So it happened yesterday.
12:00-13:00:
I was booked at noon, to go out for an hour* on a V4S Multistrada. While I was doing the obligatory paperwork, I get handed over a pink Ducati branded hi-vis Westcoat.
“What’s that for?” I asked.
“Just so that the group leaders can see you, if you do end up getting separated” she had replied.
Fair enough I said, whilst mumbling to myself, that “I did not sign-up for a group test ride”.
We set off on the hour. No instructions on what the two dozen buttons do, (not that it is difficult to figure it out) but one thing I hated on the V4S Multi is the sagging suspenders for the short in the leg types. Practically made me sea sick every time I came to a stop, as it removes any preload in the suspension, so you are essentially riding on bare springs. No way of knowing how to turn it off, until we got back and the bloke showed me how to, by holding down a button.
That is a great example of wasted part of electronics package on me with my 34” inseam.
This wasn’t the last of my discomfort. The seat was set in
low setting too, probably some midget had attempted to ride it before me. Meanwhile that very bloke, who had shown me how to turn the soggy suspenders off, asked me 20 minutes prior to departure if I was on the V4 Multi, clearly he was blind and couldn’t see that I am tall, and at least could’ve put the seat into tall persons setting. Not impressed, at all. Waste of time**
So off we go through congested Watford town, towards the hospital and onto Rickmansworth**, on a Saturday, at midday through some 20mph speed restricted areas and to add to the insult in 33° heat, whilst wearing a Ducati bib, that made my Klim Marrakesh jacket practically useless at flowing any air through it.
Barely got into 4th gear and only what felt like a split second I got up-to 70mph as we left behind the national speed limit sign when leaving g Herefield boundary.
The Multistrada V4 S:
I liked the bike, very much so. Great motor! Loads of grunt. Comfortable ergonomics where arms are concerned. Changes direction on the spot***. I was f****g about with suspension settings, trying to turn off the self lowering soggy setting that does stay active until you reach 31mph again. Stick it into sport riding mode and touring suspension mode. So consequently I haven’t really paid great deal of attention to riding the bike.
Due to my long legs I did get very cramped in the saddle as it was left in the low setting. This meant that my foot was at the wrong angle for shifting gears. Speaking of shifting gears, the quick shifter is sublime and the gear lever throw is really short. So much so, that at first I did not recon hose that I have actually shifttwd from 1at to second and then third, as I thought I hadn’t actually shifter in the first place. A really nice dashboard layout and very easy to read in bright sunlight. A little different in the menu department, but like with any new bike/car you soon get used to it. Non issue for me.
The gear lever and the rear brake lever would need to be adjusted to my ergonomics, as both were way to low down.
*we were back in the yard no later than 32 minutes past midday
.
**A very poor choice of roads by the northern (not local) organisers. There are far better roads around to get to quicker and to have a better pace riding too. I am not going to (potentially) buy a multistrada to bimble about a town at 20mph, I want to know what it feels like at a motorway speed, and on the proper fast back roads, not those with 30-40mph limits.
***I did not know this, but it is due to counter rotating crankshaft, is the reason why Multistrada V4, does change direction so quickly and in fact utterly effortlessly.
The brakes are amazing. Very strong indeed.
Ryan FortNine and co have done an around the world road trip in just 17days!!!
The feature film is coming to your screens in December 2025)
14:00-15:00:
It was time to saddle up and to ride the Deser X.
I have always have been very fond of the DDX. From the moment the prototype has been shown at EICMA in 2019???
Great bike, loved the riding position and the roar it made under hard acceleration. Due to manually adjustable suspension, it too felt a bit soggy, softly sprung. But considerably less that the V4 I rode earlier.
I did however come to realise, that it isn’t a bike for me just now, if the missus was to be coming touring with me. It would however be the bike for me, if she wasn’t to be comping along any longer.
12:00-13:00:
I was booked at noon, to go out for an hour* on a V4S Multistrada. While I was doing the obligatory paperwork, I get handed over a pink Ducati branded hi-vis Westcoat.
“What’s that for?” I asked.
“Just so that the group leaders can see you, if you do end up getting separated” she had replied.
Fair enough I said, whilst mumbling to myself, that “I did not sign-up for a group test ride”.
We set off on the hour. No instructions on what the two dozen buttons do, (not that it is difficult to figure it out) but one thing I hated on the V4S Multi is the sagging suspenders for the short in the leg types. Practically made me sea sick every time I came to a stop, as it removes any preload in the suspension, so you are essentially riding on bare springs. No way of knowing how to turn it off, until we got back and the bloke showed me how to, by holding down a button.
That is a great example of wasted part of electronics package on me with my 34” inseam.
This wasn’t the last of my discomfort. The seat was set in
low setting too, probably some midget had attempted to ride it before me. Meanwhile that very bloke, who had shown me how to turn the soggy suspenders off, asked me 20 minutes prior to departure if I was on the V4 Multi, clearly he was blind and couldn’t see that I am tall, and at least could’ve put the seat into tall persons setting. Not impressed, at all. Waste of time**So off we go through congested Watford town, towards the hospital and onto Rickmansworth**, on a Saturday, at midday through some 20mph speed restricted areas and to add to the insult in 33° heat, whilst wearing a Ducati bib, that made my Klim Marrakesh jacket practically useless at flowing any air through it.
Barely got into 4th gear and only what felt like a split second I got up-to 70mph as we left behind the national speed limit sign when leaving g Herefield boundary.
The Multistrada V4 S:
I liked the bike, very much so. Great motor! Loads of grunt. Comfortable ergonomics where arms are concerned. Changes direction on the spot***. I was f****g about with suspension settings, trying to turn off the self lowering soggy setting that does stay active until you reach 31mph again. Stick it into sport riding mode and touring suspension mode. So consequently I haven’t really paid great deal of attention to riding the bike.
Due to my long legs I did get very cramped in the saddle as it was left in the low setting. This meant that my foot was at the wrong angle for shifting gears. Speaking of shifting gears, the quick shifter is sublime and the gear lever throw is really short. So much so, that at first I did not recon hose that I have actually shifttwd from 1at to second and then third, as I thought I hadn’t actually shifter in the first place. A really nice dashboard layout and very easy to read in bright sunlight. A little different in the menu department, but like with any new bike/car you soon get used to it. Non issue for me.
The gear lever and the rear brake lever would need to be adjusted to my ergonomics, as both were way to low down.
*we were back in the yard no later than 32 minutes past midday
.**A very poor choice of roads by the northern (not local) organisers. There are far better roads around to get to quicker and to have a better pace riding too. I am not going to (potentially) buy a multistrada to bimble about a town at 20mph, I want to know what it feels like at a motorway speed, and on the proper fast back roads, not those with 30-40mph limits.
***I did not know this, but it is due to counter rotating crankshaft, is the reason why Multistrada V4, does change direction so quickly and in fact utterly effortlessly.
The brakes are amazing. Very strong indeed.
Ryan FortNine and co have done an around the world road trip in just 17days!!!
The feature film is coming to your screens in December 2025)
14:00-15:00:
It was time to saddle up and to ride the Deser X.
I have always have been very fond of the DDX. From the moment the prototype has been shown at EICMA in 2019???
Great bike, loved the riding position and the roar it made under hard acceleration. Due to manually adjustable suspension, it too felt a bit soggy, softly sprung. But considerably less that the V4 I rode earlier.
I did however come to realise, that it isn’t a bike for me just now, if the missus was to be coming touring with me. It would however be the bike for me, if she wasn’t to be comping along any longer.
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