Ducati Motorcycle reviews

Ducati expands its V-twin footprint ahead of MY2022 with a truly capable, twin-powered model on the Multistrada platform in the all-new Multistrada V2 and V2 S. Comfortable ergonomics, a powerful engine, and top-shelf electronics bring big-bore functionality together in a somewhat more compact, and decidedly lighter, globetrotting platform. You could call it an entry-level machine, but one that’s capable of being someone’s destination bike, and not just a stepping stone or transitional model.

For 2022, Ducati punches up the sport-tastic yummygoodness for its already top-drawer Pikes Peak line with the next-gen Multistrada V4. This newest Pikes Peak model brings all of the electronic rider aids you could want along with a 170-horsepower powerplant that delivers the goods to make this sled an absolute beast on the streets and even competitive on the track. New livery and body elements change the overall look to set it apart from its kin.

It’s been four years since the last update to Ducati’s SuperSport 950 platform, and now it’s on the receiving end of a fairly major rework ahead of MY2021. Tuned-up fairings enclose a more emission-compliant engine along with beefed-up electronics to complete the package. The SuperSport comes in the base 950 package, but if you’re a bona fide pegdragger, the 950 S version takes things up a notch or three.

Ducati revamped its Hypermotard range ahead of MY2019 with the 950 and 950 SP to replace its outgoing Hypermotard 939 models. The new 950 borrows from the supermotard world for general design and rocks sharper angles for a more aggressive look. The 950 dropped some weight compared to its predecessor and replaced it with ponies for greater performance across the board, and the “SP” comes with top-shelf suspension and wheels, plus an expanded electronics suite and carbon fiber components to sweeten the deal. The hooligan-bike sector isn’t what you’d call the most populated by any means, but I’ve already got some potential competitors in mind for Ducati’s newest jackass bikes.

Often, motorcycle designers go under the radar. There are a select few whose impact on motorcycling has been such that they become household names among enthusiasts. With the Ducati 900SS, 999 and MH900e in his CV, Pierre Terblanche is one of those designers who is firmly in the spotlight, not least for his outspoken opinions that fly in the face of accepted wisdom.

Ducati refined its Panigale V4 S model ahead of MY21 with a number of improvements across the board. The lump is now cleaner with a Euro-5 emissions rating, and it comes with new engine-control electronics for even more safety and control than before. New brake- and clutch-actuation equipment joins with a new chain guard as stock equipment. For the first time, the Panigale V4 S comes pre-wired to make installation of the optional heated grips a plug-and-play affair to extend both your riding range and riding season.

Ducati rolls into 2021 with some fresh paint for its returning Desert Sled model, and for you connoisseurs out there, a limited-edition Fasthouse variant rolls with unique coloring and an even more aggressive mien. Both come set up with an off-road bias while maintaining some street capabilities in keeping with its Scrambler roots. Power delivery remains the same with the 803 cc L-Twin powerplant that reprises its role alongside cornering ABS to help you keep the thing dirty-side down.

If you like your two-wheeled goodness served up with a side of darkness, then Ducati’s Scrambler 1100 Dark PRO is definitely on the menu just for you. New for 2021, the “Dark PRO” brings the usual youthful attitude to the table along with its “Dark Stealth” livery that shows a gritty streak for a unique look. It relies on the same 1,079 cc plant as the rest of the 1100 PRO family and sports cornering ABS along with other top-shelf electronics. A fairly-bare bike, the Dark PRO makes for a good blank canvas for custom-bike enthusiasts, and like the rest of its kameraden, is a suitable machine for a new rider.

The Ducati Monster can trace its heritage back to the ’93 Monster 900, and the new “Stealth” variant serves as what you might call a highly-functional tribute piece for that venerated machine. It totes the usual suite of electronic gadgets with Ducati’s Quick Shift feature added to the stock package, and it boasts 100-plus horsepower in a design that is, paradoxically, both sexy and stocky at the same time.

Another model-year is upon us, and constant as the North Star, the bikebuilder in Bologna has a fresh update package for its Panigale family with the new-for-2021 Panigale V4. Aesthetically, the body is unchanged, but there are enough tweaks under the hood to qualify the Panigale V4 as a “new” model, at least according to the bikebuilders in Bologna. The V4 powerplant is cleaner this year, so it comports to the EU-5 emissions requirements and rolls with more race-tuned electronic wizardry than ever before.

Ducati added to its “Monster” family in 2017 with the accessible and relatively rider-friendly “797” version of its popular naked bike. This ride uses the same 803 cc mill that drives the full-size Scramblers, so while it isn’t a net-new engine, it is a proven one. Dual front brakes with ABS, Pirelli tires and fat Kayaba forks are but some of the features included in what looks to be the closest to an “entry level” ride that the Monster family has managed to date. I was eager to take a look at this new ride ever since it was revealed at the Milan show, and what I see so far does not disappoint. In 2018, the Monster 797+ replaced the base model with some extra goodies added in.

Ducati headed into MY2020 with a revamped, low-displacement Panigale that the factory rebranded from the Panigale 959 to the Panigale V2. It’s a mixture of old and new with new body fairings over a modified monocoque frame, upgraded suspension components, and six-axis ride-quality controls to deliver extra safety on the road. Power comes from the Superquadro V-twin plant with over 150 ponies on tap to serve as the icing on the cake.

