DucatiMultistrada V2S
Political times
Edi tor Dave Manning
This glass is half full –are beneficialchanges in legislation on the way?
Itisofsaidthatmotorcycle magazines aren’t theplace for politics. And, to acertain extent, I agreewiththat. Te machinations of internationalwranglings andmainstreammedia handwringing anddebatearen’tafected by motorc ycling, andnor does any parliamentar ypanderingafect ourday-todayrides. However, when politics do start to create issues forthose of us whoride poweredtwo wheelers,thenthere is ever y need forthemtobeexposed,explained anddiscussed with thepages of abikemag Naturally, when reportinginsuch matters, it is notonlyvital to remain neutral(whichisnot always so easy when passionand livelihood areinvolved),but also that we retain apositive attitude while prioritizingthe future of motorc ycling, whilst also ensuring allbases arecovered andeachindividualperspective hasroom to breathe.While editingamagazineprior to my move to thehelmofthe Good Ship MSL, Iwas once accusedof“sittingonthe fence” in my editorialpiece.Havingslept sincethen, Iforgetwhatthe actual topic was, butIdoknowIpondered over both sidesofthe situation-you know,likewot proppajournalists do -explainingthe pros andconsfor both perspectives.As Ididn’t show aconclusion, Iwas thereforebranded
as sittingonthe fence… theaccuser clearly missingthe fact it wasdowntohim as reader to drawhis ownconclusion.
ButI’m prevaricating, Ishouldhave just gotdowntothe subjectinhand straightaway…
Re cently, theMotorcycleIndustr y Asso ciation (t hat’st he MCIA,organis ers of theyearlyMotorc ycle Live!Showin Birmingham)heldaconferenceinEuston Square,L ondon, to whichmanufacturer represent at ives andMembers of Parliament were invite d, alongside hig h-rank ingmembers of theUK motorc ycle indust ry (I’m mere lowlife, andconse quentlywasn’te venaware of the conference! I’mnot bitter,asI wouldn’t have be en ke en on ap oshshir t‘nt ie do in that London,but am alittlesur pr is ed and perplexed that themedia wasn’t infor me d of thee vent in advance). Amongstt he itemsdis cuss ed at theaffairwas the potent ia lrefor moft he licence test ing st ructure, asubje ct whichhad ac tual ly be en rais ed shor tlyb efore in ameeting betweent he Motorc ycle St rategy Group andParliamentary Under-s ecretary of St atefor Transport,L ilianGre enwo od MP
TheMSG is manage dbyt he Depart ment forTransport andt he Dr iver andVehicle St andardsAgenc yand hast he aimofv ie wing motorc yclesindep endently
Motorcycle Sport&Leisure’s contributors...
Adam ‘Chad’ Child
Yorkshireborn Chad hasb een profes sionally te st ingbikes for20years,a tten de d more than 350bike launch es,and covere dover am illion ro ad te st mile s. Wi th race wins at Oliver ’s Mo untand twotop 10 TT finishe s, Chad is just as happyelb ow-dow nona race tr ackork icking up mudof- ro ad
Alan Cathcart
Al an ha sb ee n wr it in ga bo ut bikes fo r mo re th an 30 ye ar s, an d ri di ng th em fo re ve n lo ng er.H e’sr eg ul ar ly gi ve nt he ke ys to fa ct or yp ro to ty pe sa nd be in go nf ir st na me te rm sw it ht he bo ss es of bikec om pa ni es ar ou nd th ew or ld al lo ws hi mt ob ag ma ny sc oo ps
Alan Dowds
Al an is a fr ee la nc ej ou rn al is t, wh o’sb
from ot herfor ms of transport within government al polic y. Clearly, this is currentlyv it al as we prog ress towardst he banonfossi lf uel-p owered vehicles,but theg roup wasa ls os et to lo ok at changes in ro ad safety,and thet rainingand test ing of riders. My immediate -and admittedly paranoid –t houg ht when If irst re ad ab outt he MSG wasitwou ld inev it ably resu lt in tighterregu lationsand more do om andg lo om.Wel l, in this case I’m very happytohaveb eenprove dw rong . TheMCIA’sconferencedis cuss ed aw holesa le re visionoft he test ing pro ce dure formotorcyclelicences, with Shadow Se cret ar yofState forTransport Gareth BaconMPstating that a‘fu llsc aleregu latory licencingrev ie woft he entire Lc ategor ys ec torisess ential if manufacturersare to serv icet he ne eds of tomorrow ’s us ers’.The hope is this is reflec ting potent ia lt houg htsint he Corr idors of Powert hatmotorc ycling couldplayits part in thereduc tion of traf fic, congestion and, as adirec tresult of that,reducep ol lution to o.
Of course,noneofthismeans anything will actually change,but if we aretoattract more riderstomotorcycles,and ensure our hobby(nay, lifestyle) is to continue into the future,thenthese recentrumblings must be agoodthing, right?
