the nice features is the 1.5 inches taller and 0.78 inches wider windscreen and its new side deflectors. At 6’1” tall, I’ve always had problems with screens, especially when I’m wearing an ADV-style helmet with a peak. The new Multi’s screen still isn’t perfect but it’s getting there in that the wind now hits close to the top of my head, rather than right into my forehead, which, as you can imagine, is exhausting after a few hours on board.
The passenger seat area has been increased and more leg room is on offer with the Rally.
The bodywork also houses closeable air ducts on the sides to reduce the flow of hot air to the rider. Although it sounds gimmicky, this feature really does work. Open the flaps and you’ll get an immediate rush of hot air, perfect for when you’re riding through the cold mountain passes of Colorado, which you’ll be doing after you buy the bike, right?
The thing about the Multistrada V4 Rally is it doesn’t feel very far removed from the V4 S on which it’s based, and it doesn’t need to. The V4 S got my Favorite Bike of The Year in 2021 and I’d have one in a second if budgetary means allowed. The Rally is a slight improvement in a few key areas, the big ones being the extra fuel capacity and ergonomics, which will make for a better touring companion.
Photographer: “Just take it easy and don’t make too much splash. Rennie: “You got it.”
If you want to get out and explore the road less traveled, grab the DesertX, one of the absolute best ADVs on the market today. But if you’re going for the big miles, Ducati is now seriously taking aim at the GS Adventure and, with the Rally, they have just the bike to do it. CN
VIDEO | 2023 Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally Review
Multistrada
2023 Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally Specifications
| MSRP: |
$29,995 |
| Engine: |
V4 Granturismo, 90° V4, counter-rotating crankshaft, Twin Pulse firing order |
| Valvetrain: |
4 valves per cylinder |
| Displacement: |
1158cc |
| Bore x stroke: |
83 x 53.5mm |
| Cooling system: |
Liquid-cooled |
| Fuel injection: |
Electronic fuel injection system, 46mm elliptical throttle bodies, Ride-by-Wire throttle |
| Compression ratio: |
14:1 |
| Exhaust: |
4-2-1 |
| Transmission: |
6-speed |
| Clutch: |
Hydraulically controlled slipper and self-servo wet multiplate clutch |
| Electronics: |
Four Riding Modes, two Power Modes, Cornering ABS, Traction Control, Quickshifter, Wheelie Control, Cruise Control, Power Launch, full LED lighting, Daytime Running Light, backlit handlebar switches, 5″ TFT color display, Ducati Multimedia System |
| Chassis: |
Aluminum monocoque frame |
| Front suspension: |
50mm Marzocchi fork, fully adjustable |
| Rear suspension: |
Marzocchi monoshock, fully adjustable |
| Front brake: |
Dual 330 mm semi-floating discs, radially mounted Brembo Stylema monobloc four-piston calipers, radial master-cylinder, Cornering ABS |
| Rear brake: |
265 mm disc, Brembo twin-piston floating caliper, Cornering ABS |
| Front tire: |
Pirelli Scorpion Rally II 120/70 R19 |
| Rear tire: |
Pirelli Diablo Rally II, 170/60 R17 |
| Rake: |
24.7° |
| Trail: |
4.15 in. |
| Wheelbase: |
61.9 in. |
| Seat height: |
34.3 in. |
| Fuel capacity: |
7.9 gal. |
| Weight (curb): |
573 lbs. |
