2021 · Adventure · A variant of the Multistrada V4
Differences between the standard Multistrada V4 and the S
Four Cylinders, Zero Excuses
The Multistrada V4 S runs a liquid-cooled 1158 cc V4 making 170 hp and 91 lb-ft, hung in an aluminum perimeter frame and rolling on a 19-inch front wheel that earns it a genuine place in the adventure class. This is Ducati's technology flagship: Skyhook semi-active suspension, front and rear radar feeding adaptive cruise and blind-spot detection, and a full ride-by-wire electronics package. It's built to cover ground, pulling hard down low and carrying all the way to a 160 mph top end, yet staying smooth and civil at everyday pace.
Ride it and the polish shows. The engine is refined, the chassis is sharp, and the suspension does real work reading load to keep the front composed. It suits the rider who wants one machine for long highway days, loaded two-up touring, and spirited backroad work, with the electronics to make all three low-effort. The honest caveat: this V4 has power without personality, and 36 mpg turns fuel stops into a planning variable on something billed as long-haul. Early 2021 bikes were also caught by the NHTSA valve-guide recall (21V-212), so buy with the service history in hand.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 170 hp (125 kW) @ 10,750 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 91 lb-ft (124 Nm) @ 9,000 rpm |
| Displacement | 1158 cc |
| Engine | V4 |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Front tire | 120/70-19 |
| Rear tire | 170/60-17 |
| Ground clearance | 8.7 in (220 mm) |
| Front travel | 6.7 in (170 mm) |
| Rear travel | 7.1 in (180 mm) |
| Seat height | 33.1 in (840 mm) |
| Wet weight | 529 lb (240 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 5.8 gal (22 L) |
| Top speed | 160 mph (257 km/h) |
| Fuel economy | 36 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Connectivity
Drivetrain
Lighting
Safety
The named systems that set this bike apart — and what each one does for you.
Fueling
Rider aids
Settle into the 33.1-inch saddle and the first thing you notice is how quiet it is. Through most of the rev range vibration stays low and mechanical noise fades into the background; wind it into the upper reaches and the character turns harder and more metallic under your hands. The quickshifter is seamless in both directions, precise enough that you stop thinking about it. On the highway the radar cruise genuinely earns its keep, managing gaps on its own while your hands stay relaxed on the bars, though it reads nothing from the sides, so situational awareness still has to come from you. The one daily irritation: firing up the heated grips means a button press and a joystick dig through a display menu, which gets old at a cold gas stop.
The Multistrada V4 S (MY2021-S) builds on the standard Multistrada V4: the upgraded hardware, the key spec changes and where its character shifts. The full ride, specs, scoring and verdict are all right here on this page.
Equipment the S adds vs the standard Multistrada V4
My own 0–100 score for this bike against the class, area by area — the marker on each bar is the class average.
The engine's reward is revs. Wind it out and the response comes back instant and exact, logical all the way to the top with no flat spots and no drama, and it plainly wants me to keep it spinning. It's just as dependable at the other end of the bargain: roll off mid-corner or pin it on exit and there's no jerk off a shut throttle, no surge as load piles on. I always know exactly what comes next.
What sells me on this chassis is how little it asks of me. I aim it into a bend and it goes, holding a line with a composure that comes from the geometry, not a computer stepping in. Lean it hard and the fork keeps talking to me, telling me how much grip is left to spend. Some of that steadiness is the suspension sensing how heavily it's loaded and correcting for it, so the front stays planted at entry whether I'm solo or packed heavy.
Where this bike truly impresses me is a fast, technical set of corners, the kind that exposes a machine fighting itself. Here the motor and chassis move like one instrument: power delivery, lean angle, and the way it settles all line up, so finding the right arc feels close to automatic. What it won't hand me is soul. The V4 is clean, clinical, and superb at the job, yet it stays mute on character, and anyone chasing Ducati theater should know it isn't in here.
