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Black, bold and built for adventure, RE’s mid-capacity all-rounder looks tougher than it needs to… and rides even better Adventure bikes have traditionally been christened with labels that tend towards the wild, rugged and aspirational. Names like Stelvio, Touareg, Norden, Africa, Expedition, Tenere, Tiger, Rally or Versys (whoops, that’s a powerful insecticide). And now we welcome to that pack the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 Mana Black. It’s named after the breathtaking (literally) 5600ish-metre Himalayan road, the highest motorable ‘frog’n’toad’ in the world – Mana Pass. Higher and tougher than Khardung La, Mana Pass never gets much glory because of the lack of people travelling it. In a way it’s an unsung hero of the high passes of the world. This lucky little tinted teal had just settled back into the humdrum of daily life after spending two weeks on a 450 Himi, yes… In the Himalayas (“Himalayan Highs”, Vol 75 No.09). Our North East India and remote West Nepal trip only reached a little over the 3000m mark, passing within a day’s ride or so from this formidable, highly restricted pass. So what is a Himalayan Mana Black? It’s black T-shirt, skinny black jeans, dark eye shadow, blue black dyed hair and black lipstick; a styling exercise rather than a new model. Royal Enfield has blacked up and ‘enduroed’ the Himi to offer a more purposeful-looking steed. The uncoated sticker set looks suspiciously like that of the standard Kamel White paint job. Undemanding to ride, the Mana Black eats up typical Aussie bush backtracks like this one Over a couple of days in the Victorian High country, we got a sneak peek of the bike. To be frank, we pushed the launch bikes beyond the limits of what they were designed for. Get a bunch of highly skilled, ex-enduro champions (the other riders) on challenging off-road tracks, and test bikes (and this old fella) get a hammering. The little Himi impressed even the most hardened off-roader in the group. Yes… it’s a bike that changes perceptions. Andy stops to get his high country bushranger vibe going Himalayan by name, Himalayan by nature In the environment of lowish-speed, tight, rough mountain roads that are the Himalayas, the 450 shines. Low speed, tractable, single-cylinder grunt, more than adequate suspension and a comfortable riding position whether standing or sitting. The Himi punches above its heaviest-in-class 195kg kerb weight. Which is only really noticed when hauling it up off the lowish sidestand. Indian market Himis come with a mandated saree guard This incarnation is fitted with hand ‘wind’ guards, special side pods, a seat strap at the rear for dragging it out of the slop, and a fixed-height, taller ‘rally’ seat. We had a bike fitted with the rally seat on our OS trip and found it less comfy on our long days than the two-piece (825mm or 845mm height) stock item. Not that the rally seat is actually uncomfortable, it’s that the stock seat is bloody good. My stumpy legs didn’t find the 860mm rally seat’s reach to terra firma an issue. Avoid the freeways and you’ll find the Mana Black is perfect for mountain tarmac backroads The Showa suspension, expertly tuned for Royal Enfield by ex-racer and ex-AMCN staffer Paul Young, makes the Himi go where you ask it – rough as guts or smooth as poo. The six-speed gearbox helps the 450 powerplant wing along at a tad above legal Aussie highway speeds – unstressed and unharried. While modest, 29.44kW (40hp) of go and 40Nm of push there’s enough throttle twist to comfortably overtake. It’s amazing how a few simple changes can transform a model From day one in the rough roads in Himachal Pradesh, I found the gap between first and second too wide in rough conditions. First too low and second too high, revving the rings out of the Himi in first or lugging it if changing up a cog. In the mountains behind Bright, it did make the harder uphill sections a little more challenging than they needed to be, and control on nose-bleed downhills a little harder to find. Experimenting with sprocket teeth might help sort this, however. The gap between first and second gear caused our tester some issues in the tight stuff The variants across the range now all sport spoked, tubeless 21in front and 17in rear wheels; Mana gets, you guessed it… black ones. Teamed up with the stock dual channel, switchable ABS, the 320mm ventilated disc, twin piston caliper up front and 270mm disc at the back haul the whole plot up effortlessly and predictably. The bikes on the launch, as I mentioned earlier, were pushed hard on a hot day, in tight, steep, rocky, slow and challenging conditions. A few of them suffered overheating