2019 · Adventure · Buyer's Guide
Italian Muscle, Full Travel
This is Ducati's answer to a bike you can point at a continent. The 1262 cc L-twin makes 158 hp and 94 lb-ft, and the delivery is shaped so the low and midrange handle the everyday work while the top end stays genuinely fast. Around it sits a 19-inch front wheel, a 7.9-gallon (30 L) tank, Ducati Skyhook Suspension, and a full electronics package: cornering ABS, traction control, wheelie control, ride modes, Ducati Ride-by-Wire Power Modes, Ducati Quick Shift up and down, cruise control, keyless, TFT. It is the premium end of the big-adventure class, and it looks the part in a way few rivals manage.
On the road it behaves like a fast tourer that happens to carry real ground clearance, 8.1 inches (205 mm) of it, with a 62.6-inch wheelbase that keeps things calm when the tank is full and the bike is loaded. It suits riders who cover distance and want dirt roads on the route, not riders chasing a light off-road machine. Be honest about the numbers first. Seat height is 33.9 inches, wet weight is 560 pounds, and suspension travel is 7.3 inches at each end, which is modest for a bike that looks this serious about dirt. Luggage and heated grips are options, not standard.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 158 hp (116 kW) @ 9,500 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 94 lb-ft (127 Nm) @ 7,500 rpm |
| Displacement | 1262 cc |
| Engine | L-twin |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front brake | 320 mm |
| Front tire | 120/70-19 |
| Rear tire | 170/60-17 |
| Wheelbase | 62.6 in (1590 mm) |
| Ground clearance | 8.1 in (205 mm) |
| Front travel | 7.3 in (185 mm) |
| Rear travel | 7.3 in (185 mm) |
| Seat height | 33.9 in (860 mm) |
| Wet weight | 560 lb (254 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 7.9 gal (30 L) |
| Fuel economy | 43 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Connectivity
Drivetrain
Lighting
Safety
This one comes from years of listening rather than riding: paddock talk, gas-stop conversations, club nights, and the messages riders send Nils directly. The pattern is steady. Owners speak warmly about the engine and the long days, then get careful when the subject turns to low speed.
The motor leads almost every conversation. Riders describe a chesty pull that makes overtakes and long uphill drags feel like nothing, and they say it sets the character of the whole bike. The rider aids come up nearly as often, credited with making a big machine feel manageable to people new to adventure riding. Comfort is the third theme: owners regularly report 300-plus mile days without feeling wrung out.
Low speed is where the praise stops. A recurring complaint is how much the bike asks of you in a parking lot or pushing it uphill, with tight maneuvers described as physical work. Smaller gripes surface less often. A few riders find the pegs touch down earlier than expected in fast corners, and some who ordered the aluminum panniers say a gentle tip-over dents them badly, with replacements costing real money.
Oil cooler may leak – safety recall 19V‑825
NHTSA campaign 19V‑825: the oil cooler on certain 2019 Multistrada 1260 models (including Enduro) can develop a leak, potentially causing oil to spray onto the rear tyre. Dealers replace the cooler free of charge.
Ignition coil failure at very low mileage
At least one owner experienced a complete coil failure at 670 miles, leaving the bike stranded. While unusual, it suggests a potential quality‑control weakness in the ignition components.
Fuel level sensor failure
The fuel level sender can give incorrect readings or fail entirely. Warranty replacement has been reported on several Multistrada 1260 variants, including the Enduro.
Engine casing paint wearing off prematurely
The silver paint on the clutch and alternator covers can rub away after very low mileage (under 1000 miles) where the rider’s boots or trousers contact the finish. Reported on a new 2019 bike.
Where this Ducati Multistrada 1260 Enduro pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Multistrada 1260 Enduro is actually built for.
This is where the bike makes the most sense. Deep torque for back-road overtakes, Skyhook smoothing bad pavement, and a tank that turns a 300-mile day into a single fuel stop.
Made for Black Hills · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
Built for exactly this. Nearly 8 gallons, 43 mpg, cruise control and an upright seat let Beartooth and Going-to-the-Sun happen in big calm chunks instead of short hops.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.
Previous generation · 2016–2019
Italian Twin, Built Rough
Compare to the previous model →If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Ducati Multistrada 1260 Enduro. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