Phil West
Abikejournalis t for35years, Phil’s afor mer editor of Bike an dW ha t Bike, launch editor of Bik ingT im es,E xecu ti ve Editor of MCN, an das freelancehas wr it ten fort he DailyTeleg raph , EveningStandard, FHMand ever yleading motorc ycle public at ion. He’s al so au th ored 10 motorc ycling books
Simon Everett Aconstant motorcyclist since1976, Simonhas spentthe bestpartofhis life riding motorcyclesastransport to carryhim andhis photographic equipmenton assignmentsall over Europe. Tottinguphis mileagegives alifetimetotal of more than 1.5million mileson twowheels, whichheisstill adding to
71
At which point spring will most definitelyhavesprung. We hope.
92 Tried &Tested
Aftermarket
KNOWLEDGE
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Need
2025DucatiXDiavel V4
Te frst XDiavelwas launched back in 2016 as oneofDucati’s slightly quirkier bikes. It was, as thenamesuggested, aDiavel, butwithatwist:More of an American cruiserridingstyle –feet-for ward pegs, low-slung ridingposition –and amild retune on themotor,plusbelt fnal drive.
Te original V-twin version wasclaimed to be Ducati’s fastest-accelerating bike fora while: Te extra bottom-end grunt, lowseatand long wheelbasegaveitthe edge away from thelights. It wasaimed primarilyatthe US, butgaineda niche followinginEurope, helped by some speciallimitededitionversions –the Dark, the BlackStarand theNera.
Andnow,withthe endofthe oldV-twinsuperbike engine line, there’sanew XDiavel, with the1158cc 90° V4 Granturismo engine,asseenonthe Multistradaand Diavel.
It’s thenon-desmodromic versionof theBologna V4 motor–onlythe Panigale and Streetfghter models getthe exotic valvetrainthese days –but it stillmanages to make a tasty168bhp.Tat’s thesame output as thestandardDiavel V4 –and the2025 XDiaveluses achain rather than belt fnal drive, againmakingit closer to themainstreammodel
Like theDiavelV4, the XDiavelusesthe newdesignof monocoquealuminium frame insteadofthe oldsteel tube trellis, whichhelps with handlingand weight loss
Speakingofweight,the XDiavelis6kg chunkier than theDiavelat229kgwet with no fuel:Impressivewhenyou consider that somethinglikea HarleyRoadGlide ST is 380kg andthe TriumphRocket3 is 317kg. Suspensionisbroadly the same as thestandardDiaveltoo: 50mm Marzocchi forksand a
remote reservoirrear monoshock, allfully adjustable Te main visual changesfrom theDiavelare fairlysubtle, centringonthe bodywork, wheels andexhaust.Teseatheightis 20mm though,and theXDiavel still comeswiththe forward footpegplacementasbefore. Ducati’s oferinganaccessorykit
to relocate thepegs andleversto amoremid-point though,at whichstage,you might fnd yourself wonderingwhatthe pointisofbuyinganXDiavel rather than thenormalone Regardless,the newXDiavel V4 is on sale now, priced at a salty £25,995, that’s £2k more than theDiavelV4.
TriumphMoto2 TriumphTripleTrophy
Triumph has launched its Moto2 Street Triple competition forthis year: The firm bui lds a special Moto2 variant of the Street Triple road bi ke and gives one to the ‘best’ Moto2 racer at the end of the season, based on public votes. However, this year it’s also giving one away to aMoto2 fanas well.
The bi ke itself is essentiallyastock Street Triple with some
fancypaint, but we’d not kick it out of our garage forbackfiring forsure
The competition is easierfor the public than forthe racers –all youhaveto do is register online and your name goes into the hat. The winning Moto2 raceristhe one who gets the most public Triple Trophyvotes aftereach race on the MotoGP Instagram channel. Moreinfoon the Triumph website
KTMupdate
When we went to press last month, thefutureofKTM and thePierer Groupasa whole hung in thebalance,witha crunch congress of creditors abouttotakeplace over itshuge losses of more than €2 billion.
Te future of theentire operation wasinthe balance: Tatenormousdebtcould have putPierer into administration, closingitall down with theparts sold of to thehighestbidders.
Butasisofenthe case with massive sums,creditors were reluctanttopushthe nuclear button,and have settledfor an investment plan that will see around athirdofdebts repaid over thenext year.Tedetails of therescueinvestmentplans
haven’tbeenmadepublic, but insidersreckonthatIndianfrm Bajajisbehindsomeofthe new investment,withChinese frm CFMOTOalsothought to be operating behindthe scenes.
Both thosefrmshave, of course,strongrelationships with Pierer,producingbikes and enginesinIndia andChina, holdingjoint distribution deals, andinthe case of Bajaj, actually owninga bigchunk of thePierer shareholding. Tere arealso persistent rumoursthatBMW is involved in some waytoo, though there’snosolid information abouthow or why.
Factor ysources saythat KTM’sclosed productionlines areset to restartassoonasthis
month(March),thoughitseems possible that componentmakers will be wary of therisks in supplyingparts unlesspayment guaranteesare in place.
Finally, Stefan Pierer himself has steppeddownfrom the KTMexecutive board, though he staysonasco-CEO of Pierer Mobility
What does it allmeanfor the bikerinthe orange feeceatBox Hill though?Well, thereare currentlysomeamazing bargains to be had on brand newKTM bikes, as cautious dealerstry to cleartheir showrooms, andKTM UK slashesRRPsacrossthe range, particularly on newold stock.
