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The Complicated Road to the Perfect Ducati Multistrada V4 for You

Ducati is one of the most important bike makers on the planet. The Italians have been around since the mid-1920s and have slowly grown into being considered the Ferrari of motorcycles.
Ducati Multistrada V4 19 photos
Photo: Ducati
Ducati Multistrada V4 options and packagesDucati Multistrada V4 options and packagesDucati Multistrada V4 options and packagesDucati Multistrada V4 options and packagesDucati Multistrada V4 options and packagesDucati Multistrada V4 options and packagesDucati Multistrada V4 options and packagesDucati Multistrada V4 options and packagesDucati Multistrada V4 options and packagesDucati Multistrada V4 options and packagesDucati Multistrada V4 options and packagesDucati Multistrada V4 options and packagesDucati Multistrada V4 options and packagesDucati Multistrada V4 options and packagesDucati Multistrada V4 options and packagesDucati Multistrada V4 options and packagesDucati Multistrada V4 options and packagesDucati Multistrada V4 options and packages
Responsible for giving the company this reputation are, of course, the products devised in Borgo Panigale. And few are as popular as the Multistrada range.

The family came to be back in 2003 as V-twins, meant as a combination of sorts between a Supermoto and sport tourers. Since that time, some 110,000 units were sold, and in the world of two-wheelers, that is no small achievement.

Back in November 2020, the fourth-generation Multistrada came into existence as the V4 packing a whole new engine and a host of technological advancements, the likes of which the range has never seen before.

And that quickly paid off, as six months after the new generation’s introduction onto the market, Ducati announced it already sold 5,000 of them.

It was exactly this amazing success of the Multistrada that prompted us to dive a bit deeper into what it means to configure such a two-wheeler. We must admit, it takes quite a lot of skill to come out at the other end with the desired vehicle.

And that’s not because Ducati’s configurator is hard to navigate (it’s anything but, actually), but because there are so many things to choose from, much more than in the case of cars.

Ducati Multistrada V4 options and packages
Photo: Ducati
First up, the offering. The most recent additions to the Multistrada range comprise three models, namely the V4, V4 S, and V4 S Sport. But then we have the non-V4 models, namely the 950, 950 S (with a variant with spoked wheels, available separately on the configurator) and the mighty 1260 Enduro.

For the purposes of our exercise, we settled on the entry-level V4 and set out to see how we can beef it up. And boy, were we in for a long and twisted trip ahead.

First up, choosing the color for this thing was simple, as there is only one (at the opposite end, the V4 S comes with six combinations), the telltale Ducati Red.

And that’s pretty much where the simple part ends, because once you press that button, the door opens to a literal flood of choices, many of them coming in conflict with each other so that at the end, you might not even know what you wanted to accomplish went you started.

First up come the five available packs. We first get Functionality with Vehicle Hold Control, cruise control, and the Ducati Quick Shift system, and Enduro with LED lights, engine guard in steel tubes and plate, protective mesh for oil cooler, and a stand support plat.

Up next is Touring, which adds rigid side panniers, a center stand, and heated handgrips, and Performance with carbon front mudguard and Akrapovic silencer.

Ducati Multistrada V4 options and packages
Photo: Ducati
Last but not least, one can go for the Urban package, where some of the modern goodies we can’t live without are a tank pocket bag, a power extension cable with a USB port, and a plastic top case.

That might seem simple enough, but once you get into the available accessories, you really start to feel lost. Neatly packed into seven categories, depending on use, there are no less than 66 parts you can choose from.

That means one gets literally everything, from functional items like racing exhaust, through visual upgrades in carbon, fiberglass, or plastic, and all the way to a canvas to wrap the whole bike in and tank protection.

And it’s not like you could choose all the 66 items and be done with it. No, these things don’t get along well with one another, so you have to be careful what you go for, and from time to time, drop something you really like in favor of something you really need. Or the other way around.

By the time we were done configuring the V4, we were too worn out even to give a second thought at going for some Ducati apparel because that section is a literal bottomless pit. Luckily, Ducati does offer the option of going for one of two available full outfits.

And now comes the really nasty part. You’re not going to get a price for your configuration at the end of it all, and you’ll have to send your creation to your local dealer for them to crunch in all the numbers.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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