Great review, highlighting important points that many other reviewers kinda glossed over. That on-demand, pushbutton preload deflater/inflater is absolutely brilliant, Ducati saw HD on that, and raised them one. GSA-sized tank for world-class range: check. Improved wind management and over the prior model: check. Industry-leading service intervals: check. Center stand for easy maintenance: check. Obscene price: check. (-; And not once (that I recall) was the gee-wiz radar mentioned, because it's near the bottom of the list of important things about the damned bike if you are going to take it offroad, which it clearly has been meticulously designed to do. And Michael Guy did the review because he's a talented off-road rider, which is not Neeves' forte. Love it. People in the comments here are implying unreliability, but without any specifics regarding this particular model. Yeah, they had the engine issue in the first year's production, but that was fully covered/rectified, and I've not heard of any complaints beyond that.
Wonderful, detailed review. I’ve owned the previous versions of this bike (1200 and 1260) as well as the GS and GSA and I felt this review really touched on the most relevant points regarding both the design and user experience. I’m only average height and definitely felt the weight of the previous versions when lifting them off the side stand, so the new preload release system would certainly be a welcome change. It’s hard to point to any characteristic of the GSA that this iteration does not address, and the GSA - - wonderful as it is - - cannot touch the performance figures of the Ducati, not to mention the vast ride difference due to the suspension designs. Of course, the GS/GSA has the convenience of the shaft drive, but the center stand on the Multistrada makes short work of basic chain maintenance while on trips. Finally, the videography, helped by the weather, was great: Each frame could stand as a thumbnail. Well done!
I really like this guy, review was really informative BUT I didn't hear about fuel consumption, yes tank is bigger, yes switching to 2 cylinders is more fuel efficient but what was the bike drinking on his test run ? I would love to know, did I miss it? Fuel consumption is still important in this day and age of high petrol/gas prices and with the stinger of nearly $30k I want to know what the consumption is like. Thanks Paul
Paul … I agree ! I’m lucky enough afford this kind of bike every couple of years. However I do high miles ! I don’t want to waste money either ! Will it cost more to run than a BMW R1350GS ?
Informative review ! A complete lack of cliches and crap ! Well done Michael. I’m utterly stumped to choose between this and a GS. Having owned 6 GS’s in a row, you can understand that I fancy a change.
Thanks for the review. Best one of all the ones I've seen so far and I've seen a handful of them about this bike. You were so much more detailed than the rest. Only one other reviewer said the wheels was lighter but only after being reminded. You actually said how much lighter etc. Also it is only you who explained how they kept the tank size but increased the volume. Others only said they used aluminium. But that didn't explain it. You at least explained the plastic one was inside another shell which is now no more...That made sense...Thanks. Shame it is so expensive though. I'd love to have one but that is Honda Goldwing territory...I'd probably rather buy the new Hornet for a run around and a 890 Adventure for off road and keep my GS for touring and have a lot of money left...
I don't know about the bike, but the review was superb. I suspect the bike wasn't too shabby either. It clearly gave him massive confidence in the rough stuff despite its size. Where has Michael G been hiding all these years?
Your enthusiasm coupled with solid facts and analysis speaks volumes about this motorcycle. No motorcycle is perfect, however, and this one has a few rough edges. First, a larger fuel tank to compensate for excessive fuel consumption feels like a crude fix. Likewise, building a 4-cylinder motorcycle and then using technology to turn off 2-cylinders to combat excessive heat and fuel consumption is inelegant. Moreover, though the oil changes and valve clearance intervals are impressive, the bike will still require chain maintenance daily on a long trip. That's still a drag. Finally, I would not take such a pretty piece off-road. As such, I view this motorcycle as an upright sport tourer rather than a go-anywhere adventure motorcycle.
It's nearly 600lbs. There's like $15,000 worth of overkill on this bike for less utility than a Honda Transalp, Yamaha T7 or Aprilia T660. I just don't need all of those electronic settings. They're not going to help me get over obstacles on a nearly 600lb bike. Ducati already makes the DesertX. The MS looks like a killer bike. But if I were plunking down that kind of cash looking for an all-rounder with off-road capability, I'd go for the DesertX and shave over 100lbs off the curb weight. It really comes down to weight when you're off-road. 100hp is more than enough for a bike off pavement and plenty for pavement. I'd rather have a lighter bike than more horsepower. Electronics are cool, but not worth the price and potential issues for my usage.
based on what you wrote, you are not the target rider for multistrada. mv4s has gs1250 and ktm1290 riders switching. i have an ktm 1190S and seriously considering multiv4 because i still want 150+mph topspeed, offroad capable, big power, spoked rims with electronic suspension, but no more ktm wobbles...
