Click to read: Ducati Multistrada 1000 owners reviews, Ducati Multistrada 1000 specs and to see the Ducati Multistrada 1000 image gallery.
There's a gap ahead of around four or five bike lengths. Even on these beautiful Sardinian twisty mountain passes, this is just out of my 'journalist's comfort zone'. For those of you not in the know, this 'comfort zone' is a gap that looks as if you're a bit slow compared to the guy ahead, rather than just 'hanging back and looking cool'.
This isn't good news and very bad for my reputation, especially in the bar tonight. Got to dig deep and make some time up. So now I'm desperately hanging on the the guy in front, I'm braking later and later with those top-line Serie Oro Brembos in a bid to make up the shortfall and trying to lean the bike over that little bit more on those chunky Pirellis.
The guy ahead in full leathers is knee down on another Multistrada and I'm inching forward bit by bit. Got to do better than that. It's time for the chunky shuffle. Get that massive derriere off the firm, yet comfortable seat beneath it and get her on her ear. Beneath me, the Multistrada isn't moving around half as much as I'm forced to. I'm breathing heavier, but the bike itself isn't out of breath, in fact it's hardly breaking a sweat. There's just the odd skitter of the back wheel as I down change just a bit too early and the rear momentarily locks up.
Suddenly the scrape of plastic un-nerves me as I'm not wearing knee sliders. Bugger. In fact I'm not even wearing leathers. I realise the folly of it all. I'm in jeans and a jacket, getting my toe-sliders down (which just isn't like me), chasing a couple of mad buggers in full leathers round some smooth surfaced sun-kissed mountain hairpins, where the reward for the merest balls-up is a 20 foot drop. If you're lucky.
Roll off the throttle, Simmonds, and repeat after me. "The Multistrada isn't a sportsbike, the Multistrada isn't a sportsbike, the Multistrada isn't a sportsbike." It does a damn good impression of one, mind. Definitely a Rory Bremner impression of one, rather than a Les Dennis. So much so, I wouldn't have wanted any other machine for those twisty mountain roads (have I mentioned them yet?)
So what's the score then? Well, the motor is the 1000DS (Dual Spark) air-cooled vee from the 1000SS, Monster et al. What a wonderful piece of kit it is. Some may mumble about what the bike could do with a liquid-cooled motor (and to be fair the chassis could take it, captain...) but the glorious cacophony from the simpler air-cooled twin was simply wonderful.
Despite the cans being under the seat, there was a wall of sound coming up from the neat and small fairing. There was plenty of go, too, even with 'only' 84 claimed bhp. Plenty enough for most of us, I'd say, although there are some nice options in the expansive accessories booklet which offers freer flowing air filter and a Termignoni back box and twin pipe set-up which should nudge the bike up to 90bhp and the sexy sound up to 'Kylie singing in chocolate sauce' levels. Chuck in aftermarket Ducati Performance dry clutches and all sorts of saucy accoutrements and you've got more than enough upgrades to keep your bank manager unhappy.
Comfort seems high on the list for Ducati at present, what with the multi adjustable 999, and now the 'Strada features bars that are adjustable by 50mm fore and aft. Personally, the bike was comfy as anything anyway, the whole plot feeling taut, but not too hard, despite the suspension being set on the firm side of things. One problem the adjustable bars may have caused on my and another test bike was that the bullet connectors on the right indicator (housed in the mirror) were pulling out, causing it to not work. Easily sorted and probably caused by dodgy routing of the wires under that little fairing. While we're up with the mirrors, I thought that while the shape of the reflective things was attractive, it didn't help to actually see much of what was happening behind you, other than your elbows.
Still, I am a wide load... Being a big bugger, I found that the mini fairing wouldn't be my choice to sit behind in touring mode, and this is a side of the bike that Ducati wants to push heavily, hence the bigger screen, aftermarket panniers, topbox and Garmin sat-nav that they want you to shell out your cash on. I'd prefer a bigger fairing for any really serious miles and a bigger bike, but for tiddlers out there, take a test ride.
A nice touch is the right-hand fairing compartment which houses the tool kit and manual while leaving enough room for a wallet and a packet of fags (should you do the weed). Another top idea is the electrically adjustable headlight (hold a button down while switching on the ignition and voila!) Apart from taking a while to suss the headlight (sod reading the manual) the instrument cluster is neat and easy to read, even in bright sunlight.
I've got to go on record and say that the Multistrada is one hell of a bike. A stunning bike. The combination of pokey motor, sublime fully-adjustable suspension and the superb Pirelli Scorpion Sync - which never gave me a moment in all my madness - add up to a functional, useable machine which is brilliant to ride. In fact, just think a useable Supermoto or a sorted TDM900 without the boingy budget suspenders. Or a Cagiva Gran Canyon with a few more mod-cons and you'd be bang on. It's little wonder the bike was designed on the Passo della Futa, 30 miles of snaking mountain tarmac near Ducati's Bologna factory. It's just whether we Brits will be won over by a machine that doesn't look like a race bike, or isn't a budget 600.
And budget it ain't. At £7600 - that's nearly £500 dearer than a Honda CBR600RR on the road - it's pricey, sitting near the equally quirky but equally great Buell FireBolt. But it is different, albeit by doing most things just as well. It will scratch with the best of 'em, commute better than a 15-year-old GPZ500S (better steering lock, too) and you could tour on it. Erm, just like the cheaper CBR...
The only thing I still don't like, from the front anyway, are the looks. It's like the love child of the Elephant Man and Davros, king of the daleks. Which is why my money would be on the more handsome CBR...
EVOLUTION
2001: Launched at the Milan show in September for a 2003 launch!
2003: Bike finally launched, with small detail changes from the original bike, including minor detail changes to the seat unit
RIVALS
Buell FireBolt: £7345. Quirky machine with innovative little touches. Excellent handling little bike. But it is little and not practical. Not enough puff from the Harley inspired v-twin motor
Triumph Speed Four: £5999. Much cheaper, more powerful, perhaps not as practical, the Speed Four is nevertheless an underrated 'street sleeper'
Cagiva Navigator: £6799. Using the old Suzuki TL1000 motor, this the replacement to the excellent Gran Canyon. Hard to find now
Ducati Multistrada Specs
TYPE - STREETBIKE
PRODUCTION DATE - 2003
PRICE NEW - £7600
ENGINE CAPACITY - 992cc
POWER - 84bhp@8000rpm
TORQUE - 61.5lb.ft@5000rpm
WEIGHT - 200kg
SEAT HEIGHT - N/A
FUEL CAPACITY - 20L
TOP SPEED - 130mph
0-60 - n/a
TANK RANGE - N/A
