The Multistrada 1000S model introduced for 2005 features Ohlins race quality suspension front and rear, along with carbon fibre bits like the front fendar and cam belt covers. Also on our bike is the Ducati Performance Termignoni exhaust silencer. Our tester is beautiful SBK Fast Dates Ducati Corse World Superbike girl Robin Cunningham.

2005 FastDates.com Bike of the Year Award
Ducati Multistrada 1000S DS

SBK Fast Dates Ducati Corse girl Rockin' Robin Cunningham
gets into some hard core action with the Ducati Multistrada 1000S

It’s no secret the Ducati’s Multistrada 1000 DS which was first introduced back in 2003 was one of our favorite motorcycles at FastDates.com . The somewhat quirky looking. do everything air cooled V-twin Desmo did and still does everything exceptionally well. It may not have been the world’s best bike in a particular category be it canyon carver, off road adventure bike, city bike or cross country tourer, but it was very close. But what it does do is excel in everything really well. No other bike on the market is quite capable of matching it it overall versatility and performance. Now with the introduction of the new upgraded Ohlins suspended 1000S model for 2005 the Multistrada has become so close to perfect in so many categories that, as an overall package we at FastDates.com feel it is now, without a doubt, the world’s best motorcycle. Period. Robin likes it!

It’s so good in fact, we decided to create an award and make the Multistrada 1000S our first ever FastDates.com Bike of the Year for 2005. Our congradulations go out to Ducati and Multistrada designer Pierre Terblanche for creating the perfect bike. If anything can get this Texas girl hotter than dreaming of Clive Owen and Jude Law modeling their Calvins, its remembering last weekend's blast on the Multi S through the tight canyon backroads of the Santa Monica Mountains down to Malibu and then up Pacific Coast Highway, the Multi S throbbing contentedly beneath me in one entity with the world and an incredible machine.

The base model Multistrada 1000 DS is perfect as is for 90% of the people who buy it. The one common minor complaint from owners was the thinly padded superbike derived driver’s seat (as opposed to passenger) which left its impression on your butt, particular on long rides or rough roads. It wasn’t a problem for us since some of our other bikes are Ducati Superbikes and the direct connection to the bike was appreciated. Now with both new 2005 model Multistrada's the driver’s seat is more generously padded with a great feeling foam rubber that makes you never want to get out of the saddle, yet its not so overly padded you loose any sense or feel of control of the bike. The seat is now perfect for everyone.

Our only concern with our base Multistrada (we bought one of the first ones in America back in August 2003 when first released) was the stock Showa suspension. For normal street riding the bread and butter Showa suspension is more than perfect. But we are racers who like to tackle the twisty California mountain roads at maximum speed, dusting off our superbike buddies. The stock forks work and dampen really well, but their flex and less precise damping makes them just a little vague in attacking a corner. While out back the single adjustment Showa monoshock holding down our favorite single sided swingarm left over from the previous generation Ducati 916-998 Superbikes, lacked the adjustability and control we wanted. With the single damping screw in its best position the rear end tended to be too loose in the corners, but with a one click turn-in on the screw and the damping was too stiff. Probably fine for carrying a passenger and luggage, but not for fine tuning a race bike.

With the addition of race quality Showa suspension the Multistrad’as handling is now perfect for the other 10% of us who like to ride really fast. The 43mm Ohlins front forks are the same diameter as the Showa, but they feel much more precise and solid with even better damping control. There’s no front end flex despite offering the same 165mm / 6.5 inches of travel.
While our back the Ohlins damper is so spot-on in control you can’t feel the rear end of the bike moving or bouncing around at all in the roughest of corners. As Superbike and World Champ Eddie Lawson once told us when we were his suspension engineer “The suspension is working best when you don’t notice or feel it moving around at all.” With the Multistrada S the suspension now works so well you don’t notice it at all, and you can focus completely on your riding.

