Tag: Ducati

Ducati Monster SP Evaluation: New era lacks legendary trellis frame, retains the magic

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In 1993 Ducati took a gamble on a new class of motorcycles. Dubbed naked bikes, they choose sportbike engineering and strip it of most of the bodywork, exposing its mechanical glory for all to see. Ducati referred to as it the Monster and related to how the Cayenne saved Porsche, Ducati’s gamble paid off.

Now 30 years afterwards, the Monster is alive and properly with a whole redesign that took area for the 2021 design yr. This new technology has all of the muscular heft of its predecessors, but sadly its iconic trellis frame has been eradicated in favor of a more anonymous solid alloy subframe that blends in with the motor.

That engine is a 937-cc 90-diploma V-twin which is great for 111 horsepower and 69 pound-toes of torque. Although people figures aren’t so outstanding when in contrast to passenger automobiles, consider this Monster SP’s suppress pounds of 410 pounds with a total tank. That equates to a excess weight-to-energy ratio of 3.7:1. That’s superior than a Porsche 918 or Pagani Huayra, nevertheless the bike has an MSRP of only $15,695, which is less than a Nissan Versa. Bang for the buck, certainly.

This Monster SP is a move up from the entry-stage Monster In addition, showcasing Öhlins dampers, lighter Brembo brakes, a lightweight lithium-ion battery, a steering damper, sticky Diablo Rosso IV tires and a Termignoni carbon fiber exhaust. These upgrades improve the SP’s cost by $2,700 over the Monster Moreover.

Swinging a leg over the Monster SP, my 32-inch-inseam legs are prolonged adequate to have the two feet on the ground, although my heels only touch if I stand straight up. It really is a stable sufficient stance that I wouldn’t bother getting the reduce seat accessory that drops riders by 1.2 inches. The entry-stage Monster Additionally rides almost an inch lessen thanks to it lacking the Öhlins damper improve, and can even be experienced with a suspension that lowers the trip peak by but a further inch. So, it’ll be worse, but scaled-down people today will be a lot more most likely to in good shape on it.

The large dirtbike-like bars are a departure from the slender handles observed on sportbikes and their placement bigger and further more aft usually means you sit much more upright. The footpegs are also decrease and pushed ahead to offer a a lot more relaxed using placement than a common sportbike.

With a downward flick of the thumb on the ignition change, the Monster’s V-twin groggily turns more than. The weak startup manufactured me imagine that potentially the battery was minimal, but it started out each individual time with a mechanical clatter and fundamental baritone from the twin exhaust pipes. The idle is rough and lumpy, with a rather noisy rattle that seems more like a moveable air compressor than a motorcycle. That may look significant, but for seasoned riders, that clatter is a portent of excellent factors to arrive in the similar way an more than-cammed small-block Chevy

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2023 Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally Review

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Rennie Scaysbrook | July 16, 2023

Ducati releases the third machine in the Multistrada V4 lineup, so we took in some of Colorado’s most spectacular scenery to sample it.

The Cinnamon Pass, one of Colorado’s many gems, is best seen behind a set of handlebars. In this case, the Ducati’s.

Photography by Grego Halenda, Scott Rounds | Video by Matthew Sanders

Sometimes, America can be so pretty.

For all her problems and social ills, the Land of The Free can still leave you breathless when she wants to.

A motorcycle is the perfect means of transportation on which to explore this fine wide land, a fact I was reminded of as we met in Durango, Colorado, all astride Ducati’s Multistrada V4 Rally, myself weary from my three hours sleep since returning from the Isle of Man TT.

From Durango we ride the ski resort tunnel past Baldy Trail, through the Uncompahgre National Forest, and then to Telluride, which is inundated by the Bluegrass Festival. A retreat away from the weed smoke is hastily made to our digs on the outside of town.

2023 Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally parked
Ready for a blast to Baghdad. The Multi Rally is a tough-looking steed.

The following day we happen on a campsite just on the city’s outskirts, and Telluride’s natural beauty is proudly on display. I’ve seen a lot of nice vistas in my time on this planet but this one view of Telluride ranks up there with the very best of them. It is America at her finest.

