2021 · Adventure · Buyer's Guide
One Hundred Sixty-Eight Horses, Zero Drama
Ducati built this Multistrada around the Granturismo V4, a liquid-cooled 90-degree four running conventional valve springs. It makes 170 hp at 10,750 rpm and 91 lb-ft at 9,000 rpm from 1158 cc, and those numbers undersell how civil the engine is below half throttle. The rest of the machine follows the same logic. A 19-inch front wheel, 8.7 in (220 mm) of ground clearance, electronically managed suspension, cornering ABS, traction and wheelie control, plus a TFT with navigation built in. This sits at the fast, expensive end of the adventure class, and it is aimed squarely at covering paved distance.
It behaves like a big, well-damped touring bike that happens to be quick. At 529 lb (240 kg) wet the weight is real when you are pushing it around the garage, and the 33.1 in (840 mm) seat asks for some inseam, though the height adjusts and so does the screen. A 5.8 gal (22 L) tank at 36 mpg puts a 200-mile leg comfortably in reach. Buy it for high-speed pavement, mountain passes and gravel access roads. The honest caveat: 6.7 in of front travel and 7.1 in at the rear is touring-grade suspension, not dirt-bike travel, and early builds need their service history read carefully.
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) |
| Fuel economy | 36 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Connectivity
Drivetrain
Lighting
Safety
The first thing that registers is the noise. The V4 spins up with a hard metallic edge near the top of its range and drops to a low, busy hum at cruise, and it never sounds like the twin most people still associate with the badge. The riding position is upright and genuinely roomy, wide bars, knees at an easy angle, feet under you rather than out front. Set the screen where you want it and the air goes over your shoulders instead of drumming on your helmet. At real road pace the bike gets smaller around you. It stays flat over crested pavement, absorbs broken tarmac without slapping your wrists, and holds a line through long sweepers with your hands doing very little work. Two hours in, nothing aches and nothing has demanded your attention.
This section isn't my test ride. It's what has come back to me over the years from riders themselves: conversations in paddocks and parking lots, owners talking at club nights, and the messages and emails that land in my inbox after someone has lived with a bike for a season. On the Multistrada V4 the chatter is unusually consistent. Riders talk about the engine and the long-haul comfort first, and the reservations they raise are narrow and specific.
The engine dominates what riders say. They describe it as smooth and turbine-like, easy to manage at low speeds and genuinely quick when they open it up. Close behind comes the chassis: owners repeatedly note how light and direct the bike feels for its size, with steering that inspires confidence on twisty roads, and they credit the cornering ABS, traction control, wheelie control and ride modes for how settled it stays. Comfort is the other constant. The commanding riding position, the plush seat and the adjustable screen come up again and again from people doing all-day distance, several of them singling out how calm and quiet it stays at highway speed.
Not everyone loves the low-rev character. A recurring note is that the V4 feels subdued and short on personality when cruising at low rpm. Price comes up just as often, with riders placing it clearly above the competition. A smaller number mention the mirrors getting in the way when standing on the pegs off-road.
Valve guide manufacturing defect (recall)
A batch of valve guides from one supplier exhibited excessive wear, leading to potential valve head breakage and engine failure. Affected units had engines replaced under NHTSA recall 21V-212.
Fuel level sender failure
Some owners have reported fuel sender units going bad, leading to inaccurate fuel level readings. Ducati replaced them 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.
It will get you to the trailhead fast and in comfort, but slickrock, sand and rocky step-ups are not its ground. At 529 lb with 6.7 in of front travel, take something lighter for the hard stuff.
Made for Bar M / Kane Creek · Imperial Sand Dunes · Johnson Valley OHV Area
This is your bike. Big days on Highway 1 or the Blue Ridge at real pace, an upright seat you can live in, weather kept off you, and enough clearance for a gravel detour.
Made for Black Hills · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
It covers the miles two-up or loaded, with a 200-mile tank and adjustable seat and screen. Budget for the extras though: luggage, cruise control and heated grips are options, not standard.
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 · 2018–2020
Italian Muscle, Digital Backbone
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.