issues. We never saw a hint of that in the Himalayas, even on the hottest days, and to be fair the bikes arrived late and were dragged out of the crate and pressed into immediate service… Poor things; a journo running in a bike is never an act of kindness! Our ride home took in a bunch of sealed roads that I’m familiar with; fast twisties and highway sections, stuff we didn’t get to do on the Nepal trip. Again, the Himi exceeded my expectations, as did the stock CEAT tyres. The attractive Mana Black really stands out. It would suit a younger and/or taller rider, looking for a stylish, capable, mid-capacity bike that will do just about anything asked of it. It’s learner approved and expert capable! A hell of a lot of bike for not a lot of readies. And while it’s not on the enduro end of the Adventure bike continuum, it sure took what we threw at it. The Himi continues to grow on me. The more time I spend on one, the more it gets under my skin. I’d buy the standard model and spend the extra five hundred smackers on goodies offered in the accessory cattle-dog. First thing bolted on would be a curiously omitted rear rack. PROS – Stress-free riding, even in rough stuff. Easy to live with. A package that is more than its component parts. CONS – Rear rack not standard on the Mana. Rally seat not as comfy as stock. Tell-tale lights in speedo too small. The Competition – 21in front wheels CF Moto 450 175kg wet, 449.5cc, liquid-cooled, parallel twin, DOHC, 270° crankshaft, $9990 ride away Suzuki DRZ 400 151kg wet, 398cc liquid cooled single, $11,590 ride away KTM 390 Adventure R 176kg wet, 398.7cc liquid cooled single, $11,395 ride away 19in front wheels BMW 450GS 176kg wet, 398.7cc liquid cooled single, $10,600 + ORC Triumph 400 Scrambler XC 186kg wet, 398cc liquid cooled single, $11,690 ride away SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Type Liquid-cooled, sngle cylinder 452cc. DOHC, 4 valves Bore & stroke 84mm x 81.5mm Compression ratio 11.5:1 Power 29.44kW (40hp) at 8000rpm (claimed) Torque 40Nm at 5500rpm (claimed) TRANSMISSION Clutch Wet multiplate, slip and assist Gearbox Six speed FUELLING Electronic injection 42mm throttle body Fuel consumption 3.43l/100km (claimed) CHASSIS & SUSPENSION Frame Twin spar tubular steel frame Front suspension Upside down Showa cartridge fork, 43mm Rear suspension Linkage type mono-shock WHEELS/TYRES Tyres Front CEAT 90/90-21in Front Wheel travel 200mm Tyres Rear CEAT 140/80 R 17in Rear Wheel travel 200mm BRAKES Front 320mm ventilated disc, twin-piston caliper Rear 270mm ventilated disc, single-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 195kg (kerb claimed – 90% fuel) Seat height 860mm Height 1316mm Length 2285mm Width 900mm Wheelbase 1510mm Ground clearance 230mm Fuel capacity 17L ELECTRICALS Headlight LED Tail light Integrated LED turn and tail lamp Rider modes Performance or Eco plus ABS on or off in each mode Accessory power USB type C Dash 4in round TFT display with phone connectivity, Full Map Navigation (powered by Google Maps) BUSINESS END Price $10,490 ride away Warranty 3 years unlimited km and roadside assist Contact royalenfield.com.au The post AUSSIE LAUNCH | Himalayan 450 Mana Black appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

All roads, all weather, all day long. The ultimate all-rounder laughs at poor conditions and begs you to open the throttle More than a marketing gimmick, the Multistrada name couldn’t be any more fitting to this machine. In my case, however, I’d call it the Multitempo edition as the weather seemed to mock me wherever I went. Brisk spring mornings to 35°C stinkers in the bush to miserable misty damp roads and – adding insult to injury – torrential downpours. Most importantly, I felt safe and confident no matter what was thrown my way. Distinctive front styling gives the Multi a lot of road presence Powered by Ducati’s peachy MotoGP-inspired V4 Granturismo engine, the Multi propels towards the horizon like a over-caffeinated teenager and produces an equally ferocious howl as you click through the gears. I can’t help but think of Gigi Dall’Igna stroking his goatee and nodding in approval as I hold the throttle wide open, letting it scream. The V4 does its best work in the mid to high rev range, but has enough off-idle torque for low-speed off-road stuff too. The rear cylinders switch off a bit more often now to save fuel and generate less heat. Previously they would only cut out when idling. But now, while rolling along at low-throttle inputs, thanks to the better sounding exhaust you can hear the note change as they drop out. Then burst back into life when you so much as breath on the throttle. Ducati boasts a six per cent fuel consumption reduction as a