Ducati Multistrada’s V4 Granturismo motor unveiled

After debuting the MotoGP-inspired Desmosedici Stradale V4 motor on the Panigale V4, Ducati has now gone the touring way with the launch of the V4 Granturismo. It will be powering the soon-to-be-revealed Multistrada V4 and has been tuned specifically for the purpose. Compared to the Demsmosedici Stradale, the V4 Granturismo has been bored out by 2mm to 83mm. Thus, the displacement is up by by 55cc to 1158cc. The V4 Granturismo makes 168bhp @ 10500rpm and 125Nm of twist @ 8750rpm. This 66.7kg engine is 1.2 kg lighter than the 1262cc Testastretta unit that it will replace, despite having two more cylinders. If we compare the V4 Granturismo to the Testastretta engine, it makes 13bhp more but almost 5Nm less torque, due to a shorter stroke. It is also more compact – 85mm shorter and 95mm lower than the Multistrada 1260’s unit while being 20mm wider. The fact that the engine is more compact than the L-twin mill allowed Ducati’s engineers to house the engine in the chassis in a way that achieves a lower centre of gravity.

Another striking feature of the new powerplant is the fact that its valve clearance interval will now be 60,000 kilometres, compared to a previous 25,000km interval in the Multistrada 1260. This is a result of research made into the desmodromic valve system. The V4 Granturismo will incorporate the counter-balancing crankshaft, to improve the handling and agility of the Multistrada. As for sound, the V4 Granturismo will mimic the sound of the L-twin by tweaking the firing order. The compression ratio has been cranked up to 14:1 from the Testastretta’s 13:1 ratio. The counter-rotating crankshaft will have a 70-degree offset valve.Thanks to new technology, the rear two-cylinder bank can be deactivated when the bike is in an idle position. Ducati's main objective was to deliver a smooth power delivery from this new engine, and they believe that it has been achieved, thanks to the 1,20,000km tests that their riders undertook to approve of the new valve spring designs.

Apart from these improvements, the V4 Granturismo will be mated to a six-speed gearbox with Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) in both directions. While the biggest detail about the upcoming Multistrada V4 is now out in the open, the bike itself will be unveiled globally on November 4.