Ducati Multistrada 1260 Enduro - Powerful Giant

So how do I describe this tall machine? Words like intimidating, mammoth, powerful, scary, come to your mind, the moment you get closer to it. And when you are seated on it, you wonder why God did not make you 6 feet 2 inches tall. Yes, I feel this machine is ideal for tall muscular people, but what if you are couple of inches less than 6 feet?

Well, I am a couple of inches short of 6 feet and I must tell you it was just fun riding this very intimidating machine. It just gets better and better when you get the right ground to ride it and your fears seem to dissipate as the wheels keep moving. As for the sound emanating from the exhaust, it’s kind of very no nonsense and not irritatingly loud and boisterous.

First and foremost, this big motorcycle is obviously a pain if you are to ride it in choc a bloc traffic. The engine gets warm and handling the big machine in thick of traffic can tire you out completely.

The Ducati Testastretta desmodromic variable time (DVT) 1262 L-Twin cylinder, 4 valves per cylinder, dual spark, liquid cooled engine produces a peak power of 158hp@9500 rpm and a peak torque of 128Nm @7500rpm. The engine is mated to a 6-speed transmission.

With a wheelbase 1592mm, the bike comes with signature LED headlamps, tubeless spoked wheels and deep scooped seats. It has a kerb weight of 254 kg. Compared to its predecessor, the handlebar height of this model has been reduced by 30m. The standard seat height is 860mm, but one can adjust it anywhere between 840 to 880mm. The suspension travel has also gone down by 15mm in front. The front suspension consists of 48mm fully adjustable USD while the rear consists of fully adjustable monoshock. These are electronically adjusted.

The vehicle comes with 120/70-19 tyres in front and 170/60-ZR17 tyres at the rear. The brakes in front comprise of 320mm dual discs while rear it has a 245mm disc

This bike comes loaded with electronics. It offers four riding modes like Urban, Touring, Sport, and Enduro, with each mode adjusting the suspension for the task ahead. It has 8 level traction control.

The torque delivery is steady and full even in low revs and these result in a sporty performance from the word go.  

The 5 inches high resolution TFT screen is clear with its display even when the sun is at its brightest phase. The screen can be used for adjusting a host of settings pertaining to the bike. The switch on the left of the handlebar is used to toggle through these settings.

Long stretches of highways is when you get to test the Urban, Touring and Sport modes. The machine adjusts its response according to the mode you choose. For example, in Urban mode, you get it to behave like any other bike, wading through traffic, in Sport mode, it gets aggressive and that’s when you can actually try out the up and down quick shifter.

The up/down Ducati quick shift or DQS is now there is in most of the Ducati bikes.  Developed by the Ducato Corsa, the company’s racing division, this feature has moved to the superbike family that includes the Panigale, Multistrada, Monster and Diavel. The DQS basically enables clutchless use of gears. This feature is best used when you are in the sport mode and you really want to speed up. The Touring mode is ideal for those long stretches of highways and it is here that features like cruise control make a lot of sense.

The bike behaved perfect during these long road journeys and the tyres fitted on the bike too were meant for the road. So did that mean we had to skip Enduro? No way, even with these tyres, we took the bike on some tough trails and that meant lots of fun to experience. In Enduro mode, the machine behaves very different and very confident. The strong off road kind of foot pegs give you a sturdy platform to stand and feel the adrenalin rushing in. All the intimidating girth suddenly vanishes and you are in absolute harmony with the big machine. The tubeless spoked wheels add to the confident nature of the bike.

The Ducati Multistrada 1260 Enduro is not a bike for every Tom Dick and Harry, rather it’s only for those with a real heart for adventure and touring. And for those who are terribly intimidated by the tall stance of this motorcycle, there are many bikes out there in the 300cc to sub 1000cc range. You can reach out for them and leave the 1260 for the real men and women amongst you.