2019 Ducati Multistrada 1260 S/Touring/Pikes Peak

If you’re shopping for a liter-plus-displacement, long-suspension-travel Ducati motorcycle, paved-road versatility comes in three packages: Multistrada 1260 S, Multistrada 1260 S Touring, and the Multistrada 1260 S Pikes Peak. (For those with off-road tendencies, Ducati also offers the wire-spoke-wheeled—19-inch front, 17-inch-rear—Multistrada 1260 Enduro Touring.) All versions feature the same engine spec, with the Testastretta DVT V-twin producing more than 140 hp and nearly 90 pound-feet of torque at the rear wheel on the Cycle World dynamometer. Note: Those numbers are for Sport and Touring modes; peak output drops in Urban (138 hp, 86 pound-feet) and Enduro (90 hp, 74 pound-feet).

Pricing varies, with a Ducati Red S model undercutting an identically painted S Touring, both of which are equipped with semi-active Skyhook electronic suspension, by $1,600. Add another $2,900 for the Pikes Peak with its shorter and sportier windscreen, tricolor paint, manually adjustable Öhlins suspension, and lightweight forged aluminum wheels. On top of all that, there are the various accessory packages: five-piece Enduro ($1,482), three-piece Touring ($1,428), three-piece Sport ($1,400), and four-piece Urban ($830.40). Those components and many more may also be purchased individually.

Likes: Smooth, powerful V-twin engine; advanced electronics; narrow between the knees

Dislikes: Deeply dished saddle locks rider in a single position; heavy clutch-lever action

Verdict: Tremendous all-round streetbike; high technology, high performance, high price

“Where the new engine excels on the road is cruising from corner to corner, holding the same gear and riding the full width of the rev range,” Chris Northover wrote about the DVT-spec Multistrada 1260 Enduro. “The engine feels way smoother than a twin of that capacity has any right to.”

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On-road competition for the Multistrada 1260 S (and up-spec Multistrada 1260 S Touring and 1260 S Pikes Peak) come mainly from the BMW R 1250 GS, Honda Africa Twin, KTM 1290 Super Adventure S, Triumph Tiger 1200, and Yamaha Super Ténéré, as well as from Ducati’s own more off-road-oriented Multistrada 1260 S Enduro and sub-1-liter Multistrada 950 S.

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Even from a distance, passersby will be able to determine which model of big-bore Multistrada you’re riding. How so, you ask? Well, color, for starters. To wit: Multistrada 1260 S and saddlebag-equipped Multistrada 1260 S Touring (Ducati Red, Volcano Grey, or Iceberg White), and Multistrada 1260 Pikes Peak (Pikes Peak Livery).