Our ride is unfortunately halted when one of our party has, shall we say, a little oopsie in which one of the Multistradas is rendered rather wrecked, but being a press launch, there’s always a second bike on hand and we continue on, this time up State Highway 149 and eventually to the top of the Cinnamon Pass at an elevation of 12,640 ft.

I’ve lost a bit of fitness since my Pikes Peak days, which has an elevation of 14,115 feet. I’m running way short of breath, and I don’t remember anything like this being the case when I was racing.

2023 Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally front view
New screen with wider flanks makes for a comfier ride. The radar cruise-control system is visible between the headlights.

The elevation is also playing havoc with the Multistrada’s power delivery—or lack thereof. It feels as though the motor has lost about 30 percent of its punch, and, despite my best efforts, won’t even pull second gear wheelies. During the launch of the very first Multistrada V4 S at the 597-feet-elevated Borrego Springs, fourth-gear stand-up wheelies were not a problem.

It’s interesting to note because the two bikes are almost identical, certainly they are in terms of the motor hardware. The 1158cc V4 Granturismo Evo engine is the same as you’ll find in the V4 S and the Pikes Peak edition, which pumps out a claimed 170 horsepower at 10,750 rpm and 89 lb-ft of torque at 8750 rpm. However, the Rally gains modifications to the Enduro ECU mode

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2023 Ducati Multistrada Pikes Peak Review: The One-Bike Solution

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Everybody dreams of the one tool that can handle every job. A single wrench for any nut or bolt. The perfect car to keep for life. But in the real world, having the right tool for every job becomes more important. Whether a full socket set for metric and imperial or the popular “two-car solution” on Instagram.

But, what if one magical motorcycle managed to effortlessly straddle the line between sport and touring? A bike that somehow combines the power and handling of a crotch rocket with the comfort and tech of a highway cruiser. Enter Ducati’s Multistrada Pikes Peak, possibly the best do-it-all motorcycle on the market.

In short: Demand for ADV and touring bikes blew up during the Covid-19 pandemic. For buyers with enough disposable income but perhaps not enough space to store multiple bikes, Ducati unleashed a new Pikes Peak edition of the Multistrada. With performance goodies borrowed from the Panigale V4 tacked on, this bike can handle long road trips just as capably as canyon carving.

  • Engine
    1,160cc V4
  • Transmission
    6-speed manual
  • Horsepower
    170
  • Torque
    92 lb.-ft.
  • Fuel capacity
    5.8 gal.

  • Possibly the best one-bike solution ever

  • Comfortable enough for long rides

  • Sporty suspension and brakes borrowed from Panigale

  • All the tech features including ride modes and adaptive cruise

  • Serious sticker shock, even for a special-edition Ducati

  • Transmission and clutch occasionally balk at worst moments

  • Saddlebags adds significant width, reducing the sporty factor

2023 Ducati Multistrada Pikes Peak Review

The Multistrada Pikes Peak takes its name from America’s most famous hill climb race, which formerly paired high-speed asphalt twisties with a significant portion of dirt at the top of the 14,115-foot mountain. Fittingly, Ducati created this special edition of the upright Multistrada tourer by borrowing suspension and braking components from the Panigale V4 sport bike, while also revising ergonomics and geometry to highlight handling prowess when the roads get tight.

The Multistrada’s “Granturismo” V4 engine receives no changes. It still displaces 1,160ccc and is rated for peaks of 170 horsepower and 92 pound-feet of torque.

(Photo/Michael Van Runkle)

But, the Pikes Peak package swaps on a 17-inch front wheel, down from a 19-incher on the base bike. The bike also gets electronically adjustable Öhlins dampers and beefed-up Brembo brakes.

2023 Ducati Multistrada Pikes Peak Review
(Photo/Michael Van Runkle)

Forged aluminum Marchesini wheels shod in Pirelli Diablo Rosso road tires contribute 5.95 pounds of weight savings in the most important place. A single-sided swingarm and an Akrapovic titanium and carbon exhaust system round out a total of 8.81 pounds shaved off a Multistrada V4.

Climb Aboard the Multi Pikes Peak

Even just swinging a leg over the Multistrada Pikes Peak before a first ride, the revised ergonomics and geometry stand out immediately. Footpegs moved higher and farther back allow for more lean angle. Lower and narrower handlebars create a sporty sensation without sacrificing comfort.

