The luxury adventure bike segment has some very impressive names, but they are products that are trying to do everything. That means they have more weight than they need to, they have more power than you can usually use, and they need you to be more of a rider than most can be. They look very impressive on paper, but out in the real world, the excess power, weight, and electronics can and do work against the rider.
In the face of diminishing returns, manufacturers have had to get creative to deliver on the expectation of ‘more’. This has manifested itself in different ways: better power-to-weight ratio, more features, and, of course, more bragging rights. The BMW GS prevails in the segment by doing exactly these things. And in its latest avatar, the package is friendlier than ever. The prices have risen, however, which has opened the doors for some brilliant rivals.
The R 1300 GS Is Pricier Than Ever
Most buyers just default to the leader of the segment, which is the BMW R 1300 GS. It is not without good reason, because the kind of ability and technology it has makes it a very capable motorcycle. And it can be customized to suit whatever purpose you want. To sweeten the pot, BMW has introduced an automatic transmission option. That makes it the third ADV in the segment to have that after the KTM 1390 Super Adventure and the Honda Africa Twin. Price-wise, the MSRP currently starts from $20,395. That’s only for the base bike, and even if you want another color, you’re looking at paying as much as $5,600 more. You should also know that the price has risen by around $400 in 2026.
The Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally Is The ADV That Makes BMW GS Riders Reconsider Their Choice
The flagship GS is one of a kind and offers features that cannot be easily replicated. For example, the longitudinal boxer engine and the double-wishbone front suspension. However, you’re looking at a near-$30,000 price if you kit it up, and at that price, the segment suddenly opens up with some extraordinary ADVs. That is where the Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally comes in.
The Multistrada brings a unique Italian flair to the segment with a high horsepower figure and space-age technology. Ducati has also finally moved away from the things that made it expensive and unreliable: the engine has valve springs, and the swingarm is now a double-sided one. Its newfound confidence makes it the ADV that makes BMW GS riders reconsider their choice.
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Base Price Is High, But Delivers Value
The entry to the Multistrada V4 Rally club is extremely high, with the base price of $31,995. But you do not need to upgrade anything on this Ducati. Even with the base price, it has features like a larger-than-usual TFT screen, electronic suspension, and a massive fuel tank, all as standard. And of course, it gets a unique engine with more tech than most. The GS has a much lower base price, but it lacks things like a two-way quickshifter. And when you add those options to it and bring it to the spec of the Multi V4 Rally, you get a very similar price. So it is six of one and half a dozen of the other.
V4 Engine Changes Things Completely
Ducati hit it out of the park with the Granturismo V4 engine. First off, it doesn’t weigh more than the V2 it replaced in the old Multistrada. Secondly, it generates 170 horsepower and 89 pound-feet, which is more than enough for any adventure motorcycle. And it manages this with valve springs! The gearbox is a more conventional one with six speeds and a standard two-way quickshifter. The only thing that might seem like a fly in the ointment is the chain drive. On multi-day or multi-state rides, the chain maintenance might become a bother.
A Word About The Granturismo’s Tech
The valve springs aren’t the only change in the Granturismo V4 engine. There are many more changes that are worth mentioning. It has a counter-rotating crankshaft and a twin-pulse firing order which mimics that of V-twins. And this gives it a much broader torque spread than an even firing order would. There is a rear cylinder bank deactivation that cuts off fuel supply to the rear cylinders when there isn’t a great demand for power and torque. Not only does this save fuel, but it also helps reduce heat going to the rider.
It also has a semi-dry sump, which makes it shorter, and it has side-mounted radiators like any good bike that is designed to go off-road. But the biggest change has been the valve check intervals. Ducati now has an industry-leading interval between these checks, and even regular services have to be done only annually.
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Relatively Prosaic Chassis Balances Needs And Wants
The Multistrada V4 range has an aluminum monocoque frame with the engine used as a stressed member. A trellis-type rear subframe is used for maximum strength, and that is the same reason it has a double-sided swingarm. Compared to a single-sided swingarm, the more conventional swingarm design not only cuts weight but also increases strength and makes it easier to service as well.
Balancing out the relatively mundane chassis bits above is fully adjustable electronic suspension, which offers rear preload adjustment at the flip of a switch. It offers 7.9 inches of travel at both ends, more than what is available on the regular base Multistrada V4. It uses cross-spoke tubeless rims with a 19-inch front and a 17-inch rear. Braking is via two 330 mm front brake discs paired with Stylema radial four-piston fixed calipers and a Brembo radial master cylinder. At the rear, a 265 mm disc with a Brembo two-piston floating caliper is present.
Big And Tall – But Not That Heavy
It is interesting that Ducati has not released official dimensions like length, width, and height for the Multistrada V4 Rally. But suffice it to say that this is a full-size adventure bike, and it is narrow enough considering the V4 engine. The standard seat height is 34.3 inches, which is quite high, but there are options for a lower seat. As for the tank, you get 7.9 gallons, which gives this full-size luxury adventure motorcycle one of the best tank ranges in the entire two-wheeler industry. This is despite its 525-pound curb weight, which makes it quite light for a four-cylinder, but on par with the mostly two-cylinder competition.
Incredibly Luxurious Feature List
The Multistrada V4 Rally is one of the full-fat Multistradas, and that is why it gets all the option boxes ticked as standard. It starts with the 6.5-inch TFT display, which is larger than those found on the standard Multistrada V4s. It also gets Bluetooth and navigation by default; this is usually an option on Ducatis. Other features packaged with it from the factory are LED adaptive cornering headlamps, forward-facing radar with active cruise control, a rear-facing radar for blind spot monitoring, and heated grips and seats.
A by-wire throttle and six-axis IMU are present along with the standard two-way quickshifter. This means you get all of Ducati’s electronics by default. Coupled with the electronic suspension, it makes for a surprisingly easy ride, given its height and weight. We do appreciate features like the electronic suspension lowering itself at walking speeds and reducing the preload to make it easier to get off the side stand.
Source: Ducati USA