Full Option Travel
Ducati has released details of the latest itineration of its V4 adventurer, claiming the new Multistrada V4 S Grand Tour is, “The most complete Multistrada V4 ever.”
Designed more for clicking off long distance tours in comfort than tackling gravel backroads, the new model features a 19-inch front wheel and 17-inch rear, although these are equipped with Pirelli Scorpion Trail II tyres, so should be able to handle a modicum of off-road use.
Powered by the stunning 1,158cc V4 Granturismo powerplant, the engine delivers the same 170hp at 10,500rpm and 125Nm at 8,750rpm as the other V4 Multistradas, meaning you’re going to be able to get where you’re going extremely quickly. But what it gets over the standard version is all the bells and whistles you could possibly want for a long-distance tourer.
Ducati describes the Grand Tour as, “A model dedicated to Ducatisti who love to travel without limits, in maximum comfort and safety. A Multistrada for travelers who pay attention to details, who always demand the best from their Ducati, even in style. A motorbike complete with all the accessories to travel long distances ‘in first class’. The Multistrada V4 S Grand Tour comes about during the celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the Multistrada, and encapsulates all the values and characteristics that have always made it a motorcycle ahead of its time.”
Standard features of the new version include the excellent Marzocchi Ducati Skyhook Suspension (DSS) Evolution semi-active electronic suspension, which comes with Autolevelling, Minimum Preload, and Easy Lift functions. As this style of bike is usually a stretch to the ground, the suspension allows the rider to lower the motorbike when stopping and when traveling at low speed, reducing shock absorber preload to a minimum. And there’s an Easy Lift function which reduces the effort required to lift the motorbike from the side stand by opening the suspension hydraulics when the key is ON. That will certainly make getting a bike with fully loaded panniers easier to park up at the end of a long day in the saddle.
Brembo supply the radially-mounted monobloc calipers for optimum stopping performance, while Bosch takes care of the cornering ABS, adding safety in an emergency situation. Full LED lighting includes cornering lights which will certainly make touring at night easier, plus there’s an up/down quickshifter, heated grips and rider/pillion seats, smartphone connectivity, and the usual electronic aids including switchable mapping, wheelie control and traction control.
But the real tech comes with Ducati’s adaptive cruise control that uses radar to modulate the bike’s speed in accordance with other traffic, and blind spot detection, again using the included radar system.
For additional comfort, the V4 S features the passenger seat that was first introduced on the V4 Rally, for optimal support on long journeys, while to improve thermal comfort, the Multistrada V4 S Grand Tour adopts heat shields on the swingarm and on the left side of the rear subframe, and closable ducts in the leg area. Even the compartment dedicated to the smartphone is now ventilated!
Despite being a model designed with the options a tourer will generally require, there are still accessories offering plenty of scope for customisation including a wide variety of saddles, a lowering kit and differing windshields. Plus, there are various other luggage options for when you require more space than the standard panniers, with top box and soft luggage solutions.
Expect models to arrive at the beginning of 2024 with a New Zealand ride away price of $45,542.
Main standard equipment
1,158 cc Ducati V4 Granturismo engine with valve clearance check every 60,000 km Aluminium monocoque frame, steel tube subframe and aluminium double-sided swingarm Marzocchi DucatiSkyhook Suspension (DSS) Evolution semi-active electronic suspension with Autolevelling, Minimum Preload and Easy Lift functions. Travel 170 – 180 mm
120/70-19” and 170/60-17” wheels with Pirelli SCORPION™ Trail II tyres Bosch-Brembo ABS 10.3ME Cornering braking system
330 mm diameter front discs with Brembo Stylema 4-piston radial calipers Full LED headlight with DRL and Ducati Cornering Lights (DCL)
Hands Free starting and tank cap
TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System) Dashboardwith 6.5” full-TFT colour screen
Ducati Connect with phone, music and map navigator applications Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) Up&Down
Cruise control