The Pikes Peak also gets a slightly longer wheelbase courtesy of a less acute steering rake. And somehow, the 472-pound dry weight feels like less even

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2023 Ducati Desert X | Motorcycle Review

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The Italian marque built this bike with rallying in mind, sure, but its incredible versatility makes it an absolute stand-out

Published May 30, 2023  •  Last updated Jun 01, 2023  •  8 minute read

2023 Ducati Desert X Photo by David Booth

It’s been the most anticipated motorcycle of 2023; it is the most singularly unique bike in Ducati’s lineup; and it most certainly is the company’s most plainly adorned two-wheeler. It’s the Desert X, and it’s one Ducati that looks like it belongs more to the Dakar Rally than a MotoGP track. The suspension travel is long, the tires (semi-)knobby, and the creature comforts few. It’s as if the famed Italian marque was channelling KTM. Actually, not KTM. Cagiva. As in the famed Cagiva Elefant that actually did challenge the Paris-Dakar stalwarts.

For those that don’t remember, Ducati used to be owned by the Castiglioni brothers. And, in a quest to broaden the company’s customer base beyond the hardcore Ducatisti, it attempted to expand into demographics previously unexplored. It tried sport-touring — first the ill-fated Paso, and then the only-slightly-better-received ST2, before it stumbled upon the hugely popular Monster naked bike.

But when Ducati decided to move into the hardcore off-road rally market, loyalists deemed this a brand-expansion too far. So, even though its most famous effort — that would be the aforementioned Elefant — was essentially all Ducati, right down to its famous Pantah-based 90-degree V-twin, it was shuffled off to the “lesser” Cagiva brand.

2023 Ducati Desert X
2023 Ducati Desert X Photo by David Booth

That’s actually too bad, because while the rest of Cagiva’s lineup was definitely hand-me-downs — like the boring-as-snot Allazura — the Elefant was quite the motorcycle, especially in its Paris-Dakar-winning 900ie version. It was comely, extremely competent, and, at the time, provided just the kind of buzz the fledgling adventure segment needed. Long story short, even though the new Desert X wears “Ducati” badging, it is very much a modernized Cagiva Elefant. The commitment to off-road excellence is there. Ditto for long-travel suspension and the minimalization of its adornments. Even some of the 1990 original’s styling makes the grade 30-plus years later. And, of course there’s that—

Wonderful Ducati V-twin engine

Essentially a lightly revised Testatretta 937-cc twin — with different gear ratios for first and second, a lower overall gear ratio, and slightly retuned fuel-injection tuning — from Ducati’s Multistrada V2, there’s 110 horsepower on tap, more than enough for an adventurer weighing a (relatively) sprite 223 kilograms and sporting Pirelli Scorpion STR semi-knobby tires (90/90-21 up front, and a 150/70-18 in the rear) that promise go-anywhere traction. It’s torque-y down low, extremely responsive in the mid-range, and doesn’t it make

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2023 Ducati Streetfighter V4 S Review

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Rennie Scaysbrook | April 10, 2023

To ride a Ducati Streetfighter V4 S is to take a step into performance naked-bike realms previously uncharted.

Not much else to do when you’ve got shagged Pirelli slicks and 208 horsepower under your junk.

By Rennie Scaysbrook

At what point is too much, too much? It’s hard to say when we’re talking about the Ducati Streetfighter V4 S because although it has an excess of performance most super-nakeds could only dream of, just having too much of everything is one of those delightfully naughty feelings that makes you love motorcycles in the first place.

Put simply, this is the most hardcore naked bike you can buy. It’s not so much a naked bike as it is a full-on naked superbike, one that takes most of its hardware DNA from the Panigale V4 S and in 2023 has taken its software DNA, too.

The 2023 Ducati Streetfighter V4 S is more a case of refinement than any significant performance change, those upgrades almost all coming in the shape of electronic rider aids.

The motor remains unchanged for 2023 in the Desmosedici Stradale 90° V4 with its 1103 cubic centimeters pumped by a counter-rotating crankshaft in the true MotoGP form.

