Ducati Multistrada Enduro test

Menus

• 160 hp at 9,500 rpm, 13.9 m / kg at 7,500 rpm, 4 driving modes, 257 kilos, € 21,390
• A super sophisticated sports trail with proven versatility
• Discovery
• In the saddle
• In the city
• On highways and main roads
• On departmental
• Off-road
• Part-cycle
• Brakes
• Comfort / duo
• Practical aspects
• Conclusion

160 hp at 9,500 rpm, 13.9 m / kg at 7,500 rpm, 4 driving modes, 257 kilos, € 21,390

A super sophisticated sports trail with proven versatility

Let no one doubt it: Ducati has ambition. We thought that as a "specialist" manufacturer (unlike generalists), the Bolognese firm was firmly established in 3 market segments and was satisfied with it, namely roadsters with the Monster family, Superbikes and sport-touring, with the STs then the different generations of Multistrada, knowing that the Hypermotard remains quite anecdotal in sales and that the attempt to do neo retro with the Sport 1000 and other Paul Smart models arrived before the market strongly demanded it. . That is a pity.

All-Terrain Ducati Multistrada Enduro

But Ducati’s ambition, undoubtedly boosted by Audi financiers, is reflected in the arrival of the Scrambler last year, recently declined in Scrambler Sixty2: from the outset, this model was Ducati’s best selling, this which proves that the brand had a hollow nose. And with the Multistrada Enduro, Ducati will attack head-on a machine which is at the same time the best selling large displacement in the world, a proven social marker and a certain incarnation of the versatility, even of a form of absolute motorcyclist: the BMW R 1200 GS. In doing so, Ducati does not break with its fundamentals: a Ducati (well, except the Scrambler SIxty2), it is powerful! Euro 4 approved, the Multistrada Enduro produces 160 horsepower, which is more than enough to carry its 257 kilos (with full tank).

Jumping in Ducati Multistrada Enduro

For this, Ducati has therefore significantly modified the Multistrada that we have known until now: trim, ergonomics, suspensions and running gear, electronics, transmission, road skills, the list is long and includes more than 60 components. In addition to the massive tank, with a capacity of 30 liters, the identity of the machine is also characterized by its 19-inch front wheel. The message is therefore clear: Ducati does not play frightened virgins and will face off on terrain that Bologna had not visited since the 60s, paths, mud and stones. In fact, the Multistrada Enduro can be ordered with two pneumatic mounts, Pirelli Scorpion Trail 2 designed for mainly road use, or Pirelli Scorpion Rally with much more protruding cobblestones. Moreover, Ducati plays on the TT claims of its Multistrada Enduro by having made presentation videos where the machine swallows jumps on a cross-country terrain. We imagine that few buyers will go that far, but if you feel concerned, come and explain your case to the editorial staff of Le Repaire, we will listen with interest to how you attack the whoops and how you jump tables on the handlebars of this machine..

Ducati Multistrada Enduro side

Discovery

With its side cases, the Multistrada Enduro is really impressive. Between the enveloping engine spoiler, the headlight optics with sophisticated design, the prominent front fender, the large inverted Sachs fork, the massive 30-liter tank and its satin aluminum sides, the aluminum swingarm, the generous stitched saddle , generously notched footrests, this machine will not leave you indifferent.

Ducati Multistrada Enduro fairing

The good impressions continue when approaching the machine, with the presence of an adjustable bubble, a dashboard entrusted to a color TFT screen 5 inches in diameter and backlit controls. The sensitivity of the screen to external brightness (it goes from one backlight on a white background to another, in black) is quite impressive: you just need to go through a tunnel or an undergrowth to quickly go from one fashion to another.

Commodos Ducati Multistrada Enduro

High on legs, wide, with hare beaks and often protruding appendages, trails are rarely among the most aesthetic motorcycles on the market. The general feeling prefers the presence of a custom, the grace of a sportswoman, the fine and deliciously vintage look of a neo-retro. And yet: we are not going to assert that the Ducati Multistrada Enduro is beautiful, it would be purely subjective, but we must admit that there is an overall consistency in its design, between the shape and the materials used, between the armored belly pan and the stylish tail light, the Multistrada Enduro divides and leaves no one indifferent. A few days of use in Paris allowed me to meet a good number of BMW GS owners at a red light and a good proportion of them, casually, cultivated their squint while looking at the beautiful Italian…

Note that our test machine had the option "Touring pack" at 1675 €, including the handlebar bag, the heated grips and the two aluminum cases, signed Touratech (like the competitor from Munich) and a total capacity of 85 liters.