result. The 1158cc V4 is essentially unchanged since its introduction on the previous model and produces 125kW (170hp) and 124Nm of torque. The spring-actuated valvetrain loses a bit of peak performance over the Desmo valvetrain found in the Multistrada RS – however, it makes for a smoother ride and can go 60,000km between valve clearance checks. Ducati appears to be very happy with the reliability of valve springs too as the new 890cc Panigale V2 engine now also sports valve springs, and that engine has been finding its way into the Hypermotard, Monster and DesertX models. A fistful of buttons but they are intuitive to use while on the fly Twisties beware The handling department is where I feel the Multi stands clear of other adventure bikes. Some may excel in off-road conditions more than the Multi, but on the road? The Multi is bonkers. The Skyhook suspension, as the name suggests, aims to make it feel like you’re suspended from above and gliding over the bumps rather than bouncing up and down over the terrain. Obviously that’s physically impossible on a motorcycle, but it’s the thought that counts, right? Either way, the electronic Marzocchi boingers are primo. An hour or so spent teaching yourself how to navigate all the functions will pay dividends on the road The updated rear shock now has more preload range, an automatic lowering device (very MotoGP) and the swingarm pivot has been moved up 1mm to reduce squatting under acceleration. The front fork now has a bump sensor fitted inside; previously this was only fitted to the Rally version and helps the DVO (Ducati Vehicle Observer) make adjustments faster than an IMU alone. When cruising around the countryside, I opt for Touring mode with automatic suspension adjustment as an all-round setting. I also set the preload algorithm to rider-plus-luggage for some extra support for my 95kg. In this mode, the suspension is compliant and comfortable but you can still ride spiritedly without feeling too mushy. Trick-looking engine has long maintenance schedules When the road turns twisty, I dial up Sport mode, which winds the preload up and changes the damping to dynamic mode, ready for more aggressive riding. It disables the front and rear radars, sharpens the throttle and allows a bit more rowdiness. In this mode the Multi really shines. It’s a twisty back-road weapon with its wide ’bars and commanding riding position. There is ample grip available from the Pirelli Scorpion Trail tyres; you can scrape footpegs and dive into corners while trail braking without feeling loose. Race-spec brakes have electronic backups to override rider mistakes The Brembo brakes are amazing. The front is super-powerful and an updated larger rear disc and master cylinder give more feel. You can feel the DVO correcting bad habits or simply inefficient braking. If you give it too much rear brake it will squeeze the front for you too when required, and the same from front to rear. It feels natural enough, but I’d hate to think of the algorithm running it. Braking bumps and crappy road surfaces? The Skyhook suspension eats it for breakfast and delivers maximum smiles per mile in less-than-perfect conditions. Rain? No problem As usual, rain made an appearance during my stint on the Multistrada. No worries, mate. Dial up Wet mode on the dash and power drops from 125kW to a more manageable 84kW. Sounds dramatic, but the Multistrada V2 only puts out 88kW in total, so there’s still enough grunt on tap. Wet mode also softens the suspension in what it calls a ‘low grip’ setting and increases the electronic aids to maximum. All of this allows you to concentrate on the task at hand, like not riding into a river or under a bus while still being able to enjoy the ride. Windscreen can be adjusted to suit riding conditions One advantage of running trail tyres is that the deep grooves make them very good at dispersing water, increasing available grip. The windscreen is manually adjustable on the fly, so I yoink it up and enjoy the protection from the weather. When the ambient temps drop, as well as heated seats and grips, there are a pair of flaps located inside the wings on the side fairings. Flick these shut and the cool air is diverted around your legs by some aero wizardry. This same wizardry also sends the hot air from the radiators out and around the rider to stop you getting blasted with hot air in summer. Fan-cooled phone pocket and USB outlet only accepts smaller smartphones While the V4S with cast wheels wouldn’t be my first choice of Multistrada to take offroad, the dash has Enduro mode and the tyres say ‘trail’, so onto trails I go. I’ve ridden the older V-twin Multistrada offroad with knobby tyres and found it to be more than