Introduced in 1992, the Ducati M900 – which became more commonly known as the Ducati Monster – is the bike that many consider to be the establishing shot of the naked bike story.
The Monster has seen numerous iterations over the years, and Ducati says its newest addition to the lineup, the Ducati Monster SP, is “designed to enhance fun, thanks to technical equipment perfect for those who love sporty riding and embellish style with the Moto GP-inspired livery.”
EU-spec 2023 Ducati Monster SP
The Monster SP shares the same 937cc 11-degree V-Twin as its stablemates, the Monster and Monster Plus, with all three claiming 111 hp at 9,250 rpm and 69 lb-ft of torque at 6,500 rpm. The Monster SP also shares the throttle-by-wire system, a 6-speed gearbox with a quickshifter, and an assist/slip clutch.
Also standard is Ducati Power Launch, traction control, wheelie control, and cornering ABS. Stopping power for the Monster SP has been upgraded up front to Brembo Stylema monoblock 4-piston calipers on two 320mm semi-floating discs. Braking in the rear comes from a 245mm disc and a Brembo 2-piston floating caliper. While the existing Monster models feature Pirelli Diablo Rosso III, the Monster SP wheels are shod in Pirelli Diablo Rosso IVs.
EU-spec 2023 Ducati Monster SP
The 2023 Ducati Monster SP also adds on Öhlins NIX30 fork and Termignoni homologated silencer, steering damper, dynamic turn indicators, and a lithium-ion battery. The curb weight of the Monster SP also comes in at 410 lb, 4 pounds lighter than its stablemates. The SP also offers a slightly higher seat option, with the high seat accessory raising the height to 33.5 inches, as compared to the 32.3-inch top height of the Monster and Monster Plus.
EU-spec 2023 Ducati Monster SP
The 2023 Ducati Monster SP starts and $15,595 and takes the 2022 colors of the official team’s Desmosedici GP.
For the past 32 years, Rider has selected a Motorcycle of the Year. With the exception of two years when we made a People’s Choice selection by popular vote among readers (the Honda F6B in 2013 and the BMW R 1200 RT in 2014), it has been up to the Rider editorial team to choose a winner based on our collective experience with the year’s eligible contenders.
We ride as many of the new or significantly updated motorcycles released over the past year as possible, and we evaluate them within the context of their intended use.
Since we announced last year’s winner, we’ve tested cruisers, baggers, sportbikes, adventure bikes, naked bikes, minibikes, sport-tourers, luxury-tourers, cafe racers, standards, dual-sports, and even an electric dirtbike for kids.
Narrowing down such a diverse range of motorcycles into a single “best” isn’t easy. Our goal is to identify the one that best fulfills its intended purpose and advances the state of motorcycle design, performance, and function.
We haven’t always hit the mark. The BMW K1 we selected as our first MOTY in 1990 proved to be a flop, and the forkless Yamaha GTS1000 we selected in 1993 was the answer to a question no one asked.
Even if some of the selections we’ve made don’t stand the test of time, we stand by them because they were impressive motorcycles within the context of their eras. Others are easier to defend, like the 2001 Honda GL1800 Gold Wing, the 2002 Suzuki V-Strom 1000, the 2005 BMW R 1200 GS, and the 2017 Harley-Davidson Milwaukee-Eight Touring lineup.
For 2022, there were more than 60 eligible contenders. We narrowed them down to 10 finalists and one ultimate winner.
Winner of Rider’s 2012 MOTY award, BMW’s top-of-the-line luxury-tourer got its most significant update yet for 2022. Its ultra-smooth 1,649cc inline-Six makes 160 hp and 133 lb-ft of torque, its full suite of electronic rider aids was upgraded, and it has a huge 10.25-inch TFT, an air-conditioned smartphone compartment, and other new comfort and convenience features.
Competing head-to-head with the Kawasaki Versys 650LT, the all-new 650 ADVentura is powered by a 649cc parallel-Twin that makes 60 hp and 41 lb-ft of torque. It has an adjustable windscreen, a TFT display, LED lighting, a slip/assist clutch, standard ABS, Pirelli Angel GT sport-touring tires, and hard-shell saddlebags. At $6,799, it undercuts the Kawasaki by $3,200.
2022 Ducati Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak. Photo by David Schelske.
The range-topping Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak’s 1,158cc Grandturismo V4 cranks out 170 hp and 92 lb-ft of torque, and its apex-strafing game gets elevated with a new Race mode and revised quickshifter. It’s equipped with a full electronics package (including adaptive cruise control and blind-spot detection), Öhlins Smart EC 2.0 suspension, Brembo Stylema calipers, and more.
2022 Harley-Davidson Nightster. Photo by Kevin Wing.
The spiritual successor to the air-cooled Evo-powered Sportster, the all-new Nightster is a performance cruiser built on Harley’s modular liquid-cooled Revolution Max engine platform, in this case with a 975cc V-Twin with variable valve timing that produces 90 hp. Classic styling cues include a peanut “tank” (actually an airbox cover), a round air intake cover, and exposed rear shocks.
Toeing the line between a twist-and-go scooter and a step-over motorcycle, the all-new Honda Navi borrows the fan-cooled 109cc Single and CVT transmission from the Activa 6G scooter and the Grom’s popular design language. The 8-hp Navi weighs just 236 lb, has a 30-inch seat height, and is priced at just $1,807, making it an ideal gateway to the world of motorcycling.
Indian’s Challenger bagger, powered by the liquid-cooled PowerPlus 108 V-Twin that makes 108 hp and 113 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheel, was Rider’s 2020 MOTY. Touring capability gets a boost on the Pursuit Limited (or Dark Horse), which adds fairing lowers, a tall adjustable windscreen, a Touring Comfort seat, heated grips, and a trunk with an integrated passenger backrest.
2022 KTM 1290 Super Duke Evo. Photo by Kevin Wing.
Known as “The Beast,” the 1290 Super Duke R added “Evo” to its name and was updated with WP Semi-Active Technology (SAT) suspension available with six modes and automatic preload adjustment, a revised throttle-by-wire system, and more. Its 1,301cc V-Twin cranks out 180 hp and 103 lb-ft of torque, and its electronics allow riders to tame or unleash The Beast as they see fit.
2022 Royal Enfield Classic 350. Photo by Brandon Bunch.
The Classic 350 brings back the styling that made the Royal Enfield Bullet – built from 1931-2020 – such an iconic bike and pairs it with a 349cc air-/oil-cooled, SOHC, 2-valve, fuel-injected Single with a 5-speed gearbox. Available in nine color-style combinations and priced as low as $4,599, the Classic 350 is the embodiment of simple, fun, affordable motorcycling.
2023 Triumph Tiger 1200. Photo by Kingdom Creative.
Triumph completely revamped its Tiger 1200 adventure bike platform for the 2023 model year, shaving off 55 lb of weight, bolting in a 147-hp Triple from the Speed Triple, and equipping it with a new chassis and upgraded electronics. Five variants are available: the street-focused GT, GT Pro, and GT Explorer and the off-road-ready Rally Pro and Rally Explorer.
At the top of Yamaha’s Hyper Naked pecking order is the MT-10, a descendent of the FZ1 that was Rider’s 2006 MOTY. This “Master of Torque” is powered by a 160-hp crossplane inline-Four derived from the YZF-R1. It was updated for 2022 with new R1-derived electronics, upgraded brakes, revised styling and ergonomics, a new TFT display, and more.
And the 2022 Motorcycle of the Year Winner is…
SUZUKI GSX-S1000GT+
2022 Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+. Photo by Kevin Wing.
Here at Rider, we’re big fans of performance. That’s an often overused and general term, but it encapsulates so much of what we love about motorcycles. Powerful, thrilling engines. Strong, responsive chassis – everything from the frame to the suspension, brakes, and tires. And these days, electronic rider aids that allow responses to be tailored to different conditions or rider preferences.
2022 Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+. Photo by Kevin Wing.
We’re street riders. We may do the occasional track day or school, but it’s usually to help us sharpen our skills so we can ride more confidently and safely on the street. We want performance that is exciting yet still manageable on public roads.
At the same time, we like to go the distance. Rider was started in 1974 just as the touring segment was taking off, and motorcycle travel has been one of the magazine’s hallmarks. We’ve tested thousands of motorcycles over the years, and we gravitate toward bikes that are comfortable, reliable, and versatile yet still get our performance juices flowing.
2022 Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+. Photo by Kevin Wing.
Our 2021 Motorcycle of the Year was the Yamaha Tracer 9 GT, an adventure-style sport-tourer that’s lighter and more affordable than traditional heavyweight sport-tourers like the BMW R 1250 RT, Yamaha FJR1300, and Kawasaki Concours 14 – every one of which has worn Rider’s MOTY crown at some point. In fact, eight of our 32 previous MOTY winners have been sport-tourers.
And now, make that nine. The Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+ (the ‘+’ denoting the model with standard saddlebags, whereas the base GT model goes without) delivers all the performance a street rider needs in a refined, comfortable, sophisticated package at a reasonable MSRP of $13,799. It checks all the right performance boxes while also being practical and providing – as George Carlin would say – a place for our stuff.
2022 Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+. Photo by Kevin Wing.