"Whoever you are you can get the most out of it" As long as you have £27k that is. 😂 Although, fair play for a decent review, keeping up the great standards set by Mr Neeves. 👏
Really good review I had the standard bike which drunk fuel like a fish so hopefully they have sorted that out I have the new Rally on order mine comes December time so look forward to another big trip on it next year 😎👍
As an owner of a 2024 Multistrada V4 Rally I would warn anyone against thinking of the as a "Best bike". The chassis is great (really great). The engine is nice for agressive driving - not so for more relasex driving (as in adventure touring). After 1600km the engine sounds as if someone has poured gravel into it. It was ok from the beginning but has suffered from increasing noise from valves and/or timing chains. The Desmo Ducatis have always been noisy but the V4 has no desmo valves. You need earplugs when you drive this one. At 3500 rpm, the noise is so bad that you find yourself prepared to push the clutch in case of a seizure… Below 3000 rpm, the bike is practically un-driveable. Don’t bother to drive in slow traffic - even if you can bear the enormous amount of heat emitted from the engine. The quickshifter, that was supposed to be really smooth on these bikes, is really a hit and miss. It’s great when it works, but it rarely does. When the engine is warming up, it works ok. When warm…not so much. Less than 50% hit rare. But when it does work, it’s really smooth - at least the up-shifts. When it doesn’t, and you never know beforehand, the gears will bang in, leaving you wondering how much abuse the gearbox can take. The dealerships (at least in Sweden) leaves a lot to wish for. Any problem I had, the response was that "a Ducati should be like that". The service person in my case, seemed to believe that the V4s have desmo valves and blamed the noise on that. That doesn’t give you much confidense. I got zero help with any problem with the bike. Clearly the warranty isn’t worth anything. But they charge crazy amounts for mainrenance (4000 Euro for 1000 km oil change). Eventually I contacted Ducati support, as I got nowhere with the dealership. However, they showed little interest as well. This is the most expensive bike I have bought, but unfortunately also the worst bike experience. Don’t make the misrake I made, believing that this is a GSA-competitive. This is nowhere near the BMW experience. It has a better chassis than the Bmw, and is really fun on twisty roads. It’s also better offroad. But that’s it. The Bmw’s engine is light years ahead in the adventure bike context. Bmw’s customer service isn’t always the best, but compared to Ducati’s, it’s golden.
You should get a second opinion from another shop. Comes to mind that 3 - 4 K is where the engine transitions from 2 to 4 cylinders. Maybe something isn't quite right there.
I don't understand why big brand motorcycle companies didn't let journalists test and reviews thier offroad/adventure/rally products in different continents at the different terrain with same procedures and time. Maybe they should consider that for the real testimony of thier products and gather more potential buyers.
What's so difficult? You have a Tiger which is nowhere near the level on anything close to the Ducati (power 145-150hp vs Ducati 170, quality, looks, suspension, engine). Tiger lacks character and looks cheap vs Ducati. Anyone fooling themselves in trying to chide this Ducati clearly give themselves away as not being able to afford one
Great looking machine. I would not even consider the purchase price let alone servicing costs of this bike up here at the top of the world Norway with all its crazy taxes that kills everything. Am happy with My Honda Crosstourer DCT 2019. Allthough compared to this monster it seems abit dated but at least i got: V4power, shaftdrive, Honda reliability & dealer network. Where is the battery & airfilter located ?
Has anyone actually taken a multistrada v4 on a BDR or serious off-road adventure trip? I haven’t really seen videos of people riding these hardcore off-road like the tons of gs1250 and ktm1290 videos out there.
I think those videos are dishonest and paid for Ducati. I test rode one yesterday at GoAz Scottsdale dealership and, unfortunately, I was very disappointed. The ride comfort was horrible. My ass hurt after just few minutes of riding. The engine sounded like metal can full of coins kicked down the road. I noticed my body leaning towards the handlebars, putting pressure on the grips and my shoulder blades. (5'11" 190lb) The gears are very short, so you need to constantly shuffle through them. In a sport mode, the bike felt fast, but do you really need 170hp off road? I think Ducati went to far with all of the electronics. There's so many switches getting in a way of just trying to turn on a damn blinker, not to mention selecting your ride comfort takes 20 min of aggravation going through hundreds of useless options. I was hoping to add Ducati to my bike collection but ended up getting the Triumph 1200 Tiger Rally Pro. What a mashine!!! Day and night in comparison. Well balanced, comfortable, very stable at high speeds on the highway, fast, felt more torque than Ducati, completely decked out with full body crash bars, aggressive look, easy to ride, deep engine sound, and $24k out the door .
240kg without fuel . . . riiiight, because Ducati thinks we all ride around burning hopes and dreams inside the cylinders. All OEMs playing this dry or semi dry figure game need to cut all the 🐂💩 and just say it out loud, no shame. ADV bikes will never be 125cc motocrossers.
Although you didn't dwell on it you are correct to review this bike through the lens of price. £27K as tested. It should be faultless. Value is relative and at £27K I'd say it justifies its price. You could say it's value for money in the same way as a £6K Royal enfield is.
I don’t know about that. I think value logic is taken out of many Ducati bikes. They make them pretty enough and perhaps exclusive enough that the people that buy them aren’t concerned with price or value. I mean people are buying these. I don’t think they expect to sell BMW GS quantities, but maybe I’m wrong. I know my Streetfighter V2 was expensive enough that I could have bought a proper hypernaked that was faster or cheaper, but the V2 called to me, and every time I go in the garage I just stare at it a while.
KTM is very close on power, mid 160's and with a slip on and high flow air filter, you will hit the 170 mark. Very nice machine overall but not THAT far ahead.
KTM sucks! In 2021 I thoroughly tested both Ducati Multistrada V4 S and new KTM 1290 Super Adventure S, including taking them both to their top speeds, and a lot of high speed riding. Multistrada V4 is AWESOME: it's fast, very stable and maneuverable at any speeds, with great handling, comfortable, versatile, you name it. 1290 SA S, on the other hand, is completely the opposite. In short, 2021 KTM 1290 Super Adventure S is uncomfortable: bad sitting position with cramped legs, harsh seat, engine vibrations at any rpm, bad screen with poor wind protection and a lot of buffeting. Super Adventure is slow: it's ~20 km/h slower than it's direct competitor Multistrada V4 on the top speed, also KTM really starves on power above 200 km/h. But hands down the worst feature of this bike is how horribly unstable it is above 200 km/h - it's wobbles permanently. And that's in the bone stock form without any boxes - so I'm afraid to even think about how badly KTM will wobble with boxes. Yes, besides everything else, I also covered ~ 72 km in ~ 20 and a half minutes on the 1290 SA S (I'll release the footage later), but that's all thanks to my riding skills and experience. I was permanently struggling with KTM through the entire ride. It's a widow maker bike for sure - on this bike anyone can get killed at any moment because of the quirks of Super Adventure. This bike also has it's strong sides like awesome suspensions, unbelievably smooth and precise gearbox, and good dashboard. But downsides (mentioned above) of this bike outweighs it's upsides by many times. That's why KTM 1290 Super Adventure S is really bad bike overall. It's good for nothing. Unlike the Ducati Multistrada V4 - which is good for almost everything.
