Ducati’s Dazzling New Adventure Motorcycle Is Smarter Than Your Average Bike

There’s a lot to love about the updated, upgraded Multistrada V4 Rally, but its genius-level handling jumps right out.

Rear wheel and exhaust system of a motorcycle with gold spokes, black tire, and red frame section.

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By Steve Mazzucchi

Published October 7, 2025

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Updated November 10, 2025

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Introduced just a few years ago, Ducati’s Multistrada V4 Rally was pretty much an instant hit among adventure touring enthusiasts.

The just-unveiled 2026 edition won’t lose any of those fans and will likely gain a whole bunch more.

Man in black and red riding gear sitting on a muddy silver and black Ducati Rally motorcycle on a dirt path. — The latest edition of the Rally appears equipped to take you farther off the beaten path than ever before.

Not only does it look gorgeous (as usual), but the bike boasts notable upgrades with everything from its engine to its electronics.

However, the headliner for me has to be the handling, which appears positively packed with potentially game-changing features.

Shock-toberfest

Right off the bat, the Rally boasts a bit more suspension travel and clearance than the standard Multistrada V4.

The 200mm front and rear travel translates to nearly 8 inches for we Imperial folks, while the 230mm of clearance converts to more than 9 inches.

Dirt-splattered Ducati adventure motorcycle with gold-spoked front wheel parked on a street near market stalls. — More than nine inches of clearance lets you surmount major obstacles — and survive even major-er mud puddles.

As you’d expect, the system allows for adjustment of the preload, hydraulic compression and rebound damping.

Where it starts to distinguish itself is with the fact that these can be tweaked on the move and tailored to the rider, the conditions and the riding mode.

The new Rally also offers a (disable-able) feature I first encountered on Harley Davidson’s Pan America that is becoming more and more common with electronic suspensions.

Two riders in black and red gear on Ducati adventure motorcycles riding on a dirt path near a body of water. — This Multistrada is wise enough to outsmart the bumps, whether they be urban or well beyond city limits.

An automatic lowering device (ALD) drops the bike closer to the ground when your speed drops below 6 mph — and rises back up when you hit 12 mph off-road or 31 mph on road.

Then there’s bump detection, which Ducati says can tell when you’ve hit a bump or pothole and adjust compression and rebound damping to minimize shock to the rider.

That particular feature sounds at least as appealing for urban riding as for off-roading, if not more so.

Easier rider

Of course, the smart suspension is not the only thing to get stoked about here, as the rest of the bike is equally sentient.

That’s the result of roughly 70 sensors constantly assessing performance and adjusting accordingly.

Two adventure motorcycles with side panniers, one black and white with gold rims, the other red and black, parked on a gravel surface. — Two color schemes are available: Jade Green/Brushed Aluminum (left) and Red/Brushed Aluminum (right).

Taking a page from Honda and Harley’s playbooks, the bike gets an Electronic Combined Braking System, which means that if you panic and squeeze the front brake, the rear brake is also engaged, which should prevent you from flying over the bars.

There’s also Adaptive Cruise Control, which taps the front and rear radar to keep your speed perfectly aligned with the flow of traffic.

The radar also offers blind-spot detection and the skepticism-inducing “forward collision warning” you have to be looking forward to notice.

ducati multistrada v4 rally in a beautiful clearing — The pannier mounts have been shifted to increase passenger comfort, meaning a more pleasant ride for all involved.

I’m more optimistic about the quickshifter (standard), five ride modes, 6.5-inch TFT screen and a few touches to improve the passenger experience.

These include aerodynamic deflectors, a bigger windshield and repositioned pannier mounts that maximize passenger legroom.

Those underrated elements should make the new Rally just as much of a hit with the partners of riders as with the riders themselves.

Availability and pricing

The 2026 Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally is scheduled to hit US dealerships in March 2026 at a starting price of $31,995.

Red and black Ducati adventure motorcycle with spoked wheels and a tall windshield on a white background.

2026 Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally

Starts at $31,995

About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.

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