Pasta Machine My Ass!
Photos and Text by Scott F. Odell
As promised from my Italy trip, I have gone to Eurocycles in Tampa, Florida and have purchased the first Ducati Mulistrada Granturismo in the Tampa Bay area. Yes it is an Italian bike and yes it was a major purchase! But let me tell you something, there is no bike on the market that gives you what this bike gives you for the price…No Bike!
For starters, what other V-twin or parallel twin comes with 150 hp at the rear wheel? How about ABS and traction control? Safety has become a major selling point for Ducati and they have done their homework.
The Multistrada is four bikes in one at the flick of a switch on the left handlebar. Four different fuel maps are programmed in the motor to fit the situation.
Enduro Mode– For those that might want to take this beast down a fire road or a back country hard packed road, the traction control is turned down to level 2 for minimal interuption. There is still 100 horses on tap for the adventurous and the suspension is set to absorb the terrain .
Urban Mode– For daily commuting in the city, dodging traffic and a lot of stop and go. This mode takes out 50 hp to give you a still incredible 100 hp, but is more manageable and the suspension is adjusted again….speed bumps, potholes etc…
Touring Mode- A full 150 hp, but a little more progessive on the throttle input. ABS is in the high range along with traction control. You will be cruising in style till it’s time to put fuel in the tank.
Sport Mode– 150 hp, a crisp throttle input, the suspension has tightened up ( wait till I tell you about the suspension) You are ready to do some serious riding in the twisters.
So, let’s talk about the suspension. Ducati has come up with a semi-active suspension called Skyhook. The way I can explain it is, think of a big hook connected to the motorcycle and it keeps it floating over the road and all of its imperfections. The bike is kept level as sensors react in milliseconds, adjusting the front and rear suspension. If that is not enough, when you get on the bike, you input one or two riders, with or without luggage and the electronic suspension will preload the forks and rear shock to give you the best ride possible. There is 6 1/2 inches of travel front and back and I gave them a workout as I went over some speed bumps at 20 mph. OMG is all I can say.
This bike is made for traveling the world. It comes standard with 73 liters panniers, the biggest I have ever seen. It also comes with a top case that will hold two full face helmets easily. Ducati has put come engine crash bars on every Granturismo along with a set of driving lights that help light up the darkest roads.
Brembo brakes come on the Multistrada and only take the effort of one finger, yes these are the same brakes you will find on all Ducati Superbikes. The back tire hangs off of one of Ducatis state of the art single-sided swingarms and is a work of art all by itself. The wheels are cast 10 spoke light alloy and they are the same ones you will find on the top of the line Ducatis.
I have only had this bike a week and I haven’t even begun to tap into it’s full attributes yet as I am trying to break it in properly. I can tell you what I think so far. I am coming off a 680 pound bike with 125 hp, the Multistrada cracks the scales at a little over 500 pounds. I have lost nearly 200 pounds on the bike and picked up 25 more ponies. The torque on this bike is already legendary as it pulls hard in the low rpm’s and accelerates like a demon. My first riding impression was the feeling of being very upright like on a dirt bike with the wide bars and it is high off the ground…but dirt bikes don’t have 150 hp that wants to pull your arms out of their sockets. You simply do not want to get off this bike once you get going. It is a tall bike and people with a short inseam will have a problem getting their feet flat on the ground. That do make different seats to take care of that problem though. Once on the road the bike feels weightless. Steering is effortless thanks to the wide bars and I swear that the bike goes in the direction you look without ant input from the rider! The seat feels really good but I wish it had some bigger foot pegs. I’ll figure that out down the road. Now, the most important part…does my wife like it? So far she says she is very comfortable, she has her back rest but again we will look into some different footpegs for her also. She is actually the one who talked me into getting the Ducati in the first place. A few other creature comforts worth mentioning are the heated hand grips and the two 12 volt outlets that can be used for heated clothing in the cooler months. I had my Garmin GPS installed this morning so I am good to go wherever the bike will take me. There are a few trips being planned as i right this, including my annual Peterson’s Poker Run to the Keys. This is year is very special as my Brother-in-Law from Colorado is riding down with us on his Harley… and will getting married while we are there.
So…this bike is not for everybody and some people even say that is a little ugly. Some one called it a pasta machine ( no names mentioned RG). Call it what you want, it is an incredible bike that comes from Bologna, Italy. The craftsmanship is impeccable all over the bike, the motor is the Testastretta 11 degree, born on the 1198 Superbikes and detuned for more street ability. Other than the Harley-Davidson, Ducati has the biggest world following than any other bike ( in my opinion). Have you ever heard about Ducati week in Europe? Google it and see for yourself. Until then, ride safe and keep an eye out for this machine in the Tampa Bay area.
P.S. If you have never been to Eurocycles before, take a road trip there and check out the largest inventory of Ducatis and BMWs in the state of Florida. It is more like a candy store and you will stay way longer than you planned. Who knows, you might even buy a new motorcycle!
8509 Gunn Highway Odessa, Florida 33556