@@Rex_Payne good for you buddy, whatever it takes to justify the asking price and extremely high maintenance bills. Here in the states we don’t have any roads with 125mph posted speed limits, so I’m not sure how I’d ever see those speeds even while passing in a 75 mph speed zone, but good for you, what’s your fuel economy at those speeds? Trying to find out how far you can go traveling at that velocity. I get 50 mpg in normal conditions but at WOT, I’m guessing around 18-24 mpg.. full tank would be gone way too fast for my budget lol! Enjoy riding fast, I’d recommend a bike designed for it though and Ducati does make sports bikes so you’re on the right track there.
@@Kwhopperfan, I don't think maintenance bills are going to be any lower on the KTM than on the Ducati. KTMs are known for having very bad reliability and a lot of issues. Just couple of weeks ago I've seen a series of videos here on the Tube where a guy bought a brand new 1290 SA S, and constantly had a problems with it. Which dealer could not fix (although they tried multiple times). So the guy finally returned the bike back to the dealer, and got his money back. As I said, 1290 SA S is exceptionally bad at high speeds, but not only. It's uncomfortable at any speed, really. So there's just no point to buy that bike. But if you are looking for the inferior badly engineered motorcycle for a lot of money - than yeah: KTM 1290 Super Adventure S would be great pick! On the Multistrada V4 S at an indicated top speed of 270 km/h indicated fuel consumption on a dashboard was 20 liters per 100 kilometers. I'm not saying go and buy Multistrada - there is other good adventure bikes on a market. BMW R1250GS, for example, is also good, and probably even better than Multistrada for sensible riding. But it's also very unreliable and expensive to maintain - just like all European and American motorcycles are. And by the way, why are you choosing among 150+hp hi-end bikes when you're just looking for the inexpensive and fuel efficient ride? What is the point of paying a huge premium for the additional horsepowers that you'll never use? How about looking at a more affordable Japanese alternative? Japanese bike are hands down the best in terms of reliability, problem-free riding, and ownership cost. Africa Twins, for example, are great: dependable, comfortable, very versatile, reasonably priced, fuel efficient, and really good to ride. With your riding style what's the point looking any further? And if you for some reason don't want to buy a proper adventure bike with a 21/18-inch wheels, and want a more road-biased option with smaller wheels - Honda VFR1200X is still the best option for the probably most reliable and problem-free bike ever (although a bit obsolete and not up-to-date comparing with modern rivals). Personally, I like riding fast but in a good comfort with a vertical sitting position, decent wind protection, low vibrations, plush suspensions, and ability to go offroad when needed. That's why hi-end adventure bikes are my #1 pick. And that's why I don't like sportbikes and other uncomfortable types of motorcycles: they're just not for me.
@@Rex_Payne yeah I bought an SAS and absolutely love it. Bought an exhaust for $200 and a windshield for $150. Amazing bike, took around the block after work ended up going 70 miles on the way home the long way. What a joy to ride, engine and suspension is absolutely awesome. Love it’s handling, gets up to 80 in a blink of an eye. Have an o ring and water pump cover on order for a little coolant drip.. $55. It’s a 2020. Great machine, we will see how it goes.. guys over here have 70k plus miles on em
@@Kwhopperfan, it's good that you like your motorcycle. But don't fool yourself into believing that "it's almost as good as the Multistrada V4": it isn't. Not even close!
Too tall too expensive, Sounds great for a taller person and who's young an fit, and for those that wants to be a bit different from the BMW GS clan, for me cost of maintenance and the cost of buying one , I wouldn't think of buying one ,
I owned a 2014 1190 S and then a 1290 Super Adventure. Both stayed at the dealership. Lots of problems. Currently own a 2021 duke 890 which has been fairly reliable. I'd definitely pick the multistrada.
I've owned the 990 s, 1090r and now the 1290r. Zero problems. None. Would always go with a ktm over a ducati. Mainly because the ducati's insane price...🫣
KTM sucks! In 2021 I thoroughly tested both Ducati Multistrada V4 S and new KTM 1290 Super Adventure S, including taking them both to their top speeds, and a lot of high speed riding. Multistrada V4 is AWESOME: it's fast, very stable and maneuverable at any speeds, with great handling, comfortable, versatile, you name it. 1290 SA S, on the other hand, is completely the opposite. In short, 2021 KTM 1290 Super Adventure S is uncomfortable: bad sitting position with cramped legs, harsh seat, engine vibrations at any rpm, bad screen with poor wind protection and a lot of buffeting. Super Adventure is slow: it's ~20 km/h slower than it's direct competitor Multistrada V4 on the top speed, also KTM really starves on power above 200 km/h. But hands down the worst feature of this bike is how horribly unstable it is above 200 km/h - it's wobbles permanently. And that's in the bone stock form without any boxes - so I'm afraid to even think about how badly KTM will wobble with boxes. Yes, besides everything else, I also covered ~ 72 km in ~ 20 and a half minutes on the 1290 SA S (I'll release the footage later), but that's all thanks to my riding skills and experience. I was permanently struggling with KTM through the entire ride. It's a widow maker bike for sure - on this bike anyone can get killed at any moment because of the quirks of Super Adventure. This bike also has it's strong sides like awesome suspensions, unbelievably smooth and precise gearbox, and good dashboard. But downsides (mentioned above) of this bike outweighs it's upsides by many times. That's why KTM 1290 Super Adventure S is really bad bike overall. It's good for nothing. Unlike the Ducati Multistrada V4 - which is good for almost everything.