The GSX-S’s 999cc inline-Four is adapted from the GSX-R1000 K5, a bulletproof, championship-winning engine. Tuned for street duty, it churned out 136 hp at 10,200 rpm and 73 lb-ft of torque at 9,300 rpm on Jett Tuning’s rear-wheel dyno.
As we said in our road test in the July issue, “The GSX-S engine is a gem with no rough edges. From cracking open the throttle above idle to twisting the grip to the stop, power comes on cleanly and predictably.”
2022 Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+. Photo by Kevin Wing.
The GSX-S1000GT+ is equipped with the Suzuki Intelligent Ride System, which includes three ride modes that adjust throttle response, power delivery, traction control, cruise control, and other systems. It has the best up/down quickshifter we’ve ever tested, and thanks to its street-tuned, sportbike-spec chassis, the GT+ offers predictable handling, unflappable stability, and impeccable smoothness.
Touring amenities include comfortable rider and passenger seating, 25.7-liter side cases that can accommodate most full-face helmets, and a 6.5-inch full-color TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity via Suzuki’s mySPIN smartphone app. With its angular sportbike styling, the GSX-S1000GT+ looks as fast as it goes, and the side cases can be easily removed for an even sportier look.
As we concluded in our road test, “The GSX-S1000GT+ strikes an excellent balance between performance, technology, weight, comfort, and price. Life is good when the scenery is a blur.”
Congratulations to Suzuki for the GSX-S1000GT+, Rider’s 2022 Motorcycle of the Year!
The Pikes Peak is the pointy end of the Multistrada V4 spear, a high-performance, state-of-the-art adventure bike designed to conquer the most challenging of mountain roads. Photos by Mike Levin and David Schelske.
The folks in Borgo Panigale makes the bold claim that the Ducati Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak is the sportiest adventure bike ever produced. And with its 1,158cc Grandturismo V-4 cranking out a claimed 170 hp and 92 lb-ft of torque and a new Race ride mode, the Pikes Peak can walk the walk.
The Multistrada is one of Ducati’s bestselling models, and 1 in 6 sold is a Pikes Peak. The Multistrada 1200 S Pikes Peak was introduced in 2011 to celebrate Greg Tracy’s win on a Multistrada at the 2010 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, the legendary “Race to the Clouds” in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
With premium components and features from the ground up, the Pikes Peak is now the top-of-the-line model in the Multistrada family.
Carlin Dunne claimed a second win on a Multistrada in 2011, setting a new motorcycle record of 11:11.329. The following year, Dunne and Tracy swept the top two positions on Multistradas, with Dunne becoming the first to break the 10-minute barrier on a motorcycle with a new record of 9:52.819 and Tracy close behind at 9:58.262. Ducati Multistradas went on to claim two more wins at Pikes Peak in 2013 and 2018.
To help it feel more surefooted at speed, the Pikes Peak has revised steering geometry and a longer wheelbase than the standard Multistrada V4.
A large TFT display is mission control for changing ride modes, adjusting settings, etc.
In the past, Pikes Peak models were little more than styling variations on the base Multistrada. But for 2022, Ducati pulled out all the stops, moving the Pikes Peak to the top of the lineup by giving it the primo treatment from stem to stern.
Race mode replaces the Enduro mode found on other Multistrada models, and it is joined by Sport, Touring, and Urban modes. In Race mode, the rev limiter kicks in more gradually to allow uninterrupted drive at high revs. A revised quickshifter helps the cause with faster gear changes both up and down.
Öhlins Smart EC 2.0 semi-active suspension responds to changing conditions in real time.
The Pikes Peak’s comprehensive IMU-based electronics suite includes customizable power modes, traction control, ABS, wheelie control, and Öhlins Smart EC 2.0 semi-active suspension with event-based settings that adapt to the user’s riding style. It’s also equipped with front and rear radar that informs adaptive cruise control and blind-spot detection.
As racy as the Pikes Peak is, we got our first ride on speed-limited public roads near Palm Springs, California, including the sinuous Palms to Pines Scenic Byway (State Route 74), which climbs out of the Coachella Valley and into Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains, ascending more than 5,000 feet.
With a spacious cockpit and a wide handlebar, the Pikes Peak’s attack position is much more comfortable than a sportbike’s.
Even at a spirited pace, the Pikes Peak felt like a greyhound on a short leash, eager to dash off at a moment’s notice. The Granturismo is a fireball of an engine, generating a heady mix of power, sound, and sensation that is exciting and engaging. In either Race or Sport mode, where power and throttle response are at their highest setting, the connection between the right grip and the rear tire was direct and fueling felt spot-on.
We’ve tested every iteration of the Multistrada over the years, and the V4 platform represents a high-water mark in terms of performance and handling. Ducati went a step further with the Pikes Peak to give it more stability at speed. Compared to the standard Multistrada V4, its wheelbase was lengthened by 1.1 inches to 62.8, its rake was increased by 1.25 degrees to 25.75, and its trail was increased by 0.7 inch to 4.7. Front wheel travel remains the same at 6.7 inches, but rear wheel travel was reduced by 0.4 inch to 6.7.
The Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak is a fireball and not for the faint of heart.
Ergonomics are sportier too. Compared to the standard Multistrada V4, the Pikes Peak has a narrower, straighter handlebar that’s 0.6 inch lower and footpegs that are 0.4 inch higher and 0.4 inch farther back. But it’s still based on an adventure bike platform, so it’s far more comfortable than nearly any sportbike on the market, especially those in Ducati’s lineup.
Diving into corners, the Pikes Peak clung to the pavement like a mountain goat on the side of a cliff, and it transitioned from side to side with ease. Credit goes to the adaptability of the Öhlins electronic suspension, the grip of the Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tires, and the lightness of the Marchesini forged aluminum wheels, which shave off a whopping 8.8 lb of unsprung weight compared to the Multistrada V4.
Marchesini forged aluminum wheels save 8.8 lb of unsprung weight compared to the Multistrada V4, and Brembo Stylema monoblock radial calipers with Panigale pads and 330mm rotors are stunning stoppers.
When the go must slow, Brembo Stylema front calipers with Panigale brake pads pinching enormous 330mm discs are like a giant pause button that freezes time and space. These impressive stoppers seem to defy physics.
With motorcycles no longer competing in the Race to the Clouds, the livery of the V4 Pikes Peak was inspired by Ducati’s Desmosedici GP21 MotoGP racebike. Ducati Red paint is complemented by white number-plate graphics with the number “1” in black and a two-tone red and black seat with “V4” embossed on the pillion. Grace notes include carbon fiber accents on the beak and front fender, a dark smoke low windscreen, and a carbon fiber cap on the titanium Akrapovič silencer. And it’s a treat to see Ducati’s signature single-sided swingarm reappear on the V4 Pikes Peak, recalling Multis of the past.
A single-sided swingarm shows off the rear wheel.
As racy as the Pikes Peak is in terms of its capabilities and style, it’s still practical enough to be used as a daily rider or a sport-tourer. It has standard hangers for optional saddlebags, and available accessories include heated grips, a heated seat, a centerstand, and luggage/accessory packs (Touring, Urban, and Enduro). You can also go full hero with carbon fiber front and rear fenders, a racing exhaust system (+10 hp, +5 lb-ft, -11 lb), and a dry clutch kit.
Admittedly, in the 120 or so miles I put on the Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak, I barely scratched the surface of its capabilities. Only on a racetrack or a deserted road far from watchful eyes can the true nature of the Pikes Peak be revealed. That would be a special moment, and you’d better hang on.
The small square between the headlights and the beak is the front radar for adaptive cruise control. A rear radar informs blind-spot detection.
2022 Ducati Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak Specs
Base Price: $30,395 Website:Ducati.com Warranty: 2 yrs., unltd. miles Engine Type: Liquid-cooled, transverse 90-degree V-4, DOHC w/ 4 valves per cyl. Displacement: 1,158cc Bore x Stroke: 83.0 x 53.5mm Horsepower: 170 hp at 10,500 rpm (factory claim) Torque: 92 lb-ft at 8,750 rpm (factory claim) Transmission: 6-speed, hydraulically actuated slip/assist wet clutch Final Drive: Chain Wheelbase: 62.8 in. Rake/Trail: 25.8 degrees/4.7 in. Seat Height: 33.1/33.9 in. Wet Weight: 527 lb Fuel Capacity: 5.8 gals.
We got a first ride on the all-new Ducati DesertX in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Photos by Gregor Halenda and Scott Rounds.
Ducati knows how to build sportbikes and superbikes. The Italian manufacturer claimed 14 World Superbike championships between 1990 and 2011, and it has finished in the top three in MotoGP every year since it began competing in the premier class in 2003, including two championships. A lot of this racing experience transfers well onto the company’s streetbikes, and even its Multistrada models, which handle more like sportbikes than adventure bikes when ridden hard on pavement.
Enter the Ducati DesertX, the newest machine to leave the factory in Borgo Panigale, with a seemingly heavy penchant for unpaved surfaces. Styling-wise, the DesertX looks like it’s ready to tackle the Dakar Rally with a rally-inspired fairing, long-travel suspension, and off-road friendly wheel sizes.
At the bike’s North American launch held just outside Aspen, Colorado, Ducati reps admitted during the technical presentation that this machine took the company out of its comfort zone. Despite this declaration, Ducati has some off-roading lineage. Back in 1990, Italian rider Edi Orioli won the grueling Paris-Dakar rally aboard a Cagiva Elefant, a feat he repeated in 1994. Ducati was under Cagiva Group’s ownership from 1985 to 1996, and the Elefant was powered by a 900cc Ducati V-Twin.