In the saddle

Did you eat dairy products well during your childhood? Better, because it is perched at 890 mm, the saddle! Bowls, gnafrons, garden gnomes and short legs are not welcome on this Multistrada Enduro! Of course, the saddle can optionally go down to 870 or even 850 mm. Nevertheless, the overall size, the 30 liters, gasoline, the shape of the handlebars, everything contributes to destine this machine with generous sizes..

With the minimum of legs required, the Multistrada Enduro amazes by its finesse: despite the generous size, we find ourselves rather well integrated into the bike. The reservoir is well indented and makes it possible to form one body with the machine, but we may, in this case, find that the calves are a little too much in contact with the protuberances of the frame..

No ignition key, a "keyless" transponder allows you to start as soon as the machine receives the signal. Once underway, the Multistrada Enduro gives its rider the choice between several driving universes: two are limited to 100 horsepower (Urban and Enduro), the other two (Touring and Sport), give access, although not of the same way, to 160 horsepower. These modes give variations in the presentation of the dashboard: for example, in Sport, the tachometer is more present than in Touring, while it disappears in Urban to give pride of place to the speedometer..

Ducati Multistrada Enduro dashboard

If that is not enough, with more pressure on the left stalk, it is then possible to enter all the settings and fine-tune your own tuning: suspension preload, traction control level, ABS sensitivity. , engine responsiveness, everything is configurable.

Road in Ducati Multistrada Enduro

In the city

Equipped with side cases, which are wider than the handlebars, the Multistrada Enduro occupies a certain space between the rows. Fortunately, the suitcases are easily removed (however, a little helping hand is needed, otherwise it is possible to bend or break the ignition key, as has happened to us). Nevertheless, once the template has entered the eye, the Multistrada Enduro amazes with its agility..

In town in Ducati Multistrada Enduro

One could imagine that a twin cylinder of 1198 cm3 could fish a little for lack of flexibility. But since it got variable valve timing, the big V2 Ducati has learned good manners. Not only does it not hit or swing heavy pistons at low revs, but in addition, when switching from Multistrada to Multistrada Enduro, our test machine saw its transmission shortened (from 40 to 43 teeth at rear, as well as the first two shorter gears): result, it is no longer useful to play with the clutch for evolutions at very low speed, while the engine does not send you piston strokes to release your shoes. fillings.

Ducati Multistrada Enduro engine

And this all the more so as one of the 4 driving modes is specifically dedicated to the city: the aptly named Urban, reduces the power to 100 horsepower and softens the engine response. In fact, this impressive machine in many respects thus becomes very frequent. Adventurous minds will find that even in Sport mode, the smoothness and response of the engine at low revs is still quite manageable..

A downside in all of this? Yes, the Multistrada Enduro returns considerable heat rises on the left side, which can become annoying in summer..

Ducati Multistrada Enduro at home

On highways and main roads

On the motorway, the Multistrada Enduro swallows the kilometers at 5,000 rpm in 6th gear, at 130 km / h. The adjustable screen protects well, the pilot and his passenger are comfortably installed, the saddle is generous, the suspensions are accommodating, the heated grips do their job (they are adjustable on 3 levels), in short, we are good. Special mention to the LED lighting, downright powerful (and no special mention to the TFT screen which, at night, is reflected in the fairing bubble).

You can then leave Sport mode to switch to Touring; the differences are quite minimal, with a smoother throttle response under 6000 rpm, as well as a rear suspension with a little more accommodating dead travel on the bitumen fittings. But the Multistrada Enduro is versatile in that Sport mode is never extreme under any circumstances.

The speed regulator is very easily adjusted by pressing the left stalk switch. One might think that on a motorcycle, the cruise control is a sort of bourgeois and decadent perversion, the last step before the walker or worse, the Kangoo. In fact, it is not: because on the Ducati Multistrada Enduro, each rotation of a millimeter of gas (this is an expression, because it is in fact coding with 0s and 1s because of the by -wire) propels you forward. And on the handlebars, driving 126 or 142 km / h (or much more, in fact) does not change much in terms of perception of the environment. But to remain perricho-responsible, the cruise control is a pleasant tool on major roads.

As a tester with 16 years of experience in boots, the Ducati Multistrada Enduro allowed me to break a new record: take 245 km / h at almost 9,500 rpm in 6th gear (on private and secure land, of course!), with aluminum side cases and wearing a cross helmet! This is a revelation that will appeal to those who cross Germany regularly. In any case, the Multi Enduro does not suffer from any stability problem at high speed..