2023 Ducati Streetfighter V4 S right side
This is the definition of a bike that looks fast while standing still.

The Streetfighter’s hardware was never in question as it can lay claim to a frankly ludicrous 208 horsepower and 90 lb-ft of torque in a package weighing a claimed 434 pounds with a tank of fuel, which puts it right at the top of the naked-bike game, far outgunning the Aprilia Tuono V4 Factory and the KTM 1290 Super Duke—BMW’s M 1000 R, that’s another question.

But if that’s not enough for you, Ducati has given you the option of fitting a very similar titanium exhaust to that of Alvaro Bautista’s Panigale (with respect to noise limits, of course), that’ll boost power to a claimed 220 horsepower while dropping weight down a claimed 12 pounds. Read that again—220 horsepower out of a naked bike. Good grief. See what I mean about naked superbike?

However, in practice, the Streetfighter V4 S’s Desmodromic motor pulls a similar trick to that of the Ducati’s much, much smaller Monster. It’s quite the pussycat at low rpm—you can cruise around below 4000 rpm all day and never need to see north of 5000 rpm, because even at its base, before you worry about which riding mode you’re in, this is one of the finest big-bore motors ever created, with a split personality that can do slow just as easily as it can do fast.

2023 Ducati Streetfighter V4 S engine
The Desmosedici Stradale V4 motor is one of the modern engineering marvels in motorcycling.

For 2023, Ducati has played around with two key areas. The first is the one we’ll all notice more than not, in the new power modes for the ECU. At one end is a new Wet mode which restricts power to 165 horses with a softer throttle response; the

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Hypermotard 950 Review: Ducati Hypermotard 950 RVE Review: The most sensible Ducati in India?

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Performance motorcycling in India has been gaining ground in the past decade despite the recent covid induced slowdown. With more disposable income and a wide variety of options to choose from, Indian riders across the country are buying aspirational motorcycles today as their primary transport. While making a purchase decision, there are some common concerns that underline the big bike ownership experience in the country. These are, low ground clearance, engine heat, traffic manoeuvrability and high-maintenance cost, all reasonable concerns if you are going to be investing in a motorcycle that costs as much as a car. However, there is one offering from Ducati India that you most likely have not considered yet, the Hypermotard 950 RVE. Here is why you should take a look at the Hypermotard if you are someone who intends on using your motorcycle on a daily basis.

Design:
The Ducati Hypermotard 950 RVE is definitely a looker from all angles. It will especially appeal to folks who appreciate a form following function ethos. The high-mounted front beak, front handlebar protectors with integrated LED DRLs and the slim single-pane seat running from the 14.5-litre fuel tank to the taillamp unit set the tone for its dirt bike inspiration. The exposed steel trellis frame and the off-set tail lamp unit give a raw utilitarian appeal and the upswept dual exhaust cans make the motorcycle look lean and mean from the rear.
The 17-inch alloy wheels in the RVE edition are finished in a dual-tone theme and look good when stationary and while on the move. The motorcycle we rode had a pair of Pirelli Diablo Rosso 3 tyres, 120/70 section on the front and 180/55 section tyre on the rear. Combined with its 195 mm ground clearance and the very comfortable 170 mm of suspension travel on each end, the Hypermotard is a very attractive supermotard motorcycle that is up for grabs in India.

2

The only disappointment in terms of aesthetics is the Hypermotard’s halogen headlamp unit which is underwhelming both in design and performance. The sabre tooth style LED DRLs on the other hand look good.
Equipment on offer:
Now before we share our riding experience, let us quickly take you through the equipment that is on offer with the Ducati Hypermotard 950 RVE. It gets 45 mm fully adjustable Marzocchi USD forks on the front and a fully adjustable mono shock at the rear. Braking duties are performed by double 320 mm discs on the front and a 245 mm disc at the rear, which is pretty responsive. The front features two monobloc radially-mounted 4-piston Brembo M4.32 callipers. It also gets a single-side swing arm with a single nut lock for the wheel. The tapered aluminium handlebar is wide and adds to the motorcycle’s agility.

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Loaded with geeky tech:
Do not be fooled by the Hypermotard’s minimal design, Ducati has managed to pack in an entire suite of safety tech and rider assistance systems inside the motorcycle. It comes with cornering ABS from Bosch, Ducati

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