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Ducati Multistrada V4 Coming … With Front and Rear Radar Assist

Front radar placement

Ducati’s Multistrada line will get a V4 engine in a new platform to be announced on November 4. In the meantime, Ducati has issued the following press release focusing on a radar safety assistance package that will be part of the Multistrada V4.

Here is the press release:

  • Production of the Multistrada V4 begins, the fourth generation of one of the most successful motorcycles of the Bologna-based company, already produced in more than 110,000 units
  • The bike is equipped with a completely new V4 engine developed for maximum smoothness of operation and a substantial extension of maintenance intervals
  • The Multistrada V4 is the first motorcycle in the world equipped with front and rear radar capable of providing the user with a revolutionary riding aid system

Borgo Panigale (Bologna, Italy), 6 October 2020 – Production of the Multistrada V4 has begun at the Ducati factory in Borgo Panigale: the first motorcycle to use front and rear radar technology. The Multistrada V4 marks an epochal turning point for the Bologna-based motorcycle manufacturer and will be officially presented on 4 November.

For the fourth generation of the Multistrada, Ducati has developed a new, light and compact V4 engine, designed to meet the needs required for “adventouring” use without neglecting emotion and sportiness. The complete redesign made it possible to reach record-breaking maintenance intervals for the world of two wheels. All the details of this new engine will be revealed on 15 October.

Ducati brings radars on production bikes, confirming what was anticipated in 2018. The adoption of these systems promises to be a true revolution for the world of two wheels, marking a new level of excellence in terms of comfort and riding assistance, especially on long motorway journeys.

Radars are advanced aid systems capable of supporting and making riding more comfortable thanks to the ability to reconstruct the reality surrounding the motorcycle. Ducati’s interest in this type of systems dates back to 2016, when the Company worked in collaboration with the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering of the Politecnico di Milano to experiment with this type of systems. This first experience has confirmed the applicability of this kind of technology to vehicles on two wheels, and has pushed Ducati to the creation of a complete package of riding assistance using two radars that, within four years, has been developed and produced in close cooperation with Bosch, a top-level technology partner, and sees its first application on the new Multistrada V4.

Each radar has compact dimensions (70 x 60 x 28 mm, similar to a modern action camera) and integrates perfectly into the bike, weighing only 190 grams.

The radar positioned in the front of the vehicle controls the operation of the ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control), which by means of controlled braking and acceleration automatically adjusts the distance (selectable on four levels) from other vehicles when riding at a speed between 30 and 160 km/h. This car-derived system has been evolved and developed according to the dynamics and ergonomics of a two-wheeled vehicle. In particular, the authority of the system in terms of deceleration and acceleration has been limited in order to ensure the rider can maintain constant control of the vehicle in any situation. The system allows for more comfortable riding, especially on long motorway journeys.

The rear radar, on the other hand, is able to detect and report vehicles positioned in the so-called blind spot, i.e. the area not visible either directly by the rider or through the rear-view mirror. The BSD (Blind Spot Detection) system also signals the approaching from behind of vehicles at high speed.

To underline the technical-scientific value of the research project, carried out jointly by Ducati engineers and researchers and undergraduates from the Politecnico di Milano, a patent application relating to the control algorithms of this system was filed in May 2017. In June 2017, a scientific publication was presented at the IEEE – Intelligent Vehicles Symposium (IV) in Redondo Beach, California.

Rear radar unit below tail lamp

35 Comments

  1. Kermit T Frog says:

    Unless they’ve lost the desmo valve garbage in favor of hydraulic lifters and replaced those belts with chains, I seriously doubt they’ve achieved “record-breaking maintenance intervals for the world of two wheels”.

    These motors require expensive maintenance. Make that ridiculously expensive maintenance and all because of the Desmo stuff. It’s their “hallmark” and to be honest, no longer really needed as mechanically opening AND closing the valves is just their way of doing things and no one else (that I currently know of) does it. Cuz it’s prohibitively expensive (for most normal people) to maintain. The valves are not easily reached or rather all of them aren’t. If you don’t ask how much I doubt the seller is going to tell you.

    Used to see Ducs up for sale with what was the first major service worth of mileage on ’em. People were SHOCKED after that first major service and sold their Ducs soon after or just let them sit, un-ridden for fear of having to go through another valve adjustment. It doesn’t have to be that way and maybe Ducati has something up their sleeve other than their corporate arm?