Potentialcustomers are
naturallyworried aboutthe future of partssupply, warranty claims andthe like –but the price cuts seem likely to go some waytoreducingthe perceivedrisk. Howcheer y you’dbeifyou bought a full-price KTM1290 last summer is anotherquestion though
Te future forthe frm’s racingplans seemsassured for the2025 season at least, butit certainly wouldn’t be unthinkablefor afrm in fnancialworries to drop some itsmoreexpensive operations medium term –especiallya cash-guzzlingMotoGP project that’s providinglittleinterms of sporting wins.
LiveWire S2 Mulholland Rossi’sbir thdaygif ts
It’s not quite ahomagetothe late Mulholland Drivecreator DavidLynch, but the latest electric quirky-cycle from Harleyofshoot LiveWirecould well have featured in one of his productions.
The S2 Mulholland isa ‘performance cruiser’, based on the same battery-electric powertrain as the DelMar roadster launched last year, with moreofacustom style. It weighs 196kg, makes 84bhp peak and comes with a 10.5kW/h battery which gives up to 121 mi lesofclaimed
rangeintown, or 73 mi les on a 55mph freeway.
The chassisspec is decent: Showa suspension, Dunlop tyres and Brembo M4.32 brakes, with a19infront wheel. The Mulholland costs£17,890, and isonsale now.
Porsche/Ducati experience relaunched forthisyear
Li ke most bi ke firms, Ducati is looking to expand the customer experiences it canofer, as part of the brand messaging and also to raise extracash.
And thereare some high-end options, li ke this one: The Porsche &Ducati Experience, at the Porsche Experience Centre in Franciacorta, near Brescia in northern Italy.
It’s abroader event than just atrack day, with aseries of challenging test track layouts, including of-road sections, tackled on the full rangeof
Ducatis (except the Panigales) plus Porsche 911s and Cayenne cars. It’s suitable forall ski ll levels from beginners up, costs €1200, and takes place at the end of June.
Moreinfo: www.ducati.comor www.porsche-franciacorta.it
Round here, we generallyget socksand maybe abig bar of chocolate (yum) to mark the day of our birth.
Valentino Rossi is, of course, abit diferent: He gets aspecial limited-edition £130k+ BMWcar and some one-of Dainese/AGV riding gear
The Doctor was46last month, and that being of course his race number, it sent the marketing departments into overdrive.
Dainese and AGV put together asuper-limitededition ‘Soleluna Vale46 Anniversario’ set of Dainese Demone GP D-air 3x kangaroo leathers and AGVPista GP RR helmet, with unique gold-leaf detai ling. It’s moreofanart projectthan actual riding kit: Dainese says it’s not suitable foreither road or trackuse, bizarrely. Just 46 wi ll be made and sold of to collectors worldwide, with no price given.
The BMWcar link is that Rossi is an actual BMWMworks
factory car racer,invarious endurance race series, where he pi lots an M4 GT3. The limited edition Rossi M4 CS Edition VR46 has special paint, tweaked chassis,carbon fibre roof,and a550bhp three-litre turbochargedstraight-six engine.
There’s no ofcial price for the limited-to-46-units car,but as aguide, arubbish old standardBMW M4 CS starts around £120k. Get your name down at the dealer now!
Pirelli’snew Diablo PowerCruiser
We’vegrown used to indiferent performancefromcruiser rubber down theyears,but Pirelliisnow oferingan alternative.
Te new DiabloPowercruiser tyre is,asthe name suggests, a tyre aimingtogivesportyability in sizestosuitthe growing market of big-power heavyweight hot-rod cruisers
andbaggers outthere.Priorities arewet performanceand grip on brakingand acceleration of course,withcornering ability generallylimitedbyground clearance.
Butthe rear ftment uses a dual-compound tread, with soferedges forbettergripand a harder high-mileagecentre section.
Availableinall them crazy sizes –16-21in frontand 16-18in rears, up to awild 260-wide section. Tey’ll be on salelater this year
WelshClassic Motorcycle Festival,Anglesey May24/25
The fourth Welsh Classic Motorcycle Festivalisjust one of the hugelypopular events createdbythe ClassicBike Trackdays team, who tell us this year’s bookings arethe busiest ever
The WCMF weekend at Angleseyisa heady mix of track action, showbikes and trade stands, ofering riders with bi kesupto2010 the rare opportunity to ride twocircuits overthe weekend -the 3.4km International Circuiton Saturdayand the 2.5km Coastal Circuit(featuring The Corkscrew)onSunday.
Clubs, private exhibitors and traders create the centreofthe showinthe paddockand each receivefreeentry fortwo people and stand spaceafterregistering to displaytheirbikeorbusiness, plus theycan also takepart in the lunchtime parades.
island’s best roads led by the AngleseyMCC and headingback to fishn’chips at thecircuit) which everyonecan takepart in, a real ale bar,guests, DJ set and livemusic on Saturdayevening, oh and free camping allweekend!