Goodday this thing about more HP can enybody explain this why do you need 170 HP on an adventure bike get a H2 the cost is only going up in this category
Because a ton of former sportbike riders want the same performance as their old bikes plus all day comfort AND off-road capability. My ktm 1190 is as fast my old old Honda vfr. The brand new adv bikes are probably as fast as a gsxr600-750cc sportbike.
Brilliant tech but it's not a real off-road bike. Too big. Too heavy. Too much power. Too expensive. Just get a Ducati street bike and forget about the off-road fantasy.
The Multistrada is the 2 wheel equivalent of the $100,000 pickup truck. Too big, heavy, unreliable, and expensive to seriously consider. Just the prop for those who love bling. You know who you are. None of these behemoths are going Round the World.
I don’t want one at all, but it handles incredibly well, seems to be reliable(albeit not easy to work on due to layout). Low service intervals, great tech. I think the only area where this bike doesn’t hit the mark for its intended class is “value”, but I don’t think it was ever aimed at that.
You do not buy a Ducati when you want to be confident of getting from A to B. If you want reliability you would choose a Honda; Africa Twin or the new Transalp 750 or a CRF300L.
While Ducatis aren't inherently unreliable, it is basic mechanicals. A parallel twin engine with minimal electronics is likely going to be more reliable than a V4 with more tech than the average car.
Aside from the Big Four, rumors abound about the unreliability of other manufacturers. But, is there (are there?) reliable data to confirm the rumors? Personally, I had much more trouble with my BMW RT than any of my Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki bikes put together - but, I can’t generalize from my personal experience.
None of those bikes you mention can touch the performance of this one. There are loads of Ducati's that travel great distances, and a ton of KTM's that travel around the world. These aren't 1960's bikes. I'm often 500-1,000km's from any town, and I never have a problem.
Agree the Honda are very reliable and the new transalp looks a great bike , it will take sales away from the Africa twin I imagine. However newer ducatis seem to be pretty reliable and the v4 has a 4 year warranty and 60km valve checks. I had a 1290 ktm no issues with it and now have Multi v4 also no issues. The fuel consumption is better than most road testers seem to manage too! Considering the rally model but without panniers
It’s great you did this review, but I got to 5mins 45 secs and I can’t take any more. You obviously know your stuff, but you’re not a natural presenter. It’s too hard work. If MCN has a written review, I’ll read that. My suggestion is to gave some off camera notes until you learn to present more naturally. Too much sounds like waffle, sorry to say so, and I’m sure you’ll improve.
Best review so far, called the dealership yesterday, gonna sell everything, including internal organs to get this Rally!
Love it!
I love mine, at 51 I have that feeling I had when I was 17 on my rd125, just incredible bike, absolutely perfect
Great review, highlighting important points that many other reviewers kinda glossed over. That on-demand, pushbutton preload deflater/inflater is absolutely brilliant, Ducati saw HD on that, and raised them one. GSA-sized tank for world-class range: check. Improved wind management and over the prior model: check. Industry-leading service intervals: check. Center stand for easy maintenance: check. Obscene price: check. (-; And not once (that I recall) was the gee-wiz radar mentioned, because it's near the bottom of the list of important things about the damned bike if you are going to take it offroad, which it clearly has been meticulously designed to do. And Michael Guy did the review because he's a talented off-road rider, which is not Neeves' forte. Love it. People in the comments here are implying unreliability, but without any specifics regarding this particular model. Yeah, they had the engine issue in the first year's production, but that was fully covered/rectified, and I've not heard of any complaints beyond that.
I have a ‘22 Pikes Peak. 22,000 km. No issues. I think people forget it’s not 1987.
This is by far the most thorough review of the Rally. Well done!
Wonderful, detailed review. I’ve owned the previous versions of this bike (1200 and 1260) as well as the GS and GSA and I felt this review really touched on the most relevant points regarding both the design and user experience. I’m only average height and definitely felt the weight of the previous versions when lifting them off the side stand, so the new preload release system would certainly be a welcome change. It’s hard to point to any characteristic of the GSA that this iteration does not address, and the GSA - - wonderful as it is - - cannot touch the performance figures of the Ducati, not to mention the vast ride difference due to the suspension designs. Of course, the GS/GSA has the convenience of the shaft drive, but the center stand on the Multistrada makes short work of basic chain maintenance while on trips. Finally, the videography, helped by the weather, was great: Each frame could stand as a thumbnail. Well done!
I really like this guy, review was really informative BUT I didn't hear about fuel consumption, yes tank is bigger, yes switching to 2 cylinders is more fuel efficient but what was the bike drinking on his test run ? I would love to know, did I miss it? Fuel consumption is still important in this day and age of high petrol/gas prices and with the stinger of nearly $30k I want to know what the consumption is like. Thanks Paul
Well, he said the bike is thirsty. The whole review seemed to me like he did not want to say anything bad about the bike.
@@motolover5697 yes seem to agree but I was interested to see what it does to see if it’s worth replacing my Tiger 1200 gt pro for it
Paul … I agree ! I’m lucky enough afford this kind of bike every couple of years. However I do high miles !
I don’t want to waste money either ! Will it cost more to run than a BMW R1350GS ?
Informative review ! A complete lack of cliches and crap !
Well done Michael.
I’m utterly stumped to choose between this and a GS.
Having owned 6 GS’s in a row, you can understand that I fancy a change.
