New Ducati Multistrada V4 RS: the sportiest adventure bike ever made?

Has Ducati just revealed the sportiest adventure bike ever made? The Italian manufacturer certainly thinks so with the release of a new 2026 model Multistrada V4 RS, a bike that boasts a whopping 178bhp peak power, and an eye-watering £34,095 price tag.

Whether we’d choose the high-performance V4 RS over, say, the tamer but equally capable Multistrada V4/V4 S or a BMW R 1300 GS, for a summer tour of the Pyrenees is another question entirely. But practicality aside, there’s something supremely cool, if slightly bonkers, about Ducati’s adventure-superbike mash-up that warrants a closer look.

Sports star

MotoGP champion Pecco Bagnaia gazes lovingly at the new V4 RS and wonders if he should swap his racing leathers for touring textiles

The first Multistrada V4 RS was launched back in 2023, with the aim of becoming ‘the sportiest, most sophisticated, and most distinctive Multistrada ever made’ (RS means RennSport, which effectively means ‘track-focused’). Not content with the track weapon it created back then, the team at Bologna has been busy packing the new RS with even more technology taken straight from its MotoGP race bikes.

So what’s the result? A carbon fibre-strewn monster of an adventure machine with enough sophisticated electronics to allow Valentino Rossi wannabes to slash seconds off their track times.

However, this high-performance motorcycle remains an adventure bike at heart, despite having both ‘Sport’ and ‘Race’ engine modes, along with ‘Touring’ and ‘Wet’.

You might never do this with your Multistrada V4 RS, but it’s fun to know that you could

What makes it remain a touring bike, although in reality I imagine most buyers won’t tour on them, is its upright ergonomics, wind protection, long-legged suspension, and a motor so brawny it could pull a cruise ship into port.

Then again, those qualities describe pretty much every other model in the current Multistrada range. And, of course, any of those would be a much less radical, and certainly more affordable, option than the V4 RS.

But if money is no object and you’re after off-the-charts tech, even more horsepower, and space-age suspension in an apex-hungry package that still mostly looks and works like an adventure bike, then the new V4 RS might just be your kind of crazy.

Track-bred innovations for the street

The 178bhp Stradale engine is the same, but it’s now mated to a more sophisticated electronics package

Sure, Ducati’s current dominance in MotoGP competition means nothing if you couldn’t care less about racing, but if you’re a Multistrada fan, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about it. That’s because the V4 RS has now been updated with Ducati Vehicle Observer (DVO), a piece of electronic wizardry developed for racing that is already found on the Multistrada Pikes Peak model and some of Ducati’s pure sportsbikes.

Basically, Ducati says DVO is a system that senses all the inputs and forces acting on the bike and manages them to make the wheelie control and traction control systems more predictive than reactive. The goals of this are, of course, greater control, confidence, and safety for the rider.

Smarter and more helpful tech

Now the braking system also manages the rear, even when the rider uses only the front

And because you can never have enough acronyms, the Multistrada V4 RS now comes with Engine Brake Control (EBC), which lets the rider choose the level of engine braking applied when the throttle is released.

Speaking of braking, the ABS Cornering braking system now manages the rear brake even when only the front one is being applied. In a panic stop when you might forget to apply both brakes, that could mean the difference between a close shave and, well, something worse.

Another feature of the new V4 RS that looks interesting is that, with the push of a button, the rider can select the suspension management settings independently from the riding modes. There’s a choice of Track, Dynamic, Touring and Low Grip suspension modes, but Ducati says that changing between them won’t change the responses of the engine or electronics.

I imagine there would be everyday, real-life situations where this would be useful, but it kind of seems like a feature that might be more useful for owners who ride to the track, have to change suspension settings to do a track day, then change them back for the ride home. I suppose we’ll just have to wait to review it ourselves to find out for sure…

The new Multistrada V4 RS is more touring friendly

Shown here with optional hard luggage, for the first time the V4 RS can carry a top box 

It’s no secret that the previous Multistrada V4 RS was a sporty machine capable of racking up serious miles across countries and continents, although its luggage mounting options didn’t make it the best candidate for long-haul adventure travel.

However, that could now change as the new bike finally comes with a lightweight titanium subframe that can accommodate a top box. That’s something that its superbike-adventure tourer rival, the BMW M 1000 XR, still doesn’t have, although it’s worth noting that the Beemer’s 2025 base price is around £12,000 less than the new Ducati.

Under that sleek tail section is a new subframe capable of supporting a top box

But does that still justify the price and sporty focus of the V4 RS, compared to a more standard Multistrada or the BMW? Maybe not, but it’s an upgrade that can only help make the RS at least a bit more practical.

And that’s not the only change that could make the new V4 RS a better tourer. The rear brake disc has been enlarged from 265mm to 280mm, so if that delivers more braking power, response, and control out back, that will definitely be a plus when you’re on those steep downhill switchbacks of the Stelvio Pass, while fully loaded up with luggage and a pillion.

Special colours and exclusive features

New carbon fibre bits, wheels, and RS-specific touches are all part of the package

And, of course, what would a Ducati RS model be without the carbon fibre coolness factor? On that front, the new Multistrada V4 RS gets carbon fibre mudguard, handguards, heat shields, and front beak, and shaving even more weight are a new lightweight lithium-ion battery and new Marchesini forged-aluminium 17″ forged wheels.

As expected, the exclusive RS paint job has been given a refresh, and there’s an anodised aluminium plate on the triple clamp with the bike’s production number, along with a special animation on the TFT dash when you turn the bike on.

The adventure-superbike you didn’t know you wanted?

Is the Multistrada an oversized track day weapon or the sportiest adventure bike ever? Only you, and Pecco, can decide 

So, to answer the original question, is the 2026 Ducati Multistrada V4 RS the sportiest adventure bike ever made? Well, with race-ready suspension, featherweight 17-inch wheels, and a powerhouse of an engine loaded with more go-fast gadgetry than ever before, it certainly has everything a skilled rider would need to keep up with full-on sportsbikes in the twisties or on a track.

Still, its rider-friendly layout, wind protection (minimal, though it may be), and safety-focused rider aides tick all the boxes as an adventure tourer. And the added ability to carry a top box is obviously a huge plus.

Judging by its expression, the Multistrada V4 RS takes its mission to be the sportiest adventure bike ever very seriously

Why Ducati has used the Multistrada V4 RS to showcase its race-bred bells and whistles in the first place is still a question we haven’t been able to answer. But if you’re an adventure biker who has no intention of pushing a bike like this it to the limits on your favourite road or a track, are you in any way tempted by the notion that you could if you wanted to?

If you’re keen to find out for yourself, put something in your calendar for December because that’s when the new V4 RS arrives in UK Ducati dealerships.