| November 24, 2024
More control, more efficiency and more comfort are on the menu as Ducati revamps its Multistrada V4 S for MY2025.
Just take a step back and admire this view. The bike’s nice, too, but… the view!
By Adam Child | Photography Alex Photo
Don’t be fooled. The model-year 2025 Ducati Multistrada V4 S might look like the current model, but beneath that distinctive and largely unchanged silhouette lies a host of developments that make the Bologna factory’s best-selling adventure-tourer even more efficient and rewarding to ride.
Predictably enough, a raft of electronic updates sits center stage, all of them aimed at boosting the versatility of the Multistrada. Ducati Vehicle Observer (DVO), the predictive electronic control system developed by Ducati Corse MotoGP team, and which debuted on the 2024 V4 Panigale, finds its way onboard along with the Automatic Lowering Device, which lowers the ride height as the road speed drops to allow better control and more confident stops.
Silver and black may not be the first colors you think of when imagining a Multistrada V4 S, but we’re starting to think it looks better than the traditional Italian red.
Ducati’s electronic boffins have also added a new Wet riding mode, which sits alongside the Touring, Urban, Sport modes as well as an updated Enduro option. There is Engine Brake Control and uprated linked brakes, with the rear lever now also operating the front brake (in addition to the front lever operating the rear).
Front-and-rear radar technology, which is carried over on the V4 S from 2024 and supports adaptive cruise control and blind spot monitoring, now also supports a new forward collision warning on the dash.
The free-revving and flexible 1158cc Granturismo V4 remains largely untouched, aside from a new exhaust system to comply with Euro5+ emissions laws. With service intervals of 9000 miles for an oil change and 37,000 miles for a valve inspection, and peak power and torque of 170 horsepower at 10,750 rpm and 91 lb-ft at 9000 rpm, there was little to improve on here. However, for 2025, the Multi deactivates its rear bank of cylinders at low speeds and when stationary to further reduce the transfer of engine heat to the rider on warm days (and improve fuel economy).
Ducati changed the game as far as how hard ADV touring bikes could be ridden with the first V4 S. The current gen is no different.
The Ducati Skyhook Suspension (DSS) semi-active Marzocchi suspension now allows the rider to change settings on the move independently. There are new front fork settings and sensors, while the rear shock has a wider range of spring preload settings. The swingarm pivot sits 1mm higher, which, according to Ducati, should improve anti-squat, especially with a passenger and luggage onboard. Passengers get more room as the side and top boxes have been moved backward, and there is a broad range of optional extras for both rider and passenger, including seats—high and low, heated or unheated—and five-level heated grips. There are EVO-activated hazard lights and a clear 6.5-inch display with connectivity and even more displayed information, while a fog light is offered as an optional extra.
Riding the 2025 Multi V4 S
Even up close, there’s not much visual difference between the old and new bikes—it’s all subtle tweaks and evolutions—which is a sign of Ducati’s confidence in the Multi. We had two model variants to test—the “Ducati Red,” with optional forged wheels, radar system and Pirelli Scorpion Trail II rubber, and the “Thrilling Black,” fitted with the adventure travel and radar pack, which includes spoked wheels, aluminum side cases, a centerstand, a heated seat for the rider and passenger, heated grips, the radar system and Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR rubber. Essentially, one was biased towards sports touring and the other towards adventure touring.
Short legs and tall adventure bikes have never been the closest of companions, and adjustable ride heights and optional seats have become a new battleground for manufacturers trying to woo all shapes and sizes to their machines.
While not the largest in class, the 6.5-inch dash is plenty big enough for all mission control duties.
This is great news for the likes of 5’7” me. I opted for the standard seat, which can be positioned at 33.1 inches and 33.9 inches, and turned down Ducati’s kind offer of a lower seat option—but it was good to have a choice. Ducati offers not only a lower seat but also a lower suspension kit, which, combined with the low seat, drops you to 31.3 inches—you even get a shorter sidestand.
Crucially for the likes of me, the Multistrada V4 S isn’t physically intimidating. It tops the scales at a manageable 511 pounds (without fuel) and the Automatic Lowering Device is effective at helping both feet get securely to the ground. This system dials out the suspension’s spring preload as the Multi’s speed falls below six mph, then re-applies it automatically as speed increases to 30 mph.
