First Ride: Ducati Multistrada 1000
The new 2003 Multistrada. It's a practical, useful alternative to a sportsbike, but it can tour, commute and still cut it in the twisties as it was born on the mountain roads
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?)
