VIDEO: 2015 Ducati Multistrada 1200

Desmodromic Variable Timing works magic with the Multistrada’s powerful V-twin.

The new 2015 Ducati Multistrada stole some of the limelight away from the 1299 Panigale at the recent EICMA motorcycle show in Milan. With good reason. While a new fairing does its part to make this multi-talented new Multistrada look different, a big change has taken place with its Testastretta V-twin engine. The four-valve powerplant still displaces 1198cc, but it now has Desmodromic Variable Timing, or DVT. By minimizing valve overlap at low rpm and increasing it at higher rpm, DVT significantly broadens the engine's powerband. Basically, power arrives earlier and stays on longer, and peak values for both horsepower and torque have increased. What's not to like?