So the brilliant guys at Snells lent me their V4 Base Multi while my 2017 DVT 1200s Touring was being serviced last week. So what did I think? It was my first time on V4 of any flavour. The bike only had 300 miles on so I didn’t take the piss, with wet roads and a massive excess on the insurance. I’ve had my 848 Corse 9 years now and the DVT for 2 years. I think you could consider me a big Ducati fan. Engine: It is definitely more powerful and felt any least 10% more than my DVT everywhere . Probably going 10% faster as well. I really liked the engine breaking. Touring mode snappier that sport on my DVT and of course smoother. Sport mode just more again. Now my negatives 25% less character (that’s generous). No idea why testers say it feels like a V twin, it didn’t to me. Engine noise with the standard can is a non-event also. Gearbox: The bike did not have a QS but the gearbox is a massive improvement on my DVT. Short precise changes that will probably just get better with more miles. Handling: Couldn’t go crazy but the front felt ok and reminded me of my Africa Twin in that you learn to trust it even if your not completely sure what’s going on exactly. It definitely steered slower than my DVT and all that mass up high in front of you doesn’t miraculously disappear once you are moving! Riding position and wind protection: I didn’t check the seat height setting but it felt a shade lower than my DVT which I ride on the high setting. I felt the bars sat me up more with less of a forward lean compared to the DVT. legs about the same and to be honest overal it reminded me of a recent GS in terms of overall riding position. The screen actually works and another massive improvement but the adjuster mechanism is a step back in design and the whole thing vibrates in the high setting with the little plastic tang vibrating right in my eye line. Brakes: Great. Good initial bite and really strong. Probably better than my bike, and it’s a base. Suspension. Harsh and too firm for me at 93kgs. Stiffer than the DVT in Sport plus everything. There is a massive ugly preload adjuster for the rear shock which I saw when I got back. When I say ugly I’m talking Buell air box ugly! Finish: I think this was the most disappointing thing for me. The casting of the yokes looks rough and unfinished. Same for the swing arm. The plastics lack the sharp detail of the previous models. Reminded me of a the front bumper clam off an A3/4/5. Put one next to a 1260 or 1200 you will see what I mean. We are already hearing about quality issues and it really looked more Kawasaki than Ducati to me in terms of finish. The black plastic air thingys just feel and look crap. So in summary. It’s goes faster, it stops better, it handles well and overall it’s a probably a better motorbike than my DVT. I don’t think it’s a better Ducati and if you took the logos off and painted it green I think it would fool a lot of people. As I rode my DVT back home it really felt a night and day better ride than the V4. The guys at Snells had done another great job and my bike felt refreshed after the service. It also felt sportier, better suspended and perfect for an older fart like me who still thinks he’s 30 and likes to make progress when the felling takes hold. It progress Jim, but not as you know it.
V4S test ride today I ride a 2018 1260S with £30K miles on the clock, so I bike I know well and IMO the best Multi so far of the previous generations and I have had all 4 versions to date and covered 100+K miles on them. The test ride was not about the electronics wizardry but about how it rides. It is a different ride! Still a Multistrada when you ride it - but different. Riding away the bars are noticeably higher even with the seat in the higher position, easy to get used to and not an issue. I didn’t notice the extra weight, it seems to be lower down and as such not an issue and at slow speeds the bike felt stable, not top heavy. The engine responds like a VFR1200 engine (remember those?), lots of torque from any revs in almost any gear, unlike the 1260. It lacks the vibes and character of the big V Twin but the V4 still has loads of torque and is fast (even with the 7K limit of a demo bike). I found that I was using the gears a lot more and was one gear up from the 1260 on known roads. The 1260 would handle the twisty roads in one gear (3rd ) all the time, the V4 was more 3rd and 4th so more gearshifts, and higher revs (hence the lower MPG?), the quick shifter was better than the 1260 so again not an issue in reality. 7k revs on the demo bike was manageable in 3rd and 4th - 7k revs on the 1260 in 3rd and 4th and it would be very illegal. Handling on roads that I know was very good, as to be expected of a Ducati, stable and very comfortable to ride, better than the 1260 – just IMO. I didn’t notice the 19” front as an issue and the 170 rear tyre profile was not noticeable either, however it was evident that you would use more of the rear tyre on twisty roads. I have always had chicken strips on the 1260 190 Tyre except for when on track days. For my normal road riding I doubt this would be a problem. The brakes are incredibly good, better than my 1260, maybe I need new pads! Excellent stopping power and a good feel through the lever and rear brake pedal. Screen / wind noise wise it was a bit better than the 1260 but that is something that could be played with and I think overall it is an improvement. Biggest bug bear was the indicators, I kept hitting the “joystick” button instead of the indicator button at junctions – again something that you would get used to over a short time - or it could be my fat thumb! The V4 is a good bike – no doubt – but it has lost that “edge” that the previous Multis had with the big V Twin engine. I am in two minds here and it will come down the £ at the end of day I suppose.
I rode a V4S yesterday. I wasn't expecting to like it much, as I'm pretty fond of my 1200 Enduro, but it was good to have the experience. I was impressed by the punch from the V4 engine - instant pull from nothing, which makes it very easy and very flexible to ride, although somewhat bland, in my opinion. Doesn't have the character of a twin, and that's something I want from a bike. Ergonomics seemed fine, and the bike felt very manageable - I liked being able to turn it around easily without feeling like I'll drop it. Electronics are impressive - it took me a full hour to get through all the menus and sub-menus, as there's a lot to adjust! Possibly too much - it was very easy indeed to be distracted while riding, although everything looks great. I think perhaps I'd want a slimmed-down display, as it's very busy and a bit cluttered. Liked the switch on the pillion seat for the heated seat - neat and simple. Less keen on the fussy switchgear, which was a bit clumsy to operate, and not as intuitive as my Enduro. Also liked the "auto" suspension, which takes the hassle out of adjusting it. The radar cruise control is amazing! I put it on while riding on an A-road, and it happily followed the car in front, and adjusted the speed without fuss. Very very impressive indeed - it's a feature I didn't think I'd like, but it works so smoothly, and I could definitely see me using it on congested British roads. I don't like how the bike looks - as an Design Engineer I think it's a hugely impressive piece of tech, and a really phenomenal bike, but it's almost as though it's a technical demonstration, rather than a piece of art. I think the old model looks better, and I would even go so far as to say that cosmetically challenged KTMs look better. I felt like the parts of the bike you could see while riding looked budget, and in particular the plastic on the inside of the extended screen looks really nasty - that would really piss me off if I'd paid ££££££. That said, there is noticeably less turbulence or disturbed air while riding. Overall, it's a hugely impressive bike, but I came away feeling like it was just a bit blandl. It didn't make me lustfully rub my legs, make my eyes go wide, and start drooling, and doing man maths to justify buying one. That's what Ducatis used to do. It's a very very good bike, but it just doesn't feel special.
I do get that it is quite a bit different to the V twin but i wouldn't say its not special. Its a much more rounded bike than the 1200/1260 to my mind. Its far better at low speeds and around town, better wind protection and its not as top heavy. I also felt the suspension was better than the previous bike, though it was very good on that.
