Multistrada 1200 S Touring-Engine Review
Ride-by-Wire
The Ride-by-Wire RbW system is an electronic interface between the twistgrip and the engine which decides the ideal power response depending on the riding mode selected and according to the rider’s throttle input. The twistgrip no longer has a throttle cable connected directly to the throttle body butterflies, but instead delivers a signal to a control unit, which in turn operates the butterfly opening. The RbW system uses three different mappings to regulate the power delivery. The three maps offer 150hp with a sports-type delivery, 150hp with a progressive delivery suitable for touring and 100hp with progressive delivery for city or off-road use.
Stump Guard
The bike is suitable for off-road riding. Off-road use is enabled by the extra-long travel, reduced-weight suspension, as well as a robust and effective structural sump guard in aluminium which protects the oil sump from bumpy ground .
Emissions
On the new Testastretta 11° engine, this angle has been reduced from 41°, used in the Testastretta Evoluzione engine which powers the 1198, to just 11°. As a result, the fresh inlet charge flow is less compromised by the exiting exhaust gases, resulting in a much smoother combustion in addition to improved fuel economy and lower exhaust emissions. Unburnt hydrocarbon emissions (pre-catalyser) are reduced by up to 65% and specific fuel consumption (and consequent CO2 emissions) by up to 15% (Euro3).
Vacural® Crankcases
The Testastretta 11° features vacuum die-cast crankcases, formed using Vacural® technology, a process that achieves a significant weight saving and ensures consistent wall thickness and increased strength.
15,000 mile major service intervals
The Multistrada 1200 has been subjected to the most intensive development program ever. With the goal of setting the bar even higher, Ducati developed revolutionary new features for the 4-bikes-in-1 concept and took aim at industry benchmarks to create a model that would go the distance, both figuratively and literally.
Torque Assisted slipper-Clutch
The Multistrada 1200 features an oil bath clutch with ‘slipper’ function and super-light feel at the lever. Its design uses a progressive self-servo mechanism that presses the plates together when under drive from the engine, enabling the reduction of the clutch spring rates. This results in a much lighter clutch lever at the handlebar, ideal in stop-start traffic or long journeys. When the drive force is reversed (over-run), the same mechanism reduces the pressure on the clutch plates, enabling them to provide a race-like ‘slipper’ action, which reduces the destabilizing effect of the rear-end under aggressive down-shifting and provides a much smoother feeling when closing the throttle or down-shifting under normal riding conditions