2017 Ducati Multistrada 939 seen running road trials?

The 2016 Ducati Multistrada 1200 – which we reviewed back in April – is a very competent dual-purpose motorcycle, but the buy-in price of RM120,000 might be a little steep for some. There could be an option though, for those who want the handling and performance capability of a Multistrada 1200, in a smaller package.

A very Multistrada looking test mule has been spotted cruising around draped in camouflage, and sporting what looks like the 937 cc 90-degree V-twin as currently used in the 939 Ducati Hypermotard and Hyperstrada. From the pictures published on website moto.it, it appears as if the test mule is shorter in wheelbase than the Multistrada 1200, as well as being a little shorter in stature.

Of note is the double-sided swingarm on the mule, compared to the single-sided unit fitted to the 1200. This makes sense from a financial viewpoint, as a lower range Multistrada model would need to save costs somewhere, leaving the more expensive single-sided unit to grace the top-of-the-range machines.

Should the new smaller-engined Multistrada use the Testastretta engine, it will likely be putting out 113 hp at 9,000 rpm and 97.9 Nm of torque at 7,500 rpm. This compares realistically against the 1,198 cc, twin-spark Testretta DVT engine used in the Multistrada 1200, which offers 160 hp at 9,500 rpm and 136 Nm of torque at 7,500 rpm.

An unveiling of a smaller Multistrada could be in the offing at the EICMA show in November, or this might just be a model destined for a 2017 release. The 2016 Ducati Multistrada 1200 retails for RM119,999, while the Multistrada 1200 S, which comes with the Skyhook semi-active suspension, retails for RM139,999. Prices include GST, but exclude registration and insurance.

GALLERY: 2016 Ducati Multistrada 1200

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