When Ducati announced its new Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak back in 2022, the Italian manufacturer was keen to let punters know that the Pikes Peak was the sportiest Multistrada ever, and it was. It was pipped this year by the equally sporty yet more powerful Multistrada V4 RS, which uses a retuned version of the Desmosedici Stradale engine found in the Panigale and Streetfighter V4. With its solid and diabolically powerful (170 hp) 1158cc Granturismo donk that offers larger service intervals, the Pikes Peak strikes what I think is the perfect balance between versatility, reliability, and out-and-out street performance.

So, what makes the Pikes Peak so much sportier than the standard Multistrada V4 adventure tourer? Well, the Pikes Peak is festooned with high-end features such as Öhlins electronic suspension, a multitude of electronic gadgetry shared with the high-flying Multistrada V4 S, forged aluminium 17-inch wheels rather than the cast-alloy off-road focussed sized rims of the standard Multistrada V4, and the handsome single-sided swingarm you don’t get on your run-of-the-mill Multistrada.

 

The riding position has been tuned to be more aggressive than other Multistradas while still maintaining ‘big miles’ levels of comfort. There’s a stout and sportier looking tinted windscreen, that, if I’m honest, looks better than it works at keeping wind off this six-foot plus rider. But as they say on the shopping channels: that’s not all. There’s an extra ride mode, Race, which works with the electronic sorcery to really liven up the Pikes Peak, and last but by no means least, there’s the race-inspired paintwork.

There’s a lot of fruit on the Pikes Peak, and if you want that level of kit, you’re going to have to pay for it. At $47,100, you’re going to feel it. “So, what you’re saying is, Pete, that the Pikes Peak is an adventure tourer with a flash paint job a liberal dose of carbon fibre and a host of go-fast bits thrown at it?” I hear you saying.

Well, yes! But no! You see, the Pikes Peak is for those of us who want a comfy and well-appointed motorcycle and looks good, but that also has the ability to play at near sports bike levels. This is the Multistrada that hooligans buy; it’s like the spawn of a motard bike and an adventure tourer. In the right hands, it’s an insanely capable sports machine and so much fun it’s bordering obscene.

This thing is so potent, yet so easy to ride, which is thanks in a large part to its top shelf electronics package that includes cornering ABS, cornering traction control, wheelie control ride modes and power modes. If that’s not enough the Pikes Peak is radar infused so there’s blind-spot detection and active cruise control onboard as well. The performance from the suspension, engine, and Brembo brakes is beyond reproach; I can’t fault it. This bike really does make you feel like you’re capable of glorious heights of motorcycling prowess that most of us simply don’t possess, and as I alluded to, all while being able to switch into comfortable touring mode on a whim.

So, if it's so sporty and fun, why not just buy a sports bike or an angry naked bike like Ducati’s own Panigale or Streetfighter V4? Put simply, because the Pikes Peak can bang on the filthy goat tracks that pass as sealed public roads in this country these days without turning your bones to dust and your sinew into jelly. The electronic Öhlins suspension is constantly monitoring both the road conditions and your riding and adjusting the damping to suit and the suspension alone is worth the asking price it’s nye on perfect.

But as good as the Pikes Peak is and as snazzy as it looks, there’s just one thing that I can’t shake off. Multistradas and bikes like it, i.e., long-legged and upright rides with a striking resemblance to adventure bikes, are a bit like the SUVs of the motorcycling world. They are comfortable and capable in a great many environments, but they just don’t make me swoon as I amble into the shed, and if I’m coughing up the better part of $50 grand before I even open the parts and accessories catalogue, then I wanna swoon. That being said, if the Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak is SUV-like, it’s an SUV built by a World Rally team with all the performance that entails. It’s a delicious combination of touring ability and sporty performance in a package encrusted with trick bits, and don’t even get me started on the V4 soundtrack that gets spat out of the full titanium Akrapovič exhaust.