Thanks for the review. Best one of all the ones I've seen so far and I've seen a handful of them about this bike. You were so much more detailed than the rest. Only one other reviewer said the wheels was lighter but only after being reminded. You actually said how much lighter etc. Also it is only you who explained how they kept the tank size but increased the volume. Others only said they used aluminium. But that didn't explain it. You at least explained the plastic one was inside another shell which is now no more...That made sense...Thanks. Shame it is so expensive though. I'd love to have one but that is Honda Goldwing territory...I'd probably rather buy the new Hornet for a run around and a 890 Adventure for off road and keep my GS for touring and have a lot of money left...
Personality! And a noticable interest and passion for these machines!! Neevsy better watch out!! Just excellence!!
I don't know about the bike, but the review was superb. I suspect the bike wasn't too shabby either. It clearly gave him massive confidence in the rough stuff despite its size. Where has Michael G been hiding all these years?
Your enthusiasm coupled with solid facts and analysis speaks volumes about this motorcycle. No motorcycle is perfect, however, and this one has a few rough edges. First, a larger fuel tank to compensate for excessive fuel consumption feels like a crude fix. Likewise, building a 4-cylinder motorcycle and then using technology to turn off 2-cylinders to combat excessive heat and fuel consumption is inelegant. Moreover, though the oil changes and valve clearance intervals are impressive, the bike will still require chain maintenance daily on a long trip. That's still a drag. Finally, I would not take such a pretty piece off-road. As such, I view this motorcycle as an upright sport tourer rather than a go-anywhere adventure motorcycle.
Great value for money. I’ve just ordered two of ‘em 😂
The best MCN tester in my opinion! Top bike....
Wonderful, detailed review. King regards from Catalonia!
Saludos from Vic España!
It's nearly 600lbs. There's like $15,000 worth of overkill on this bike for less utility than a Honda Transalp, Yamaha T7 or Aprilia T660. I just don't need all of those electronic settings. They're not going to help me get over obstacles on a nearly 600lb bike.
Ducati already makes the DesertX. The MS looks like a killer bike. But if I were plunking down that kind of cash looking for an all-rounder with off-road capability, I'd go for the DesertX and shave over 100lbs off the curb weight.
It really comes down to weight when you're off-road. 100hp is more than enough for a bike off pavement and plenty for pavement. I'd rather have a lighter bike than more horsepower. Electronics are cool, but not worth the price and potential issues for my usage.
based on what you wrote, you are not the target rider for multistrada. mv4s has gs1250 and ktm1290 riders switching. i have an ktm 1190S and seriously considering multiv4 because i still want 150+mph topspeed, offroad capable, big power, spoked rims with electronic suspension, but no more ktm wobbles...
Great review, I’m seriously considering this or the pikes peak. Will be more of a daily commuter tough choice
I think this its the best motorbike ever made Multistrada V4 Rally👌🔥♥️
"Whoever you are you can get the most out of it" As long as you have £27k that is. 😂 Although, fair play for a decent review, keeping up the great standards set by Mr Neeves. 👏
Really good review I had the standard bike which drunk fuel like a fish so hopefully they have sorted that out I have the new Rally on order mine comes December time so look forward to another big trip on it next year 😎👍
May I kindly ask ? Do you have it ? Mpg ?
@@maxflight777 around 150 miles per tank if your lucky 🍀
@@hypemotoadventures That's piss poor for a 30l tank
@@mikelucinder3284 standard bike which I had at the time is 22l
Rally is much better at 30l so not always chasing the Fuel stations 👍
@@hypemotoadventures Ah OK - yeah that's not terrible then.
Fabulous review, you have set a bench mark on how to review a bike.
If Ducati would replace the chain with shaft drive it would be the perfect bike for me
Nice review...save your money and buy a used v2 enduro...also 30ltr tank and even more range.. Superb bike.
Awesome Bike ! Class Review :))
As an owner of a 2024 Multistrada V4 Rally I would warn anyone against thinking of the as a "Best bike". The chassis is great (really great). The engine is nice for agressive driving - not so for more relasex driving (as in adventure touring). After 1600km the engine sounds as if someone has poured gravel into it. It was ok from the beginning but has suffered from increasing noise from valves and/or timing chains. The Desmo Ducatis have always been noisy but the V4 has no desmo valves. You need earplugs when you drive this one. At 3500 rpm, the noise is so bad that you find yourself prepared to push the clutch in case of a seizure… Below 3000 rpm, the bike is practically un-driveable. Don’t bother to drive in slow traffic - even if you can bear the enormous amount of heat emitted from the engine. The quickshifter, that was supposed to be really smooth on these bikes, is really a hit and miss. It’s great when it works, but it rarely does. When the engine is warming up, it works ok. When warm…not so much. Less than 50% hit rare. But when it does work, it’s really smooth - at least the up-shifts. When it doesn’t, and you never know beforehand, the gears will bang in, leaving you wondering how much abuse the gearbox can take.
The dealerships (at least in Sweden) leaves a lot to wish for. Any problem I had, the response was that "a Ducati should be like that". The service person in my case, seemed to believe that the V4s have desmo valves and blamed the noise on that. That doesn’t give you much confidense. I got zero help with any problem with the bike. Clearly the warranty isn’t worth anything. But they charge crazy amounts for mainrenance (4000 Euro for 1000 km oil change).
Eventually I contacted Ducati support, as I got nowhere with the dealership. However, they showed little interest as well. This is the most expensive bike I have bought, but unfortunately also the worst bike experience.
Don’t make the misrake I made, believing that this is a GSA-competitive. This is nowhere near the BMW experience. It has a better chassis than the Bmw, and is really fun on twisty roads. It’s also better offroad. But that’s it. The Bmw’s engine is light years ahead in the adventure bike context. Bmw’s customer service isn’t always the best, but compared to Ducati’s, it’s golden.