On a long day the refinement is what stays with me. Vibration and mechanical racket sit far enough in the background that I can rack up hours without the bike wearing on me, though the top of the tach trades that calm for a harder edge. Gear changes stay effortless in both directions and quietly fall out of my attention. My one gripe is warming my hands: a simple job buried in button-and-joystick menu work that grates on a cold morning.
Here's my one real reservation from the saddle. This bike invites a pace, and ridden the way it wants to be ridden it goes through fuel quickly enough that the next stop turns into something I actively plan around. Even keeping a deliberate lid on my right wrist, the appetite runs high for a machine that pitches itself on long-haul distance. On a genuine tour that range arithmetic isn't a footnote; it shapes how I'd break up the day.
I climbed on expecting to dislike the radar cruise and stepped off convinced. On the highway it minds the gap for me, rolling on, easing back, braking when the car ahead does, while my hands stay loose and my focus stays on the road unspooling ahead. The honest limit is its tunnel vision: it reads forward and nothing off to the flanks, so a vehicle sliding in beside me never registers. It lightens the workload, but policing my surroundings is still on me.
I've spent years gathering what owners actually say about this bike: long threads, conversations in the paddock, chats with riders who own one, and the steady stream of emails and messages that land in my inbox. Pull all of it together and one pattern holds. Riders trust this machine to cover serious distance and praise its comfort, its handling, and the depth of its technology, with weight and price the reservations that keep coming back.
The praise that comes up most often is how complete the package feels for real distance. Riders point to a commanding, upright position and a calm pocket of air behind the screen that keeps wind noise and buffeting down at highway speed, with a plush, heated seat that lets them rack up hours without fatigue. The chassis earns the same trust: for a machine this size it turns with a lightness owners don't expect, and it stays composed even on cold, wet roads. Sitting over all of it is the electronics package, which riders rank at the top of the class. Cornering lights, cornering ABS, traction and wheelie control, and configurable rider modes give them a safety net they come to rely on, while the V4 stays smooth and easy at low speed and pulls hard once the revs climb.
The reservations are just as consistent. The biggest is weight: at a claimed 529 lb (240 kg) wet, riders find it a handful to wheel around by hand, and the bulk makes itself known at walking pace. Cost is the next one, since a fully loaded example lands among the most expensive bikes in the class. A smaller group notes heavy engine braking at low speed that turns intrusive when they roll on and off the throttle in town or through tight corners. And one off-road gripe surfaces now and then: the stock mirrors sit poorly for standing on the pegs and block the view.
Engine valve guide recall (NHTSA 21V-212)
A supplier defect in valve guides of certain early-production 2021 V4 S models led to excessive wear and potential valve head breakage, causing loss of power and engine stall. Ducati issued a full engine replacement recall for 129 units.
Fuel level sender failure
Isolated reports of the fuel level sender failing, causing inaccurate fuel readings. Typically replaced under warranty.
Water pump leaks
Early examples suffered from water pump seal failures at low mileage, causing coolant leaks and potential overheating.
Rear wheel bearing corrosion
OEM Chinese bearings in the rear wheel corrode prematurely, leading to stiffness and noise; replacement with higher-quality bearings resolves the issue.
Engine vibration
Some riders report an unnatural high-frequency vibration at certain RPMs, possibly from loose mounts or imbalanced components, distinct from the normal V4 character.
Where this Ducati Multistrada V4 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 V4 is actually built for.
Be honest with yourself here: at 529 lb with road-biased travel, this is a lot of motorcycle for slickrock and sand. It reaches the trailhead in real comfort, but the technical stuff wants something lighter.
Made for Moab · Bar M / Kane Creek · Imperial Sand Dunes
This is your bike. Comfort for the long day, a chassis that flows through Blue Ridge sweepers, and 170 hp when the road opens up. Refined and composed, happy linking scenery to corners all day.
Made for Highway 1 / Big Sur · Black Hills · Blue Ridge Parkway
Built for the big routes: composed two-up, self-leveling suspension for a loaded bike, and radar cruise that carries the highway miles. Just plan around 36 mpg on the long empty stretches.
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 · 2018
Italian Soul, Sport-Touring Muscle
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 V4. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
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