A concept of the DesertX was first shown at EICMA in 2019, and it was met with a wave of enthusiasm. This prompted Ducati to pursue its development, and although the concept bike was based on a Scrambler 1100, the DesertX is almost entirely new from the ground up. Its engine is based on the Monster’s liquid-cooled 937cc Testastretta V-Twin, not on the Scrambler’s air-cooled 1,079cc mill.
It’s the same engine you’ll find in the Hypermotard, Multistrada V2, and Supersport, though it has been reworked for use in the DesertX. It claims 110 hp and 68 lb-ft of torque, and changes include dedicated ride and power modes. Gearing is shorter from 1st to 5th (6th was left unchanged for highway riding), with the lowest gears made especially short to handle tight off-road sections: 1st is 14% shorter and 2nd is 9% shorter than on the Multistrada V2. Valve-adjustment intervals are set at 18,000 miles.
The DesertX is the first modern Ducati to roll on a 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheel combo, and the rims are cross-spoked and tubeless. This, of course, works better over rough terrain than other wheel combinations, and it offers a better selection of off-road tires. The Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tires on the DesertX provide great traction on hard-packed and moderately soft dirt, as well as surprisingly tenacious, vibration-free grip on pavement. From previous experience with these tires, though, they’re not very good in sand and mud, but there are other options for that. You can opt for the aggressively treaded Scorpion Rally for more extreme off-road excursions or for the more street-oriented Scorpion Trail II tires, both of which are approved for the DesertX.
The DesertX is built on a steel trellis frame, with fully adjustable suspension by Kayaba that includes a 46mm inverted fork and a single shock with a remote preload knob located on the right side of the bike just below the seat. Suspension travel is ample, with 9 inches up front and 8.7 inches out back. The tall suspension provides abundant ground clearance, with 9.8 inches of space between the skid plate and terra firma.
Fuel capacity is 5.5 gallons, and a 2.1-gallon auxiliary tank ($1,500) is available. The optional tank is rear-mounted, and it feeds the main tank via a switch. When the fuel level in the main tank drops low enough to accept the additional 2.1 gallons, the rider is prompted to switch on the auxiliary tank through the instrument panel, and the extra fuel is then pumped into the main tank.
Out On the X
The DesertX proved itself more than capable of handling serious off-road excursions during our 85-mile test loop, of which about 85% was unpaved, and a good portion of that was rough, rocky, and in places quite steep. Our hosts had accessorized our test bikes, firstly to showcase a few of the goodies available from Ducati but also to help protect the bikes from damage that might be suffered over challenging terrain. Accessories included crash bars ($700), a larger skid plate ($500, mounted solidly to the frame via brackets rather than to the engine cases), and a Termignoni muffler, among a few other items.
Standard seat height is 34.4 inches, with an optional low seat ($308) dropping that to 34.1 inches. If you require an even easier reach to the ground, you can further drop the perch to 33.3 inches by combining the low seat with a lowering kit, which includes fork and shock springs and a shorter sidestand ($300). A taller seat is also available that raises height to 34.6 inches.
At 6 feet tall, I could get one foot flat on the ground and the other on my toes with the standard seat, which is narrow at the front to ease reach to the ground and widens considerably at the rear to give broad support. Unfortunately, I cannot comment on its long-term comfort since most of the day was spent standing on the footpegs off-road. The fairing protects your torso from most of the windblast, though the optional taller touring windscreen ($230) would probably be a good investment for longer highway stints.
The 5-inch TFT instrument display is mounted vertically, which is said to facilitate reading it while standing up, while also providing a better display when using the optional Bluetooth-enabled turn-by-turn navigation through your phone. Lean-sensitive ABS and traction control, wheelie control, adjustable engine braking, cruise control, and a quickshifter are all standard. The DesertX has four road modes (Sport, Touring, Urban, and Wet) and two off-road modes (Enduro and Rally), as well as four power levels, all selectable via the instrument panel. Enduro mode limits output to 75 hp, sets throttle response to dynamic, shuts off wheelie control, and reduces ABS intervention to level 2 (out of 3, rear ABS disabled) and traction control to level 3 (of 8).
Within minutes after turning off the pavement, the DesertX asserted itself more as a proper dual-sport machine rather than a ponderous adventure bike. My preferred off-road setting was Rally, which drops ABS intervention to minimum (still off at the rear) and traction control to level 2, though even this setting wasn’t ideal for a fast pace. Fortunately, all six ride modes are individually customizable, so I turned traction control off and selected the softer throttle setting than the standard dynamic setting.
My only gripe with the ride modes is how they are selected. You must hold down the mode button on the left-hand switch assembly for a couple of seconds to prompt the mode selection menu on the instrument panel and then scroll to the desired mode, hit the mode button again, and shut the throttle to confirm your selected mode. With practice it can be done in a matter of seconds while riding, but it’s a distracting and tedious process that could be simplified. On the bright side, the bike retains its selected ride modes anytime the ignition switch is turned off and on again.
With this tailored Rally setting selected, the rear end slid at will to ease cornering on dirt, and the front wheel lifted effortlessly to clear obstacles. With elbows up and in attack mode, the DesertX ate up all the rocks, bumps, and ruts that passed beneath its wheels without flinching. It kept a solid, unwavering line, and easily steered around anything I didn’t want to hit. It truly feels like a much lighter bike at speed than its claimed 492 lb wet weight would suggest. The front end feels solid, and the bike never shook its head, even after the front wheel got pounded by successive bumps at speed. The bike is equipped with a steering damper, so the stability isn’t surprising.
The suspension, which had been adjusted for my 220 pounds fully dressed, soaked up big dips and bumps without bottoming – and with dirtbike-like plushness. I did end up bumping up the rebound damping a couple of clicks at both ends since the fork had topped out with a knock a couple of times as the wheel lifted off a few jumps and the rear wallowed a bit when negotiating tight turning transitions. The bike behaved ideally after that.
The DesertX really impressed, however, on a long, steep, rocky climb up a switchback-riddled trail that brought us to the top of a ski hill at an elevation of more than 11,300 feet. This is where the shorter gearing became an asset, especially the bottom two gears. Admittedly, the gap between 1st and 2nd is a bit wide, prompting frequent gear changes when slowing for corner entry, but the bike’s quickshifter made this effortless.
On pavement, the DesertX behaved as a Ducati should. At a modestly quick pace it railed through sweeping turns with confidence-inspiring stability. Its tall suspension does make turning transitions ponderous, as it’s a long way up and then back down into a lean again. And it prefers a deliberate, calculated approach to cornering rather than a point-and-shoot sportbike style. This is due to its 21-inch front wheel and the long suspension travel – nail the twin M50 Brembos hard at corner entry and that long travel gets soaked up quickly. Overall, though, it will easily keep pace with sportbikes, especially if the pavement gets rough.
What’s the Verdict?
While the Ducati DesertX falls into the adventure-touring category due to its engine displacement, it really handles more like a big dual-sport machine off-road. It’s a serious off-roader that can be ridden hard by an expert or more modestly and easily by someone with less experience. It wavers into KTM 890 Adventure R, Husqvarna Norden 901, and Honda Africa Twin territory, which is an unusual place to be for the Italian maker of sportbikes. However, it can easily hold up performance-wise to those bikes both on and off the road and possibly exceed their performance, though only a head-to-head comparison can determine that.
It is pricey, however, retailing for $17,095. The KTM retails for $14,599, the Husky for $13,999, and the Honda for $14,449. That might make the choice a difficult one, but one thing is for sure, while Ducati might be fairly new to this off-road business, the DesertX will not disappoint, especially if you use it as it was designed to be used – off the pavement and on the gas.
2022 Ducati DesertX Specs
Base Price: $17,095 Price as Tested: $19,795 Website:Ducati.com Warranty: 2 yrs., unltd. miles Engine Type: Liquid-cooled, transverse 90-degree L-Twin, desmodromic DOHC w/ 4 valves per cyl. Displacement: 937cc Bore x Stroke: 94.0 x 67.5mm Horsepower: 110 hp @ 9,250 rpm (claimed, at the crank) Torque: 68 lb-ft @ 6,500 rpm (claimed, at the crank) Transmission: 6-speed, cable-actuated wet slip/assist clutch Final Drive: Chain Wheelbase: 63.3 in. Rake/Trail: 27.6 degrees/4.8 in. Seat Height: 34.4 in. Wet Weight: 492 lb Fuel Capacity: 5.5 gals.
Child of the ’60s meets Bud Ekins’ 1915 Harley-Davidson in 1978. (Photo by Robin Riggs)
Looking through a file folder named “Cars & Bikes” on my computer the other day, I noticed that in 50 years of riding, I’ve experienced nearly the entirety of motorcycle history. From 1915 Indian board-track racers to a 2022 KTM 1290 Super Duke R Evo, that’s 108 model years’ worth. And in between were tests, rides, or races on more machines from every decade. Hardly planned, this all resulted from simply loving to ride, being curious, and, most of all, saying yes at every chance. Here are some of my favorite moto memories, one apiece covering 12 decades.