Alwayskeen to bring somethingnew to the event, WCMF 2025 ofers everyone the ultrararechance to experience
being apassenger in F1 and F2 racing sidecars on the International circuit on Saturday and the Coastal Circuit on Sunday. Abooking is only£40 and includes an introwith the teams and the machines, as well as twoadult entry tickets to the event, so book your places nowastheywillbesure to sell out.
Addtothis the infamous ChippyRun (a tour of the
Adult tickets are£20 for Saturday/ weekend, or £10 for Sunday, and kids under 16 go free. Full detai ls can be found at www.classicbi ketrackdays com/wcmf-2025
Same newsuit style,
Acasualglanceatthe Italianfirm’s latest twin cylinderadventure bike wouldmakeyou think that very little,ifany thing, haschanged in 2025 forthe Ducati MultistradaV2. Butthink again –every thing is new!
TDucati Multistrada V2S
he model’sstyle andfamily attributes mayhaveremained, butfor the2025 modelyearthe twin cylinder Multistradahas had acomprehensiveredesign, so while still remainingcosmetically as the popularadventure bike,witha fewsharper lines on thedesign, under theskinall is new.
Theheart of theref reshed and reinvigorate dMulti’t winist he ne w890cc engine whichis, in somethingofaquirky fashion, asma ller capacity than the prev ious iteration.Invar iably,a ne w versionofabikegets alarger, more powerf ul engine,but timesare a-chang in’, andt he smal ler lump in theD uc at ia lig ns it with variousother mo dels that are assig ne dt he ne weng ine, namely the St re et fighterV2and Paniga le V2.
Te newengineis, accordingtothe briefng, thelightestDucatihas ever built (weighinginata mere 54.9kg), although I’m alittledoubtfulofthatclaim with the memory of theair-cooled 400cc engine fttedintoa400SS (and Monsteraswell, I think) used forthe Japanesemarket. Butmy overfowing memory banksare also thinking the400 wasasleeved-down 600cc engine,somaybe I’mwrong?However,we candefnitely saythe newpowerplantisthe frm’slightestwater-cooled veetwinsofar It’s notjustlight,but commendably narrow too, helpingtogivethe bike aslim waist, andthe reduceddimensions –not just of theactualengineitself, aidedbycylinder linersthatare cast as part of thecrankcases, butof thecombinedengine/fuelling/cooling package– have allowedthe bike to be subtly butnoticeablyreduced in size. It’s not massivelydiferent, butjustenoughtomake it noticeable when youthrow aleg over the seat.Itfeels more manageable,and less cumbersome.Morecentralised in termsof volume andmass, yetstill roomyenoughfor long days in thesaddle.
Ergonomically,it’sclose to ideal formy5’ 11” frame, although thebarswereatouch lowerthanexpectedand look as though they’vebeenturnedbackwards anddown. It’s notanegative point, just alittlequirky, andwhile thesebikes will probably be unlikely to be used of road andthusnot need bars that give good ergonomics when standingonthe pegs, it still has the ‘fip-over’ brakelever tipfor usewhenriding standingup.
Handlebars aside,quirkinessisother wise somethingthat’sbeenbredout of Ducati veetwins of late,and this newV2engine epitomises that statement. It wasn’t very long agothatthe veetwinpowerplants from Bologna were abit grumpy lowdown in therev range. Tey’ddeliver apunch, butifyou were in atoo highagear, or making theenginelabourit’dcomplain,
with ashaking anda thuddingthatcried outfor adownchange. Te designofthe newpowerplant, despitebeing of asmaller capacity andremainingasa traditional90° ‘L’twin, has focussed on giving better low down driveability,withthe inletcam now having variable valvetimingtohelp achieve this –althoughthere’s an underthoughtthatsuggeststhe application of variable valvetimingistohelpemissions andthuspassEuro5+.
So,indirectcontrasttothe glut of parallel twin engines that have hadrephasedcranks to attain amorevee twin styledelivery, the developmentofthe Ducati engine has gone theother way, andits become more like a parallel twin. Tisconvergence hasresulted in abikethatfeels andsounds much like parallel twin competitors, andwhile that sounds like it’s abad thing, that wouldbe unfair,asthe engine is great– really tractable, punchy,yet with aspiritedtop endthatwill please thosefolkwho like to chasethe redline. Te designers’brief wastofocus on lowrev smoothness andprovide afat (er) torque curve. With amax of 69.7lb-f (which is decentenoughfor atwinofthiscapacity), it delivers 70% of that at 3,000rpm.
Whileitist he same 890cc engine as fitted to thenew Paniga le and St re et fightervee tw ins– which, incidenta lly, hasn’tb eeng iven anamelike pre viouseng ines,but is simply referred to as ‘V2’ -ithas ashorter firstgear, anda ta ller sixt h(hig herlug gage /pillion capacity andimprove df uelconsumption whiletouring beingb ot ht he aimand the resu lt), whilet he crank’s flywheelis he av ier than in thesport ier variants, br inging a20% increase in iner tiatog ive asmo ot herp ower delivery andreduce any snatchinessatlow rpm. Oh,and with long serv ice intervals(9,000 mi lesor2years foranoil change,18,000 mi lesfor va lve clearanceche cks), it’s cleart he factor y has sett hisasb eingalong-live d powerplant,b acke dupbyt he un limite d mi le age, 48-month warranty.
