Sports vs Adventure: A New Beginning with The Ducati Multistrada V4S (Part 1)
3 years, 3 years since I passed my test, and I’ve gone from a sports bike to a sports bike to a sports bike to a Goldwing? and quickly back to a sports bike. To be more specific, my current bike, the Kawasaki H2SX (2018) is a supercharged sports-tourer. Comfy and extremely fast, especially in a straight line, it’s a bike that I’ve always dreamt of owning. But a part of me wonders, what if, what if I’m missing out on riding other types of motorcycle. From Adventure to Classic, Naked to Power-Cruiser, I’ve always limited myself to what I think I would like, but without ever trying a new style of riding.
Well over these last few weeks, those tables have turned, and I have been spending my time with the latest Multistrada V4S from Ducati. A bike and brand that turns heads, the shiny Ducati Red paint glimmering in the sun whilst I ate up mile after mile of motorway with a backing track of a V4 engine underneath me. Perfection? Close to.
Coming from mainly sports bikes (plus a mid-life crisis Goldwing that lasted barely a few months before I bought back my same H2SX), the most glaringly obvious change is the seating position, handlebar position and general ergonomics that comes with an adventure bike. Sat upright with zero wrist pain is a welcome change to what I’m used to. Hovering around 6ft3, my problem with sports bikes has always been how uncomfortable they are, which is why I’ve ended up with the Kawasaki, which as a large sports-tourer is actually quite comfortable for a few hours in the saddle. However the Multistrada takes comfort to the next level and I think this would be a huge appeal for those who are beginning to think about their back and wrists, over how quickly they can reach, let’s say, 70mph. At 6ft3 I am also able to flat foot the bike quite easily, with a bend in the knee, and although I do find the foot pegs a touch high, it only really becomes apparent a few hours into the journey.
Two of the things I really love about this bike (apart from the engine, which we’ll get onto) is the adaptive cruise control and blind-spot assist. I remember back to when I first had a quick shifter on a bike, my lovely Aprilia RS660, which is one of the greatest street/sports bikes ever made, unfortunately more aimed towards people who are 5ft3 rather than 6ft3. But that realisation of what you thought might be a bit of a gimmick, in reality is actually extremely good. As technology keeps advancing, things like the quick shifter and cruise control make life easier as a rider and I think that’s a good thing. With the Multistrada, Ducati have taken it one step further. The adaptive cruise control works brilliantly, especially of course on the motorway. You can sit there, with 99.99% trust in the system, and enjoy your ride without worrying about people cutting you up or slamming their brakes on. Yes, you should still be aware and ready to act, but the adaptive cruise control keeps you positioned safely behind the traffic in front of you and changes your speed to match. Alongside this, Ducati have also introduced blind spot assist, which lights up when a vehicle is next to you or slightly behind you. I really like this feature as again it gives you that extra confidence that when you do a shoulder check and begin to move over, you know there are no vehicles coming up the inside of you ready to cause trouble. Even in 2024, motorcycle safety is still a big issue and anything that manufacturers can do to make us safer is good in my eyes.
Now on to that V4, 170 HP engine. Brilliant. If I had to summarise it in one word that is. Coming from a supercharged 200 HP missile, it was never going to be quite as fast, but for me it was a surprise just how well the Ducati kept up. The bike feels like it has effortless amounts of torque available on tap. Overtakes are easy and whichever gear you are in, the V4S is ready to go. It doesn’t quite have that instant acceleration of a sports bike, but that’s not what I would expect it to do, but it’s still powerful enough and fun enough to put a smile on your face. I actually took the bike around Castle Donnington, where there are a number of country roads which twist and turn, and the Multistrada was fantastic. I can honestly say I enjoyed riding it as much as a sports bike around the twisties and I never once felt like the bike was too heavy to turn quickly. It really is somewhat of a do-it-all machine, from hunting down miles on the motorway, to carving up corners in the countryside.
We shouldn’t forget also, the practicality of an adventure bike. The Multistrada has two large panniers available, which are easily unclickable if you wanted to remove them. Now in theory, my Kawasaki also has panniers available, although I do not own any, but now I’ve ridden a bike which has them, I’m very tempted. Being able to bundle some stuff in there, drinks, snacks etc. is something I didn’t realise I was missing. It was a welcome surprise too, when I was out on the bike just earlier today and it was nearly 30 degree heat. A quick stop for a drink of water didn’t go a miss and I wouldn’t have been able to do that on a sports bike. You’re probably sat there saying yes you would, either some soft luggage or a backpack would be suitable, to which I agree, but when I’m out on a sports bike, I’m not thinking about luggage, I’m thinking about how fast I can go in 1st gear before I have to clutch in and kick up.
Two other things that really impressed me on the Multistrada V4S were the electronic suspension and Brembo brakes. The brakes, from what I could tell, were just as good as any sports bike I’ve ridden and that’s with a decent amount of weight to stop. I believe the bike weighs in around 230kg + fuel and with me on it, it’s a lot more than that. Thankfully, Ducati have made it easy to change the electronic suspension and riding modes. I tried both touring mode and sports mode, to which I preferred the latter, and then going into the settings I bumped the suspension up a bit to accommodate for my slightly rotund mass. I did notice that it was important to get the right suspension setting for your weight, as it did make a difference, providing increased stability when I dialled it in correctly. There is also an auto function, but I found it better to select it myself. The convenience of electronic suspension is also worth noting, again something I have not experienced on previous bikes. My H2SX is a 2018 model, so it lacks some of the creature comforts. That’s the end to Part 1 of ‘Sports vs Adventure’, if you have enjoyed the read so far, check in to Superbike.co.uk next week for Part 2.