capable. But they were a bit more rugged back then and their road prowess wasn’t at the level of the V4, so I ease in gently on a nice dirt road. That’s how easy it is to adjust the windscreen for comfort Of course as roads progress further from civilisation, so do the trails. The Multi doesn’t disappoint. The V4 chugs along at low revs and puts the power down gently and smoothy. The Enduro ride mode makes use of the low-power engine map, but a more aggressive throttle. I feel I can modulate the throttle well in all situations. It certainly doesn’t feel like a corner-slaying 170hp sports tourer while doing small jumps over erosion mounds and climbing rocky sections of trail. I spend the hot (35°C) part of the day cruising along in second and third gear and hardly feel any heat being thrown at me from the engine. Something that anyone who has ridden a Panigale in traffic would find hard to comprehend. Pillion comfort has been increased by moving panniers back to give more room and adding generous grabrails I reduce the TC from the standard setting to get a few slides happening and the bike is predictable and drives as well as can be expected from trail tyres. The front end does tend to wander and follow ruts, but this is expected from the tyres also. Without side knobs to steer it out of a rut, you’re essentially along for the ride. This is a sacrifice I’m willing to make in exchange for on-road performance and wet-weather safety. After all, there is a Multistrada V4 Rally if you need more offroad performance. Creature comforts Comfort on the Multi is on point. To deliver the performance in all areas and still be super comfortable is an absolute delight. Weather protection is great without being intrusive. I did a 500-plus kilometre day of road and some dirt in total comfort. The seat is soft and shaped well. In usual Multistrada style, I find the ’bars to be wide and close to me for maximum control; if you were going to ride offroad and stand up more, I would turn them forward for some extra height and angle to the levers. Clean design on a bike built to take the rough with the smooth. You have to admire the effort Ducati has put into this The seat height is very reasonable at 840mm in the low position, then up to 30mm lower when the automatic lowering device does its thing as you come to a halt. When offroad or with a pillion, this gives an extra level of stability. The pillion comfort wasn’t overlooked in the small updates either. The luggage rack has been moved back 12mm and the panniers 25mm rearwards to give your pillion extra space. My wife was happy with the seat, grab rails and general feel of the Multi. There were mutterings about corner speeds and necessity, but the Multi was not at fault. Our test took place across a variety of road and weather conditions so we could compress a full year of riding into a few weeks The hard panniers fitted to this test rig are pretty easy to fit; they need the bike key to open them or lock them to the bike. As previously, they are fitted on shock-absorbing mounts, so they might seem loose but they stay where they are. Central locking might be a nice update in the future, so the bike is fully keyless. A topbox would also be a good option for two-up touring with a little pillion backrest. Creature comforts are now easier to access through the dash display, which makes bike adjustments super easy. When you hit the heating button, a new menu pops up that shows rider grips and rider seat and you can scroll through with the joystick control with your left thumb. The dedicated suspension button takes you straight to the menu to choose your preload setting and damping settings. A long press of the same button enables and disables the auto-lowering suspension. Then the mode button takes you directly to selecting the ride mode, and if you’re stopped and in neutral you can then also access the individual settings of each mode. Front and rear radar takes the Multi into the realm of a high-end SUV The new menu is super easy, with dedicated buttons for different functions (BMW should take note). You need to be an electrical engineer with a lot of spare time to work your way through all the tech as this bike has everything. I especially like the radar cruise control. It works well on the boring bits of road and will trundle along at the same speed as the traffic; it is a bit erratic in corners, so best leave those to the right hand. The forward-collision warning does what it says, I guess, although I only managed to get it to flash once while changing lanes to filter through traffic. Blind-spot warning works okay. The full suite of navigation and phone connectivity is available with the Ducati apps. There’s a fan-cooled