Te reducedbulk of theenginehas the side efectofthe combined engine /frame / rear subframe packagebeingmorecompact, although it is ashame thebeautiful trellis subframe (despitebeingpainted bright red) is hidden from view by theplasticsofthe tail unit, although to call it a‘rear subframe’is perhapsabit misleadingasitextends forwardright to thetop of therearcylinder head.Teframe itself is no longer asteel trellisunit, butanaluminiummonocoque of asimilarstyle to that embellishingthe V4, usingthe engine as astressedmember. Te trimmingofweight of so many components brings the2025 V2S to 202kg,a full 18kg lighter than theoutgoing2024 model, although it’s also worthnotingthe basic V2
WORDS: Dave Manning PHOTOGRAPHY: Alex Photo
model, withoutthe Sversion’s Skyhook suspensionetc,is199kg
Giventhatthe models we rode were theS version, with thespanglepants Skyhook suspension, it has theneat‘Minimum preload’functionactivated by holdingthe Skyhookbutton(operated by your righthand index fnger), whichreducesride height by 8mm. It might notsound much, butitdoesmakethe diference between tippy-toesand feet fatonthe foor
Te suspensionmodes areDynamic, Comfort, LowGripand Of-Road, and whilethe V2S is aimedatroadriding, with very light of-roadcapability, it is worth noting that Ducati ofer spoked wheels (in thesame19” front, 17” rear sizes) as an accessor yfor thosewho might want to indulgeinmuddier pastimes,atjustover £1,300.Other accessoriesinclude aTyre Pressure Monitoring system, satnav,engine bars,heatedgrips etc. Yes, thegrips arean
FRAME
Reduced in sizeand mass, the all-new frame is, in reality,a pair of subframes mounted to front and rear of the engine
ELECTRONICS
Lots of variety here, from the Skyhook suspension to the five rider modes and multitudinous variety of TFT dash displays
The rider modes are themselves individuallyadjustable, with traction control, torque control, peak power, throttle response, antiwheelie, engine braking and ABS all available to alter
accessor y. Despitethe launch beingin Spain, thehills northofValenciawere surprisinglyfresh,and heated grips would’ve have been almost as welcome as they wouldbebackhome(as it happens, my ride home from Gatwickwas at thesame temperaturesasthe morningofthe launch ride,albeitIhad winter gloves,thermals andheatedseatand gripsonthe Voge, rather than summer gloves,ridingjeans and jacket andnoelectrically-derivedwarmth on theDuke…)Ina similarvein, thefairing lowers aredesignedtodeliver coolingair
from thefront of thebiketothe rider’s lowerlegs. Oh,and if youwanttowarm your pinkieswhile you’re satata setof lights, it’s arealstretch to gettothe only accessible partsofthe engine (thatbeingthe crankcasecovers)
Te 5” TFT screen ofersthree dash layouts–Road, Road Proand Rally–whichdisplay anumberofdiferent variables, andwhile theR ally versionis perhapsthe most aesthetically-pleasing arrangement, it probably hastoo much info on displayand makesithardtoreadata
ENGINE
The all newV2engine, with a reduced capacity of 890cc and variable valvetimingonthe inlet side,has onlyminimal changes between the Multistrada,the newPanigale, and the newV2 Streetfighter
SUSPENSION
The Sversion has the Skyhook suspension, electronically adjusted to suit anyofthe four modes, withthe neat preload reductionbutton bringing aride height reduction of 8mm fora firm footing
LUGGAGE
We didn’t gettoride with the luggagepackageonthe S models that we had, but they come with theTouring pack that also includes heated grips and a centrestand, priced at £1116.
glance.But,given thenumberofoptions (asaclue, thepress pack containedan astounding48imagesofthe dash,ina bid to show thevariety) youcan setupthe dash exactly howyou choose to your preferences.Teadjustablescreenisa doddle to operate,and pretty efcient too –not toonoisy below60mph-ish,and little in theway of bufeting in either lowor highposition,while in thehighposition it hasthe efectofforcingrainonyourvisor in adownwards direction which, in my experience,suggeststhatit’ ll be good in
trulyhorridrain. And, yes, we didhave some rain on theSpanish launch event. Te reductioninwidth of thecombined engine /frame meansthe minorniggleI had with theold bike,thatofmyright heel being pushed outwards,has disappeared, although Idid gettofeelthe swingarm moving around with my lef heel –but of course, both of thesecould be indicativeofhow I position my feet whileriding,and maynot be an issuefor anyone else
Aside from thesuspensionoptions and thescreenoptions thereare,ofcourse, variousridingmodeoptions too. Five in fact.Wet mode is more spritely than that on otherbikes,and it seemsthatrather than just program in atardy throttle response that requires greateractionfrom theright hand,Ducatihas spentsometime ensuring there’safeelingofdirect connectivity betweenright hand and throttle bodies, whilestill sofeningthe delivery of power. Te ironyofthatisthat even in direweather conditions,you’ll perhapsnot actually need the Rain mode, andcan stay in thesuper-fexibleTouring, thanks to theencouraging leveloffeedback andfeel. Sportisa bit feistier mind. Te remainingtwo,Urban andEnduro, didn’t gettried on ourride around thehills north-westofValencia, Stayinginthe realmofsmoothness, aside from thethrottleaction, theway that powerisdelivered at lowrpm is really rather impressivefor avee twin of this capacity.Okay, it’s notahonking greattwin
of American standards, butit’snot that far shortofa litre, andyou’d notexpectitto happilybimblearoundintownand village andsmoothlypull away from 1500rpm in thirdgear. Impressively, in abetterfashion than some parallel twins. If you’re afan of traditionalvee twins(andespeciallyold school air-cooled Ducati ‘L’twins)you may notlikeit, butitisinfnitely better in town andtrafc. Afurther bonusisthe ‘antistall’ function when letting outthe clutch lever, raisingrpm from theusual tickover of about1100rpm rightupto2000rpm, meaningthatit’sperfectly feasible to ride around at (ver y) slow speedwithout even touchingthe throttle!