1915 Harley-Davidson Model 11-F
In 1978, Cycle magazine gave me an assignment after I joined the staff: Write a feature about anything I wanted. Interested in the history of our sport, I replied that I’d like to ride a really old bike. “Call this guy,” the editor said, handing me the number of Bud Ekins, an ISDT gold medalist and the stuntman in the epic The Great Escape jump scene.
More than a century after its manufacture, this modified 1915 Harley-Davidson 11-F completed the cross-country Motorcycle Cannonball. (Photo by SFO Museum)
In his enormous shop, Ekins reviewed the starting drill for his 1915 Harley-Davidson Model 11-F: Flood the carb, set the timing and compression release, crack the throttle, and then swing the bicycle-style pedals hard to get the V-Twin’s big crankshaft spinning. When it lit off, working the throttle, foot clutch, and tank-mounted shifter – and steering via the long tiller handlebar – were foreign to a rider used to contemporary bikes. But coordination gradually built, and after making our way to the old Grapevine north of Los Angeles, I found the 998cc engine willing and friendly, with lots of flywheel effect and ample low-rpm torque to accelerate the machine to a satisfying cruising speed of about 45 mph. And its rider to another time and place.
On a lucky trip to New Zealand, McIntosh Racing founder Ken McIntosh let me race his special Norton Model 18 in the Pukekohe Classic Festival. Unlike the exotic Norton CS1 overhead-camshaft model that likewise debuted in 1927 – a big advancement at the time – the Model 18 TT Replica used a tuned version of the company’s existing 490cc pushrod Single engine. Its name was derived, fittingly, from the sterling Model 18 racebike’s multiple Isle of Man TT wins. As such, the production TT Replica had as much racing provenance as you could buy at the time.
The author aboard New Zealander Ken McIntosh’s 1927 Norton Model 18 TT Replica, which reached 80 mph on track. (Photo by Geoff Osborne)
I found it surprisingly capable, delivering a blend of strong power (a digital bicycle speedometer showed a top track speed of80 mph) and predictable, confident handling – despite the girder-style fork and hardtail frame. However, lacking gear stops in its selector mechanism, the 3-speed gearbox required careful indexing to catch the correct gear. But once I got the process down, the bike was steady, swift, and utterly magical, like the Millennium Falcon of Singles in its time.
When a friend handed me his 4-cylinder Nimbus, it had big problems. The engine was locked solid, and my buddy wanted to get it running and saleable. Built in Denmark, the Nimbus is unique for several reasons. One is its 746cc inline-Four engine. Rather than being mounted transversely like modern multis, it was positioned longitudinally in the frame, with power flowing rearward via shaft drive. Interestingly, the rocker-arm ends and valve stems were exposed and, when the engine was running, danced a jig like eight jolly leprechauns. The frame was equally curious, comprised of flat steel bars instead of tubing, and riveted together. With a hacksaw, hammer, and some steel, you could practically duplicate a Nimbus frame under the apple tree on a Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday.
Bob Sinclair, former CEO of Saab Cars USA, loved motorcycles. He’s riding a Nimbus Type C sidecar rig with a furry friend as co-pilot. (Sinclair Family Archives)
Anyway, the seized engine refused to budge – until I attempted a fabled fix by pouring boiling olive oil through the spark-plug holes to expand the cylinder walls and free up the rings. Additionally, I judiciously added heat from a propane torch to the iron block. Eventually, the engine unstuck and, with tuning, ran well. But the infusion of olive oil created a hot mist that emanated from the exposed valvetrain, covering my gear and leaving behind an olfactory wake like baking Italian bread.
1949 Vincent Black Shadow
One blissful time, years before Black Shadows cost six figures, I was lucky enough to ride one. Seemingly all engine, the Black Shadow was long and low, with its black stove-enamel cases glistening menacingly, and its sweeping exhaust headers adding a sensual element to an otherwise purely mechanical look.
Unquestionably the superbike of its day, Vincent’s 998cc Black Shadow was simultaneously elegant and menacing, and a big 150-mph speedometer let the rider know it. This is a 1952 model. (Photo by Clement Salvadori)
Thanks to the big, heavy flywheels and twin 499cc cylinders, starting the Vincent took forethought and commitment. And once the beast was running, so did riding it. A rude surprise came as I selected 1st gear and slipped the clutch near the busy Los Angeles International Airport. Unexpectedly, the clutch grabbed hard, sending the Shadow lurching ahead. The rest of the controls seemed heavy and slow compared to the Japanese and Italian bikes I knew at the time – especially the dual front brakes. The bike was clearly fast, but glancing at the famous 150-mph speedometer, I was chagrined to find that I’d only scratched the surface of the Black Shadow’s performance at 38 mph.
1955 Matchless G80CS
Despite not being a Brit-bike fan in particular, I’ve owned five Matchlesses, including three G80CSs. Known as a “competition scrambler,” in reality the CS denotes it as a “competition” (scrambles) version of the “sprung” (rear-suspension equipped) streetbike. Power comes from a 498cc long-stroke 4-stroke pushrod Single of the approximate dimensions of a giant garden gnome. Starting a G80CS requires knowing “the drill” – retarding the ignition, pushing the big piston to top-dead-center on compression, and giving the kickstart lever a strong, smooth kick all the way through. This gets the crank turning some 540 degrees before the piston begins the compression stroke again.
A true garage find, this 1955 Matchless G80CS hadn’t been used since 1966. Now resurrected, the long-stroke 498cc pushrod Single shoves the desert sled ahead like the rapid-fire blasts of a big tommy gun. (Photo by John L. Stein)
Once going, the engine fires the G80CS down the road with unhurried explosions. Then at 50 mph or so, the Matchless feels delightfully relaxed; vibration is low-frequency and quite tolerable, and the note emanating from the muffler is a pleasant bark –powerful but not threatening. It is here, at speeds just right for country roads, that the G80CS feels most in its element as a friendly, agreeable companion. With such a steady countenance, it’s no wonder that G80CS engines powered tons of desert sleds. I just wouldn’t want to be stuck in a sand wash on a 100-degree day with one that required more than three kicks to start.
During Ducati’s infancy, the Italian firm concocted a249cc overhead-cam roadster named the Diana. Featuring a precision-built unit-construction engine like Japanese bikes, it offered an essential difference: being Italian. And that meant all sorts of wonderful learning, as I discovered when, as a teen, I bought a “basket-case” Diana. The term isn’t used much anymore, but it means something has been disassembled so thoroughly that its parts can be literally dumped into a basket. In the case of this poor ex-racer, literally everything that could be unscrewed or pried apart was. The engine was in pieces, the wheels were unspoked, the frame and fork were separated, and many parts were missing.
The author aboard his basket-case 1961 Ducati Diana. (John L. Stein archives)
Its distress repelled my friends but inspired me. Upon acquiring it, a year of trial-and-error work included rebuilding the scattered engine, designing and welding brackets onto the frame for a centerstand and footpegs, assembling the steering, fabricating a wiring harness, and ultimately tuning and sorting. This basket-case Ducati literally taught me the fundamentals of motorcycle mechanics, by necessity. And due to the racy rear-set controls I’d crafted, the machine had no kickstarter, necessitating bump-starting everywhere, every time.
The bike was never gloriously fast, but it carried me through my first roadrace at the Ontario Motor Speedway. After selling it, I never saw it again. Rest in peace, fair Diana. And by the way, the California blue plate was 4C3670. Write if you’ve seen it!
1971 Kawasaki Mach III
Stepping from an 8-hp Honda 90 onto a friend’s Mach III, which was rated at 60 hp when new, was the biggest shock of my young motorcycling life. I knew enough to be careful, not only because of the 410-lb heft of the Kawasaki compared to the Honda’s feathery 202 lb, but because the Mach III had a reputation as a barn-burner. It was true. Turning the throttle grip induced the moaning wail from three dramatic 2-stroke cylinders, and propelled the Kawasaki ahead with a ferocity I’d never come close to feeling before.
Rated at 60 horsepower, the Kawasaki Mach III (officially known as the H1) was the quickest-accelerating production motorcycle of its time. (Photo by John L. Stein)
In those first moments of augmented g-forces, I distinctly felt that the acceleration was trying to dislocate my hips. In reality, it was probably just taxing the gluteus muscles. But regardless, I remember thinking, “I’ll never be able to ride one of these.” That clearly wasn’t true, but the memory of the Mach III’s savage acceleration and whooping sound remains indelible. Additionally, the engine vibration was incessant – there was simply no escaping it – and in those pre-hydraulic disc days for Kawasaki, the drum brakes seemed heavy and reluctant, even to a big-bike novice. Glad I found out early that the Mach III’s mad-dog reputation was real.
1985 KTM 500 MXC
If Paul Bunyan designed a motorcycle, this KTM 2-stroke would be it. For its day, the 500 MXC was extraordinary at everything, such as extraordinarily hard to start; the kickstart shaft was a mile high and the lever arm even higher. At over6 feet tall in MX boots, I still needed a curb, boulder, or log handy to effectively use the left-side kickstarter. The motor had so much compression (12.0:1) that this Austrian Ditch Witch practically needed a starter engine to fire the main one. Once, I was stuck on a desert trail with the MXC’s engine reluctant to re-fire. Not so brilliantly, I attached a tow line to my friend’s Kawasaki KX250 and he pulled me to perhaps 25 mph on a nearby two-lane road. Before I could release the line and drop the clutch, my buddy slowed for unknown reasons. Instantly the rope drooped, caught on the KTM’s front knobby, and locked the wheel, slamming the bike and its idiot rider onto the asphalt. The crash should have broken my wrist, but an afternoon spent icing it in the cooler put things right.
