Motorcycle specifications Ducati1260 Multistrada 2020 Growling under the trees

Why Multistrada? Because Ducati claims to be able to handle all types of road, and its trail bike boasts 4 bikes in 1. To the sirens of urban, sport, touring and enduro riding. Of course, it couldn't compete with a GSX-R on the racetrack, or caper like an EXC in a rocky skirmish. But this all-round performer is no stranger to surprises. Today, after several evolutions, it extends its history by improving a series of elements and boosting its engine. The threat in the maxi-trail segment raises its game with this 1260 Multistrada.

In guts, but not in style. Ducati has been very cautious when it comes to the visual reworking of its multi-card trail bike. A touch of firmness for the fairing panels, a retouched profile for the wheels - 340g lighter - and a 'Testastretta DVT' plate inserted on the belt cover.on the front belt cover, revised saddles (the passenger seat is still adjustable to two heights), a new license plate holder and LED rear indicators. The redesign is complete. Now we can find out what justifies the change of name.

It all seems to be part of those evenings when wine loosens tongues too much. Jealousy exists everywhere, and often in the heart of the village. And when the trail saw that the 'diffferent' XDiavel cousin had a bigger engine than she did, things got a bit smoky at the Sunday get-together. Before the MTS could throw a tantrum, the engine-makers calmed the rivalry while fanning the flames. The Testastretta twin retains its DVT variable valve timing, increases the piston stroke from 67.9 to 71.5 mm, and reaches a cubic capacity of 1262 cm3 - the same dimensions as the cruiser block. But it's not a question of ego. It's all about filling out the torque curve. From now on, on the 13.2 mkg maxi, 85% is available from 3500 rpm. At 5500 rpm, that's 18% less than on the previous 1200.
It pays to have changed cylinders, connecting rods and crankshaft. And as you'd expect, the watts are up, with an inflated value of 116.2 kW at 9500 rpm, or 158 hp.

Wait... Something's not right. How can the twin 1260 be more powerful with 158 hp when the 1200 was spitting out 160 hp not so long ago?!?
Yes, but no. Let's try to keep things simple with the salad of yesterday's and today's measurement systems. When the Multistrada engine adopted DVT, Ducati measured power on a dynamic dyno. The result was 160 horsepower. Recently, the measurement policy has changed and the data is taken from a static dyno. For the same engine, this drops performance to 152 units. The 1260 block undergoes the same type of measurement to reveal its 158 hp, which is ultimately more than the old mill, but not with the same rules.
Let's return to the mechanics themselves to find out what else has changed. A different breath can only be achieved with various adaptations on the inlet and outlet sides. The air intakes have been redesigned, as have the exhaust and its manifold, and we end with new mufflers - visually very similar to the old ones.

As you'd expect, the on-board technological arsenal has been enriched and recalibrated. But first, let's not forget the essentials. What holds the wheel together. The real link between the wheels. The chassis. Ducati's quality is always top-notch, with a handsome monobracket, a 48 mm inverted fork - soft and fully adjustable, like the shock absorber - 17-inch wheels and a tubular steel trellis frame. Slightly reworked, with a column angle increased by one degree (from 24 to 25), a 48 mm longer swingarm and a 55 mm longer wheelbase. This should make the Multistrada 1260 even more stable, especially when cornering. Should you wish to slow it down, braking remains of the same caliber as on the old model, so it's not naughty, with Brembo monobloc radial 4-piston brakes for 320 mm tracks. For the front, the rear will make do with a 265 mm disc and twin-piston caliper. To control this, a radial master cylinder, hoses, DOT, sensors, wires and an inertial unit are present. And it's now that the electronics unveil their big portfolio of activities.

Before, you'd brake and watch out. Yesterday, you still braked, but the ABS sometimes (often?) kept you out of trouble. Today, it's the algorithms that do the braking. With Bosch 9.1ME Cornering ABS, braking distribution, anti-lock braking and rear-wheel anti-dribble vary according to the angle of the bike and the riding mode selected. This means you can choose between total safety, permissiveness or selective freedom. More details in the Riding Modes section at the end.
There's no dogma in the Riding Modes, which let you select the bike's mood and responsiveness at will. Sport - Touring - Urban - Enduro. Each mode adapts the various assistances to simplify your selection. What are they? Traction control, with 8 levels of interference. Anti-wheeling, also with 8 levels. Power modes. ABS, with 3 intervention levels. No shifter as standard, but cruise control, auto-cancelling indicators, hands-free starting and a hill-start assistant, Vehicle Hold Control (VHC). This system, first introduced on the Multistrada 1200 Enduro, locks the rear wheel to make restarting easier. Ducati loves to cram its machines full of technical extras. A little anecdote to underline the work of the motorcycle computer specialists? The engine brake reacts differently according to the gear ratio engaged.

The Multistrada provides information on its dynamics via a redesigned LCD display. We'd have liked a bit of color, but the Bologna-based brand encourages premium for that. The S version focuses on technological refinement: all-LED lights, TFT dashboard, shifter, electronic suspension, adaptive cornering light and stronger brakes.

With its new 1262 cm3 twin, the Multistrada changes neither form nor substance, but seriously strengthens its engine availability. As one of the most powerful trail bikes on the market, this land-road-road-horse knows how to adapt to meet expectations. Depending on your tastes and investment capacity, the 1260 Multistrada is available in standard, S, S D-air and Pikes Peak versions.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos

riding Modes :

Sport Mode - 158 hp and 13 m/kg of torque, combined with low traction control (DTC) and anti-wheeling (DWC) intervention, and Level 2 ABS setting. The combination of rear anti-dribble and cornering ABS is ideal for experienced riders who want to test their limits.

Touring mode - 158 hp delivered with smoother, less direct throttle response. Active safety is enhanced by higher DTC and DWC sensitivity levels to maintain stability. The ABS is set to intervention level 3, ideal for Touring, allowing the rear wheel anti-dribble and ABS Cornering to be triggered, while optimizing the combined effect of front and rear braking.

Urban mode - Power is reduced to 100hp. DTC and DWC are set to a high level for maximum safety on imperfect urban roads. ABS is set to level 3.

Enduro mode - sets engine power to a maximum of 100 hp, with an off-road orientation. DTC and DWC are low and ABS is set to level 1, suitable for off-road use on low-grip surfaces: rear-wheel anti-dribble detection is deactivated, cornering detection deactivated and ABS acts only on the front wheel.