There's a collection of bikes on the market that doesn’t seem to fit neatly into one category or another. One of these odd beasts is the Ducati Multistrada. Like its Island of Misfit Toys brethren – Suzuki V-Stroms, Kawasaki Versys, Yamaha TDM, Triumph Tiger, and a few others – the upright Duc causes division among bike fans with its ambiguous intention and quirky styling. Is it a dual-sport? Is it a streetbike that's meant to look like a dual-sport?
The Multi, like its stable mates, doesn't perform with quite the same confidence in two worlds – off-road and pavement – like the BMW R1200GS or KTM Adventure, but no one says you can’t take it off the beaten path. After all, the name Multistrada is a bastardization of English and Italian meaning "many roads."
Whatever you think a dual-sport (purpose) bike is, or what acceptable percentage of off-road prowess is necessary for a bike to wear the on/off-road hat, is your call. But of two things we here at Motorcycle.com are certain: there likely won't be a consensus on criteria defining dual-sport anytime soon, and the Multi's paved-road performance doubly covers any dirt-handling deficiencies it has.
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2009 Ducati Multistrada 1100 S Review articles on Motorcycle.com