Outof town,itspins up to 10,000rpm with some verve, andanot-unpleasant soundtrack,withthe occasional‘pop’ on the upshif courtesy of thequickshifer, whichis nowmounted to thegearselectordrum rather than theshiferlinkage.Tis should notonlyimprove theactionofthe shifer (whichonlyshowedlittleniggles when used at what were,tobefair, inappropriatetimes), butalsoaid in longevityofthe gearbox.
Te rear brakewasn’tquite as efective as I’dexpected, butthenI do usethe rear alot in town andtrafc, andfor most folk this wouldprobablynot be somethingthey’d even thinkabout.
When you’re done forthe day, there’sthe ‘cominghomefunctionality’ whichholds the headlight on forafurther 30 seconds afer you’ve switched theignitionof, so youcan seethe wayfromthe bike to your frontdoor.
SPECIFICATION
DUCATI MULTISTRADAV2S
Price: £16,390 (base model £13,995)
Engine: 890cc, veetwin, water-cooling, 4 valves per cylinder,variable inlet valvetiming, 96x61.5mmbore/stroke
Power: 113bhp (85kW) @10,750rpm
Torque: 67.9lb-ft (92.1Nm) @8,250rpm
Frame: aluminium monocoque, steel trellis subframe
Wheelbase: 1573mm
Rider aids: adjustable cornering ABS, 5rider modes, 4suspension modes, 3dash displays, quickshifter,wheelie control, traction control, engine brakecontrol.
Brakes: (F) 320mm discs, 4piston radial Brembo calipers, (R) 245mm disc, 2piston Brembo caliper
Transmission: 6gears, chain final drive
Suspension: Skyhook electronic control, (F) Marzocchi 45mm forks, semi-active, fully adjustable, 170mm travel, (R)Marzocchi shock, semi-active, fullyadjustable, 170mm travel
Wheels/tyres: cast aluminium wheels, (F)120/70x19”, (R) 170/60x17”, Pirelli
Scorpion Trai lIItyres
Seat height: 830mm
Fuel capacity:19 litres
MPG: 47mpg
Weight: 217kg (wet)
Warranty: 48 months unlimited mi leage
Service intervals: 9000 mi les /24 months oi l change, 18,000 mi les valvecheck Contact: www.ducati.com
£559.99w ww.oxfordproducts.com
HJCare nowintothe second generation of their sport-touring helmet,the RPHA71, with this,the 71 Carbon.Withafocus on aerodynamic efciency, alliedtoa light weight andimprovedprotectionfrom the
‘PremiumIntegratedMatrix’ shelland multi-density EPS.
Noiseand bufeting have been reduced thanks to extensive wind tunnel testing, whilethe popularfeaturesofthe model’s predecessor have been retained,suchasthe fipdownsun visorand abilitytoaccept HJC’sBluetooth communication systems.
Tere arefourshell sizes foranimproved ft andperformance,and minimal weight,a smooth ratcheting systemtothe visor, which is Pinlock-ready(oneisincluded), while ventsfront andrear(twoeach) give afull front-to-backairfow.
There’sadoubled-r ingont he chinst rap, removableand washable cheek andcrown pads,and theliningisofan anti-b ac terial fabr ic that prov ides en hanced moisture wick ingand is quick-dr ying as aresult.
RoKitOf motorcycle cleaning kit
£29.99 www.nevis.uk.com
Tere are16colourways, includingthree ‘solid’colours (black,blueand white),and it hasa fve-yearwarranty(or sevenyears from date of manufacture, whichever comes frst)
Te task of keepingamotorcycleclean is one that alludestothe oldadage aboutpaintingthe ForthBridge(albeit acliché that is now superseded). Naturally, aside from keepingyour P&J lookingatits best,the task of removing road dirtalsoaidsinmaintenance,and when thejob is made easier with modernmaterials, andakit that contains allthatyou need,thenit becomeslessofachore andmoreofabonding exercise.
