The Adventure Motorcycle That Makes A Sport Tourer Look Complicated
Sports tourers are well-balanced motorcycles wrapped in stylish clothing. They are fast and comfortable over long distances, happily racking up miles without breaking a sweat. But they are at their best only on smooth tarmac, and that is where their usefulness ends. As soon as you encounter a rough patch of road, a gravel shortcut, or a muddy campsite, sports tourers often struggle to get through.
This is where adventure motorcycles come in handy. They are built to take on rough terrain and glide over rough roads. But ADVs aren’t the happiest when being pushed around a corner. Except, a handful of ADVs can do it all – soak up the bad patches, munch miles and hold a line in a steep corner. Here is one such ADV that makes it all look easy.
Sports Tourers Stop Being Useful Where The Pavement Ends
Sports tourers earn their reputation on long, open highways built with smooth tarmac. The fairings keep the wind blast in check, while the comfortable saddle lets you munch miles without much fatigue. The highlight, however, is usually the engine and handling—a lively engine paired with an agile chassis. However, as soon as the surface gets unpredictable, these sports tourers feel unsettled.
A suspension setup that feels brilliant on a smooth piece of road can run out of travel quickly on a rough patch. The low ground clearance and low-slung bodywork keep you worried. Riders end up planning longer routes just to avoid these rough patches, and getting to their destination only takes longer. This is exactly where ADVs shine – touring, off-roading and riding on smooth tarmac, these can do it all.
A Few Adventure Motorcycles Handle Corners Surprisingly Well
These ADVs usually have a lively engine, a light and flickable chassis, and sharper steering geometry to stay planted over undulations yet tip into corners with real enthusiasm. Despite the sportier character, these ADVs can still do long tours comfortably and handle a trail just fine. Here is one such Italian motorcycle that rides like a sports tourer.
The Ducati Multistrada V2 Is An ADV That Rides Like A Sport-Tourer
The Ducati Multistrada V2 is an adventure motorcycle that makes sports tourers seem limited. Highway touring is one of the Multistrada V2’s fortes, with ample power on tap even for high-speed overtakes. And it does all of this in absolute style – typical of a Ducati. With a sharp front end borrowed from the Panigale, and a slim profile, it does not carry the visual bulk that you see on a normal ADV. It delivers sporty manners and ADV ability in one package, without compromising either of those aspects.
A V-Twin That Keeps Ducati Character Without The Complexity
Ducati has stayed loyal to its 90-degree V-twin layout, while rivals have moved to parallel twins and triples. The 890cc unit here is the lightest V-twin that Ducati has built, offering a mix of tradition and versatility, while still saving around 40 pounds from the package. The mill produces 115 horsepower and 67.9 pound-feet of torque—enough for spirited riding on a curvy back road while still offering a relaxed highway touring experience. The power goes to the rear wheel through a six-speed gearbox with a bi-directional quickshifter.
Ducati has tuned the lower gears to be shorter for strong acceleration and the sixth gear to be taller for better cruising ability. Ducati does not offer a desmodromic valve system in this engine, which makes the engine cheaper to maintain and more reliable over time. The engine is tuned to deliver strong low-gear response for better tractability while still offering enough power at the top end to extract some fun. The result is an engine with a proper Ducati character without the hassles.
Underpinnings That Support Sporty Ride And Mild Off-Road Capability
Along with the engine, the Multistrada sports a unique chassis, which is quite different from most ADVs. Ducati built a new aluminum monocoque frame with a steel-trellis subframe, paired with a double-sided swingarm similar to the one on the bigger Multistrada V4. The lighter structure helps the bike change direction quickly, and it feels less intimidating at low speeds in city traffic. A wheelbase of 61.9 inches and a 24.3-degree rake result in agile riding dynamics.
It gets fully adjustable 45mm inverted Marzocchi forks at the front and a fully adjustable Sachs monoshock at the rear. This setup allows riders to tune the suspension according to riding conditions, whether on tarmac or gravel roads. All of these combined make up a motorcycle that feels firm and sporty on a smooth tarmac road yet has enough travel to take on mild off-road trails.
Comes With A Suite Of Features And Tech
Ducati has packed this motorcycle with the kind of equipment usually reserved for pricier machines. Safety systems include cornering ABS, traction control, wheelie control, and engine braking control, all aimed at keeping the ride composed. You also get cruise control, multiple ride modes, and a five-inch TFT screen to manage all the electronics.
Ducati also offers a few practical extras, such as a tire pressure monitoring system, heated grips, and front fog lights. Riders who seek more can step up to the V2 S version for an extra $3,000. For that, you get Ducati’s Skyhook Evo semi-active suspension system, which adapts to the road on the go and can lower the bike at a standstill.
How The Ducati Multistrada V2 Stacks Up Against Its Rivals
The middleweight ADV segment has become crowded, with multiple brands offering competitive options. One capable alternative to the Multistrada V2 is the Triumph Tiger 900. Bigger machines like the BMW R 1300 GS and the KTM 1390 Super Adventure bring more power to the table.
But they are heavier and more expensive machines and could be intimidating to ride. The Ducati Multistrada V2, however, is light, agile, easier to manage, and cheaper to maintain. At $16,995, you get a stylish ADV with impressive build quality that corners like a sports tourer while still possessing off-road capability. For riders who value that balance, the premium is easier to justify.
Source: Ducati
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