Alternatively, you can override the system manually and take control yourself. How much the seat height drops depends on the bike’s laden sag: if, for example, you are a heavy rider with a passenger and luggage loaded for a week away, the seat will drop around 30mm/1.2 inches. For a lighter solo rider, roughly 15mm/0.6 inches would be more normal.
Heated seats for rider and passenger. Get them.
That’s a massive tick, one which makes the V4 S more accessible than ever. I was also eager to discover if I could feel or hear the rear bank of cylinders deactivate when speeds dropped to below six mph, or when we came to a halt. On Ducati’s Diavel, which trialed the first ECD cut-out system, you can tell by a change to the exhaust and intake noise, but it was less clear-cut on the Multi.
All four cylinders should come back online as the revs approach 4000 rpm, but the precise moment depends on the riding context and the amount of torque being requested. If you are running a tall gear at just 2000 rpm and grab a handful of throttle, the system will immediately revert to all four cylinders to give you the drive you need. It’s such a smooth transition that I wasn’t always sure whether I was riding a twin or a V4. The only glitch was unseasonably wet and cool weather, which left me unsure how effective the uprated ECD will be on the long hot rides of summer.
Attention to detail has always been spot on with the V4 Multi.
The damp did give us the chance to test the new Wet riding mode, which limits peak power output to 113 horsepower—that’s down on a full peak of 170 horsepower. Supported by a plethora of lean-sensitive rider aids to keep you safe, and with the Skyhook semi-active suspension set to low grip conditions, it works supremely well. The laws of physics still apply, of course, but you can exit super-slippery hairpin corners with full throttle—a guaranteed recipe for disaster with lesser electronic systems—and still, the bike drives calmly forward.
As the roads dried out, improved conditions allowed us to sample the new linked Rear to Front braking system. The current V4 S model already runs a Front to Rear system that electronically distributes braking loads between both wheels. Now, for 2025, when in setting ABS 3 and using just the larger diameter 280mm rear brake, a degree of front brake is also applied. It’s smooth—a million miles from the basic linked systems of the 1990s—and never feels like too much front is being introduced. How much is dictated by a blend of parameters such as lean angle and speed, but, with your head in laid-back touring mode, you can use the rear alone to trim your speed.
Application of the rear brake pedal now activates the front brakes, and vice versa.
When you up the pace and begin to exploit the Multi’s ever-present sporting edge, you can feel the ABS trigger under harder braking. At this point, you transfer out of Touring mode into Sport mode and ABS setting 2. Now the system reverts to Front to Rear only, with some braking force distributed to the rear when the front lever is applied, but the rear no longer has any effect on the front.
Every mod seems to have been designed to make life easier and reduce fatigue in various conditions and scenarios. Sport mode and Touring mode, for example, deliver the same peak power and torque, but there is a noticeable difference between their handling characteristics and performance. The gap between the modes appears larger than before: Touring mode runs the bike softer and plusher. The ride and throttle response in Sport mode are by no means harsh but Touring mode has a more forgiving feel to it for 2025. This may in part be down to the re-positioned swingarm pivot, the new rear shock or simply the settings—but the revised Touring mode makes the Multi even more of a lip-smacking high-mile platform.
With its fluid and torquey 170 hp V4 and relatively taut and responsive chassis, the 2025 V4 S feels sharper than ever when you select Sports mode, particularly with the new optional, 4.4 pounds lighter forged wheels fitted.
1158cc of glorious Italian stallions. This is one of the best motors Ducati has ever produced.
For 2025, Ducati also offers a revamped Multistrada Pikes Peak, complete with a 17-inch front wheel, but the all-around and relentlessly versatile V4 S delivers breathless performance on sporty roads. It turns so effortlessly and accurately that you could easily be forgiven for thinking that it rides on a 17-inch diameter front wheel and not its class-standard 19-incher.
This potent blend of a flexible engine, a precise chassis and new generation of sophisticated and tuneable rider aids ensures the V4 S thrives in virtually every riding scenario imaginable. It drives hard and snaps into turns as well as it flows and soaks up the miles. You can easily tweak it to your mood. I, for example, deactivated the wheelie control because, when the roads allow, I like my bikes to be free to express themselves. But I retained some traction control intervention just in case.
Meanwhile, the up-and-down quickshifter is quick and slick and makes revving the Granturismo north of 10,000 rpm as exciting as it is on many pure superbikes. I even played with the changeable engine braking, reducing it to allow the bike to flow a little easier between corners. The only real limitations to all this sportiness are the standard tires, more so the Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR rubber fitted to the Black Adventure Travel and Radar model. But if you wanted a truly sports focused Multi, you’d opt for the Pikes Peak and stickier tires.