phone pocket and USB outlet on the fuel tank, but only smaller phones fit. To sum up: Ducati has reached the pinnacle of ADV all-rounder performance with the Multi. Or is there even better yet to come? The 22-litre fuel tank will take you over 300km – which is plenty, but with some other adventure bikes squeezing out almost 500km per tank, it looks a little light on fuel capacity for some far-flung adventures. It passes the tank-of-fuel comfort test, but I can easily last longer on the bike than a tank of fuel. The Multi will take you 15,000km before needing an oil change, 60,000km before needing a valve inspection, and there is now a four-year warranty. Ducati is walking the talk when it comes to reliability, that’s for sure. Do I love it? I absolutely do. Yes, there are faster road bikes out there and yes, there are more capable offroad bikes out there – but the Multi is like a top-of-market SUV. Fast enough to get funky, super comfortable and surefooted in almost every condition besides serious off-road. PROS – Blistering power, superb handling, all-day comfort in any road or weather conditions. CONS – Too nice to take on dirt, enduro boots scratch the clutch cover, central locking would make it entirely keyless. the rivals BMW R 1300 GS Option 719 – $41,780 ride away Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Pro – $30,590 ride away Kawasaki Versys 1100 S – $24,292 ride away KTM 1390 Super Adventure S Evo – $36,495 ride away Multi Choice With five models and five trim levels to choose from, there’s a Multi V4 for every road and every taste. • The V4 comes with cast alloy 19/17in wheels, in Red only and costs $32,700. • The V4 S comes in Red, Black or White with a choice of cast alloy, forged alloy or spoked off-road 19/17in wheels, from $37,900. • The V4 Pikes Peak comes with forged 17/17in wheels, single-sided swingarm and Pikes Peak livery, from $48,800. • The V4 Rally comes in Red, Jade Green and Brushed Aluminium, spoked off-road 19/17in wheels, from $43,800. • The V4 RS comes in RS livery with forged alloy 17/17in wheels, is dripping in carbon, single-sided swingarm and desmo valves, from $58,200. SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Type V4 90-degree, 16 Valve, DOHC Bore & stroke 83mm x 63.3mm Capacity 1158cc Compression ratio 14:1 Cooling Liquid Fuelling EFI 46mm Eliptical throttle bodies, ride by wire Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate, slip and assist Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 125kW (170hp) at 10,750rpm (claimed) Torque 124Nm at 9000rpm (claimed) Top speed 250km/h (estimated) Fuel consumption 5.1L/100km (measured) ELECTRONICS Type Ducati Skyhook, Continental ABS, ride-by-wire Rider aids Cornering ABS, Traction Control, wheelie control, radar cruise control, semi active suspension, quickshifter, blind spot assist, forward collision assist, hill hold assist Rider modes Sport, Touring, Urban, Enduro, Wet CHASSIS Frame material Aluminium Frame type Monocoque Rake 24.2° Trail 100.6mm Wheelbase 1566mm SUSPENSION Type Ducati Skyhook, Marzocchi Front: 50mm telescopic,170mm travel Rear: Monoshock,180mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Cast aluminium tubeless Front: 19 x 3in Rear: 17 x 4.5in Tyres Pirelli Scorpion Trail II Front: 120/70- ZR19 (M/C 60W) Rear: 170/60- ZR17 (M/C 72W) Brakes Brembo, ABS Front: Twin 330mm semi-floating discs, Brembo Stylema monoblock calipers Rear: Single 280mm disc, Brembo twin piston floating caliper. DIMENSIONS Weight 232g (wet, no fuel, claimed) Seat height 840-860mm (adjustable) Width Not given Height Not given Length Not given Ground clearance 200mm Fuel capacity 22L SERVICING & WARRANTY Servicing First: 1000km Minor: 15,000km Major: 60,000km Warranty Four years BUSINESS END Price $42,600 (as tested, ride away) Colour options Ducati Red, Thrilling Black, Arctic White Contact Ducati.com/au/en The post AUSSIE TEST | 2026 Ducati Multistrada V4S appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

All roads, all weather, all day long. The ultimate all-rounder laughs at poor conditions and begs you to open the throttle More than a marketing gimmick, the Multistrada name couldn’t be any more fitting to this machine. In my case, however, I’d call it the Multitempo edition as the weather seemed to mock me wherever I went. Brisk spring mornings to 35°C stinkers in the bush to miserable misty damp roads and – adding insult to injury – torrential downpours. Most importantly, I felt safe and confident no matter what was thrown my way. Distinctive front styling gives the Multi a lot of road presence Powered by Ducati’s peachy MotoGP-inspired V4 Granturismo engine, the Multi propels towards the horizon like a over-caffeinated teenager