Pegged as a “multibike” in Ducati’s marketing material, the 2020 Ducati Multistrada 950 is a sport/adventure-touring motorcycle—an upright, yet sporty ride with all of the bells and whistles for making treks more comfortable. It is Ducati’s smallest of the Multistrada line in fact—Ducati’s target audience are those who want to get into touring, utilizing the machine for everyday use. The bells on the standard 950 include cornering ABS, Vehicle Hold Control (for easier uphill starts), and auto-off turning indicators. The additional whistles on the up-spec S model include: electronic semi-active suspension (Ducati Skyhook Suspension system continuously adjusts fork and shock absorber damping so the suspension instantaneously adapts to road surface changes), a clutchless quickshifter, full LED headlight, 5-inch color TFT display, cruise control, and a backlit switch gear. Both models are powered by the 937cc liquid-cooled L-twin.
Hitting the US shores in 2017, the Ducati Multistrada 950 claimed to bring a combination of comfort, style, and superior performance. When we tested the 2019 Ducati Multistrada 950 S we found that “There is a good case to be made that too much is too much. This bike is just right for many of us. A temptation exists to imagine the bike is for novices or the less skilled because of the smaller displacement, but the reverse might be true—it can be even more capable for an expert because they can ride it more aggressively for longer. Although it is the entry-level Multistrada, the 950 S is anything but a beginner’s adventure-touring motorcycle.”
The BMW F 900 XR, Triumph 800 XR, Kawasaki Versys 1000 LT, Yamaha Tracer 900, even the three-wheeled Yamaha Niken GT can be considered when shopping for a sport-touring motorcycle.
Updates were seen in 2019, but nothing new for 2020. The Multistrada 950 is available in Ducati Red while the Multistrada 950 S comes in Ducati Red and Glossy Grey.
