EICMA 2016: Smaller, more affordable Multistrada bows at Milan

Ducati has revealed its smallest Multistrada yet, the 950, on the eve of the Milan motorcycle show, EICMA 2016. The Multistrada 950 will be made at Ducati's Thailand factory and come to India as a CBU model sometime next year - Ducati is yet to confirm timelines. The motorcycle, our estimates, will be priced Rs 2 lakh, maximum, higher than the Ducati Hyperstrada 939 or Rs 12.5 lakh, ex-showroom.

The engine is a 937cc V-twin that is shared with the 939 Supersport as well as the Hypermotard/Hyperstrada 939. Peak power is 113PS and it will meet Euro IV regulations. The 11° Testastretta engine boasts new cylinder heads with better cooling as well as secondary air intake ducts. 53mm throttle bodies are new and they work with a new ride-by-wire system.

Ducati will add the full range of capability from the big bikes including 8-level traction control, 3-step Bosch ABS and more. The suspension is fully adjustable - 48mm Kayaba front forks and a Sachs rear shock. The 19" front and 17" rear tyres are Pirelli Scorpion Trail II - good for mild off-roading at best.

With the generous suspension travel come four riding modes - Touring, Sport, Urban and Enduro. All modes alter the throttle response, traction control and ABS settings and Ducati allows you to go into the menus and change the basic setup by mode if you like. The Urban and Enduro modes drop power to 75PS.

The 950 looks like the Multistrada 1200 in much of the bodywork - headlight, (adjustable) screen and 20-litre tank. But it is the new Enduro that supplies a lot of goodies - seats, exhaust design, wheel sizes and the swingarm, for example. This is perhaps also the reason why the 950's wheelbase is over 60mm longer than the 1200 and at 840mm, this has a 50mm higher seat as well. Ducati offers more seat height options, naturally. Details on the design of the 2017 Ducati Multistrada can be seen here

Internationally, the Multistrada 950 will compete with the likes of the Suzuki V-Strom 1000 and the Kawasaki Versys 1000. In India though, Ducati's impressive pricing suggests a significantly lower price when it goes on sale. The only issue is the launch dates. Ducati has been busy and it still has models that are yet to go on sale in India and purely in logistics terms, adding the Multistrada 950 will be a challenge. Our bet, therefore, will be on a launch slot mid to late next year at the earliest.

Here is a first look of the 2017 Ducati Multistrada 950

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