Ducati Multistrada 950, Desert Sled, SuperSport prices leaked

Ducati Multistrada 950, Desert Sled, SuperSport prices leaked

Watch out Triumph, Italy is coming for you starting June 2017

Our friends at Bikewale got there first, and it appears they were right. A price list for Ducati’s upcoming models — first previewed at EICMA this year — has surfaced, and it’s tempting af. The TL;DR is that prices are in line with what we can reasonably expect in India, with no crazy high stickers that would put them out of the running immediately

Multistrada 950

First up, the new entrant in the Multistrada familiy — the 950, will be available in India at ₹11.9 lac, ex-showroom Mumbai. With Maharashtra’s unfortunate 20% CBU tax, this brings it just under ₹15 lac, on-road in Mumbai. The ‘little’ Multi borrows the chassis and running gear from the Enduro, so there’s no actual scaling-down size-wise. It borrows the smaller motor from the Hypermotard 939, making 113hp and 96.1Nm of torque. It still gets fully-adjustable suspension, just not electronically like in the Multistrada 1200 S. The electronics package is also simpler, but from all indications, this bike has much of the capability of it’s bigger brothers with a smaller price tag. Triumph Tiger, watch your back!

Scrambler Desert Sled / Cafe Racer

Also in-line with what we expected are the new entrants to the Scrambler family — the Desert Sled and Cafe Racer, both of which will come in at ₹9.35 lac ex-showroom, Mumbai, or just under ₹12 lac on-road. Unlike the other models in the Scrambler family, these two are more than just cosmetic packages. The Cafe Racer gets sporty Pirelli Diablo Rosso II tyres on 17" wheels, clip-on handlebars, a radial-mount front brake master cylinder, bar-end mirrors and slightly tighter geometry. Thankfully, Ducati has stiffened the suspension accordingly. The standard Scramblers get a bad rap in India for being too stiff, but are actually the opposite.

The Desert Sled is far more interesting to us, actually taking the brand where it should have been in the first place. The base Scrambler looks like it should do OK off-road, and it sort of does, but you can say that about any bike given enough motivation, muscle and madness. The Desert Sled is actually built for some off-road duty, with heavily beefed-up adjustable suspension front and back, Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres, spoked wheels and a braced frame and swingarm to take a beating. All this comes at a cost: at 207kg wet, it’s 21kg heavier than a base Scrambler Icon, but still pretty light.

Monster 797

We will also soon get an entry-level Ducati Monster in India, with the 797. Borrowing the engine from the Scrambler lineup, the 797 gets a new chassis and running gear, but stays true to the original spirit of the Monster — enough capability in a light, basic package. Braking should be improved over the Scrambler with a twin-disc setup in front. The front fork is a 43mm non-adjustable unit, while the rear has rebound damping adjustment. All this will come in at a relatively low ₹8.07 lac ex-showroom, Mumbai or about ₹10.24 lac on-road. That’s just 80-odd thousand more than a base Scrambler for commensurately more value. We think this will be a better urban motorcycle than the Scrambler.

SuperSport / S

The SuperSport is meant to fill a gap in the Ducati lineup — people who like the idea of a fully-faired sportbike, but aren’t in their twenties with an infinitely flexible musculature. This is essentially a Monster 821 frame with a Hypermotard 939 engine wrapped in bodywork inspired by the Panigale. The result is pretty nice looking and won’t send you to the physiotherapist after every Sunday ride. The standard model will come in at ₹12.10 lac ex-showroom, Mumbai, while the S will cost ₹13.41 lac. That puts both above Rs 15 lac on-road.

In terms of equipment, the SuperSport and Monster are evenly matched, with the SuperSport getting a more updated 939 engine with more torque. With the S model, the SuperSport pulls ahead with a quickshifter (up- and downshifts) and Öhlins fully-adjustable suspension, front and back. We think the SuperSport S will be without peer as a fast sport-tourer in India.

We expect all these motorcycles to make their way to India, starting in June 2017. We’ll keep you updated with developments.