2023 Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally Review – First Ride

Ready to trot the globe

Adventure bikes were made to unlock possibilities, to transport you from your garage to places unknown. As the category has evolved it has become more segmented to better suit the needs of the intrepid pilots looking to explore the furthest reaches of their abilities – whatever that may mean to said pilot. The new Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally was built to be the best long-haul ADV steed the Italian firm has ever built. With increased comfort, fuel capacity, suspension, and tech, on paper it looks to have checked the boxes. But everyone knows you can’t always believe what you read on paper. For that, you should turn to the internet and Motorcycle.com for the unadulterated facts.

2023 Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally

The Multistrada has been handling adventure duties for Ducati for some time now, albeit in an undeniably sporty fashion. This year marks 20 years of Multistrada. In that time, Ducati has managed to peddle more than 144,000 of them. From the time when we first covered the Multistrada V4, Ducati has now added two variants to the family (with a third on the way). First, the Italians emphasized the sporting character of the Multi with the Pikes Peak edition. Now, we have a Multi that’s meant to take you and a lovely passenger to the ends of the earth, no matter the terrain you encounter: the Multistrada V4 Rally.

Rally the troops

The Multistrada V4 Rally boasts small changes throughout that combine to make it a fit steed for globetrotting. Rider and passenger comfort in addition to off-road capability and range were the key focus when building the Rally.

To achieve better comfort for the long haul, Ducati focused on the rider and passenger. The adjustable windscreen is now 1.6 inches taller and 0.8 inches wider with added wind deflectors on each side. There are also adjustable air ducts integrated into the lower fairing which do a surprisingly good job of keeping the rider cool, or trapping a nice bit of warmth. Of course, your pillion needs to be happy, too. Ducati says the tail of the bike has been lengthened and the top case attachment has been moved back to give the passenger more room. Rear foot pegs also get extra rubber to reduce vibration.

And you’ll appreciate that additional comfort during the long stints between gas stops, thanks to the 7.9-gallon fuel tank. Ducati has managed to bump the capacity by 2.1 gallons using an aluminum tank rather than the plastic one found on other models. This allows for the tank to be thinner without expanding the outer dimensions much at all, we’re told. The new rear cylinder deactivation strategy, which cuts the rear cylinder bank during highway cruising or constant low rpm (under 4,500) in addition to when the bike is stopped, will also help you extend your time between fuel stops, due to improved fuel mileage. It should also help with heat reduction.

To bolster its off-road chops Ducati added 1.2 inches of travel to the fork and 0.8 inches to the shock, resulting in a bit more ground clearance at 9.1 inches. There’s also a refined Enduro ride mode, wider footpegs, tubeless spoked wheels, and reinforced engine guards. Ducati says the Marzocchi semi-active Skyhook Suspension’s control strategy is also “even more precise and efficient for this model.”

In an effort to make the 573-pound motorcycle easier to manage, the suspension can also be “lowered” with the press of a button. This is achieved by electronically letting the preload out of the shock and can be done at any speed under 70 mph for riders to more easily reach the ground. In addition to the preload adjustment, when the motorcycle is keyed on (via a fob) all of the damping is let out of the fork and shock to make the bike easier to lift off of the side stand. These features are collectively called the Easy Lift Function, which will be available on the base model moving forward, as well. Other preload adjustments are the standard rider, rider with luggage, rider and passenger with luggage, or an auto-leveling feature that constantly maintains the correct preload adjustment.

Welcome to Colorado

The golf ball-sized slush balls pelting us as we walked off the plane toward Durango’s regional airport were a fitting precursor to the adversity that would play out over the following few days – and not just from mother nature. Our ride would span all sorts of terrain to highlight the versatility and namesake of the Multistrada Rally.

Ready to kick off from the Rochester hotel in Durango, the first thing I noticed is the size. There’s no getting around the Multi’s immense stature and the large metal panniers add to this. Of course, it’s on par with most of the open-class adventure bikes, but at least, the preload and damping features mentioned above make the bike more manageable from a standstill. Thanks to the open damping, on start up, the bike comes off of the kickstand with ease, and the preload button on the handlebar really does make it easier to touch the ground while bouncing around town from stop to stop – you just have to remember to press it, and for only a couple of days on the bike, it was hard to remember to use it most of the time.