and produces an equally ferocious howl as you click through the gears. I can’t help but think of Gigi Dall’Igna stroking his goatee and nodding in approval as I hold the throttle wide open, letting it scream. The V4 does its best work in the mid to high rev range, but has enough off-idle torque for low-speed off-road stuff too. The rear cylinders switch off a bit more often now to save fuel and generate less heat. Previously they would only cut out when idling. But now, while rolling along at low-throttle inputs, thanks to the better sounding exhaust you can hear the note change as they drop out. Then burst back into life when you so much as breath on the throttle. Ducati boasts a six per cent fuel consumption reduction as a result. The 1158cc V4 is essentially unchanged since its introduction on the previous model and produces 125kW (170hp) and 124Nm of torque. The spring-actuated valvetrain loses a bit of peak performance over the Desmo valvetrain found in the Multistrada RS – however, it makes for a smoother ride and can go 60,000km between valve clearance checks. Ducati appears to be very happy with the reliability of valve springs too as the new 890cc Panigale V2 engine now also sports valve springs, and that engine has been finding its way into the Hypermotard, Monster and DesertX models. A fistful of buttons but they are intuitive to use while on the fly Twisties beware The handling department is where I feel the Multi stands clear of other adventure bikes. Some may excel in off-road conditions more than the Multi, but on the road? The Multi is bonkers. The Skyhook suspension, as the name suggests, aims to make it feel like you’re suspended from above and gliding over the bumps rather than bouncing up and down over the terrain. Obviously that’s physically impossible on a motorcycle, but it’s the thought that counts, right? Either way, the electronic Marzocchi boingers are primo. An hour or so spent teaching yourself how to navigate all the functions will pay dividends on the road The updated rear shock now has more preload range, an automatic lowering device (very MotoGP) and the swingarm pivot has been moved up 1mm to reduce squatting under acceleration. The front fork now has a bump sensor fitted inside; previously this was only fitted to the Rally version and helps the DVO (Ducati Vehicle Observer) make adjustments faster than an IMU alone. When cruising around the countryside, I opt for Touring mode with automatic suspension adjustment as an all-round setting. I also set the preload algorithm to rider-plus-luggage for some extra support for my 95kg. In this mode, the suspension is compliant and comfortable but you can still ride spiritedly without feeling too mushy. Trick-looking engine has long maintenance schedules When the road turns twisty, I dial up Sport mode, which winds the preload up and changes the damping to dynamic mode, ready for more aggressive riding. It disables the front and rear radars, sharpens the throttle and allows a bit more rowdiness. In this mode the Multi really shines. It’s a twisty back-road weapon with its wide ’bars and commanding riding position. There is ample grip available from the Pirelli Scorpion Trail tyres; you can scrape footpegs and dive into corners while trail braking without feeling loose. Race-spec brakes have electronic backups to override rider mistakes The Brembo brakes are amazing. The front is super-powerful and an updated larger rear disc and master cylinder give more feel. You can feel the DVO correcting bad habits or simply inefficient braking. If you give it too much rear brake it will squeeze the front for you too when required, and the same from front to rear. It feels natural enough, but I’d hate to think of the algorithm running it. Braking bumps and crappy road surfaces? The Skyhook suspension eats it for breakfast and delivers maximum smiles per mile in less-than-perfect conditions. Rain? No problem As usual, rain made an appearance during my stint on the Multistrada. No worries, mate. Dial up Wet mode on the dash and power drops from 125kW to a more manageable 84kW. Sounds dramatic, but the Multistrada V2 only puts out 88kW in total, so there’s still enough grunt on tap. Wet mode also softens the suspension in what it calls a ‘low grip’ setting and increases the electronic aids to maximum. All of this allows you to concentrate on the task at hand, like not riding into a river or under a bus while still being able to enjoy the ride. Windscreen can be adjusted to suit riding conditions One advantage of running trail tyres is that the deep grooves make them very good at dispersing water, increasing available grip. The windscreen is manually adjustable on the fly, so I yoink it