2026 · Adventure · Buyer's Guide
The Sport Tourer That Snaps
The Multistrada V4 Rally is the long-range model of Ducati's V4 adventure line, and it doesn't go soft to get there. The 1158 cc Granturismo V4 makes 170 hp and 91 lb-ft. It sits in an aluminum monocoque frame on a 19-inch front wheel, with 7.9 in (200 mm) of semi-active travel at each end and a 7.9 gal (30 L) tank to cover real distance between stops. The standard kit is extensive: cornering ABS, traction and wheelie control, ride modes, an up-and-down quickshifter, adaptive cruise control, keyless ignition, heated grips, TPMS and a center stand. This is a heavy, well-equipped travel machine that still wants to be ridden hard.
What sets this generation apart is that it doesn't make you choose. A sporty edge, approachable manners and real long-haul comfort usually pull against each other on one platform, and here they sit together. It suits the experienced rider who covers big miles and still wants a bike that wakes up when the road tightens. The caveats are practical. At 529 lb (240 kg) with a 34.3 in (870 mm) seat, it's a lot of motorcycle. The menus take real study, and phone integration still lacks Apple CarPlay. For ownership, keep a battery tender on it, because the stock battery tends to fade early.
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 |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front brake | 330 mm |
| Front tire | 120/70-19 |
| Rear tire | 170/60-17 |
| Front travel | 7.9 in (200 mm) |
| Rear travel | 7.9 in (200 mm) |
| Seat height | 34.3 in (870 mm) |
| Wet weight | 529 lb (240 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 7.9 gal (30 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Connectivity
Drivetrain
Lighting
Safety
You notice the size before you notice anything else. The seat sits tall at 34.3 in, and the big tank fills the space in front of your knees, so the first few minutes feel like you're steering a proper long-haul tourer. That idea doesn't last. A few miles in, the bike feels alert under you in a way you don't expect from something this big. It changes direction with a snap, and the motor pulls willingly when you let it rev. At an ordinary back-road pace it feels light on its feet, and you catch yourself riding it like a much smaller bike. Your thumbs stay busy early on, too, clicking through modes and presets on the TFT while you work out where everything lives. When you stop, you walk a slow circle around it and have to remind yourself this is the travel model.
My own 0–100 score for this bike against the class, area by area — the marker on each bar is the class average.
On a tight, technical road I expected that tall fuel load to argue with me. It doesn't. I can run one long smooth arc or commit to a sharper line halfway through a sequence, and the bike goes where I put it without any complaint from the chassis. The semi-active damping does a lot of that work quietly, reading the load as I move from hard entry to hard drive, so it never feels like the setup is hunting for an answer.
By the third warm-up lap I had stopped thinking of this as a big touring machine. It carries an alertness that something built for crossing time zones has no obligation to have, and it holds onto that attitude as the pace climbs rather than quietly asking me to settle down. I stepped off, walked a slow circle around it, and genuinely had to remind myself which version of this family I had just been riding.
Most of my riding happens below the revs where a V4 gets loud about itself, and that is exactly where the Granturismo earns its keep. Rolling through a long bend, deep in a brake zone, trail-braking all the way to the apex of a hairpin, the connection between my right hand and the rear tire stays honest. Nothing jumps at me when I shut it off and nothing catches as I feed it back in.
The part I value most here is what doesn't happen. I can carry pressure into a corner and bleed it off at my own pace without the electronics deciding they know better and snatching the lever away from me. The bike gives back exactly what I ask of it, which means the line I picked on the way in is still the line I'm on at the apex. Over a long day that adds up to real confidence.
The friction I ran into isn't physical at all. It's the interface. Working out the modes, the submenus and the presets cost me real time, and if that isn't your idea of a good evening, it will wear on you. The reward is genuine once it's mapped, because you get a precision and consistency a simpler system can't deliver. Still, this machine doesn't shape itself around you on day one. Be honest about which kind of rider you are.
What I keep coming back to is how little this bike asks me to choose. The sporting edge is real, the throttle manners stay approachable, and I can stay on it for a full day without negotiating with it. On most adventure tourers one of those three quietly pays for the other two. Here it doesn't. My complaint is the phone side of things. For a machine at this level the integration feels a step behind, and Apple CarPlay still isn't part of the package.
Spark plug tube seal oil leak
Isolated reports on earlier V4 Multistradas (2022 V4S) of a spark plug o-ring failure causing oil to blow onto the rear tyre. Potentially safety-critical, though not confirmed for 2026 Rally.
OEM battery drains after 1–2 years
Several owners report the OE battery losing capacity prematurely, possibly due to parasitic drain from electronics. Regular use of a battery tender is recommended.
Fuel level sender failure
A small number of owners have experienced inaccurate fuel gauge readings due to a faulty fuel sender unit, often replaced under warranty.
Center stand mount weakness
Early V4 models (including related V4S) had a center stand mount susceptible to cracking; a technical service bulletin addressed the issue under warranty.
Where this Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally 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 Rally is actually built for.
At 529 lb (240 kg) with a 34.3 in seat, this is not a slickrock scalpel. It'll get you to Moab in comfort, but for technical sections a lighter bike rewards your skills far better.
Made for Bar M / Kane Creek · Imperial Sand Dunes · Johnson Valley OHV Area
This one fits you. It stays composed through a string of tight curves on the Blue Ridge, then carries you through a 300-mile day without wearing you out.
Made for Black Hills · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
The 7.9 gal (30 L) tank and real long-haul comfort suit big loops over Beartooth and Going-to-the-Sun. Budget for the optional luggage and learn the menus before you leave.
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 · 2023–2025
The Superbike That Tours
Compare to the previous model →If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Competitor · 2026
The Heavy That Handles
Competitor · 2025–2026
Orange Attack With Dirt Teeth
Competitor · 2019–2024
The Continent-Crossing Full Tank
Similar Character · 2024
The Long-Haul Competence Machine
First-hand articles where I ride and write about this exact bike.