I don’t believe this engine was designed to cruse at 3-4k rpm. You could be ruining the engine with detonation
You should get a second opinion from another shop. Comes to mind that 3 - 4 K is where the engine transitions from 2 to 4 cylinders. Maybe something isn't quite right there.
4000€ for an oil change? Are you trolling for fun? Nobody on the planet would believe that
Take a drink for every time he says genuinely 😂
Great review. I like the looks!
Great review. Thank you. 👍😎
Great review. I do wish it had 21/18 wheels
I don't understand why big brand motorcycle companies didn't let journalists test and reviews thier offroad/adventure/rally products in different continents at the different terrain with same procedures and time. Maybe they should consider that for the real testimony of thier products and gather more potential buyers.
My dream bike
Good...the best SUV bike but the price of high target bikes is out of control (car indeed eh).
Im surprised Neeves did not present this test, as he quite tall, at 6ft :)
Does it have front 21inch option?
only shaft drive is missing after that it would be a 10/10
60K between valve checks ! Wow !! BMW take note
I own the 2023 Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer, and I’m having a difficult time justifying the $8k bump in price for the Ducati. I just don’t see it..
Extra cylinder and bragging rights for the extra HP? Yeah - nah. I can't see it either.
What's so difficult? You have a Tiger which is nowhere near the level on anything close to the Ducati (power 145-150hp vs Ducati 170, quality, looks, suspension, engine).
Tiger lacks character and looks cheap vs Ducati.
Anyone fooling themselves in trying to chide this Ducati clearly give themselves away as not being able to afford one
Great looking machine.
I would not even consider the purchase price let alone servicing costs of this bike up here at the top of the world Norway with all its crazy taxes that kills everything. Am happy with My Honda Crosstourer DCT 2019. Allthough compared to this monster it seems abit dated but at least i got: V4power, shaftdrive, Honda reliability & dealer network.
Where is the battery & airfilter located ?
I'm not rich enough or ripped enough for this bike. It'll have to stay a dream. :D
What a tank😮
How is using a basic metal tank instead of multiple layers of plastic a revolutionary move?
It's aluminum - is that a basic metal? The magic trick is that it is the same size as the plastic with 30% more internal volume.
what was the miles per gallon?
gallons per mile would be easier to calculate.
Has anyone actually taken a multistrada v4 on a BDR or serious off-road adventure trip? I haven’t really seen videos of people riding these hardcore off-road like the tons of gs1250 and ktm1290 videos out there.
Check out Big Rock Motos review of this bike for a better idea of actual off road capabilities.
I think those videos are dishonest and paid for Ducati. I test rode one yesterday at GoAz Scottsdale dealership and, unfortunately, I was very disappointed.
The ride comfort was horrible. My ass hurt after just few minutes of riding. The engine sounded like metal can full of coins kicked down the road. I noticed my body leaning towards the handlebars, putting pressure on the grips and my shoulder blades. (5'11" 190lb) The gears are very short, so you need to constantly shuffle through them. In a sport mode, the bike felt fast, but do you really need 170hp off road?
I think Ducati went to far with all of the electronics. There's so many switches getting in a way of just trying to turn on a damn blinker, not to mention selecting your ride comfort takes 20 min of aggravation going through hundreds of useless options.
I was hoping to add Ducati to my bike collection but ended up getting the Triumph 1200 Tiger Rally Pro.
What a mashine!!! Day and night in comparison.
Well balanced, comfortable, very stable at high speeds on the highway, fast, felt more torque than Ducati, completely decked out with full body crash bars, aggressive look, easy to ride, deep engine sound, and $24k out the door .
Fake news!!!!!! LOLZ
Sorry, eerste V4 adventure was de Honda V4 Crosstourer 1200
If it’s dirty with a few dings ‘n scratches, will its owner love it a little more, or a little less?
240kg without fuel . . . riiiight, because Ducati thinks we all ride around burning hopes and dreams inside the cylinders.
All OEMs playing this dry or semi dry figure game need to cut all the 🐂💩 and just say it out loud, no shame. ADV bikes will never be 125cc motocrossers.
Although you didn't dwell on it you are correct to review this bike through the lens of price. £27K as tested. It should be faultless. Value is relative and at £27K I'd say it justifies its price. You could say it's value for money in the same way as a £6K Royal enfield is.
I don’t know about that. I think value logic is taken out of many Ducati bikes. They make them pretty enough and perhaps exclusive enough that the people that buy them aren’t concerned with price or value. I mean people are buying these. I don’t think they expect to sell BMW GS quantities, but maybe I’m wrong.
I know my Streetfighter V2 was expensive enough that I could have bought a proper hypernaked that was faster or cheaper, but the V2 called to me, and every time I go in the garage I just stare at it a while.
KTM is very close on power, mid 160's and with a slip on and high flow air filter, you will hit the 170 mark. Very nice machine overall but not THAT far ahead.
KTM sucks! In 2021 I thoroughly tested both Ducati Multistrada V4 S and new KTM 1290 Super Adventure S, including taking them both to their top speeds, and a lot of high speed riding. Multistrada V4 is AWESOME: it's fast, very stable and maneuverable at any speeds, with great handling, comfortable, versatile, you name it. 1290 SA S, on the other hand, is completely the opposite. In short, 2021 KTM 1290 Super Adventure S is uncomfortable: bad sitting position with cramped legs, harsh seat, engine vibrations at any rpm, bad screen with poor wind protection and a lot of buffeting. Super Adventure is slow: it's ~20 km/h slower than it's direct competitor Multistrada V4 on the top speed, also KTM really starves on power above 200 km/h. But hands down the worst feature of this bike is how horribly unstable it is above 200 km/h - it's wobbles permanently. And that's in the bone stock form without any boxes - so I'm afraid to even think about how badly KTM will wobble with boxes. Yes, besides everything else, I also covered ~ 72 km in ~ 20 and a half minutes on the 1290 SA S (I'll release the footage later), but that's all thanks to my riding skills and experience. I was permanently struggling with KTM through the entire ride. It's a widow maker bike for sure - on this bike anyone can get killed at any moment because of the quirks of Super Adventure.