Heading north into the San Juan mountains, you’re instantly reminded of how lithe the Multi feels while in motion. The big bike handles nearly effortlessly, and even though we have spoked wheels for the Rally’s off-road intentions, Ducati tells us that they’re actually seven pounds lighter than the standard model’s hoops which aids in the overall quickness when flicking the bike side to side.

What I didn’t expect was the effect the altitude had on what I know to be a pretty stonkin’ motor. I found myself with the throttle to the stop much more often than I might have expected and missed the rush of power that the engine is capable of. This resulted in riding the bike a bit higher in the revs and with more liberal use of throttle during our quick road sections. Had I not sampled the V4 Granturismo at lower altitude, I’d have been underwhelmed with the performance from the 170 hp (claimed) 1,158 cc V4.

When the brakes were performing as they should, the combination of Brembo Stylemas and 330 mm front discs, a two-piston Brembo caliper at the rear grabbing a 265 mm rotor, and IMU-based cornering electronics worked just as well as one might expect. Unfortunately, my bike had some air in the brake line which required bleeding throughout the two days. The Pirelli Scorpion Rally STRs do an excellent job gripping pavement and offer a nice balance of off-road performance, too. With the advanced tech on the Multistrada, there was really no reason not to ride the bike as hard as we wanted – even when the rain came on hard and fast in some spots.

Cruising down the highway, adjusting the windshield with one hand requires minimal effort and allows you to position it wherever you’d like rather than using preset detents. Honestly, it’s one of the best adjustable windshields I’ve sampled. The adjustable fairing inlets near the shins also do a commendable job of either trapping a bit of engine heat for warmth or allowing plenty of airflow, just be sure to set them how you want them before you begin riding. I found myself with them closed on a warmer section and couldn’t manage to open them while moving.

Rubber inserts in the footpegs can be easily removed without tools for better grip when riding off-road, and the brake pedal’s tip can be rotated into three different positions for better access while standing. With adventure boots, I didn’t mind the foot position with the stock footpegs, but if you plan to wear moto-style boots, you might find yourself wishing for a larger footpeg.

Ergonomically, the Multi Rally is perfectly neutral for me. Yes, the reach to the ground is a bit much, at least for me (and my 30-inch inseam), but with the stock seat set in the lower of the two positions, the 34.3-inch saddle height was totally manageable. There are also high and low accessory seat options along with a suspension lowering kit that brings the seat height down to 31.7 inches at the lowest.

Our off-road portions consisted mainly of rocky terrain with a few sloppy sections and one very sloppy stretch of mud. Most of day one consisted of pavement, skirting roads like the Million Dollar highway. Day two, we spent more time on two-track trails, fire roads, and the aforementioned mud. The Rally hides its extra 44 pounds nicely and, without riding them back to back, seems to handle duties off-road just as well as the base model, but every once in a while, you’re reminded that you’re riding a big, tall, powerful motorcycle. I would say our ride was fairly tame with the off-road sections mostly traversed at low speed, and the overall difficulty level was fairly low – probably more akin to the actual use case most owners would take on. That said, in the faster or more difficult sections, like the muddy shortcut where more than a few bikes ended up horizontal, the Rally helped me manage the situations without being a handful. Despite what I would call a “fairly tame” off-road ride, we did end up with one bike cartwheeling down a hill and one damaged ankle (separate events).

The Ducati Skyhook Suspension and its ability to adapt – in addition to the infinitely tailorable ride modes – to the constantly changing terrain that we faced in Colorado were the big standouts. The fact that you can easily select a ride mode for pavement or dirt as the conditions change and know that you’re effectively changing so many systems on the bike with the press of a button or two is pretty incredible. With everything working in concert, the Multistrada Rally functions as a complete unit to let you enjoy your ride to the max – whatever that may entail.

I’ve called the Multistrada the Swiss army knife of motorcycles a couple of times, and it just keeps getting better and now the model range is nicely segmented with a solid base platform, an absolute weapon for the road, and a touring iteration that should know no bounds. For 2023, the Multistrada V4 Rally will set you back $29,995 (with a $600 premium added for the Brushed Aluminum & Matt Black color scheme) and is currently available in dealerships.

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