Ducati Multistrada V4 Review: Superbike Meets Sofa

The premise of the Multistrada V4 sounds impossible: take the ferocious performance of a Ducati superbike, wrap it in the comfort and range of a long-distance tourer, and add just enough adventure-bike stance to tackle a gravel road. Somehow, improbably, Ducati has pulled it off. This is a machine that will devastate a mountain pass in the morning and cosset you across a country by nightfall.

It is the ultimate do-everything motorcycle for riders who refuse to compromise on pace, and it represents a genuine leap over the V-twin Multistradas that came before. The switch to a V4 changed the bike’s entire character — smoother, faster, and, crucially, far easier to live with day to day.

The Granturismo V4: pace and patience

The 1158 cc V4 Granturismo is a marvel of dual personality. It produces a thumping 170 hp and 125 Nm, enough to fire the Multistrada to 100 km/h in around 3.2 seconds and on to a 250 km/h top speed, with a spine-tingling V4 wail when you chase the redline. This is genuine superbike performance, delivered from an upright and comfortable seat.

Yet the same engine is a model of civility when you want it to be, pulling smoothly from low revs and cruising with unruffled ease. The masterstroke is its maintenance: Ducati quotes an astonishing 60,000 km valve-check interval, banishing the costly, frequent servicing that once haunted its high-performance machines and making the V4 a genuinely sensible long-distance proposition.