EICMA 2010: Ducati Multistrada 1200

When Ducati decided to make the 2011 Multistrada 1200, they wanted it to become a jack of all trades, a veritable Swiss Army knife. As the Italians themselves describe it: “A dream Ducati -4 bikes in 1. A sport bike, long-distance tourer, urban and road enduro are now separated by just one click.”

The bike's engine is a L-Twin, 16 valve, Desmodromic, liquid cooled one, with a displacement of 1,198 cc. The exhaust system comprises of a stainless steel muffler and aluminum tail pipes.

The Multistrada has a front wheel travel of 170mm (6.7in). As for the front wheel itself, it’s a 10 spoke light aluminum alloy 17 inch model, wrapped in Pirelli tires.

The smart ride-by-wire system enables three different engine mappings to adjust the total power output and the way in which it is delivered.  The three maps provide either 150 horsepower delivered in a sporty manner, 150 hp with a progressive delivery or 100 hp with progressive delivery. The 2011 Ducati Multistrada 1200 has a wet weight of only 216kg (478 pounds).

The racing-derived DTC(Ducati Traction Control system) is a highly intelligent system which acts as a filter between the rider’s right hand and the rear tire. Level one is programmed to offer the least amount of interaction while level eight uses the most amount of interaction.

The 2011 Ducati Multistrada 1200 comes with a price tag of $14,995 (EUR10,695) and is available with a set of optional 31 liter side-bags. However, if you want the added safety that optional ABS system gives you, the total bill will come to $16,495 (EUR11,754).