2023 Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally first ride: Adding dirt to the strada

The bike in question is the Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally. Although this is a tried-and-true motorcycle with a strong heritage, this was my first Multistrada experience after years of hearing tales of this motorcycle. Leading with "It's fantastic" would be a big spoiler for the rest of this writeup, but it's all I could repeat in my head when we'd get the brief opportunity to click up a couple of gears and carve the tree-lined country roads that guide you north from Durango, Colorado.

The Multistrada has earned a reputation for its ability to provide the thrill of a sport bike while maintaining the comfort of a sport-tourer. And the Rally is expected to take those attributes to a whole new level by adding a healthy dose of dirt DNA into this popular platform. Although the dirt segment of our ride was long in our future, the notion that this bike possesses as much spirited performance as it does agreeable comfort was already being confirmed as we began our excursion into the San Juan Mountain Range.

Our route was one that I am quite familiar with. I'm fortunate to call southwestern Colorado the far corner of my backyard, and our route crossed a zone that even the most seasoned Colorado rider is bound to get excited about. Thanks to its diverse landscape from arid desert to high-elevation peaks and plateaus, it is arguably the best region of the state to ride a motorcycle, or dare I say, the best region of the lower 48 to ride a motorcycle. My bias for Colorado may be poking through here but the point being, if you haven't experienced southwestern Colorado on an adventure bike, I'd recommend putting it high up on your list. Then you can tell me if I'm embellishing.

The core ethos of the Multistrada is a bike that can do all. Or, as Ducati would phrase it: Unlock Earth. To begin this unlocking process, we climbed the infamous 550 Highway, otherwise known as the Million Dollar Highway, which most notably runs from Durango to Ouray by way of Silverton. Endless dirt trails criss-cross this region, which we would eventually get to, but this first session would be a romp up and down the twisty asphalt that cuts through these majestic mountains.

The Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally on the road

Upon departure, we agreed we would follow a "brisk" pace on our ride. The group seemed to take rapid assessment of the skillset of our crew and that brisk pace turned into some sporty flogs up the summit of Molas Pass. A testament that even at elevation, this V4 can really sing when you give it the berries. Before long the speedometer would click to three digits and it was one of those moments where you're somewhat shocked to see what you're reading. Despite being starved for oxygen at 11,000 feet, a grip of throttle in sport mode will awaken all 170 horses the Multistrada is packing in its V4 Granturismo Evo motor. The Rally was building power with ease and had plenty more to give.

The Multistrada comes suspended with fully electronic, Skyhook suspension with 7.8 inches of front and rear travel. A quick flick of the rider's left thumb will toggle selections that are then affirmed within the 6.5-inch dash, allowing custom suspension settings for the conditions that best suit the riding experience. Riders have the option to fine tune this even further by selecting whether they are carrying a passenger, luggage, or both, allowing the Multistrada to compensate for the added weight and keep the bike balanced. Having pre-chosen sport mode for the twisties, the suspension stiffens up in preparation for the force that it could encounter in a corner.

Tipping the scales at 573 pounds wet, the Rally is a heavy machine on the scale, but it feels light and free when in motion, largely thanks to its counter-rotating crankshaft derived from the Ducati MotoGP engine, its balanced weight distribution, and the aforementioned dynamic suspension.

Standing at a modest five feet, seven inches tall, I happily entertained the opportunity to test the multiple seat options that Ducati offers. To be exact, four different seats (high, standard, low, ultra low) and three positions (low, mid, high) for each seat. The Multistrada is a proper big adventure bike and I will take all the help I can get in the standover height department. I started out with the low seat, in the low position. This gets the rider roughly an inch and a half inches closer to the ground. Since I was just getting to know this beast of a machine, I figured I'd start there. The seat option did give me a noticeable amount of surefooted assistance at slow speeds in town, but as you might assume, it creates a contradiction in the cockpit.

Once at speed, I felt as if I was riding inside the Multistrada rather than on top of the bike. The riding position is a compromise that could be accepted by shorter riders who prioritize flat-footing over ergonomics. I opted to switch back to the standard seat in the low position, which still gave me some advantageous standover height, but more importantly, put me in a more favorable seating position when my feet were on the pegs.

The assistance for riders with short inseams does not end with the plethora of seat heights. The intelligent Skyhook suspension I mentioned earlier also features a "minimum preload function" that electronically removes spring preload and essentially lowers the motorcycle when coming to a stop.

We were never far enough from a gas station to stress about range, but the 7.9-gallon aluminum fuel tank should deliver well over 250 miles of riding, so long as you're not wringing the bike's neck in Sport mode. If you were to find yourself in a situation that made fuel consumption a concern, one appealing feature of the V4 Rally is its ability to deactivate its rear cylinders to decrease fuel consumption and reduce heat when running below 4,500 rpm.

Exiting the San Juans into the vast open stretches of state highway north of Ouray, we had an opportunity to let the bike stretch its legs. I opted to switch the Rally over to Touring mode for this portion, converting the throttle from "dynamic" to "smooth" and activating some of the rider aids that the Multistrada offers. Blind spot detection and adaptive cruise control are features that even my four-wheel hooptie is lacking. But surprise, surprise, the Ducati has them. The small indicators that light up the side mirrors when a vehicle or fellow rider is at your rear quarter became extremely helpful especially when hitting traffic sections in town and busy two-lane passing areas, allowing me to keep my gaze forward and focused on what is ahead, rather than behind.

As we came to a stop, a fellow journalist pointed out the vehicle hold control feature, which does away with the need to squeeze the front brake lever or keep a foot on the peg when stopped on a slope. A squeeze of the brake lever will hold the brakes until further acceleration or braking takes place.

