Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro

Hello Adventure Enthusiasts!

I recently had the opportunity to briefly test and evaluate the all-new Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro. Upfront disclaimer: The following feedback is based on non-scientific facts and is solely based on opinions from a somewhat decent rider (debatable)…

 

To start off, I want to give a big thanks to Euro Cycles of Tampa Bay for allowing me to evaluate this new machine.

 

Euro Cycles of Tampa Bay

 

 

I started off with a street ride, getting the feel for the raw power of 160 ponies! The engine and riding characteristics are right in-line with what you would expect from Ducati. It’s got the sound, looks, and ergonomics features, which makes riding it that much better.

Living where I do, we don’t have fantastic swoop back curves and winding roads. However, we do have a decent little loop not too far away. The Multistrada felt right at home while leaning into the curves and powering out of them. I rode in sport mode, enjoying a positive throttle response which felt right at home with my style of riding.

 

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Two legends hanging out

 

Now for the off-road portion. Disclaimer: Street tires and light off-roading.

 

Bike was just too pretty to get dirty, so I mostly explored hard-packed dirt roads and grass. I ran it through the basics, as far as serpentine with cones, slow mo balancing, and the ability to kick the rear end around.

 

What I noticed right away was that the Multistrada is heavy off-road and I mean heavy… All the weight sits up high, unlike some of the other adventure motorcycles I’ve ridden in this class. The braking system in Enduro mode seemed confident to handle the task.

 

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The ergonomics of the electronic riding modes was by far my favorite feature. The display screen was easy to read and change between riding modes. The screen is bright and provides a cell phone style display.

 

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Taken at night

 

Another awesome feature which is seen on other Ducati lines is the lighted handlebar buttons. Still waiting for the Germans to catch up on this one…

 

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To sum it up, the Ducati name will always have a loyal fan base. I’m grateful to have been given the opportunity to ride this beautiful motorcycle. It has many great features, and plenty of accessories are coming out to make this a fully capable adventure bike!

 

 

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