up and enjoy the protection from the weather. When the ambient temps drop, as well as heated seats and grips, there are a pair of flaps located inside the wings on the side fairings. Flick these shut and the cool air is diverted around your legs by some aero wizardry. This same wizardry also sends the hot air from the radiators out and around the rider to stop you getting blasted with hot air in summer. Fan-cooled phone pocket and USB outlet only accepts smaller smartphones While the V4S with cast wheels wouldn’t be my first choice of Multistrada to take offroad, the dash has Enduro mode and the tyres say ‘trail’, so onto trails I go. I’ve ridden the older V-twin Multistrada offroad with knobby tyres and found it to be more than capable. But they were a bit more rugged back then and their road prowess wasn’t at the level of the V4, so I ease in gently on a nice dirt road. That’s how easy it is to adjust the windscreen for comfort Of course as roads progress further from civilisation, so do the trails. The Multi doesn’t disappoint. The V4 chugs along at low revs and puts the power down gently and smoothy. The Enduro ride mode makes use of the low-power engine map, but a more aggressive throttle. I feel I can modulate the throttle well in all situations. It certainly doesn’t feel like a corner-slaying 170hp sports tourer while doing small jumps over erosion mounds and climbing rocky sections of trail. I spend the hot (35°C) part of the day cruising along in second and third gear and hardly feel any heat being thrown at me from the engine. Something that anyone who has ridden a Panigale in traffic would find hard to comprehend. Pillion comfort has been increased by moving panniers back to give more room and adding generous grabrails I reduce the TC from the standard setting to get a few slides happening and the bike is predictable and drives as well as can be expected from trail tyres. The front end does tend to wander and follow ruts, but this is expected from the tyres also. Without side knobs to steer it out of a rut, you’re essentially along for the ride. This is a sacrifice I’m willing to make in exchange for on-road performance and wet-weather safety. After all, there is a Multistrada V4 Rally if you need more offroad performance. Creature comforts Comfort on the Multi is on point. To deliver the performance in all areas and still be super comfortable is an absolute delight. Weather protection is great without being intrusive. I did a 500-plus kilometre day of road and some dirt in total comfort. The seat is soft and shaped well. In usual Multistrada style, I find the ’bars to be wide and close to me for maximum control; if you were going to ride offroad and stand up more, I would turn them forward for some extra height and angle to the levers. Clean design on a bike built to take the rough with the smooth. You have to admire the effort Ducati has put into this The seat height is very reasonable at 840mm in the low position, then up to 30mm lower when the automatic lowering device does its thing as you come to a halt. When offroad or with a pillion, this gives an extra level of stability. The pillion comfort wasn’t overlooked in the small updates either. The luggage rack has been moved back 12mm and the panniers 25mm rearwards to give your pillion extra space. My wife was happy with the seat, grab rails and general feel of the Multi. There were mutterings about corner speeds and necessity, but the Multi was not at fault. Our test took place across a variety of road and weather conditions so we could compress a full year of riding into a few weeks The hard panniers fitted to this test rig are pretty easy to fit; they need the bike key to open them or lock them to the bike. As previously, they are fitted on shock-absorbing mounts, so they might seem loose but they stay where they are. Central locking might be a nice update in the future, so the bike is fully keyless. A topbox would also be a good option for two-up touring with a little pillion backrest. Creature comforts are now easier to access through the dash display, which makes bike adjustments super easy. When you hit the heating button, a new menu pops up that shows rider grips and rider seat and you can scroll through with the joystick control with your left thumb. The dedicated suspension button takes you straight to the menu to choose your preload setting and damping settings. A long press of the same button enables and disables the auto-lowering suspension. Then the mode button takes you directly to selecting the ride mode, and if you’re stopped and in neutral you can then also access the individual settings of each mode. Front and rear radar takes the Multi into the realm of a high-end