A_R_R_2015_04

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 65

LONG-TERM DUCATI MULTISTRADA

off the TC but wasn’t really tempted to

bother. Di o the ABS.

Oh, the loud clack of the forks

topping out on rough roads? I haven’t

mentioned that all year because even

though it happens o en, the earplugs I

always wear drowned it out. The noise

is a result of the design and cannot be

stopped, but no harm is being done and

if you can’t hear it, who cares? I didn’t.

Without this 12-month test I

don’t think I would ever have fully

appreciated how beautifully the

Multistrada lives up to its name. It takes

more than a road-tester’s typical week or

two doing maybe a couple of thousand

kays to fully understand the breadth

of this bike’s performance. The more I

knew, the more it grew on me. In fact,

I enjoyed it most of all on the very last

long ride I took it on, more even than the

fi rst fun fl ing when I was fi lled with the

novel joy of having it all to myself.

By the end I was really making the

most of it. I took more detours and

didn’t hesitate when the road surface

changed, just pressed the bu on to

switch modes and hooked in.

Every Multistrada owner I’ve spoken

with has been stoked by their bike. I

am not surprised. I can see why it has

won over many former BMW owners

(and why BMW has built the new

S1000XR). Buy this model second-hand

or buy the new 2015 model, which

promises to be be er still, but either

way you’ll be seriously impressed. It’s

not a Panigale, it’s not a Goldwing, it’s

not an Adventure, but the Multistrada

Granturismo fi lls the vast triangle

formed by all three and therefore fulfi ls

the desires of anyone who wants the

ultimate, classy, do-it-all bike.

THE GT EDGE

Ducati added a number of

components to create the

Granturismo, the Multistrada’s top-

spec model. They make it a more

robust and tour-ready motorcycle.

Most obviously, the top box adds

valuable luggage space. I rarely

removed it, even though a single

turn of the key and press of a button

releases it from its mounts. Whenever

I travelled, I usually had a laptop and

camera in my load so the third hard

case was invaluable for space as well

as security.

I very much liked the handlebar

risers that give the GT a more upright

riding position. That’s personal

preference, of course, but in my case

it balanced my body in an excellent

possie that I could maintain all

day; the lower bars on the Touring

model would eventually leave a knot

between my shoulder blades.

The fog lights were good in

the fog, where they’re bright

enough to make you visible from

a greater distance.

A Multi-owning mate, Ross,

described the GT as ugly, mainly

because of its crashbars. But when

one of my P-plating daughters

knocked his Ducati over (arrgh!),

the damage was much greater

than when a freak squall knocked

over the Granturismo (arrrgh!). The

crashbars worked.

For me, doing the miles I do, opting

up to the Granturismo is a no-brainer.

“It’s not a Panigale, it’s not a Goldwing, it’s not an Adventure,

but the Multistrada Granturismo fills the vast triangle

formed by all three and therefore fulfils the desires of

anyone who wants the ultimate, classy, do-it-all bike”

ARR112_060-067_Long Termers.indd 65ARR112_060-067_Long Termers.indd 65 2/5/2015 11:49:22 AM2/5/2015 11:49:22 AM