This bike also has it's strong sides like awesome suspensions, unbelievably smooth and precise gearbox, and good dashboard. But downsides (mentioned above) of this bike outweighs it's upsides by many times. That's why KTM 1290 Super Adventure S is really bad bike overall. It's good for nothing. Unlike the Ducati Multistrada V4 - which is good for almost everything.
@@Rex_Payne good for you buddy, whatever it takes to justify the asking price and extremely high maintenance bills. Here in the states we don’t have any roads with 125mph posted speed limits, so I’m not sure how I’d ever see those speeds even while passing in a 75 mph speed zone, but good for you, what’s your fuel economy at those speeds? Trying to find out how far you can go traveling at that velocity. I get 50 mpg in normal conditions but at WOT, I’m guessing around 18-24 mpg.. full tank would be gone way too fast for my budget lol! Enjoy riding fast, I’d recommend a bike designed for it though and Ducati does make sports bikes so you’re on the right track there.
@@Kwhopperfan, I don't think maintenance bills are going to be any lower on the KTM than on the Ducati. KTMs are known for having very bad reliability and a lot of issues. Just couple of weeks ago I've seen a series of videos here on the Tube where a guy bought a brand new 1290 SA S, and constantly had a problems with it. Which dealer could not fix (although they tried multiple times). So the guy finally returned the bike back to the dealer, and got his money back.
As I said, 1290 SA S is exceptionally bad at high speeds, but not only. It's uncomfortable at any speed, really. So there's just no point to buy that bike. But if you are looking for the inferior badly engineered motorcycle for a lot of money - than yeah: KTM 1290 Super Adventure S would be great pick!
On the Multistrada V4 S at an indicated top speed of 270 km/h indicated fuel consumption on a dashboard was 20 liters per 100 kilometers. I'm not saying go and buy Multistrada - there is other good adventure bikes on a market. BMW R1250GS, for example, is also good, and probably even better than Multistrada for sensible riding. But it's also very unreliable and expensive to maintain - just like all European and American motorcycles are.
And by the way, why are you choosing among 150+hp hi-end bikes when you're just looking for the inexpensive and fuel efficient ride? What is the point of paying a huge premium for the additional horsepowers that you'll never use? How about looking at a more affordable Japanese alternative? Japanese bike are hands down the best in terms of reliability, problem-free riding, and ownership cost. Africa Twins, for example, are great: dependable, comfortable, very versatile, reasonably priced, fuel efficient, and really good to ride. With your riding style what's the point looking any further? And if you for some reason don't want to buy a proper adventure bike with a 21/18-inch wheels, and want a more road-biased option with smaller wheels - Honda VFR1200X is still the best option for the probably most reliable and problem-free bike ever (although a bit obsolete and not up-to-date comparing with modern rivals).
Personally, I like riding fast but in a good comfort with a vertical sitting position, decent wind protection, low vibrations, plush suspensions, and ability to go offroad when needed. That's why hi-end adventure bikes are my #1 pick. And that's why I don't like sportbikes and other uncomfortable types of motorcycles: they're just not for me.
@@Rex_Payne yeah I bought an SAS and absolutely love it. Bought an exhaust for $200 and a windshield for $150. Amazing bike, took around the block after work ended up going 70 miles on the way home the long way. What a joy to ride, engine and suspension is absolutely awesome. Love it’s handling, gets up to 80 in a blink of an eye. Have an o ring and water pump cover on order for a little coolant drip.. $55. It’s a 2020. Great machine, we will see how it goes.. guys over here have 70k plus miles on em
@@Kwhopperfan, it's good that you like your motorcycle. But don't fool yourself into believing that "it's almost as good as the Multistrada V4": it isn't. Not even close!
Too tall too expensive,
Sounds great for a taller person and who's young an fit, and for those that wants to be a bit different from the BMW GS clan, for me cost of maintenance and the cost of buying one , I wouldn't think of buying one ,
Sales pitch, clear and simple...he is too afraid to criticize the bike. We all know nothing is perfect.
I had a Italian bike once! Enough said!
This isn't an Italian bike anymore, it's German - Ducati is owned by Audi.
The Rally is 30K US + Higher cost of ownership. I would never pick one of these over a 1290 SAS or even the R.
I owned a 2014 1190 S and then a 1290 Super Adventure. Both stayed at the dealership. Lots of problems. Currently own a 2021 duke 890 which has been fairly reliable. I'd definitely pick the multistrada.
I've owned the 990 s, 1090r and now the 1290r. Zero problems. None. Would always go with a ktm over a ducati. Mainly because the ducati's insane price...🫣
@Timo Joukkola I'm in the US. the multistrada rally I've configured on the website is going to run me 32k . Yeah, its a lot of money.
