A_R_R_2015_04

60 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

STORY: MICK MATHESON

PHOTOS: ARR ARCHIVE

T

his is not a moment I’ve

been looking forward to.

I’m about to head to Fraser’s

Motorcycles to return the

Multistrada a er a year’s “ownership”.

Losing it will be a bit of wrench because,

against my professional will, I’ve fallen

for the Ducati. It has been an ideal

companion for 12 months and thousands

of kilometres, over which I’ve learned

just how brilliantly conceived and

executed this real all-rounder is.

It’s not an Italian thoroughbred, it’s

an Italian stockhorse. Thoroughbreds

are silly things, but stockhorses are fi ne,

strong beasts. More than any other Ducati,

and more than the vast majority of other

motorcycles, the Multistrada is the best

of everything. In Granturismo form, it’s a

genuine touring bike, a real sportsbike and

a proper all-roader all at once.

On the eve of the arrival of the

updated 2015 model, with its variable

valve timing and other upgrades, it’s

time to review the Multistrada a er its

long-term test.

First, let’s get to the elephant in this

room. The Ducati’s complex electronics

did suff er a couple of glitches, but

glitches is all they were and nothing

failed. The bike never broke down,

the rider’s aids worked fl awlessly and

the Skyhook semi-active suspension

behaved superbly. Once I had to wait

while the ignition mysteriously refused

to respond to my eff orts on the starter

switch, but then suddenly all was right

again. The le indicator continues

to frequently activate the hazard

lights, which I’m told is a fl aw in the

programming, and the neutral sensor

system isn’t working properly, probably

because there’s grit in the sidestand

switch, but I haven’t confi rmed that as

pumpkin time looms over the bike.

A coolant weep needed a ention

but there’s nothing in the bike’s year-

long life so far that has made me think

Ducati isn’t on the ball with build

quality and design. As a result, I’ve been

able to immerse myself in the Multi’s

rich a ributes. At least, I could once

I was also immersing myself in the

plush a ributes of a Cruis’n Comfort

sheepskin seat cover because the

MULTI-TALENTED

What happens to a

Ducati Multistrada

during a year and

16,000km?

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