A beast to start and a blast to ride, this 1985 KTM 500 MXC 2-stroke was also comically and maddeningly tall. So was the desk-high kickstart arm. But, oh my, how the Austrian Ditch Witch could fly. (Photo by John L. Stein.)
When running, though, the MXC was spectacular. Capable of interstate speeds down sand washes and across open terrain, the liquid-cooled 485cc engine was a maniacal off-road overlord. The suspension included a WP inverted fork and linked monoshock with an insane 13.5 inches of travel out back. I bought the 500 MXC used for $500, and I had to practically give it away later. But now, I wish I had kept it, because it was fully street-plated – ideal for Grom hunting in the hills today.
1998 Yamaha YZF-R1
On a deserted, bucolic section of Pacific coastal backroads, I loosened the new Yamaha R1’s reins, kicked it in the ribs, and let it gallop. And gallop it did, at a breathtaking rate up to and beyond 130 mph. That’s not all that fast in the overall world of high performance, but on a little two-lane road edged by prickly cattle fences and thick oaks, it ignited all my senses. What had been a mild-mannered tomcat moments before turned into a marlin on meth, but it wasn’t the velocity that was alarming.
Superbike tech leapt ahead with Yamaha’s YZF-R1. Its performance rang every alarm bell in the author’s head. (Photos by Yamaha)
No, the point seared into my amygdala was how hard the R1 was still accelerating at 130 mph. Rocketing past this speed with a ratio or two still remaining in the 6-speed gearbox sounded every alarm bell in my head, so I backed down. Simply, the R1 rearranged my understanding of performance. But simultaneously, it made every superbike of the 1970s, including the King Kong 1973 Kawasaki Z1 – the elite on the street in its era – seem lame by comparison.
2008 Yamaha YZ250F
After 25 years away from motocross, in 2008 I bought a new YZ250F and went to the track. Oh, my word. The dream bikes of my competitive youth – Huskys, Maicos, Ossas, and their ilk – faded to complete irrelevance after one lap at Pala Raceway on the modern 4-stroke. Naturally it was light, fast, and responsive, but the party drug was its fully tunable suspension. By comparison, everything else I’d ridden in the dirt seemed like a pogo stick. Together, the awesome suspension and aluminum perimeter frame turned motocross into an entirely different sport, and I loved it anew.
Contemporary technology turned riding motocross from torture in the sport’s early years to the best workout – like simultaneously using every machine in the gym at maximum effort. Training and racing this 2008 Yamaha YZ250F produced heartrates just shy of running a 10k race. (John L. Stein Archives)
In retrospect, the glorious old MX bikes were dodgy because real skill was required to keep them from bucking their riders into the ditch. But, surprisingly, I found motocross aboard this new machine still merited hazard pay, for two reasons: 1) Thanks to the bike’s excellent manners, I found myself going much faster; and 2) Tracks had evolved to include lots of jumps, sometimes big ones. Doubles, step-ups, table-tops – I later paced one off at Milestone MX and realized the YZ was soaring more than 70 feet through the air.
2017 Yamaha TW200
There’s something about flying low and slow that’s just innately fun. Just ask the Super Cub pilots, lowrider guys, or Honda Monkey owners. After a day in the Mojave, plowing through sand, sliding on dry lake beds, and dodging rocks and creosote bushes, Yamaha’s TW200 proved equally enamoring. Yes, it’s molasses-slow, inhaling hard through the airbox for enough oxygen to power it along. And it’s built to a price, with an old-school carburetor and middling suspension and brakes.
For flying low and slow on a dry lake bed, the fat-tire Yamaha TW200 is righteous. Learn to dirt-track early in life, and the skills last forever. (Photo by Bill Masho)
Nonetheless, its fat, high-profile tires somehow make it way more than alright, kind of like riding a marshmallow soaked in Red Bull. Curbs? Loading docks? Roots, ruts, and bumps? Scarcely matters at 16 mph when you’re laughing your head off. Top speed noted that day was a bit over 70 mph – good enough for freeway work, but just barely. So, actually, no. But throttling the TW all over the desert and on city streets reminded me just how joyous being on two wheels is.
Building from its supercharged Ninja H2 hyperbike, Kawasaki launched the naked Z H2 for 2020. Lucky to attend the press launch for the bike that year, I got to experience this 197-hp missile on a road course, freeways, backroads, and even a banked NASCAR oval. The latter was, despite its daunting concrete walls, an apropos vessel to exploit the bike’s reported power. Weighing 527 lbs wet, the Z H2 has a 2.7:1 power-to-weight ratio – nearly twice as potent as the 2023 Corvette Z06.
Exploiting Kawasaki’s 197-horsepower Z H2 definitely required a racetrack. (Photo by Kawasaki)
Supercharged engines are known for their low-end grunt, and the Z H2 motor was happy to pull at any rpm and in any gear. But it fully awakened above 8,000 rpm, as the aerospace-grade supercharger began delivering useful boost. From here on, the job description read: Hang on and steer. Free to pin it on the road course and oval, I did. And not for bravado’s sake – I really wanted to discover the payoff of having so much power. As it turns out, a supercharged liter bike dramatically shrinks time and space, making it a total blast on the track – and absolute overkill on the road. Watch where you aim this one.
Based in Southern California, John L. Stein is an internationally known automotive and motorcycle journalist. He was a charter editor of Automobile Magazine, Road Test Editor at Cycle, and served as the Editor of Corvette Quarterly. He has written for Autoweek, Car and Driver, Motor Trend, Cycle World, Motorcyclist, Outside, and other publications in the U.S. and abroad.
It’s a tried and true recipe: make one really good thing, then scale it to make another really good thing, and so on. Motorcycle manufacturers have been doing this for years (think every superbike/supersport combo imaginable), but we haven’t seen it happen all that often in the performance nakedbike sector.
This is mainly because nakedbikes don’t follow a set rule book. They can be… whatever. It’s that individuality that makes them appealing, so to see an almost straight aesthetic copy of one machine to another, especially in the performance nakedbike category, is rather unusual.
2022 Ducati Streetfighter V2
It’s ok if it’s from your own gene pool, though. And Ducati has a fine one from which to draw upon its latest and greatest.
The 2022 Ducati Streetfighter V2 is, however, far from just a rolling tribute to the bonkers V4. More approachable, accessible and not quite as license-annihilating as the V4, the 153 hp V2 is Ducati’s jab at bikes like Yamaha’s venerable MT-09 and KTM’s 890 Duke, two bikes I personally love and the latter of which I feel is extremely underrated.
Like the V4, the V2 is essentially a Panigale stripped of what makes it a Panigale. It’s got the same Superquadro 90-degree L-twin motor, a slightly revised chassis that includes a 16 mm longer swingarm for better braking and acceleration stability, and the same 43 mm Showa Big Piston Fork and fully-adjustable monoshock.
2022 Ducati Streetfighter V2
Brembo’s M4.32 four-piston monobloc caliper mates to a Brembo radial 18mm master-cylinder and Cornering ABS is there to save your hide (to a degree) if it starts to go pear-shaped.
The V2 also comes with a revised rider seat that’s flatter, thicker and wider, and the class’s ubiquitous single-piece handlebar replaces the racy clip-ons of the Panigale.
2022 Ducati Streetfighter V2
What the Streetfighter hasn’t got is the acres of bodywork, any form of wind protection and, curiously, no cruise control (it isn’t even available as an optional extra).
In standard form the V2 doesn’t come with winglets but you’ll notice from the track session photos there are indeed wings on my V2. These are from the Ducati accessory catalogue and come in either plastic or carbon-fibre, but I suspect more people will be buying the wings for the attention factor than any performance gain, regardless of the chosen material.
2022 Ducati Streetfighter V2
If you were to put the V2 and the V4 side-by-side, you’d be hard pressed to spot the initial difference. The same Joker-style face is glaring back at you with the LED light emitting a snarling, guilty smile, and the sharp tail unit, a hangover from the Panigale, gives the Streetfighter an unmistakable stance.
2022 Ducati Streetfighter V2
The electronics are as you’d expect for a modern Ducati and a sporting one at that. Three riding modes in Sport, Road and Rain, each with its own ride-by-wire setting, a Bosch IMU, eight stage traction control, four-stage wheelie control, up and down quick shifter, three-stage Cornering ABS and three-stage Engine Brake Control are all at your fingertips, as is the Slide-By-Brake ABS mode that allows you to do your best Pecco Bagnaia impersonation by backing it into corners (on the track, of course).
It’s all accessed via the compact 4.3-inch TFT display, which in this day of massive seven-plus inch dash units feels rather small. Despite this, it’s easy enough to read but like phones, once you get used to a big screen, it’s hard to go back.
2022 Ducati Streetfighter V2
Speaking of going back, this was the first international launch I had attended since the ’Rona decided to burn life down as we knew it, and Spain was once again chosen as the venue for Ducati to get back to the business of making their bikes look as fancy as possible.
