The new Ducati Multistrada 950

Personally, I'm really pleased to see the 937cc "testastretta" L-twin engine of my Ducati Hyperstrada 939 moving on to bigger things.

The 937 is now also the motive heart of two new Ducati models in 2017 – a road-oriented sportsbike ressurecting the historic SuperSport name, and this, the new Multistrada 950, which replaces my H-strada in the Ducati lineup. Smooth, sweet, and responsive, the 937 is an engine that fully deserved to break out of the Hypermotard/Hyperstrada market niche that it Ducati originally placed it in.

For super-motos like the Hypermotard are still something of an unusual taste for conservative Kiwi bikers. They seem to sell well in sunny Mediterranean Sea markets, but enjoy little popularity anywhere else. Here, we much prefer our multi-purpose motorcycles to offer decent comfort and weather protection and be ready for longer journeys than just popping down to the seafront to pull a few wheelies and check out the bikinis.

So the transition of the 937 into a full touring-oriented model like the Multi 950 makes so much sense that it's something of a surprise that Ducati didn't get around to it earlier.

Still, it's better to be late to the middleweight ADV party than to never arrive at all.

It's a sector that has seen plenty of action lately, given the popularity of the Triumph Tiger 800 and BMW F 800 ranges, and the way the new 1000cc Honda Africa Twin gave those Euros a bit of shakeup during 2016. Meanwhile Yamaha's affordable-yet-fully-equipped Tracer 900 had a similar effect on the segment the year before, despite being more of a streetbike dressed in touring hardware than an all-surface ADV.

The focus of all these bikes is defined by the sizes of their front wheels, which range from 21in for the Africa Twin and the more dirt-friendly variants of the Tiger and F 800 ranges, to the quicker-steering 17in leading hoop of the Tracer.

So where did Ducati orient its new middleweight Multi? Smack in the middle with a 19in front. It's not the only component that the 950 inherits from the Enduro version of the Multistrada 1200.

The other parts include the un-adjustable, single-piece seat, the same mono LCD instrument display instead of the colour TFT screen of the other Multi 1200 models, and a double-sided rear swingarm more compatible with the optional wire-spoked wheels the test bike wore.

Couple these less expensive furnishings and fitments to adjust-it-yourself suspension from budget bike suppliers, Kayaba and Sachs, and you quickly have a Multistrada that is more accessible than the 1200 models.

That accessibility comes in three forms – reduced price, reduced mass, and reduced seat height. At $21,790, the 950 costs $7200 less than the $27,990 base 1200 model that shares a similar electronics-free suspension package. At 206kg (dry), the smaller-engine Multi is 3kg less than the base 12, and 6kg lighter than the 1200 S model equipped with semi-active suspension.

At 840mm high, the 950's seat is also 5mm lower than the 1200's when the latter is in the standard position where it suits the design of the bike best. But then, you can lower the height of the seat of larger Multis down to 825mm if you need to, but be warned: it makes the bike look like it has a broken back.

The mass and size advantages of the 950 might be minor when compared with the 1200, but you notice them as soon as you head off on the bike. It feels lighter on its wheels, the close n' high handlebar perfectly sited for rider control.

The 950 also flicks into corners with some of the most neutral and natural steering in the middleweight motorcycle sector. It steers slightly slower than a 1200 due to the extra wheelbase, rake, and larger front wheel that it gets from the Enduro variant of its big bro', but this is still an agile motorcycle in the mould of the similarly-light, similarly-long Tiger 800 XR. Helping in this regard is the 170/60ZR17 rear tyre, and the way its narrower width interacts harmoniously with the 120/70ZR19 front.

But there's plenty of adjustment available if this extraordinary compliance is not to your taste. The rear preload adjuster is accessible while on the fly, and hardening up the spring of the rear shock with a few handy twists is a rewarding and easy thing to do when getting into a sportier mood.

t all adds up to a bike dynamic that's not all that far from that of the lighter, friskier Hyper in a package that's more roomy, comfy and weather proof. Similar electronics – 8-way traction control, three ABS settings, and an extra riding mode (enduro) added to sports, touring, and urban - come with simpler operation via Ducati's latest switchgear.

Essentially, this bike is one of the greatest of all V-twin engines placed in one of the most rider-friendly packages from Ducati so far. Pricing the Multi 950 directly against the Africa Twin and smack in the middle of the Tiger 800 and BMW F 800 ranges could therefore prove to be a segment-disrupting masterstroke.

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