TisRokit Of kitcontainsclose to ever ythingyou’llneed, theonlyextrasare a bucket, waterand abit of time anda dirty motorcycle.Tere’s500mlofpH-neutral shampootodiluteand getrid of dirt, grimeand road trafcflm, 500mlbottleofspray-on cleanerand protectant,avacuum-packed sponge that’llexpanduponcontact with water (thisminimisespackaging waste), abrush to shif stubborn dirtand grime, andapairof highlyabsorbent andwashablemicrofbre cloths that arefar more efcientatremoving streaksand smears than an oldcut-uptee shirt…
Te result is abox that brings allthat’s needed to themetaphoricalbike-washingtable, removing dirt, andprotectingthe cleaned machine. It’s availablefrommanybikeshops, andjustabout ever ymailorder motorcycle specialist
WeiseTempest 25 litrerucksack
£79.99 wieseclothing.com
Weisehas expandedits new premium Tempestrainwear collection,witharugged waterproof rucksack with 25 litrecapacity, madetokeep contents dr yinthe most demandingconditions.
Builttoshrug of even torrential downpours, themain bodyiscrafedfromthe same military-grade Ripstop® PVC tarpaulin material foundin high-enddry bags including
weldedseams to keep waterout.Ithas an IPX6 waterproof rating which means it resisted powerful jets of waterfromall angles andissuitablefor usein drivingrain.
Asecureroll-top closure, with buckle clip strappingsystem, makes loadingand unloading simpleand there’savalve that allows trappedair to escape, enabling atight ft around contents, andpreventing movement during rides.
Inside,a wetand dr y separation layerkeeps damp ge ar is olated.Aninter na l zipp ed comp ar tmentprovides organise dstorage foress ential items, complemente dbya frontp ocketw it hwater pro of zipaccess
Kriega backpack accessories
Rider comfortistaken care of by theergonomically designed paddedairfowbackpanel and shoulder straps, whileadjustabl chestand waistbuckles delivera customised,secureft.
Twoadditional buckle clip straps canbeusedtoconvert th rucksack to atailpackand to attach to thepillionseatorr
Versatilityextends beyo motorc ycle use, with dual elasticateddrink bottle po andaheavy-dutywearresistantbase, making the Tempestrucksackequally home on hiking trails as it thedaily commute. A detachableMOLLE fxing systemwitha waterproof pocket adds versatility, wh thesur vivalwhistle buckle be used to attractattention an emergenc y.
2litre heav ydutyhydration pack £49/ Rheonbackprotector insert £55w ww.kriega.com
Expandingthe usabilityand practicality of its backpacks, Kriega hasaddedthesetwo useful accessoriestoits range.
Te ultra-light andhighlyfexibleback protector slotsneatlywithin thebackpack, giving an extra layerofprotectionwithout being cumbersome or heavy, thanks to theprotector’s designbeinginfuencedbynatural cell design and, thanks to theRheon material beinga non-Newtonianfuid,it’ssof andfexibleup untilthe pointthatitexperiencesa rapidshock,
at whichpoint it becomesrigid andabsorbs that shock, thus protecting thewearer.
Thehydration pack is hig hspe ctoo,w it h he av ydut yconst ruct iont hatisf ul ly re versible to al lowdeepcle aning(essent ia lif you’ve us ed it forswe etened or flavoure d dr in ks), with as elf-s ea lingbitevalve and coverconne cted viaaninsulated and prote cted tube that’s easi ly remove d(with an auto shut-off va lve) to al lowe asyf illingand cleaningoft he pack’s bladder
hidden sting
From nineties fun-focussed midranger to streetbrawling monster– Honda’sHornethas transmogrifiedand even better,itremains abargain…
2024
Honda CB1000 Hornet SP
The original 600 Hornet debutedin 1998 then gotahefyupdatein2007 with aCBR 600RR engine replacing theold “Steelie”CBR 600F engine Tenagain in 2011 it gotanother engine,but this onewas much less exciting mainly duetoit beingdonated by thethen modernday CBR600F which, beingblunt,was nothinglikeasgoodasthe original CBR600F from the‘90s, andnot even in thesame postcode as theCBR600RR.
Some might saythat, when thefnalversion of theHornet600 wasdiscontinuedin2013,itwas sweetmercy becauseitjustwasn’tcut from the same clothas theprevioustwo versions.Te Hornet had lostits stingand wastradingonly on itsnamewhich youcan only do forso long
Fast forwardto2023, andHonda reintroducedthe Hornet name,thistimeona bike with 755cc parallel twin engine and Transalp frameso, whilenot at allfollowing the same formulaasthe original Hornet, it’s unquestionably aversatile,excitingbikethatcan be made to go very fast or is just as happy pootlingaround. Tusitisver ymuchworthyof thename.
So,itwas with ahugesighofrelief that when Hondaannounced thenew CB1000 Hornet for 2025, they confrmed it wouldhaveaFireblade engine at itsheart just like theoriginalbigger
Hornet, andacompletelybespoke chassis. What they didn’t announce wasthe price, so it’s fair to saythatmanypeople, myself included, maybe didn’t give theHornet1000 theattention it deserved.DareIsay it also assumingitwould be arestyledCB1000CaféNeo.Now,havingridden it,and learnedmoreabout Honda’sapproachto theCB1000Hornet, I’mguiltingofnot really noticingthatone of,ifnot THE most signifcant bikesof2024, has been hidinginplain sightfor nearly ayear.