If you’ve ever wondered why bike manufacturers do launches in the first place, rather than just give the bikes to the respective publications, it’s because they can control the narrative to some degree. They provide the photos, make the bike look all pretty, and you get access to the bike’s development staff. You can’t control the narrative as well when the bike is out of your control, and I think you’ll agree, Ducati did a better job on the photos than I could with my phone…
2022 Ducati Streetfighter V2
The Circuito Monteblanco and the rolling hills surrounding the track, about 45 minutes south west of the glorious Spanish city of Seville, hosted the launch. Monteblanco is a circuit more famous as the haunt for the British Superbike teams to escape the Blighty winter for a few test miles, and is an excellent venue for streetbike testing as it’s got a near perfect mix of fast, slow, blind, and cambered corners, plus a massive straight to max the thing out on.
I’ve ridden my fair share of Ducati 959/V2 Panigale’s over the last five years and have become a staunch fan of the platform, so testing out the Streetfighter version on track first threw up a few surprises.
2022 Ducati Streetfighter V2
With a claimed 153 hp on tap—although a shorter final drive ratio delivers more torque to the rear wheel between 6-10,000 rpm compared to the Panigale—there’s plenty of performance but it never feels like it’s going to bite you.
There’s still enough to keep you on your toes, however, and with the ECU set to Sport mode there’s a definite kick in the power delivery once you surge through 5000 rpm and into the sixes. Below 4000 rpm, the power is docile and easy going, but get it past 6000 rpm and the switch gets flicked. You’re then in the zone, throwing gears at it and watching as the needle hovers around the 10,000 rpm mark. It’ll rev to 11,000 rpm, but meaningful drive was done about 600 rpm before that mark was hit, and you don’t want to go crashing into the hard-action rev limiter, trust me…
2022 Ducati Streetfighter V2
It’s best to keep the motor singing between 7-10,000 rpm as here’s where the money is. Clicking fourth, fifth gear, you’re greeted with oodles of power and it’s mated to one of the most agile chassis around. In fact, you wouldn’t want much more agility than this because you’ll start to sacrifice the stability, but Ducati has done well (especially test rider Alessandro Valia) to keep this in the forefront of the design ethos.
2022 Ducati Streetfighter V2
The Showa 43 mm BPF is a good fork but it’s not top-level Ohlins stuff, and at 89 kg without gear it and the shock were too soft me. I’d want to go up a spring if I were mainly using this for the track, but when switching to the road, this is where the Streetfighter really shines.
2022 Ducati Streetfighter V2
Putting the throttle map into the Road setting revealed a much more pleasant throttle response with the kick at 6000 rpm largely negated. It’s almost a case of the Streetfighter truly becoming one with its design when you take it away from apexes and start focusing on roads. The lack of wind protection you notice when you’re trying to max out every available ounce of performance on track isn’t as big a deal, and you can really enjoy the wide stance afforded by the one-piece handlebar.
2022 Ducati Streetfighter V2
You sit on the Streetfighter rather than in it, the tank enveloping your knees nicely and your bum doesn’t go a numb as what it would be if you were on a Panigale V2.
Overall, it’s a comfortable ride on the street. This is a streetbike that can hold its own well enough on the track, but that’s not where its heart is. The combination of horsepower, throttle delivery in Road mode and the plush but not overly soft suspension on the road make for a great afternoon’s riding.
2022 Ducati Streetfighter V2
It’s a sheer annoyance that a motorcycle costing $22,500 does not come with a quick shifter (Ducati quickly shat the bed on that one), but combining all the virtues of the Streetfighters road and track manners has equalled a very good motorcycle indeed.
2022 Ducati Streetfighter V2
The Streetfighter V2’s arrival now completes the Ducati superbike/nakedbike and supersport/nakedbike family, and I feel with WorldSSP changing its rules to allow the Panigale V2 and one Mr. Bayliss Jnr on the grid next year, there’s going to be more attention paid to the 959 cc motor as a whole.
2022 Ducati Streetfighter V2
The 2022 Ducati Streetfighter V2 isn’t as mean as its bigger V4 brother, but that’s a good thing. Sometimes less really is more.
Middleweight adventure bikes are hot right now, and Ducati is the latest manufacturer to embrace the trend. Powered by a 110-horsepower version of the 937cc Testastretta L-Twin from the Multistrada V2 in a 492-pound package, the rally-styled 2022 Ducati DesertX is designed for aggressive off-road riding.
Featuring Ducati’s signature desmodromic valvetrain, the DesertX’s liquid-cooled, 937cc Testastretta 11° L-Twin makes 68 lb-ft of torque and benefits from the same updates seen on the Monster and Multistrada V2, including a lightweight clutch, smoother shift actuation, and a 3.7-pound weight reduction versus the previous-gen engine.
The 6-speed transmission has been optimized for off-road riding, with shorter ratios for gears 1st-5th. Especially short are 1st and 2nd gears for use in technical terrain, while 6th gear remains tall for smooth operation and lower fuel consumption at highway speeds
Equipped with throttle-by-wire and an IMU, the DesertX offers four power modes (Full, High, Medium, and Low) and six ride modes (Sport, Touring, Urban, Wet, Enduro, and Rally). Each ride mode alters engine output, throttle response, and electronic rider aids, including engine braking, traction control, cornering ABS, wheelie control, and an up/down quickshifter.
The DesertX has a tubular-steel trellis frame, fully adjustable Kayaba suspension with 9.1/8.7 inches of front/rear travel, and 9.8 inches of ground clearance. Brembo M50 monoblock front calipers pinch 320mm discs, and a Brembo 2-piston rear caliper pinches a 265mm disc.
To meet the demands of off-road riding, the DesertX is equipped with spoked tubeless wheels, with a 21-inch front and 18-inch rear, and they’re shod with Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR adventure tires.
Fuel capacity is 5.5 gallons. A unique feature of the DesertX, available as an accessory, is an auxiliary 2.1-gallon tank incorporated into the tail section of the bike, which would raise total fuel capacity to 7.6 gallons.
Other features include a 5-inch color TFT display with Standard and Rally info modes, and as an option it can be connected to the Ducati Multimedia System via Bluetooth and a smartphone. All lighting is LED, including a daytime running light and a brake light that flashes during sudden braking.
The 2022 Ducati DesertX will be available only in Star White Silk with special graphics. Pricing and availability are TBD.
2022 Ducati DesertX Specs
Base Price: TBD Website:ducati.com Engine Type: Liquid-cooled, transverse 90-degree L-Twin, desmodromic DOHC w/ 4 valves per cyl. Displacement: 937cc Bore x Stroke: 94.0 x 67.5mm Horsepower: 110 hp @ 9,250 rpm Torque: 68 lb-ft @ 6,500 rpm Transmission: 6-speed, hydraulically actuated slip/assist wet clutch Final Drive: Chain Wheelbase: 63.3 in. Rake/Trail: 27.6 degrees/4.8 in. Seat Height: 34.4 in. Wet Weight: 492 lbs. (claimed) Fuel Capacity: 5.5 gals.
Ducati’s Panigale V4 platform has been pushing the superbike segment forward with cutting-edge tech since it debuted in 2018. The Bologna, Italy, marque hasn’t grown complacent during that time either, revising the flagship sportbike with minor adjustments over the years. The 2022 Ducati Panigale V4 and V4 S receive the most thorough update yet, with revisions to the engine, chassis, electronics, aero, and ergos.
2022 Ducati Panigale V4 S
The Panigale’s MotoGP-derived Desmosedici Stradale engine maintains it’s 1,103cc capacity in 2022, but a new torque management system and dedicated mapping bump the V4 to 210 horsepower at 12,500 rpm and 90.6 lb-ft of torque at 11,000 rpm. Ducati’s new SBK gearbox helps deliver that power to the back wheel thanks to the lengthened 1st, 2nd, and 6th gear. As a result, the Panigale V4 said to deliver slow-speed cornering, harder corner-exit acceleration, and a higher top speed.
The V4’s updated electronics put the Panigale’s power parameters at the user’s fingertips with new Power Modes. In Full Power Mode, riders can access the motorcycle’s full potential, with no electronic filters dulling the engine’s torque curves (except in 1st gear). High and Medium Modes gain a refined throttle-by-wire map management system, which optimizes thrust upon open throttle. Low Mode limits the Desmosedici Stradale to 150 horsepower while a more manageable throttle response maximizes road riding comfort and enjoyment.
2022 Ducati Panigale V4 S
In addition to the Panigale’s Power Modes, the four Riding Modes (Race A, Race B, Sport, Street) also change the superbike’s personality. The reworked dashboard communicates all those settings with new external lights and functions. At the suggestion of Ducati MotoGP riders, technicians developed a new Track Evo info mode. By shifting the tachometer bar to the top of the display, the gear indicator at center, and the rider aids along the right side, the new layout provides the ideal screen legibility for racers and track riders.
2022 Ducati Panigale V4 S
Ducati’s MotoGP team is known for its aerodynamic packages and the 2022 Panigale V4 lives up to that reputation. The new double-profile winglets are thinner, more compact, and more efficient, but still provide 81 pounds of downforce at 186 mph. Of course, V4 engines are known to generate heat, and additional air-extraction gills on the lower fairing enhance cooling. Rider comfort also improves due to a flatter seat. The grippy seat cover also helps lock the rider in place during hard braking while a reshaped fuel tank offers a better anchor point for the user’s legs.