    Could it be a valve setup that remains true for at least 100,000 miles and no more belts in the valve train? I wouldn’t own a car with a timing belt, especially an interference one. Whatever. I don’t trust Ducati but hopefully I’m wrong. For those that don’t mind paying out the wazoo for service, fine. Go ahead. Don’t forget to put new tires on every few thousand miles too at several hundred dollars a pair.

    Is it any wonder bikes sales aren’t really selling? Ducatis are (sometimes) very beautiful motorcycles. But usurious costs for service make the beauty a beast to own.

    • guu says:

      You really should take a look at what Ducati is making and selling before going on a rant.

      Secondly “record-breaking maintenance intervals” makes no claim about the costs involved. Valve train maintenance is not about valve actuation (that doesn’t wear at any significant rate). Its about the valve seats.

      • Kermit T Frog says:

        If maintenance intervals are the longest in two wheel history, then it stands to reason that over the life of the motorcycle it could also be lest costly overall. Ducati by their statement regarding this interval more than infers it.

        And valve adjustments are about adjusting the valve lash and therefor you are incorrect. It costs money (time is money) to get inside a Ducati and adjust the opening and closing of valves via Desmo mechanical actuation.

        If you feel that what I wrote was a “rant” it’s because you feel and not think. Thanks!

        • guu says:

          One needs to adjust valve gaps (in practice) only because the valve seats wear. That is what causes the need for maintenance. If you are confident about your valve seats you can specify a very long valve _check_ interval.

          Your writeup was a rant because you made no effort to actually “look at what Ducati is making and selling before going on a rant” And you obviously still haven’t.

          • Kermit T Frog says:

            If it takes 12 hours to do a major service on a motorcycle that requires that you remove the rear wheel, swing-arm, gas tank and more, just to get at the valves, I’d call that costly. If the shop charges $100 an hour labor that $1,400 in labor alone.

            Belts are extra, but you knew that.

            It cost me $40.00 to have the valves checked at 32,000+ miles on my GL1800. The entire 32,000 mile service including the air filter (which takes longer than anything else on the bike) was $250.00. The GL1800 has a timing chain whereas the Duc has belts.

            Apparently, in your world the truth is a “rant”. Ducatis are beautiful but to me and many others, not worth the cost of maintaining.

            I ride too many miles to be wanting to put out that kind of money for routine service. And no, I don’t want to learn to do it (a valve check/adjust and belt change) myself.

            I knew guys back in the late 90s early 2000s that paid two grand for a full service on their Ducs and new tires every 10,000 or so miles. It hurt but they could afford it. Great looking bikes but sheeeeit! Even if I could afford it I would be hard pressed to logically do so, LOL! 😉

            Time is money. I’d rather spend my time riding and not having to worry about coming up with what is to me, a small fortune just to have the bike serviced. Like I said, if the valve check/adjust is now 100,000 miles and the belts have been replaced by durable timing chains that would go a long way toward making a Ducati a desirable motorcycle. For me.

            Not for you. But for me. I live in a different world than you. Not a problem but again, neither are my facts a “rant”.

          • tbone34 says:

            I’ve done the valve clearances on many bikes, but I don’t mess with the desmo valves on my ’05 Monster. Belts are quick-ish and easy every several years, but desmo valves + v-twin layout = a bridge too far for this home mechanic. Add in a crank position sensor failure at 20k miles, and the Ducati costs add up.

            So why do I keep this expensive-to-maintain bike while selling other more powerful, better handling machines? Because the S2R800 is the most fun I’ve had on 2 wheels and it looks amazing. Hate Ducati’s from the spec sheet or spreadsheet, they are great to ride.

          • guu says:

            And you still refuse to ““look at what Ducati is making and selling before going on a rant””

            Please educate yourself. Your arguing against something that nobody claimed. Not Ducati and not me.

  2. TimC says:

    Adaptive cruise control on a motorcycle is a farging horrible idea.

  3. Marcus says:

    My bike already has those.
    They’re called mirrors. 👍

  4. tyggyr says:

    I can’t imagine using adaptive cruise control on a bike. I hate it in my wife’s car (next thing you know you’re doing 50mph down the highway because the car you caught up to while in cruise slowed down very gradually)… I use cc on my bike occasionally for hand resting in low traffic, but adaptive is just asking for less rider engagement.

    What else is that radar good for? I can imagine all kinds of rider aid klaxons going off while lane-splitting…

    • HS1... says:

      If it could launch and guide BSPM’s (bike to Subaru poo missiles), I’d buy one. Why is it that 75% of awful drivers pick that brand? If it’s cruising at ten miles below the speed limit, in the left lane, it’s one of those. If it blindly pulls out in front of traffic, it’s likely to be one of those. If the driver is texting while subduing an out of control doggie passenger, it’s that make again.