I'm in Finland. The base price for the Rally in here is 35t eur😵💫
KTM sucks! In 2021 I thoroughly tested both Ducati Multistrada V4 S and new KTM 1290 Super Adventure S, including taking them both to their top speeds, and a lot of high speed riding. Multistrada V4 is AWESOME: it's fast, very stable and maneuverable at any speeds, with great handling, comfortable, versatile, you name it. 1290 SA S, on the other hand, is completely the opposite. In short, 2021 KTM 1290 Super Adventure S is uncomfortable: bad sitting position with cramped legs, harsh seat, engine vibrations at any rpm, bad screen with poor wind protection and a lot of buffeting. Super Adventure is slow: it's ~20 km/h slower than it's direct competitor Multistrada V4 on the top speed, also KTM really starves on power above 200 km/h. But hands down the worst feature of this bike is how horribly unstable it is above 200 km/h - it's wobbles permanently. And that's in the bone stock form without any boxes - so I'm afraid to even think about how badly KTM will wobble with boxes. Yes, besides everything else, I also covered ~ 72 km in ~ 20 and a half minutes on the 1290 SA S (I'll release the footage later), but that's all thanks to my riding skills and experience. I was permanently struggling with KTM through the entire ride. It's a widow maker bike for sure - on this bike anyone can get killed at any moment because of the quirks of Super Adventure.
This bike also has it's strong sides like awesome suspensions, unbelievably smooth and precise gearbox, and good dashboard. But downsides (mentioned above) of this bike outweighs it's upsides by many times. That's why KTM 1290 Super Adventure S is really bad bike overall. It's good for nothing. Unlike the Ducati Multistrada V4 - which is good for almost everything.
Very nice bike but a ridiculous price.
Ktm is very close to this in hp. 160 hp.
On paper - yes. IRL - no. Not close at all by any means. I already explained it in details relying to the Scott C comment above.
I’m sure it rides wonderful, but it’s just too expensive and too fancy for off road.
You have to ride on fancy dirt.
30 grand...OUCH!!!
About the same as a Toyota Camry.
Goodday this thing about more HP can enybody explain this why do you need 170 HP on an adventure bike get a H2 the cost is only going up in this category
Because unlike you everyone doesn't ride like an old grandpa.
Because a ton of former sportbike riders want the same performance as their old bikes plus all day comfort AND off-road capability. My ktm 1190 is as fast my old old Honda vfr. The brand new adv bikes are probably as fast as a gsxr600-750cc sportbike.
cuz fun? It is a motorcycle, not a tax statement.
If Ducati want to take this to the next level it needs to add shaft drive
The next level of weight and inefficiency?
Another bragging rights motorcycle.
Starbucks warriors will love it. So will towing companies.
Brilliant tech but it's not a real off-road bike. Too big. Too heavy. Too much power. Too expensive. Just get a Ducati street bike and forget about the off-road fantasy.
The Multistrada is the 2 wheel equivalent of the $100,000 pickup truck. Too big, heavy, unreliable, and expensive to seriously consider. Just the prop for those who love bling. You know who you are. None of these behemoths are going Round the World.
I don’t want one at all, but it handles incredibly well, seems to be reliable(albeit not easy to work on due to layout). Low service intervals, great tech. I think the only area where this bike doesn’t hit the mark for its intended class is “value”, but I don’t think it was ever aimed at that.
My daughter pointed out that Ducati translated to English means "Broken". Lol
@@robertdean6084 shame she’s wrong but nice idea
I can agree. My gearbox went out at 6,700 miles on my 1260s (2019).😢
I disagree. You sound jealous, poor and bitter.
If you enjoy looking at Ducatis, buy one! Then you can enjoy looking at it behind the service department’s glass. Or parked in your garage.
Ouch - that comment leaves a mark.
How many Ducatis have you owned?
Lol, it appears you have never heard of KTM! They prefer to live at dealers even after you buy one.
@@seanlml 1 (…too many)
😂😂😂😂😂
You do not buy a Ducati when you want to be confident of getting from A to B.
If you want reliability you would choose a Honda; Africa Twin or the new Transalp 750 or a CRF300L.
You seriously don't know what you are talking about.
While Ducatis aren't inherently unreliable, it is basic mechanicals. A parallel twin engine with minimal electronics is likely going to be more reliable than a V4 with more tech than the average car.
Aside from the Big Four, rumors abound about the unreliability of other manufacturers. But, is there (are there?) reliable data to confirm the rumors? Personally, I had much more trouble with my BMW RT than any of my Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki bikes put together - but, I can’t generalize from my personal experience.
None of those bikes you mention can touch the performance of this one. There are loads of Ducati's that travel great distances, and a ton of KTM's that travel around the world. These aren't 1960's bikes. I'm often 500-1,000km's from any town, and I never have a problem.
Agree the Honda are very reliable and the new transalp looks a great bike , it will take sales away from the Africa twin I imagine. However newer ducatis seem to be pretty reliable and the v4 has a 4 year warranty and 60km valve checks. I had a 1290 ktm no issues with it and now have Multi v4 also no issues. The fuel consumption is better than most road testers seem to manage too!
Considering the rally model but without panniers
Four cylinders but most of the time You’ll be using only two of them???
It’s great you did this review, but I got to 5mins 45 secs and I can’t take any more. You obviously know your stuff, but you’re not a natural presenter. It’s too hard work. If MCN has a written review, I’ll read that. My suggestion is to gave some off camera notes until you learn to present more naturally. Too much sounds like waffle, sorry to say so, and I’m sure you’ll improve.
Interesting review, we’ll done but it’s nothing to look at and all these gadgets and gizmos- REALLY!!!
Too big,too heavy,too expensive,too much tech and poor real world range.
Who buys these quite useless motorcycles ? Can't park them anywhere or they get nicked or damaged .
Grasping at straws to find flaws? How about unreliability.....
It is?
What has been the problem with yours?
Hmmm, respectfully, I think we can take this relatively inexperienced MCN millenial's review with a pinch of salt.
Hmmm, I think you might want to check Michael’s off-road credentials…although he’ll be happy being called a millennial.
Respectfully, your comment is total trash. Wait...that wasn't respectful, because neither was yours.
It was a great review.
His off-road credentials hmmmm!!!