2016 EICMA Motorcycle Show: Ducati Multistrada 950 Breaks Cover

The Ducati Multistrada 1200 is among the best adventure tourer motorcycles on sale globally. I had ridden the motorcycle in Thailand and came back impressed, in fact the adventure bike in my opinion will rank highly in the list of performance motorcycles that make sense in India. But the Ducati Multistrada 1200 had two enemies – price and accessibility. The Multistrada 1200 was never an affordable motorcycle which somehow restricted the bikes reach among bikers. The second factor was that the sheer size of the machine made many prospective buyers nervous. To address the above shortcoming Ducati showcased the new Multistrada 950 in Italy.

As the name suggests, the new motorcycle gets smaller motor. The Ducati Multistrada 950 is powered by the 937cc liquid-cooled Testastretta L-twin as seen on the Hypermotard 939. Power figures for the new motorcycle has been rated at 115PS and 96Nm of peak torque while the mill is also Euro 4 emission norm compliant. Service interval for the powerplant is set at almost 14,500km or one year. The styling of the Ducati Hypermotard 950 is similar to its elder sibling, the only difference being double sided swingarm and the smaller dimensions. The Italian bikemaker hasn’t skimped on electronic aids as the adventure tourer gets equipped with four riding modes (Touring, Sport, Urban and Enduro), Ducati Safety Pack, which includes the latest Bosch 9.1 MP ABS with 3-level adjustment and 8-level Ducati Traction Control. The above system can also be completely customised by the rider. 

The systems apply different intervention levels depending on the selected Riding Mode; and owners can personalise them to their own preferences, too. The Multistrada 950 rides on 19-inch front alloy and 17-inch dia wheel at the back which have been shod with dual purpose Pirelli Scorpion Trail II tyres that are suitable for the tarmac as well as off-road surface. . The instrument console is an all-digital LCD unit that has been loaded to the brim with data. Seat height is high though at 840mm and saddle height isn’t adjustable.

The 48mm dia USD front forks are pre-load adjustable along with hydraulic compression and rebound damping. At the rear, an adjustable Sachs monoshock does duty. Braking prowess is provided by Brembo M4.32 monobloc radial calipers biting on dual 320 mm discs up front, matched to a 265mm disc and floating Brembo caliper at the rear. ABS is standard and is adjustable along with a special off-road setting. The new Ducati Multistrada 950 will be offered in two variants – standard and the Touring Pack version. The new adventure bike will rival the likes of the Triumph Tiger, Honda Africa Twin, Kawasaki Versys 1000 and Suzuki V-Strom.