The scrambler market is booming, and so far, Ducati is ahead of the curve with a full range of purpose-built Scrambler models. It added to the lineup in 2016 with its Scrambler Sixty2, a model that reflects what the factory calls modern pop culture, with a liberal dose of sixties, mid-size standard cruiser flavor blended in. Powered with a 399 cc L-twin, the Sixty2 isn’t a poser in a scrambler costume; it’s ready to rock and roll.

Italian powerhouse Ducati hit MY2019 with an all-new pair of Diavel models for the sport-naked sector: the Diavel 1260 and 1260 S. Both toe the family line as far as aesthetics are concerned, and they run the same Testastretta powerplant so the differences between the two essentially come down to the trim package and chassis features. Performance and safety go hand-in-hand with a number of top-shelf electronic goodies to help you keep all that power under control. This bike is truly a rolling tribute to Ducati’s ingenuity, and the best is under the hood hidden away from plain sight.

Ducati rolls into 2021 on its fourth generation Multistrada that reaffirms Duc’s position as a world leader in motorcycle development and production. Aptly named “many roads” in translation, the newly updated Multistrada V4 stable covers not only a range of riding surfaces, but a span of rider types as well, something that will hold it in good stead on the global stage. This family also has the distinction of being the first motorcycle equipped with front and rear radar that enables an automatic station-keeping system in traffic, much like many of the higher-quality automobiles that are currently on the market. The line includes a trio of sub-models, the Multistrada V4, V4 S, and V4 S Sport.

Ducati rolls into 2021 with a pair of new additions to its famous Monster family. Built to be light, easy to control, and above all fun, the chassis is compact and sporty with ample Monster DNA on display; but its the twin-cylinder Testastretta that really steals the show. In spite of its low overall weight, this is decidedly not a machine for the uninitiated.

Ducati’s Scrambler division unleashes its new-for-2021 “Nightshift” model on the world in all of its blackout glory in a sinister turn for the usually youthfully-jubilant Scrambler lineup. It carries the mid-range, 803 cc L-Twin engine wrapped in a homejob-custom package with unique components that complete the look. The ABS feature is of the corner-sensitive variety to give the Nightshift an edge on the streets.

Ducati explores its Dark Side with the new-for-2021 XDiavel power cruiser. Built with the same relaxed cruiser attitude as its kin, generous blackout treatment adds a decidedly sinister tone that pairs well with the industrial look that the Diavel/XDiavel platforms bring to the table. In addition to the whopping 160 horsepower output of the powerful engine, its emissions have been improved, as well, to meet Euro 5 emissions requirements.

Ducati rolls into 2020 with an all-new flagship model for its Scrambler family; the 1100 Sport PRO. The Sport PRO builds on the base 1100 PRO to bring the best the factory has to offer. I’m talking about top-drawer electronics and Öhlins suspension equipment that collectively deliver safety and comfort with all the adjustments needed to dial in the ride to suit the conditions and/or your personal taste. Of course, it all comes wrapped around the proven, 80-plus horsepower, air-cooled L-Twin powerplant that delivers a deep torque well and a tractable nature.

Ducati unleashed to the world their most extreme version of their famed V4 R superbike: the V4 Superleggera. This limited-edition fantasy will come with multi-wings, 234 hp, carbon-fiber chassis and body, and an eye-watering price tag.

And guess what? This maniac will be a street-legal carbon-fiber rocket, ready to rip on the track and the streets around your million dollar mansion upstate. The story inside is an all-new thriller that is bound to scare the daylights off of anyone trying to come close to this beast.

No other machine on two-wheels can give you what this Superleggera does. This is a legit no-compromise hyperbike for the streets.

For MY2018, Ducati released the Scrambler 1100 Sport elevating the family line to a whole new level with some top-shelf suspension components and race-tastic livery meant to appeal primarily to the go-fast crowd. Much is shared with its big-bore siblings — chassis, engine, and electronics — but the Sport endeavors to increase the line’s inclusivity by drawing in those fiery-eyed pegdraggers.

Ducati fills out its large-displacement Scrambler lineup ahead of MY2020 with the Scrambler 1100 PRO that also doubles as the platform for the top-shelf 1100 Sport PRO. The 1100 PRO serves as a gateway vehicle so both new and experienced riders have a capable machine for their entry into the scrambler-tastic lifestyle. A liter-plus mill delivers 86 ponies, and the electronics include corner-sensitive safety features to help you keep it rubber-side down regardless of your experience level and the prevailing conditions.

Newly revised in 2018, the Monster 821 from Ducati benefits from some trickle-down engineering from its big brother, the Monster 1200, and a host of new design touches all its own. A new tank, tail section, headlight and muffler gives it an all-new variation on the classic Monster look with due consideration for the original Monster 900. Duc’s Testastretta L-twin powerplant serves up streetfighter performance with 109 horsepower tucked away in the stable and a host of safety systems to aid the rider in keeping it all under control. Not an entry-level ride by any stretch of the imagination, the Monster 821 does offer an experienced rider a mercurial platform that can shift personalities at the touch of a button for a wide range of conditions and skill levels.