The Multistrada has been our favorite overall bike since its introduction nearly 2 years ago. We use it for everything including around town errands and commuting, to splitting traffic lanes in grid locked Los Angles evening traffic to get downtown in time for a concert or event. It’s also a great bike for cross country trips, especially if you have the chance to stay of the Interstates and take the back roads to enjoy the beauty of the scenery and the sheer joy of just riding the Multistrada. Our most enjoyable daytime trips on the Multi have included riding around Italy during World Ducati Week, riding the length of Southern California’s Angeles Crest Highway and back for lunch in Wrightwood, to riding up Hwy 1 between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

There is a full line of touring accessories for the Multistrada from Ducati, including detachable side bags and a detachable rear storage box, plus a GPS navigation system. For our around town shopping trips and errands the rear carrier rack used by the detachable rear storage box is a must have to bungee cord packages to.

A minor complaint of ours is there is no attaching points on the rear sub frame to bungee cord packages onto the rear passenger seat. Instead, you must install the rear carrier rack which necessitates removal of the attractive rear body panels and makes the rear of the bike look too cluttered.

There’s one other significant contender in this category of dual purpose touring which might rival the Multistrada and that’s the BMW R1200GS. But we have never been a fan of BMW’s sport tourers for a number of reasons. We don’t like the sideways torque reaction of the boxer motor, nor the noticeable lift of the bike’s rear end from the driveshaft torque when accelerating. Also disconcerting for us is the trademark BMW cantilever front forks which are designed not to compress under braking and cornering to offer more suspension travel for bumps, but it makes the bike feel like you’re riding a chopper with an extended front end. And by the front end not compressing for baking and cornering the BMW can’t stop or corners as aggressively.

Also disconcerting for spirited riding is BMW’s linked back and front brakes and electronic anti-lock braking system, all deterrents to spirited sport riding where the BMW is too over engineered for our likes.

Where the Multistrada S really excels is on the legendary tight canyon roads of the Santa Monica Mountains
above Malibu, California, where we ride every Sunday morning. Roads like Latigo, Stunt, Mulholland and Piuma have been the not so secret stomping grounds for superbike riders for 30 years. But the tight 25-60 mph corners are a handful for modern 160hp superbikes with clip-ons that offer the rider no leverage for attacking a tight corner.

Here the Multistrada excels with its high leverage motocross bars, supermoto like design, longer travel suspension for the rough road sections, and much more manageable 92hp @8,000rpm. The superbike riders are forced to nurse their throttles and cut a smooth arc through the serpetine turns, while the Multistrada is up in its powerband, cutting and thrusting from turn to turn like a motocross bike exploding from a berm. Play supermoto racer and lock the tires into the corner, square it off early, jam the secure feeling Ohlins forks across the apex with the throttle nailed back on full. this baby is sweet!

Now the Aprilia Tuono R is still perhaps the best naked bike on the planet. And on a race track or higher speed roads it will definetly run off from the Multistrada with about 30 more horsepower to the Multi’s 95 ponies. And the Tuono R is 10 pounds lighter at 415lb to the Multi’s 432lbs. But in a riding comparison to the Multistrada, the Tuono R actually feels heavier and bulkier with it’s watercooled V-twin engine and higher center of gravity. While the heavy clutch and raspy superbike engine is a handful in a normal street riding situations, especially in town. The Multistrada actually feels much lighter and is defenitly more agile, while the smooth Ducati air cooled powerplant is much easier to handle as an every day rider.

Could Ducati improve on the new 2005 Multistrada S? Not really. There are a few nit picky things like the need for bungee tie down tabs and an easy access helmet lock. And the left front side panel is a nightmare to remove and refit properly. But as an overall package for one bike that does everything extremely well, while even excelling over its specialized completition in many categories of touring, commuting, sport riding and comfort, FastDates.com rates the new Ducati Multistrada S the best overall bike in the world.

Would we like to see more versions of the great Multistrada from Ducati? Certainly. The new 2005 Multistrada 620 now offers a lower cost bike with a lower ride and saddle height, perfect for shorter men, women and entry level riders on a budget. We’d also to see an all out performance version for the racer in us: shorter travel Superbike suspension with stronger front brakes, a more aggressive and sportier front fairing, and some serious horsepower with the watercooled Testastretta 4-valve motor. We guessing its just a matter of time.

How about this Multistrada Supermoto concept?
Is this the next version of the Multistrada in Ducati's pipeline, possibly with the new 3 valve 110hp DS1000 engine or even the 4-valve Testastretta Superbike mill?