2022 Ducati Panigale V4 S
While the Panigale V4 and V4 S share much of the same equipment, the up-spec S model features electronically controlled Öhlins suspension, with an NPX 25/30 fork, TTX36 rear shock, and steering damper. And it rolls on premium forged aluminum alloy wheels shod with Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP tires. The standard V4, on the other hand, opts for a fully adjustable Showa Big Piston fork, Sachs rear shock, Sachs steering damper, and cast aluminum wheels.
2022 Ducati Panigale V4
While the two chassis may employ different suspensions and wheels, both boast premium Brembo braking systems. Each superbike now benefits from a higher swingarm pivot, which increases the Panigale’s anti-squat characteristics under acceleration. Ducati modestly updates the superbike’s cosmetics as well, with both variants featuring the brand’s signature red fairings and new black Ducati logos. However, the V4 S also gains a two-tone seat and red wheel tape.
Available in February, the 2022 Ducati Panigale V4 retails for $23,295 while the 2022 Ducati Panigale V4 S goes for $29,995.
For more information or to find a Ducati dealer near you, visit ducati.com.
Motorcycle Test by Trevor Hedge – Images by RbMotoLens & TH
Ducati’s latest Multistrada V4 S is a rolling showcase of the most advanced technology available to mainstream motorcycling today.It also a formidable all-roads adventure machine that builds speed with ruthless efficiency, all the while keeping its rider comfortable and either thrilled, or zen, depending on whatever the mood dictates.
Bit of Zen going on here…
It has 170 particularly well-bred horses that gallop forward with a relentless force, but puts those hooves down smoother than any Ducati that has been bred before.
This is no Panigale V4 motor simply repurposed, but a completely new beast that, while sharing some of the sportsbike’s DNA, is more of a distant well-bred cousin than direct descendent.
It does share the 70-degree offset counter-rotating crank pins that clearly announce its Bologna birthplace as soon as it stirs into life. That twin-pulse beat is unmistakably Ducati, and the engine certainly benefits from the DNA of its sprint racing cousins, but this Granturismo version of the engine has been bred for the steeplechase, it is a very different animal indeed.
There is some magic happening inside those crank-cases
The headline change in the architecture is the move to a more conventional valve-train, that’s right, no Desmo here.Ducati have done it their own way though and dictate 60,000 kilometre valve clearance checks to help reduce servicing costs. Servicing costs was not the only reason though. Desmodromic engines have, by nature, a rough idle and are snatchy at low revs, but this new Ducati V4 Granturismo engine is a smooth operator indeed and conventional valve springs play their part in this equation and to help with heat management the rear cylinders do not fire when at idle.
We have a whole feature that outlines all the changes in detail but the main points are that the engine sports a 2 mm larger bore than the 1100 Panigale to realise a capacity of 1158 cc. It bests the outgoing 1262 cc DVT Testrastretta twin for power, and almost matches it for torque, despite its smaller capacity.
170hp/125Nm, versus 158hp/129Nm for the twin, and despite having two more cylinders the V4 is not only much smaller in its dimensions, it’s also lighter. If you want to dig into the nuts and bolts then check out the aforementioned technical feature, as for how it goes on the road the answer is magnificently.
Needs pipes to add some V4 symphony! Due to the labour involved in getting to the rear headers don’t expect fitting a fully system to come cheap.
The only criticism is that this bike screams out for a set of pipes!Out of low speed corners you do get a bit of aural accompaniment but it’s not sonorous enough to match the grunt being delivered to the tarmac. Thankfully this is easily fixed with a racier exhaust, and to be fair in these days of Euro5 legislation it is pretty much out of Ducati’s control. These restrictions are not just about emissions, but also very much about noise and those levels can be harder to achieve than getting the gases out of the muffler clean enough to feed as oxygen to baby seals.
Maintenance intervals are 15,000 km with valve clearances only required every 60,000 km
I have to rave about the quick-shifter though. I’ve used countless quick-shifter set-ups over the years, including many of the latest two-way set-ups, but shifting on the particular Multistrada V4 S I rode was next level. It had me thinking Ducati had slipped a MotoGP seamless shift gearbox into my test bike, seriously, this has to be the next best thing…It was flawless to the point of having me scratch my head trying to figure out what voodoo they had conjured to make it so perfect. I feel like I need to keep raving about it more but that will do your head in so have to move on…
The gearbox and associated quick-shift set-up is sublime, the best I’ve used
On the highway the touring range provided by the 22-litre fuel tank is in excess of 300 kilometres, but if you start using most of those neddies then economy suffers quite markedly and you can burn through a tank in under 250 km, quite easily.
The suspension I was not quite so enamoured with from the off.The Skyhook suspension on this model year has an automatic levelling function which automatically sets the sag after sensing the load onboard. There are a gazillion options in the set-up menu for the electronic suspenders and in Sport mode I still had to stiffen it up to almost maximum before the rear shock would stop blowing through its stroke on compression when riding average B roads at pace. There are 24 different levels of pre-load which can be set via the menu system and I ramped it up to maximum.Each step adds 0.5 mm of pre-load, which equates to 12 mm of pre-load being added when set to level 24.
2021 Ducati Multistrada V4 S
Yes a big part of my preference for dialling that right up is that I am larger than the average bear, but still Ducati claim a load capacity of 230 kilograms and I am only about half that.I have found over the years that shocks without linkages are much more sensitive with their set-up. If they are not in their happy place, when it comes to pre-load and damping settings, then they just blow through and don’t cut the mustard. It’s a fact that shocks in bikes without a rear linkage work much harder than bikes with a conventional rear suspension design.
Ideally it would have a heavier spring in the rear for my bulk, but I am happy to report that the electronic suspension had enough variables to choose from in order to make it work well enough. There really is an incredible level of suspension tuning available to the rider, all from a few button presses through the menu system of the brilliant 6.5-inch TFT screen. All the switch-gear is back-lit which is a nice touch.
Ducati Multistrada V4 S switch-gear is back-lit
The front seemed to work fine although with our test bike wearing chunky dual-sport Pirelli Scorpion Trail II tyres you could feel the tread blocks squirming a little when you really started to press on. The top-shelf Brembo Stylema stoppers had more than enough power and feel to smash that Pirelli into the bitumen, however lever feel and feedback is tactile enough to make them still useable off-road.
Earlier Multistrada models made no real pretence of having any serious off-road ability, but that all changed recently as Ducati turned their focus to err a little more on the ‘all roads’ side of the equation and have made the Multistrada more off-road ready than ever before.
2021 Ducati Multistrada V4 S
A 19-inch front operates through a generous 170 mm of suspension travel while the rear 170/60-17 works through a suspension stroke of 180 mm.Thus clearly, despite all its electronic smarts, it is never going to be as taut and performance oriented as a Panigale, nor would you want it to be in the real world, or you could certainly never do this…
It might not steer quite like a Panigale, but then a Panigale can’t do this…
With the recent announcement of a new Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak, complete with much lighter 17-inch Marchesini rims at both ends, Ducati have added the most sporting Multistrada they have ever made. It still has 170 mm of suspension travel, but instead of the Marzocchi system used on the other Multistrada models, the Pikes Peak edition uses Ohlins EC 2.0 suspension with events based smarts. This makes the coming Pikes Peak model the first Multistrada ever to wear Ohlins, and the systems that drive it are the same as used on the Panigale V4 S and Streetfighter V4 S.It also runs different geometry compared to the other Multistrada models, has a more sporting riding position and runs sportier pads in the Brembo M50 Stylema calipers.
Arriving in Australia during the second-quarter of 2022 priced at $44,500 Ride Away the Pikes Peak edition will be the ultimate Multistrada for carving up the tarmac
Clearly the Pikes Peak is the Multistrada for the more serious tarmac warrior, and I am sure it would also do more than okay at track days too! But anyway, let’s get back to the more dual-sport Multistrada, in particular the V4 S we had on test. And to be honest, that really does provide plenty of tarmac performance as it is.
The latest V4 S is a genuine dual-sport that likes to get dirty
A couple of 300 km loops that took in the Reefton Spur and all the best back-roads in Central Gippsland had really seen me start to gel with Multi. With the suspenders firmed up I was now in my happy place showing those Pirellis no mercy. My riding partner remarked that they could actually see smoke coming from the tyre at times, this was simply due to them hooking and driving through those big blocks of rubber as there was no sideways action going, they were holding on remarkably well.
This is pre Reefton but still despite their chunky demeanour the Pirellis held on well and wore better than I would have ever expected
I could not believe they weren’t shredded by the time we got home, as I could feel those tread blocks moving around, but somehow they didn’t start falling apart. A bit of technology in the tyres as well as the bike it seems and these hoops were developed especially for this bike in a joint Pirelli and Ducati partnership, it shows.
So much technology on this bike, but then tyre pressure monitoring is still an optional extra…
I could probably write 10,000 words on the subject of technology when it comes to this bike, and still not cover everything in fine detail.Thus while we all know about riding modes, lean-angle sensitive ABS/Traction, wheelie control, hill hold, engine braking control, all of which are best in the business, and can be fine tuned to your preference, let’s cover another trick up its sleeve that is only now starting to feature on a select few motorcycles.
Radar assisted Adaptive Cruise Control and Blind Spot Detection. I mean really, is this stuff actually useful on a motorcycle? To my surprise, yes, very much so. Don’t diss it until you try it.
