Riding a motorcycle through Italy is one of life’s great pleasures. But tackling trails and devouring roads through the Umbrian countryside on the new Ducati Multistrada V4 S is like injecting la dolce vita directly into your bloodstream. My first modern Multistrada experience came 14 years ago at the model’s introduction on the volcanic island of Lanzarote. Ducati’s entry into the seemingly contradictory worlds of pavement and dirt riding was a big deal back then. By challenging the venerable BMW GS, the ambitious Italians went mano a mano against an industry icon. The Multistrada name was already seven years extant before it leapt out of its lane, but the new offering was a giant step forward. The prior version was powered by a modest air-cooled engine and was hardly ready for off-road use; the model name, which translates to “many roads,” was neither rugged nor particularly conducive to longer touring. Multiple variants have since been released..
