Some More New Bikes

Fall is not only the time of the year that leads to Winter, it's also new bike season.  Now, I've written about some new-for-2013 bikes and I thought I'd do it again.  The problem is which one do I write about...

I could write about the Yamaha YZF-R1, which is essentially the same as the the 2011 version.  No, that would be too boring.

Sticking with Yamaha, there's the new YZF-R6.  It has all-new styling, more horsepower and a boatload of electronics for 2013.  I would write about its fancy technology if I was an engineer.  I'm not an engineer, however, so I don't find valve angle to be that interesting.

Moving across the hall to Kawasaki, we'll see a new ZX-6R Ninja to join the new 250.  It has some new stuff like more displacement, a slipper clutch and a 12 percent bigger airbox.  Did you know its new clutch hub is 600 grams lighter than the old one?  That's because the new one is made from aluminum and according to scientists, aluminum is lighter than steel.

No, the ZX-6R is too boring.  Let's see...

Okay, there's the Kawasaki Z800, which has some of the worst styling ever conceived by a designer.  It makes the Vetter Mystery Ship look good in comparison...The Honda CBR250R can be had in Respol colors...The MV Agusta Brutale 675 gets a special paint scheme...There are some new BMW F-Series bikes...There are a couple of new Harleys...'New' and 'Harley' in the same sentence; that's a joke...

No, this is all going wrong.  There has to be something worth writing about...

Oh, here it is: the Ducati Multistrada Pikes Peak.  There; that will work.

The Multistrada is Ducati's entry into the big trailie/touring bike segment.  Since it's a Ducati at heart, it's much more focused on conquering the Stelvio Pass than the Road of Bones.  I'm sure it can do some off-road stuff but then again so can anything if you really tried.  It seems like more of an on-road tourer to me.

The Pikes Peak version is meant to commemorate Ducati's 1-2 finish at this year's Pikes Peak Hill Climb.  The winning Multistrada, piloted by Carlin Dunne, set a new course record for motorcycles. 

The special edition gets Ducati Corse livery, a sports exhaust and some carbon fiber bits.  All 2013 Multistradas get new windshields, which are taller and wider than before.

The Multistrada is a strange bike.  It has a slightly detuned Testastretta engine, so it's very fast.  It has a whole bunch of electronic stuff like Skyhook adjustable suspension, Bosch ABS and four power mode settings.  It also has radial Brembo brakes and fat Pirelli tires like a sports bike.   

Stranger than its equipment is its styling.  It has the beak of an adventure bike but with an added twist: two inlets for the oil cooler.  This means the beak looks like a nose, literally.  Add in the twin headlamps, high handlebars and high mirrors and you get a bike that looks like a frightened gazelle.  It also has the tall seat of an adventure bike to go with the adventure bike crash bars and sump protectors.

Of course, the Multistrada was never a looker.  The old version had a gigantic single headlamp, which made the bike look like a cross between The Punisher's skull logo and some sort of strange fish.  It also didn't know whether it wanted to be an adventure bike, a touring bike or a sports bike.

The Multi's L-twin puts out 150 horsepower, which is very unadventure bike like.  That's more than the Triumph Tiger 1200 (135 hp), the KTM 990 Adventure (115 hp), the BMW R1200GS (110 hp) and the Yamaha Tenere 1200 (110 hp).  Only the KTM 1190 Adventure R can match it for power.  Torque on the 2013 is up to 91 ft/lb, a massive increase over last year's Multi.  So it looks strange like a proper adventure bike but it goes like a sports bike...

To further muddle things up, you can outfit it with saddle bags and a top case, just like a touring bike.  The windshield is also adjustable just like a proper touring bike and requires only one hand to do so.

Before you get excited to try this schizophrenic machine, there is the price to consider.  The base Multi without fancy suspension or ABS will set you back $17,000.  The S model, which adds the fancy suspension and the ABS, goes for $20,000.  Add another $2,000 and you can get a Pikes Peak model.  Add more, of course, for the full touring kit.

So what exactly is the Multistrada, then?  Is it an adventure bike, a sports bike or a touring bike?  I guess it's a mixture of all three; a jack of all trades, master of none.

You could call the Multistrada all things to all riders...Provided they're tall, of course.

Loaded out in touring mode, the Multi looks like it can take you anywhere.  The luggage looks huge and makes the bike look like a frightened gazelle that has been forced to double as a burro.  On the plus side, I bet you could fit a few illegals in the big bags.  That ought to help you make the monthly payments.