The nights are drawing in, the schools are back, the Halloween chocolate has been on sale for weeks – which means it’s our favourite time of year: new bike season! And the good guys at Ducati have got us going with some updates on the mighty Ducati Multistrada V4 range for 2025.
2025 Ducati Multistrada V4S
It’s a moderately-serious upgrade, with the basic 1,158cc V4 Granturismo engine staying mostly the same as before, albeit with Euro 5+ homologation. In the 2025 Multistrada V4 version, it delivers 170 hp (125 kW) at 10,750 rpm and 123.8 Nm at 9,000 rpm, with a particularly linear torque curve to ensure a smooth and progressive response at all speeds.
It’s a light engine too, weighing in at a claimed total weight of just 66.7kg. There is a change to the engine management though: it now has an ‘extended deactivation strategy’ for the rear bank of cylinders.
In addition to switching off the rear cylinders when the bike is stationary and the engine is idling, the V4 Granturismo keeps the rear bank deactivated in other operating conditions, which helps with fuel consumption and emissions, reducing them by six per cent compared to the previous model.
With the new cylinder turn-off strategy, deactivation also occurs when the bike is moving, at low loads such as gentle highway cruising. As the speed increases, or above a certain torque request from the throttle grip, the rear cylinders are reactivated, guaranteeing the character and performance of the V4 Granturismo. The system is active in all riding modes.
Away from the engine, the chassis has had some minor tweaks: the swingarm pivot has been raised 1mm, while on the V4S the rear shock has more preload range. That’s partly to help with the Automatic Lowering Device, now fitted as standard, that lowers the semi-active Marzocchi Skyhook suspension when the bike stops, to make touching the deck easier.
The standard V4 sticks with mechanical Marzocchi suspension front and rear, while the posh high-end Pikes Peak Multistrada comes with updated Öhlins semi-active EC2.0 suspension. The Pikes Peak also sticks with 17” forged aluminium sportsbike rims and a single-sided swingarm, compared with the double-sided arm and 19” front wheel on the standard V4 and V4S.
The bodywork and graphics have been fettled for 2025, with sharper looks and more pillion comfort, and there’s even more electronics, with a new Ducati Vehicle Observer function that claims to use techniques from MotoGP to better optimise the traction, ABS and engine control functions for even more performance and safety.
You also get extra rider power modes, forward collision warning on the radar-equipped models, and a new user interface on the massive 6.5” TFT LCD dash.
The current Multistrada V4 is an incredible piece of kit, with stunning performance, superb equipment levels, and slick styling. The only downside – as ever with Ducati these days – is the steep pricing.
The base level V4 starts at £17,695, the V4S comes in at £21,495, and the top-end Pikes Peak machine is a hefty £27,795. PCP deals and higher resale value cancels some of that out, but the Bolognan option remains a costly one.
The 2025 Ducati Multistrada V4 range will be available in dealerships starting from October 2024 in the three colours Ducati Red, Thrilling Black and Arctic White. The Pikes Peak Model Year 2025, also in dealerships with the same timing, is available in a single trim level, which includes the front and rear radar as standard.
2025 Ducati Multistrada V4 V4S Pikes Peak Tech Highlights
Multistrada V4S
Main standard features
- Ducati Red, Thrilling Black and Artic White colours
- Ducati V4 Granturismo 1,158 cc engine with valve clearance checks every 60,000 km and Extended Cylinders Deactivation
- Aluminium monocoque frame, steel tube subframe and aluminium double-sided swingarm
- Repositioned swingarm pivot to increase the anti-squat effect, improving riding even at full load
- Marzocchi Ducati Skyhook Suspension (DSS) Evolution semi-active electronic suspension with position sensor on the fork, auto function on Suspension Mode, Automatic Lowering Device, Easy Lift. 170 mm front and 180 mm rear travel, increased preload range (+8 mm)
- Panniers and top case set back to improve passenger comfort and freedom of movement. Die-cast top case mount for greater strength
- 120/70-19” and 170/60-17” alloy wheels with Pirelli SCORPION™ Trail II tyres
- Bosch-Brembo ABS 10.3ME Cornering braking system
- Double 330 mm diameter front disc, Brembo Stylema® radial calipers
- 280 mm x 6 mm rear disc, with regressive kinematic control
- Full LED headlight with DRL and more effective Ducati Cornering Lights (DCL)
- Dashboard with 6.5” full-TFT colour screen
- Bosch Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)
- 4 Power Modes
- 5 Riding Modes (Sport, Touring, Urban, Wet, Enduro)
- Ducati Vehicle Observer (DVO)
- Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC)
- Ducati Traction Control (DTC)
- Engine Brake Control (EBC)
- Hands Free Start
- Ducati Connect with telephone, music and map navigation apps
- Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) Up&Down
- Cruise Control
- Vehicle Hold Control (VHC)
- Ducati Brake Light EVO
Multistrada V4
Standard features as Multistrada V4 S with the exception of
- Ducati Red colour with black channel alloy wheels and silver calipers
- Marzocchi mechanical suspension with adjustable fork with 50 mm diameter stems and adjustable shock absorber with cantilever layout. Wheel travel 170-180 mm
- 320 mm diameter front discs with Brembo 4-piston radial calipers
Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak
- Colours
o “Pikes Peak” livery with five-spoke forged wheels
- Standard features as Multistrada V4 S with the exception of
o Carbon fibre front mudguard
o Carbon fibre front beak
o Approved Akrapovic silencer
o Semi-active “event based” Öhlins Smart EC 2.0 electronic suspension with improved strategies
o Wheel travel 170-170 mm
o 17” Marchesini forged aluminium wheels with Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tires, size 120/70 ZR17 front and 190/55 ZR17 rear
o Riding Mode (Race, Sport, Touring, Urban)