SUV The new menu is super easy, with dedicated buttons for different functions (BMW should take note). You need to be an electrical engineer with a lot of spare time to work your way through all the tech as this bike has everything. I especially like the radar cruise control. It works well on the boring bits of road and will trundle along at the same speed as the traffic; it is a bit erratic in corners, so best leave those to the right hand. The forward-collision warning does what it says, I guess, although I only managed to get it to flash once while changing lanes to filter through traffic. Blind-spot warning works okay. The full suite of navigation and phone connectivity is available with the Ducati apps. There’s a fan-cooled phone pocket and USB outlet on the fuel tank, but only smaller phones fit. To sum up: Ducati has reached the pinnacle of ADV all-rounder performance with the Multi. Or is there even better yet to come? The 22-litre fuel tank will take you over 300km – which is plenty, but with some other adventure bikes squeezing out almost 500km per tank, it looks a little light on fuel capacity for some far-flung adventures. It passes the tank-of-fuel comfort test, but I can easily last longer on the bike than a tank of fuel. The Multi will take you 15,000km before needing an oil change, 60,000km before needing a valve inspection, and there is now a four-year warranty. Ducati is walking the talk when it comes to reliability, that’s for sure. Do I love it? I absolutely do. Yes, there are faster road bikes out there and yes, there are more capable offroad bikes out there – but the Multi is like a top-of-market SUV. Fast enough to get funky, super comfortable and surefooted in almost every condition besides serious off-road. PROS – Blistering power, superb handling, all-day comfort in any road or weather conditions. CONS – Too nice to take on dirt, enduro boots scratch the clutch cover, central locking would make it entirely keyless. the rivals BMW R 1300 GS Option 719 – $41,780 ride away Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Pro – $30,590 ride away Kawasaki Versys 1100 S – $24,292 ride away KTM 1390 Super Adventure S Evo – $36,495 ride away Multi Choice With five models and five trim levels to choose from, there’s a Multi V4 for every road and every taste. • The V4 comes with cast alloy 19/17in wheels, in Red only and costs $32,700. • The V4 S comes in Red, Black or White with a choice of cast alloy, forged alloy or spoked off-road 19/17in wheels, from $37,900. • The V4 Pikes Peak comes with forged 17/17in wheels, single-sided swingarm and Pikes Peak livery, from $48,800. • The V4 Rally comes in Red, Jade Green and Brushed Aluminium, spoked off-road 19/17in wheels, from $43,800. • The V4 RS comes in RS livery with forged alloy 17/17in wheels, is dripping in carbon, single-sided swingarm and desmo valves, from $58,200. SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Type V4 90-degree, 16 Valve, DOHC Bore & stroke 83mm x 63.3mm Capacity 1158cc Compression ratio 14:1 Cooling Liquid Fuelling EFI 46mm Eliptical throttle bodies, ride by wire Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate, slip and assist Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 125kW (170hp) at 10,750rpm (claimed) Torque 124Nm at 9000rpm (claimed) Top speed 250km/h (estimated) Fuel consumption 5.1L/100km (measured) ELECTRONICS Type Ducati Skyhook, Continental ABS, ride-by-wire Rider aids Cornering ABS, Traction Control, wheelie control, radar cruise control, semi active suspension, quickshifter, blind spot assist, forward collision assist, hill hold assist Rider modes Sport, Touring, Urban, Enduro, Wet CHASSIS Frame material Aluminium Frame type Monocoque Rake 24.2° Trail 100.6mm Wheelbase 1566mm SUSPENSION Type Ducati Skyhook, Marzocchi Front: 50mm telescopic,170mm travel Rear: Monoshock,180mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Cast aluminium tubeless Front: 19 x 3in Rear: 17 x 4.5in Tyres Pirelli Scorpion Trail II Front: 120/70- ZR19 (M/C 60W) Rear: 170/60- ZR17 (M/C 72W) Brakes Brembo, ABS Front: Twin 330mm semi-floating discs, Brembo Stylema monoblock calipers Rear: Single 280mm disc, Brembo twin piston floating caliper. DIMENSIONS Weight 232g (wet, no fuel, claimed) Seat height 840-860mm (adjustable) Width Not given Height Not given Length Not given Ground clearance 200mm Fuel capacity 22L SERVICING & WARRANTY Servicing First: 1000km Minor: 15,000km Major: 60,000km Warranty Four years BUSINESS END Price $42,600 (as tested, ride away) Colour options Ducati Red, Thrilling Black, Arctic White Contact Ducati.com/au/en The post AUSSIE TEST | 2026 Ducati Multistrada V4S appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.