Last good news: a consumption which remains around 6 l / 100, that is to say a motorway autonomy of almost 500 kilometers. No doubts: the Multistrada Enduro is definitely a great traveler.

Ducati Multistrada Enduro on motorway

On departmental

A real trail delights in the secondary network and, let’s cut out any notion of suspense right away, the Ducati Multistrada Enduro is a real good trail. On the secondary network, it is able to frolic happily at 3200 rpm in 6th gear (at 90 km / h, therefore), with ease and ease..

What is required above all from a trail is real peace of mind on winding roads or when the road conditions become difficult. And there, the Ducati Multistrada Enduro does not disappoint: as we have said, it can be intimidating at first by its size (not to mention its power), but the smoothness of the response to the gas grip, the softness of the saddle, the considerate side of the suspensions that swing over 200 mm, everything contributes to it being a true companion of the secondary network.

Program change: gas! Even with 257 kilos in running order, the Bolognese still has 160 horsepower. They are consistent at all speeds and even virulent between 6 and 9000 rpm. There, if you are on a small bumpy and tree-lined secondary road, it is rather hyperspace mode that the pilot will discover! 160 horsepower, that’s what sporty roadsters have, except that here, we are sitting upright, with a machine equipped with generous travel suspensions and the landscape jumps out at you with the same aggressiveness … The couple responds present at 4500 rev / min, the power makes a big jump at 6000 rev / min and the extension until the red zone becomes rather unreasonable on the intermediate reports. Ducati invented the hypersport trail…

On the attack, the Multistrada Enduro differs significantly from a classic Multistrada. Dimensions, weight, suspension travel, steering geometry, it still makes quite a few differences. And by increasing the pace, we do not find the edge nor the precision of a classic Multistrada. At first, this is a bit surprising; one could even say that there is a small disappointment. The braking bite is significantly less than that of a classic Ducati Multistrada and, if you let the bike do without too much influence on the handlebars, the steering feel lacks a bit of feedback and you can have the feeling that the machine is under- turn a little.

This is to forget that the trail, the real one, is first and foremost designed to provide maximum safety and ease in all conditions, even the most difficult, like a departmental Morvandaise with its tight bends, in overhanging and covered with gravel. And under those conditions, you don’t want a radical geometry machine. And this is where the Multistrada Enduro destroys all the cards in its game. What it loses in precision, it catches up with ease. Between Sport and Touring mode, the differences remain significant, both in terms of the generosity of times at low speed and the smoothness of the suspensions. But the Sport mode is never cartoonish or extremely harsh, to the point that it can be kept in as many situations as possible..

On small roads and at a walking pace, consumption is reasonable and flirts with 5 l / 100. Enough to greatly exceed the 500 kilometers of autonomy !

Ducati Multistrada Enduro and mill

Off-road

It is doubtful that a large number of buyers will put the pacifiers of this machine on a real enduro terrain, as the promotional video would suggest. Nevertheless, the Multistrada Enduro can be suitable for real backpackers in the sense that it will never refuse to take forest paths, even tracks deep in Iceland or Mozambique..

To do this, it relies on its suspensions with a travel of 200 mm at the front as well as at the rear, on its generous aluminum crankcase guard and on its studied ergonomics which makes it possible to stand up on the handlebars while maintaining good machine control.

Enduro in Ducati Multistrada

Enduro mode reduces power to 100 horsepower, removes rear ABS and leaves a bit of drift in traction control, enough to re-accelerate over soft terrain without being restrained.

Without going as far as extreme use, we took stony paths to see the good ergonomics in the standing position thanks to the handlebars raised by 50 mm, the good handling of the suspensions and the excellent traction of the machine. Small funny detail: the rear brake pedal pivots on its axis and thus offers a high position, for the road and another, lower, for the TT in a standing position. Well thought ! On the other hand, even if the aluminum sides are there to protect the motorcycle, the indicators in the hand guards mean that a fall, even a minor one, should quickly become expensive..

MX and Ducati Multistrada Enduro

Part-cycle

Compared to a classic Multistrada, the cycle part has changed significantly. 19-inch front wheel, 200 mm travel suspensions, the technical sheet is really not the same. The suspensions are entrusted to Sachs and are managed electronically by the Skyhook system which takes into account the composition of the crew (solo or duo, luggage or not), as well as the driving mode..

