Bred in Italy with one purpose in mind, “Conquer all roads and beat all competition.” It’s always very exciting to get a new toy, and naturally the interest level is inversely proportional to time spent with it. However, some special toys never get old irrespective of the time spent. In this case, my new toy was the Ducati Multistrada 1200s. But then, why would one even call it a toy?
The first thing that I perceived was the sheer size of the bike which gave me an impression that, ‘this looks like fun, but it’s not going to be an easy task.’ Once I climbed on and started riding, I was amazed to find that it’s quiet nimble. The “not going to be easy” feeling simply faded away. Over the course of one month, I was either going to fall in love with the bike, or it was going to be just another exotic bike which looks great as a poster on your bedroom wall.
The 1200S turns the ordinary into the sublime. It creates memories from the mundane and delivers a five-star luxury experience while at it. Every ride leaves me wondering just how much more amazing can road bikes get!
From cruising through rush-hour traffic in the city, to flying on open highways- it is a simple case of switching the electronically adjustable suspension to suit the weight and road conditions. But then, this was just the start of how good or bad it could get.
On the Highway
On a road trip with a passenger, I set the ride setting to Touring, which still gives you access to the full 152bhp power and 128Nm of torque, but delivers it in a slightly calmer fashion. With two people on-board, I also changed the suspension settings to suit the rider and passenger (luggage if any).
It was all done, at the touchof- a-button. I could feel the bike lifting the rear shock as the settings kick in. From the passenger’s point of view, the seat was wide and comfortable with plenty of room to spare. The grab handle gave ample amount of options for holding on under acceleration or braking. The bike passed the pillion test with flying colours.
UNLEASH THE BEAST
Switch to Sports and unleash the beast with 152bhp, 128Nm of torque and an amazing throttle response. With the ABS turned to minimum, traction control allowing a small amount of slide, and a bit of wheelie control I was ready to hit the curves. It’s not a track bike, but with the way it handles around the curves, yeah it surely surprises me. I need to keep reminding myself that it a Sports Tourer and not a Sports Bike.
City Tour
Speaking of traffic, I did ride the bike in city traffic (Mumbai traffic). And surprisingly, the bike was easy to handle with the ride settings turned to Urban. The acceleration was smooth and easy, and maneuvering the bike in and out of tight spaces was easier than expected. Yes the engine heats up a little, but then it’s common to all the bikes in this category.
My TAKE
I believe, it’s one of the best bikes I have ridden to date, only because of the refined Sportiness it brings about to its well developed Touring DNA.