Ducati made a surprising move when it unveiled the Multistrada for the first time in 2010. They were basically introduced to satiate the thirst of those motorcycling aficionados, who love traversing new territories with pace, but naturally, find the supersport motorcycles too hardcore for the job. The Multistrada proved to be a successful amalgamation of the traits of both Superbike and sports tourers, easily giving it the title of the most practical motorcycle Ducati ever made.

Climbed all the way to the top of the adventure-sport touring segment, the new 1260 is for the riders who want more from the segment. And rightly so, the 1260 is powered by the 1262cc DVT (Desmodromic Variable Valve Timing) L-twin engine borrowed from the XDiavel which is capable of pumping 85% of the torque at just 3500 rpm. Peak power of 158 hp comes at 9,500 rpm and 95.5 lb-ft of torque at 7,500.

That makes the 1260 the most powerful adventure tourer in its class and to handle all that power, Ducati has a new Ride-by-Wire system and DQS (Ducati Quick Shift) Up & Down which significantly improves the riding experience (standard from 1260 S and above).

It also gets the chassis from the 1200 but is updated with an extended swinging arm and wheelbase that changes the riding geometry to a confident feel and provides in for sharper handling and stability by the rider.

The electronic package includes the Bosch IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) controlling the Cornering ABS, Cruise control, Riding modes, Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC), Ducati Traction Control (DTC) and the new Vehicle Hold Control (VHC). The 1260 S and above models have Ducati Cornering Lights (DCL) functionality incorporated in the full LED headlight and the semi-active Ducati Skyhook Suspension (DSS) Evolution control system that allows suspension setting on the fly.

While the Multistrada 1260 carries an LCD dash, the S and above variants get 5” TFT units also seen on the new Panigale V4 that incorporates the Ducati Multimedia System (DMS) for music and navigation via a smartphone and handlebar mounted switches. This Multistrada also has a handsfree system that gives keyless ignition for enhanced security.

The 1260 gets Kayaba 48 mm upside-down fork and Sachs monoshock while the S and above gets Sachs 48 mm front fork. Braking is handled by dual 320mm front brake discs with radially-mounted Brembo Monobloc 4-piston calipers and one 265mm rear disc with a 2-piston caliper. On the S and above, larger 330mm dual front brake discs with radial Brembo Monobloc Evo M50 4-piston calipers does the job.

The Pikes Peak enjoys even more gizmos like the Ohlins forks, Ohlins shock, short plexiglass windscreen, forged aluminum wheels, red saddle stitching and light Termignoni exhaust. They also feature carbon fiber cosmetic touches like the front mudguard, hands-free cover and front side panels. Special paintwork to commemorate Ducati’s three victories in America’s famous hill climb event sports on this 1260 Pikes Peak.

Triumph has also launched its new Tiger->ke1918\ models and the Brits have made sure it packs to run down the competition, and so have the Germans with the R 1200 GS. They are definitely not going to make the job easy for Ducati. Well, we'll have to wait and see how.

No official confirmation regarding the price and availability has been made accessible. Expect them to hit our shores after February 2018.