In any case, the Multistrada Enduro seduces with its ability to absorb roughness smoothly, even in Sport mode, supposedly the firmest, but which never sacrifices comfort..

We spoke in a previous chapter of a small regression in terms of feeling and driving precision. This is simply because, compared to a classic Multistrada, the Multistrada Enduro sees its geometry significantly modified: the front axle caster angle goes from 24 to 25 °, the new fork has a front wheel offset of 110mm and the new swingarm increases the wheelbase from 1529 to 1594mm. No wonder that in view of the available cavalry, a new electronic steering damper has appeared..

Brakes

Two 320 mm discs pinched by radial 4-piston calipers at the front, a 260 mm disc at the rear: the device seems generous.

Brakes Ducati Multistrada Enduro

And yet: the initial bite does not correspond to Ducati standards. First feeling: disappointment. It does not brake, this wheel! Except that by pulling the lever, the power is there! And having driven under a real deluge, the dosability of the system is appreciable and corresponds better to the true philosophy of the trail..

However, safety is not put aside with an ABS which has the "cornering" function (braking on the angle) as well as a rear brake connected to a gyroscope which has another function, hill start. . Again, it could pass for a gadget, but given the size and weight of the bike, we will be happy to find it when starting on a hill and on a slope..

Swingarm Ducati Multistrada Enduro

Comfort / duo

Well installed, well protected, well suspended, the crew swallowed the kilometers without flinching. The passenger has grab handles well integrated into the luggage carrier, easy to grip. Skyhook electronic suspensions handle the load with subtlety. Whether on the motorway or on a small rutted secondary road, the Multistrada Enduro plays on different terrains with a certain grace..

Ducati Multistrada Enduro saddle

Practical aspects

The optional case kit increases the load capacity by 85 liters and gives the Multistrada Enduro real backpacker attire. We will be happy to learn that the space under the passenger seat allows you to store a small yellow vest (well folded!), Papers or even a disc lock; in addition, it has new seals that make it watertight. A delicate attention.

Another attention that will go straight to the hearts of backpackers: the Multistrada Enduro must now pass through the workshop only every 15,000 kilometers. What to consider long-distance trips without stress…

Ducati Multistrada Enduro suitcase

Conclusion

I have to admit: when I saw the promotional video with the Multistrada Enduro tackling a cross-country terrain, I laughed: another victory for the marketing departments over the principles of reality and so far removed from the real uses of users! That said, it raised a real question: is the Ducati DNA compatible with the BMW philosophy ?

Because, that is the stake. Stitch the GS client. Having ridden quite a bit with Multistrada in the past, I was a little skeptical. It’s nice, a Multistrada, it grows, but it’s still a bit stiff, it’s noisy, it slams and to put it frankly, for long-distance tourism, it breaks the rollers a bit. The Enduro version is less noisy, slams less, without denying its character of true Ducati.

The great strength of the Multistrada Enduro is to have succeeded in exceeding all its reserves. Yes, its performance remains stratospheric, both in absolute terms and also in the analysis grid of the small world of trail running. So it asserts itself as a real Ducati. But what it loses a little in precision of the front axle compared to all Ducati standards, it regains in ease and efficiency on all terrains, in all conditions. And with that little character that makes it endearing, even essential for those looking for thrills. Because its real versatility and the driving pleasure it exudes make it essential for those who have already covered the issue and who are looking for efficiency without giving up the sensations..

Strong points

• Overall comfort
• Determined pace, quality of presentation
• Adjustment possibilities (suspensions, engine, assistance)
• 30 liter tank and autonomy
• Engine character and performance
• Engine flexibility
• Agility
• Driving skills

Weak points

• Feeling of the nose gear on the attack
• Suitcases a little "hard" to fix / dismantle
• High price
• Electronic complexity for long journeys ?
• Heat rises in town on the left side
• Difficult to access for less than 1.75 / 1.80 m

The technical sheet of the Ducati Multistrada Enduro

Test conditions

• Itinerary: a few days of use in Paris and a short walk in the countryside to Château-Thierry via the departmental roads
• Motorcycle mileage: 2000 km
• Problem encountered: a broken key in the lock of one of the suitcases … luckily the starter is keyless…

The competition: Aprilia 1200 Caponord Rally, BMW R 1200 GS Adventure, Triumph Tiger XR 1200 Xc, Yamaha XTZ 1200 Tenere

• All Ducati tests
• All trail tests

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