Ducati Multistrada page One • Two • Three • Multistrada S page Four

Chandi tests the Multistrada: Page One • Page Two • Page 3 • Robin Page 4

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Rockin' Robin and the Multi S

Ducati
Multistrada
1000S DS 05

Engine
Type L twin cylinder, 2 valve per cylinder Desmodromic; air cooled Displacement 992 cc Bore x Stroke 94x71.5 mm
Compression Ratio 10:1 Power 92 HP @ 8,000 rpm Torque 9.4 kgm @ 5,000 rpm
Fuel injection Marelli electronic fuel injection, 45 mm throttle body
Exhaust Single steel muffler with 3-way catalytic converter Single steel muffler with catalytic converter
Emissions Emissions are in compliance with Euro 2 standard regulations.

Transmission
Gearbox 6 speed
Ratios 1st 37/15, 2nd 30/17, 3th 27/20, 4th 24/22, 5th 23/24, 6th 24/28
Primary drive Straight cut gears; ratio 1.84
Final drive Chain; Front sprocket 15; Rear sprocket 42
Clutch Dry multiplate with hydraulic control

CHASSIS
Frame Tubular steel trellis
Wheelbase 1462 mm / 57.6 in
Rake 24°
Front suspension Öhlins 43 mm upside-down fully adjustable fork with TiN surface treatment
Front wheel travel
165 mm/6.5 in
Front brake 2x320 mm semifloating discs, 4-piston calipers
Front wheel New 6-spoke design in light alloy 3.50x17
Front tyre 120/70 ZR 17
Rear suspension Progressive linkage with fully adjustable Öhlins monoshock; hydraulic remote pre-load control. Single-sided aluminium swingarm
Rear wheel travel 128 mm / 5 in 141 mm / 5.6 in
Rear brake 245 mm disc, 2-piston caliper
Rear wheel 5-spoke light alloy 5.50x17
Rear tyre 180/55 ZR 17
Fuel tank capacity 20 l/5.3 U.S.gal
Weight 196 kg / 432 lbs
Seat height 850 m/33.5 in
Instruments Speedometer, rev counter, clock, scheduled maintenance warning, warning light for low oil pressure, fuel level, oil temperature, fuel reserve,neutral, turn signals, average speed, average fuel consumption, fuel injection diagnostic system, immobilizer
Warranty 2 years unlimited mileage
Tank Colours Two-tone grey, red, black
Frame and Wheel colours Metallic grey Red (with red bike), black (with two-tone grey bike); Black wheels
Versions One-Two seats

* The weight includes battery, lubricants and, where applicable, cooling liquid.

High spec Ohlins 43 TIN coated front forks.

Race spec Ohlins with separately adjustable compression and reboud circuits rear shock is the most important and noticeable handling improvement on the S model compared to the base model Multi with its single circuit adjustable Showa shock. If you do any handling performane upgrade to the base bike, the Ohlins is it.

The Ohlins front forks come with a beefier set of triple clamps with tapered 1' - 7/8" diameter motocross style handlebars. The front end feels more precise and and engine vibration through the handlebars is virtually eliminated.

Optional Ducati Performance Termignoni Race Silencer Kit sheds the catalytic converter and about 4 lbs. Sound is nicer, power gain feels minimal. We stole this Silencer Kit from our 2003 Multistrada which we traded in for the Multi S. The Ducati Perfermance CPU which came with the Kit is not transferable from bike to bike once the bike is run for anti-theft security. So we ran it with the stock CPU that came on our Multi S and it still runs great.

Other Ducati Performance goodies you can gan run on the Multi is the pretty slipper clutch -not really need because the engine's compression is fairly low at 10.0:1,

Because it is air cooled the DS1000 engine can't run higher compression or hotter cams for more power than its current 92hp. Only a complete full race, larger header pipe exhaust system could help. More power for a future higher performance Mulistrada would necessitate a change to the107hp watercooled head ST3 3-valve engine built on the 1000DS engine block, or Ducati's fully watercooled Desmoquattro or Testastretta 4-vale Superbike engines.