The Ducati Multistrada V4 is already one of the sportiest ADVs out there but if you think that it still isn’t as distilled as you would want it to be when it comes to riding on tarmac, Ducati has unleashed the Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak upon the world. For the uninitiated, it is a homage to the iconic and ultra-dangerous Pikes Peak Hillclimb. Although motorcycles are now banned from the event, Ducati has rolled out this tribute to Carlin Dunne who tragically lost his life at the event a couple of years ago. He was on his way to set a new course record astride a nearly production-ready prototype Streetfighter V4.
Aesthetic bits
It gets a dedicated ‘Pikes Peak’ livery that is quite reminiscent of the colours and graphics of the Desmosedici GP 21. Other visual bits that set it apart from its ‘tamer’ sibling are elements like ‘Ducati Corse’ badge on the beak, a smaller windshield, golden Öhlins front fork and dual-tone seats with the V4 logo.
what makes it livelier?
To make it livelier around the bends, Ducati has made several changes to the underpinnings of the V4 Pikes Peak. It gets a sharper rake of 25.75 degrees instead of 24.5 degrees. One of the most distinctive factors that set it apart from the standard model is the single-sided swingarm.
The wheels too, are now 17-inch units at both the ends instead of 19-inchers on the standard Multi. This will not only make the bike more agile but has also helped to shed 2.7kg of weight. It tips the scale at 213kg and that makes it around 4kg lighter than the standard Multi. The wheels are forged units by Marchesini and it also gets Ohlins Smart EC 2.0 suspension front and rear.
Ducati has also reworked the ergonomics and the new narrower handlebar is positioned lower. For better cornering clearance, it makes do with raised footpegs as well. The brakes are still a top-drawer affair as Ducati has equipped it with 330mm twin discs and top-spec Brembo Stylema calipers up front and a 265mm rotor at the rear with a Brembo floating calliper from the Multistrada V4 S.
engine and performance
Although it retains the Multistrada V4’s 170PS V4 Granturismo engine, it gets some crucial changes that would definitely alter the overall character of the motorcycle.. It comes loaded with a road-legal titanium and carbon Akrapovic silencer and gets a Race riding mode which replaces the Enduro mode on the regular MultiV4 S.
It continues to get a 6.5in TFT dashboard that enables smartphone-based navigation via the Ducati Connect app, IMU-assisted cornering ABS system, wheelie control and cornering traction control, along with the usual array of rider-adaptable settings. The Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak also gets the radar tech on both ends, which functions Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Blind Spot Detection (BSD) like on the Multistrada V4 S.