When these rider aid features were explained to me, I shrugged them off as unnecessary bells and whistles that ultimately make motorcycles feel like soulless automobiles. I'm not too proud to admit when I'm wrong, though. And I was wrong about many of these features. No matter how skeptical I initially was toward some of these creature comforts, they admittedly set a high standard for the bike. And once you experience them, it's hard to imagine not having them.

The first 24 hours with the bike was a master class in understanding the feel of this machine. The Multistrada holds true to its pedigree by being an excellent performer on the pavement, that much was evident. But, I'm here for the dirt. And it turns out, so is the Multistrada.

Riding the Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally in the dirt

Significant evening precipitation in the town of Telluride offered a crisp morning to start our next ride day. We would zigzag 200-plus miles over several high mountain passes in an effort to put the Rally in some rougher, more challenging terrain. A flick of the joystick put me into Enduro mode, a setting that reduces horsepower to 114, dials back the traction control and ABS functionality, and softens the suspension. Traction control is a helpful feature in the moderate dirt scenarios like loose gravel and non-technical hill climbs, but I still favored it to be turned completely off when the terrain turned nasty. Even in Enduro mode, the Multistrada still has bottomless power, but is less likely to get you into a dangerous situation if you grab too much throttle. If you do, and it comes time to stop, Ducati knows that riders will favor a standing position when in the dirt, and has fitted the rear brake pedal with a high setting so you're not reaching for the pedal when trying to slow down.

The Rally comes fitted with Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tires, an on/off-road touring tire that is plenty fine for moderate dirt use, mounted to the 19-inch front and 17-inch rear spoked wheels that provide an overall weight seven pounds less than the V4 S spoked wheels. I thought I would have some criticisms for the 19-inch front wheel, but it turns out I hardly noticed that being a flaw, even in the dirt. There were a few instances on loose gravel, when speeds were spirited, that I would feel the front wheel push ever so slightly. But overall, the front end feels nimble without feeling nervous and delivers plenty of traction to inspire confidence, even when dancing over chunky, loose, rocky terrain, which Cinnamon Pass serves in unlimited quantities.

The Multistrada should by no means be considered a dirt bike, but I'll be damned, it sure acted like it on occasions. Off road, the Rally feels much more free and nimble than the scale would suggest. I'd assign a fair share of that to that Skyhook suspension for swallowing up the rough stuff, but there are plenty of complementary characteristics playing in concert on this motorcycle. From time to time, I would get a little arrogant with my pace in the technical bits of off-camber trail and the Multistrada would remind me that despite its playful nature, it is still a big machine that demands respect and attention.

The descent down the backside of Cinnamon Pass felt more like a downhill mountain bike race than an ADV ride. A few of us decided to break for it and let our bikes fly down from the 12,620-foot summit. It was here that I was searching for some type of limit on the Rally but it just kept asking for more. Barreling over the chunky embedded and loose rock at a pace over 50 mph should be enough to warrant a squeeze of the brake lever, but the Rally didn't feel fazed. Sure, the suspension felt soft and there was the occasional ping off of the skid plate, but by no means did the bike feel like it was out of sorts. It just continued to track straight through the chunk all the way into the wide open gravel that leads into the picturesque town of Silverton.

The charm of these multi-day mountain rides is that you never truly know what you're in for. And we got it all on this one: rain, snow, heat, cold, bike cartwheels, and, unfortunately, some broken bones. As unfortunate as the latter can be, it is all part of the range of possibilities in a proper adventure ride. As I swung my leg off the bike, I noticed a fair bit of red paint worn into the fabric of my riding pants from where I was squeezing the frame. It was an indication that we executed the Rally's mantra and some earth had indeed been unlocked, and that little bit of red was a visual reminder of that.

With reluctance, I acknowledged that this was the inevitable end of our 48-hour adventure. The moment was fast approaching when I would have to surrender the Multistrada to the hands of the Ducati team. They would meticulously cleanse the chassis, erasing every trace of the dirt and grime that had accumulated along our ride. A small bit of melancholy washed over me. This machine had become an extension of myself, providing a level of fun that felt like I could press on, living another two months out of the panniers.

At a price point of $30,595 (as tested), one should expect nothing less than that level of inspiration. These motorcycles are far from budget-friendly, but I can confidently say that the price tag is justified by the multitude of features and capabilities that the Rally offers. My experience revealed that this bike truly surpasses expectations, leaving little room for disappointment.

The next time I am asked to suggest a do-all bike that could go as comfortably on long stretches of open tarmac as it could pick its way up a chunky, first-gear rock climb, the Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally is now a bike that sits quite high atop my short list.

2023 Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally
Price (MSRP)	$29,995
Engine	1,158 cc, liquid-cooled, 16-valve, V-four
Transmission, final drive	Six-speed, chain
Claimed horsepower	170 @ 10,500 rpm
Claimed torque	92 foot-pounds @ 8,750 rpm
Frame	Aluminum monocoque
Front suspension	Marzocchi 50 mm fork, adjustable for spring preload, electronically adjustable compression and rebound damping; 7.9 inches  of travel
Rear suspension	Marzocchi monoshock, electronically adjustable for spring preload, compression and rebound damping; 7.9 inches of travel
Front brake	Brembo Stylema four-piston calipers, 330 mm discs with ABS
Rear brake	Brembo two-piston caliper, 265 mm disc with ABS
Rake, trail	24.7 degrees, 4.15 inches
Wheelbase	61.9 inches
Seat height	34.3 to 35.0 inches (adjustable) With accessories, 31.7 to 35.6 inches
Fuel capacity	7.9 gallons
Tires	Pirelli Scorpion Trail II 120/70ZR19 front, 170/60ZR17 rear
Measured weight	573 pounds
Available	Now
Warranty	24 months, optional 48-month extended warranty
More info	ducati.com