Ducati’s Multistrada may have had an inauspicious debut when it was first launched in 2003, but the latest iteration to wear the ‘many roads’ nameplate had been a runaway success for the Borgo Panigale company.
Even though it has generally been categorised as an ‘adventure’ bike, the Multistrada’s 170bhp V4 motor and 17” wheels has made it a stonking road bike, especially competent at crossing continents. The current Multistrada V4 S has won plaudits around the world for its ability to crunch the miles with staggering levels of comfort and performance and now, for 2024, the Italian manufacturer is going all out with an even more touring orientated variant.
Called the Multistrada V4 S Grand Tour, it’s a GT version of the storming V4 S with some small tweaks, a special paint job and pretty much every box ticked in the options menu.
Set to cost £23,595 when it goes on sale next month, it’s around £3000 more expensive than the bike upon which it is based, but has the full range of luggage, Ducati’s radar system, heated grips and seats, centre stand and a dedicated matt grey, black and red livery among the various upgrades. If you want a fully-loaded Multistrada V4 S, the Grand Tour will actually save you money over buying a regular version and ticking all the boxes at the dealership. Other extras found on the Grand Tour edition include fog lamps, tyre pressure monitors and a keyless fuel cap, which add up to the best part of a grand if added to a standard V4 S between them. A few other differences between the Grand Tour and a regular V4 S include the V4 Rally’s rigidly mounted handlebars and pillion seat, which is also heated. Other comfort orientated features include heat shields on the swingarm and closable air ducts, which are aimed at deflecting warm air from the rider and pillion.
But beyond under the skin lies the well proven Multistrada V4 S: a 170bhp adventure tourer with pretty much every piece of modern technology thrown at it. Every electronic aid you can think of is included in the Grand Tour, with state-of-the-art traction control, cornering ABS, cornering lights and wheelie control just a few of the features aimed at improving safety and performance, while the radar operated adaptive cruise control and blind spot detection system is a welcome feature for those who expect to be racking up the motorway, autobahn and autostrada miles.
The gadgetry continues with the chassis, where the Skyhook semi-active suspension system allowing riders to adjust the set-up electronically. The system now includes what Ducati describes as an ‘autolevelling’ feature, which allows the preload to be automatically reduced at low speeds. The suspension features should help make the Multistrada V4 S Grand Tour more accessible to shorter and less confident riders, who may feel intimidated by the bike’s 840mm seat height and weight of around 250kg.
Sound like the bike for you? The 2024 Ducati Multistrada V4 S Grand Tour will be in British showrooms from November.