Run the Pirelli Scorpion Rally rubber and you’ll be able to go pretty much anywhere your riding talent can take you.
On the Dirt
I’m sure many owners will be unwilling to expose their beautifully finished V4 Ss to the dust and grit and risk of an off-road drop, especially on challenging terrain, but we had a brief ride on dirt to sample the updated Enduro riding mode. Peak power is reduced to the same level as Wet, 113 horsepower, with the rider aids recalibrated for off-road riding, suspension set to off-road and ABS set to level 1, which means front wheel only.
It works perfectly well, the suspension copes with changeable surfaces and for many Ducati owners, knowing their Multi can take on a gravel road with ease and safety will be enough. I found the standard bars a little low; they are adjustable, but even in the higher position, they will still be too low for many riders. The front end pushes a little, and I never really had the confidence to ride aggressively. It’s a stronger dirt prospect than some adventure bikes like the MV Agusta Enduro Veloce, but not as competent as the BMW R1300 GS or KTM Super Adventure.
Ducati were the first to pioneer front radar control and the ’25 Multi now gets Front Collision Warning as a feature.
Back on Asphalt
On the freeway, there are masses of power, more than enough to shovel rider plus pillion and luggage up to and past the fast traffic. You sit tall and have a presence. Once comfortable, you set the adaptive cruise control, keep an eye on the blind spot detector lights in the mirrors and crack on for mile after mile. I looked for niggles but, in the softer Touring mode, couldn’t find anything worth writing down. Okay, the screen is still only manually adjustable and on a pricy adventure bike, it should be electronic, while the forward collision warning did somewhat distract me when exiting the freeway (the warning is simply an illumination on the dash; if you are already on the stoppers it won’t illuminate). But when the ride was over and it was time to head back to HQ, I didn’t want to get off the new V4 S. It makes you want to ride and then ride some more.
Verdict
So, no, don’t be fooled. Despite a lack of obvious visual changes, this is a carefully and thoroughly updated Multistrada V4 S. It is expensive. Prices start at $19,995 for the base model and at $28,305 for the S, and it’s easy to spec up north of $30,000, but it is more versatile, even more effortless to ride and even more comfortable than ever. It retains the ability to deliver near-superbike performance levels but now soaks up the road and the miles with a rare and sumptuous sophistication. With different model variants to choose from and a long list of accessories to trim the Multi to your taste, you can tweak and tune it to your riding style and needs, just so. We are early in the new-model year cycle, but we’d be surprised if the V4 S didn’t turn out to be the most complete road-biased adventure tourer of them all. CN
2025 Ducati Multistrada V4 S Specifications
| MSRP |
$19,995 base / $28,305 S model |
| Engine |
Granturismo, 90 degree, V4 |
| Displacement |
1158cc |
| Valvetrain |
Desmodromic, 16V |
| Cooling system |
Liquid |
| Bore x stroke |
83 x 53.3mm |
| Compression Ratio |
14.0:1 |
| Fuel injection |
Electronic fuel injection system 46mm throttle bodies, Ride-by-Wire throttle |
| Exhaust |
Euro 5 plus |
| Transmission |
6-speed, chain drive |
| Clutch |
Wet, multiplate slipper; hydraulic actuation |
| Chassis |
Aluminum monocoque |
| Front suspension |
50mm inverted fork, fully adjustable electronic Ducati Skyhook Suspension |
| Rear suspension |
Single fully adjustable monoshock, electronic Ducati Skyhook Suspension |
| Front-wheel travel |
6.7 in. |
| Rear-wheel travel |
7.1 in. |
| Front brake |
Dual four-piston Brembo Stylema Monoblock calipers, 330mm discs, Cornering ABS |
| Rear brake |
Brembo twin-piston caliper, single 280mm disc, Cornering ABS |
| Front tire |
120790-19 in. |
| Rear tire |
170/60-17 in. |
| Rake |
24.2° |
| Trail |
4.0 in. |
| Wheelbase |
61.7 in. |
| Seat height |
33.1- 33.9in. |
| Fuel capacity |
5.8 gal |
| Weight (curb, claimed) |
509 lbs. (511 lbs. S model) |