Running on a dual-lane highway the adaptive cruise senses the vehicle in front is closing, due to its lesser speed, and slows the motorcycle to maintain a safe distance. Change lanes and immediately the motorcycle senses that there is no longer a slower vehicle ahead and it accelerates smoothly back up to the speed you had set. You can also change the distances it will intervene and separate you from the car in front. For someone running interstate highways or main roads across the burbs it would prove a genuinely useful asset.
Blind spot detection and radar cruise
Likewise the Blind Spot Detection systems worked flawlessly during my time with the bike, a small light in the mirror alerting you to an approaching vehicle can be quite reassuring. Both of these features are genuinely useful. The mirror stalks are also new for this model year and now actually still provide vision if you want to stand on the pegs while riding off-road.
Screen works amazingly well and the instrumentation is impressive
Ducati are more advanced than any other motorcycle manufacturer when it comes to aerodynamics and while the Multistrada doesn’t sport wings like the Panigale, you can still tell extensive wind tunnel development has taken place. The windscreen is brilliant considering its size.
The windscreen is brilliant, secret squirrel voodoo type magic
No buffeting of my Shoei no matter how I change position, no reverse buffeting either, and even with the panniers on, the Multi was rock solid in cross-winds. It’s also adjustable with a single finger and no doubt those side deflectors make their contribution to the aero performance.
I love decent integrated luggage. It makes last-minute overnighters so convenient. Just throw your clothes, shoes, wash-bag, camera, computer in and away you go. Get to the destination and need to do a run for some rum cans or bourbon to bring back to your digs, simply slot it in the panniers and away you go.I think you might be able to use them for less important items like food too.
Adjustable seat height, 840 mm – 860 mm. On our test bike both rider and pillion seats were heated
The seat is plush but also supportive, really impressive. On the ‘Travel and Radar’ optioned bike we had on test both the rider and pillion seats are also heated. Luxury…. The standard seat is adjustable between 840 and 860 mm while an optional extra low 810 mm seat is available as an option, as is a high 875 mm perch.
The seat is a nice place to spend time but the latest Multistrada is also much more home when up on the pegs compared to its predecessors
Both the lights and optional spot-lights worked well.I certainly appreciated the spot-lights as any dawn, dusk or night riding around my way is an exercise in roo, wombat and deer dodging.
The spotlights were appreciated come dusk
Amazingly, despite all the technology on this Multistrada V4 S with ‘Travel and Radar’ pack, tyre pressure monitoring was missing, and after spending $37,590 on this motorcycle you might be put out a bit after having to cough up more for that fairly basic and genuinely useful feature.
Updated mineral glass 6.5-inch TFT display on the S models
The TFT screen functionality includes the increasingly popular Sygic Maps for navigation. You will need to download the maps for the states you are travelling in and also the Ducati Connect app to your phone. It all works well enough with a reasonably intuitive interface and controller system.
Sygic navigation app and all the various suspension and rider aid settings are controlled via the display
It really would need another 5000 words to take you all through the functionality, but instead we will just show you these videos kindly provided by Ducati that walk you through the systems.You can even set a pin code whereby you can still start your bike if you misplace your proximity key.
This first video gives you an overview of the functionality offered and customisations available. From the internal tyre calibration functionality when you fit new rubber, to the huge amount of suspension and rider mode adjustments available via the menu system.
This second video runs you through the adaptive cruise control and blind spot detection systems.They worked perfectly in my time with the bike.
This third video runs you through how to use the Ducati Connect system and the apps required to activate the extra functionality. Your phone sits in a pocket at the rear of the 22-litre fuel tank, it is big enough to swallow the latest Pro Max iPhone and includes a USB charging port.
Handy tank pocket for your phone complete with USB socket
One thing that sets the navigation system apart from many is that you do not have to be wearing a Bluetooth headset in order to use the navigation. As someone that generally can’t be bothered faffing about with headsets this was very welcome indeed. Bellissimo Ducati!
So from those videos you can see this bike has a lot going on and is a far cry from the relatively simple original.This latest machine fully loaded with all the fruit may weigh a few more kilograms than the 2003 original but it makes exactly double the horsepower of that original Desmo DS twin and a heap more torque.
Granturismo engine is 1158 cc of granterrifc
I really must end this review by revisiting that truly incredibly GranTurismo V4 engine I raved about earlier. It propels you forward with such smooth and effortless shove that it really is a joy to command from your right hand. That best in the business quick-shifter also plays its part in helping this drivetrain stand out as the most impressive engine I have sampled.
It really does conjure up the old iron fist in velvet glove adage but its so good we might have to make that magnesium paw in satin mitt as its just too smooth for that original aphorism. On the road it is just about perfect, off-road, even with all the electronic smarts smoothing out the power delivery it does not hook up quite as fluidly as its twin-cylinder competition, but that’s to be expected.
Can you feel the serenity…?
Ultimately outright tarmac performance is hindered a little due to its dual-sport geometry and long-travel suspension but it is that, and its pretty impressive 220 mm of ground clearance (46 mm more than its predecessor), that also manages to give the Multistrada more off-road chops than most previous incarnations of the model. I can imagine the new more tarmac focussed Pikes Peak edition is going to prove perhaps the fastest point-to-point real world motorcycle on the planet.
The Pikes Peak edition is not going to be quite as comfortable getting up to these sort of capers though
As tested here the Multistrada V4 S with ‘Travel + Radar’ package, plus the optional spoked rims and a few other bits and pieces, won’t get you all that much change from 40k. That’s a lot of coin, but this is also a hell of a lot of motorcycle.
The Multistrada V4 S is a weapon, make no mistake about it
For 2022, the Ducati Streetfighter V2 (left) and Streetfighter V4 SP (middle) join the Streetfighter V4 (right).
Joining the Streetfighter V4 and Streetfighter V4 S in Ducati‘s lineup are two new models for 2022. The 2022 Ducati Streetfighter V2, powered by a 153-horsepower 955cc L-Twin (MSRP $16,995), and the 2022 Ducati Streetfighter V4 SP, powered by a 208-horsepower 1,103cc V-4 (MSRP $35,500). Both will be available in February 2022.
2022 Ducati Streetfighter V2
2022 Ducati Streetfighter V2
Take a Panigale V2, strip the fairings, swap the low clip-ons with a tall, wide handlebar and shorten the gearing with a larger rear sprocket, and you’ve got yourself a Panigale streetfighter. Or you could just walk into your local Ducati dealer and pick one up off the showroom floor, in the form of the new 2022 Streetfighter V2.
Ducati says it focused on ergonomics with the Streetfighter V2, giving it a wider, better cushioned saddle and repositioning the footpegs for a more street-friendly riding position. Not to say this new Streetfighter is a slouch; this First Look Review is blissfully free of the word “detuned.” At the Streetfighter V2’s heart is the Panigale V2’s 955cc Superquadro twin, which Ducati says is good for 153 horsepower at 10,750 rpm and 75 lb-ft of torque at 9.000 rpm.
Brakes are nearly identical to the Panigale V2: Brembo M4-32 monoblock radial calipers with 320mm front discs. Only the brake pads are different; Ducati says they offer a less aggressive bite and are ideal for street use. Suspension is a 43mm Showa Big Piston Fork up front and a Sachs shock in the back, both of which are adjustable.
The Streetfighter V2 also inherits the Panigale V2’s electronics, which includes a 6-axis IMU with ABS Cornering EVO with “slide by brake,” Ducati Traction Control (DTC) EVO 2, Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC) EVO, Ducati Quick Shift up/down (DQS) EVO 2, and Engine Brake Control (EBC) EVO. There are three ride modes (Sport, Road, and Wet), and the Streetfighter V2 is compatible with the Ducati Data Analyzer (DDA + GPS) and Ducati Multimedia System.
The 2022 Ducati Streetfighter V2 will be available in Ducati Red starting in February 2022, for $16,995.
2022 Ducati Streetfighter V4 SP
2022 Ducati Streetfighter V4 SP
If only the very best will do, for 2022 Ducati is also introducing the top-of-the-line, individually numbered Streetfighter V4 SP, which it calls “the most adrenaline-pumping sports-naked bike to ever roll…off the production line in Borno Panigale.” The Streetfighter V4 SP, dressed in an understated “Winter Test” livery inspired by Ducati Corse pre-season MotoGP and SBK test bikes, features premium equipment derived from the even more superlative Superleggera V4.
Carbon rims are 3 pounds lighter than the forged aluminum rims on the Streetfighter V4 S, reducing inertia by a claimed 26% at the front and 46% at the rear and resulting in a quicker, more agile ride. Brakes are Brembo, with the exclusive Stylema R front calipers, and suspension is the Öhlins Smart EC 2.0 with event-based variable damping.
The beating heart of the Streetfighter V4 SP, of course, is the 208 (claimed) horsepower 1,103cc Desmosedici Stradale, fitted with the STM-EVO SBK dry clutch for the best performance when pushing to its limits on-track. In fact, Ducati makes it clear this Streetfighter belongs on the track, with features like an open carbon clutch cover and an easily removed and capped license plate holder.
The 2022 Streetfighter V4 SP will be available in single-seat configuration only in the “Winter Test” livery in February 2022, for a starting price of $35,500.
For more information or to find your nearest Ducati dealer, visit ducati.com.