      • TimC says:

        “Subaru” says “I care less about driving than Camry drivers” except in the case of WRXs which in my view is the biggest bunch of poseurs as they don’t seem to go fast ever either.

  5. Tom R says:

    The radar is a great idea, but when are we gonna get some frickin’ laser beams on some frickin’ motorcycles?

    • Snake says:

      Radar? On a bike using plastic components, connected by canbus? What could *possibly* go wrong?? o.O

      Count me OUT. Like today’s BMW cars, this is just an aging-bike expensive repair job waiting to happen. Especially using Italian construction techniques.

  6. fred says:

    Over the years, I’ve morphed from an ardent gadget-lover to being a bit more blase’ about each new invention. The front radar (ACC) doesn’t excite me, the the idea rearward-facing Blind Spot Detection radar is quite appealing.

  7. Bob Krzeszkiewicz says:

    Technology to make riders more complacent.

    • joe b says:

      perhaps you would have said the same about the invention of the rear view mirror.

      • Nick says:

        Do we know yet how the radar on the Ducati interacts with the rider? Or does it just over-ride the rider’s commands? Way back, Ducati announced it was going to fit cameras at least on the rear of the Terblanche-designed MHe bike and that would have been good, but maybe the tech for the display wasn’t up to it.

        Otherwise, I agree absolutely with Bob K’s assessment.

        Nick

      • TimC says:

        What? You still have to actively look in the mirror. Riding a motorcycle requires maximum alertness, no slipping. Auto-whatsits (I wouldn’t even use cruise on a vast empty stretch, who knows what animal might run across) have no business on a motorcycle.

        • Curtis says:

          I won’t be buying any motorcycles without cruise control going forward. It’s a game changer for me. Your mileage may vary.

    • Curtis says:

      I’m riding a bike with the most technology I’ve ever seen, and I can truly say I’m having more fun than ever. I’m faster, safer, with better endurance, than ever before. I’ve ridden more in the last year than the last three put together. (But I’m not using adaptive speed control, for a lot of reasons including it doesn’t exist on my bike.)

      Your mileage may vary.

  8. paul says:

    ducati’s radar is obviously the good type of radar which is really good for human organic living tissue…
    and not that bad radar that gives us brain tumors and other not wonderful things.

    • TimC says:

      Uh…if you’re worried about this you should stay off the road entirely as you’re being irradiated by everyone else constantly….

    • John Bryan says:

      “Hi, everybody. Now, tell Dr. Nick, where is the trouble.” – Dr. Nick Riviera

      “I’m edgy, I got ants in my pants, I’m discombobulated! Get me a calmative!” – Abe “Grampa” Simpson

      “Slow down, sir, you’re going to give yourself skin failure! Okay, now, the symptoms you describe point to ‘bonus eruptus’, it’s a terrible disorder where the skeleton tries to leap out the mouth and escape the body.” – Dr. Nick Riviera

      Rumor is it could be caused by low-level, non-ionizing radiation…

      • paul says:

        hyuck hyuck!!! so funny.
        when more and more people die from brain cancer in the decades to come (if the idiots running the world haven’t blown up the world) we just need to post more and more funny so cleverly funny shitt on the internet to make everything all better and stick our funny clever heads in the sand and let our offspring continue to suffer.

  9. Reginald Van Blunt says:

    With the news of the Indian Honda CB 350, it won’t be long before there will be a modern thumper bevel gear 450 Ducati flat seat, no electronics street bike, for very little money. You heard it here first !

    • Kermit T Frog says:

      Ahhhh…Yes! Time to pay homage to the old “ice cream cone” singles of days gone by… 🙂

    • tbone34 says:

      I see the joke here, I do. At the same time Royal Enfield is thriving in the U.S. and Europe because while everyone went the expensive and better/more route, they went the cheaper, better looking, and still fun route. I don’t know if RE chose the better path, but I find a SV650 more fun to ride around town than a $25k cruiser or 180 mph sportbike.

  10. Jon says:

    At what point will the next modification be an extra pair of wheels and a cage?

  11. Tom R says:

    “… an epochal turning point…”

    Where is this turning point, and how far is it to the Epochal Highway?

  12. wjf says:

    Very interesting….now they just need some helmet visor HUD integration to minimize reaction time and we are getting close to perfection

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