While the CEOs of most motorcycle and car brands toil away in glassy towers, Jason Chinnock, Ducati’s Colorado-based American boss, prefers to spend his time in the saddle—on a new, high-tech, dual-purpose bike like the 2023 Multistrada V4 Rally. Chinnock, who started his career at parts counters of local dealers, recently spent 13 hours on the Rally in one outing, traversing still snow-drifted passes in the San Juans.
That might give you an idea of the versatility of Ducati’s newest high-end build of the go-anywhere motorcycle—and the dedication of those “Ducatisti” who appreciate the rugged and now quite reliable engineering that goes into a city/ country/mountain trail machine. Some 20 years into the Multistrada lineup, the new V4 Rally edition is designed for both rider and passenger comfort. The bike gets an extra inch and a half of clearance, stance-adjustable pedals, Brembo brakes, aluminum engine skid plates, and high-capacity, virtually bulletproof aluminum pannier boxes.
Ducati, which sold over 60,000 bikes last year, benefits from its ties to parent company Audi in a seamless flow of auto-styled tech that’s now standard on motorcycles like the Multistrada Rally. Radar cruise control, blind spot warnings and engine cylinder deactivation are now part of the experience, with riders able to use a thumb joystick to adjust riding modes, as well as seat heat, intercom and navigation functionalities. An electronic suspension pre-load system also accommodates rider and luggage weight and drops the ride height when riding in urban spaces.
The Stats
170 horsepower
300-400 miles of range from almost eight-gallon tank
$31,500 base price