Isay “nearlyayear” becauseindustr y rumourssuggest Hondaoriginallywantedtouse the2008 Firebladeengineasper theCB1000 NeoCafe, butfeedbackfrom European dealers waslukewarmtoput it diplomatically.Honda listened andturnedtothe next generation Firebladeenginefromthe 2017 bike,hence the bigdelay betweenwhenHonda frst mooted the Hornet, anditactuallyappearing.Tat engine had quitemodestpower fgures by superbike standardsatthe time,but at 189bhp it’s comfortablyinthe ballpark foranafordable nakedbikein2025, especiallywhengetting it from itsEuro4 spec to today’sEuro5+spec wouldalsoconvenientlyjusthappentotakeit down to the154bhp quoted forthe Hornet SP and148bhp forthe base Hornet. It gets better though,because thereal stinginthe Hornet’s tail is that Hondaispitchingthisbikeat£9,999 forthe SP and£8,999for thebase.
WORDS: JOHN MCAVOY PHOTOGRAPHY: HONDA
If youreally must know howHonda got theFireblade engine to Euro 5+ spec,they did it courtesy of narrower throttle bodies, lowercam lif andconservativecam timing with atweak to theignitiontiming, anew ride by wire setupplusclipping2,000rpm of therevshas allhelpedthe Firebladeengine make thejumpinterms of emissions.Itis, therefore,ftfor modernday purpose- quite straightforwardwhile also landingonthe rightamountofpower andtorque.
Other keychanges to theengineinclude cast pistonsinstead of forged ones to keep thecostdown, shortergearratios from frst to fourth,and an up anddownquickshifer whichcuriously has adjustable cuttimefor both upshifs anddownshifsseparately, whichIthinkmight be afrstonany productionbike.
Te Hornet’s bespokechassishas pretty aggressive geometry with rake andtrail the same asaTriumph Street Triple 765RS, anda wheelbasethatis21mm shorterthanthe
KTM990 Duke,and it hasa180-section rear tyre –the same as aYamahaMT-09.
However, thereare keydiferences betweenthe SP andthe base modelontop of theextra power. Te SP has Brembo Stylema brakecalipersinstead of Nissins, andan ŐhlinsT TX36 rear shockoverthe base spec whichgetsShowa kitthatonlyhas adjustment forpreload in therearshock
Tenthere’s theprice,whichatlessthan £10k fora bike with Őhlinssuspension, Brembo Stylemabrakesand over 150bhp,is simplyamazing forthe SP,and just under £9,000 forthe base bike causes areal headache forthe competition. Forreference, aYamahaMT-10 comesinat£14,000 (the Őhlinsshodversionis£16,000) –granted it hasalittlebit more power, alot more tech andthe Őhlinsiselectronic. Te 2025 Ducati Streetfghter V2S with Őhlinsand Stylemas is£16,000, theSuzukiGSX-S1000 whichhas no blingwhatsoeverand about thesamepower andistherefore comparable
to thebaseHornetis£12,000 -£3,000 more! Te 2025 KawasakiZ900 hasnoprice released at thetimeofwriting,but the previousSEmodel –whichhas thebling but notquite as much powerasthe Hornet –is/ wasjustover£11,000.
been awhile,toput it mildly,since Honda have producedagamechanger,and with the Hornet’s spec sheetpromisinga colossal amount forthe price,Ispent agood deal of time on thejourney to thepress launch wonderingwhatthe catchwas
Tenwearrived at Benidorm…Roads that arebilliard tablesmooth, virtuallytrafc free,mostlysecondand thirdgearcorners linkedbystraights rarely more than afew hundredmeterslongfor 150kmwespent ridingare notthe frst things that spring to mindwhenyou thinkofBenidorm.But as true as Itypethis, Ican confrm that motorcyclingnir vana existsjusta fewkm from Sticky Vicky’splace.
Te frst thingyou notice aboutthe Hornet, before youevenget outofthe carparkisjust howlight it feelsatverylow speed, farlighter than a212kg bike has anyright to feel.At 212kg fullyfuelled,the Hornet is thesameas theMT-10 butfeels more like aStreetTriple at lowspeed.Inaninstant,itbecameobvious theHornetisnot like anyHonda that’s been made foralongtime.
Once youget dialled in to theHornet’s outrageous agility, andinstant playfulness, more good stuf keeps jumpingout at you, with thenext star of theshowbeingthe engine -it’ssimply brilliant
Te combinationofthe delivery of power andtorquewiththe shortergears means it punches hard at lowRPM butdoesn’t tail of as therevsclimb. Te result is an engine that is incredibly fexiblebecause youcan hang on to lowergears betweencorners andrev it hard,orifyou prefer to,you canshort shif andcover thegroundjustasquick.
Leavingitinalower gear andusingthe upperthird of therev rangeisnot normally