The adventure tourer space is a crowded one these days, and there is literally a flavour to suit everyone. Ducati's Multistrada has had skin in the game for many years. The Italian manufacturer's V4 Rally takes the formidable Multistrada V4 platform and bags in a host of bits that make it the most off-road capable Multistrada to date.
There are three variants of the V4 Rally available: the V4 Rally Radar, which starts at around $42,600 ride away; the Adventure Travel and Radar, at around $46,900; and the Full Adventure model that you see here, which has a ride-away price starting at around $49,300. No, it is not cheap, but it is devastatingly fast, well-equipped, and comfortable - a true all-rounder of the most lethal kind.
The Rally, like the majority of the V4 Multistrada range, runs Ducati's Granturismo engine. What's different and special about the Granturismo versus some other V4 Ducati powerplants is that it runs a standard spring-operated valve train rather than the Desmo system. This reduces complexity and extends service intervals significantly.
Despite the switch of valve operation, the V4 is still packing some serious power and torque figures. Peak power from the 1158cc V4 is a claimed 170hp (125kW), with torque maxing out at 121Nm. As a comparison, BMW's R 1300 GS puts out around 144hp (107kW) and 149Nm.
Now, as you might expect from a bike with those sorts of output figures, the V4 Rally hauls arse! It never feels lacking in grunt down low and is happy enough plodding along at low revs. But get the Rally up in the rev range and it is an absolute missile. This amount of power is not a particular asset off-road, but let's be honest, most adventure bikes spend most of their lives on sealed roads, and in this domain it is king. Add to that the gorgeous soundtrack coming from the Akrapovic muffler that comes on the Full Adventure variant.
The Rally sports a 30-litre aluminium fuel tank, giving you better range than you'll get from the 22-litre tank on the standard Multistrada V4. The Rally is, without a doubt, a large machine - tall and voluptuous. The fairing, screen, and series of deflectors give supreme protection from the elements while you're in the plush and comfortable rider's seat. On the subject of seats, I didn't have the opportunity to throw a passenger on the back, but pillion comfort looks good. Both seats are heated, so your rump is going to be quite happy with your V4 Rally purchase.
Lower winglets just below the tank channel air around your legs to keep the engine heat at bay, yet there are handy little flaps that allow you to close the winglets off if you want to take advantage of the warmth provided by the engine in the cooler months. In another nod to heat management - and for better fuel economy - the V4's rear cylinders deactivate when the Rally is idling or not under load. Ducati has smashed the comfort factor, and you can lock yourself behind the big wide bars and ride great distances in comfort on the Rally.
The Rally is equipped with Showa Skyhook semi-active suspension that provides 200mm of travel at both ends - an increase of 30mm on the front and 20mm on the rear compared to the Multistrada V4. Thanks to the increase in suspension travel, ground clearance is a healthy 235mm. This also means that seat height has increased. The seat is adjustable, but even at its lowest it still measures 870mm. There is some relief in store for shorter riders.
The Skyhook suspension offers a minimum preload function with a dedicated button that lets the rear sag so that the bum is lower, making it easier to get your feet on the deck. There are also a variety of rider and pillion seat options available, including an ultra-low rider's seat that brings the seat height down to a far more manageable 825mm.
A superbike-level brake package from Brembo gets the Rally stopped in a manner that's as good, if not better, than any other adventure tourer on the market. Interestingly, Ducati went with a smaller rear brake master cylinder on the Rally, which, according to the Italian manufacturer, increases power. This may be the case, and this may just be coincidence, but on one rather spirited road ride I cooked the rear brake and lost rear braking until it cooled down.
The amount of tech available to you on the Rally is simply insane. Front and centre is the radar system that facilitates blind-spot detection and active cruise control, and the list of tech simply goes on and on from there. There are Power Modes, Riding Modes (Sport, Touring, Urban, Enduro), Wheelie Control, Traction Control, Engine Brake Control, and keyless ignition. Info is beamed at you via a TFT dash that can connect to your phone and provide music info and navigation applications.
There is, of course, a quickshifter, cruise control, heated grips, and so much more I simply don't have the word count to cover it all. I mean, an air-cooled phone compartment for goodness' sake.
Now, all this equipment comes at a cost apart from the price tag, and the V4 Rally has a claimed weight of 238kg without fuel. With the aluminium tank filled to the brim, you're looking at a bike weighing in at almost 270kg.
With that sort of weight and its meaty power figures, it's not a bike for the faint-hearted or novice riders looking to explore off-road. Don't hold that against it, though. This is a bike unashamedly intended for serious riding, by serious riders with serious disposable income, who want what is arguably the finest and most technologically advanced adventure touring motorcycle available.
It may be pricey, but just because a bike is expensive doesn't mean it isn't good value for money. You get a lot of tech for your money, a stonking V4 engine, and a beautifully designed and put-together Italian motorcycle that has arguably more sex appeal than any other adventure tourer on the market.
