Swapping from the laid-back lightweight Ducati Diavel Strada's cruisy take on touring to the sky-high Ducati Multistrada, I realised there clearly is more than one way to skin a cat. For both delivered a capaciously comfy pew that'd cosset your buttocks for long hours on the road and delight your ears with the familiarly aggressive Italian soundtrack as well as carry your kit with room to spare.
But there are two quite distinct flavours here. The Diavel sports the overtly muscular looks of an upper-class nightclub bouncer, while the Multistrada prefers to advertise the strengths underlined by that name - it's an any-roads tourer with dual-purpose lines aimed at suggesting a more daring lifestyle.
I have to say it's more my cup of tea, my holidays are as likely to include the scree slopes of the South Island's Rainbow Road as any tarmac tour. Its $28,490 price includes big-name kit from Brembo and Ohlins, and electronic modes that allow for riders of different sizes, so you can set the default to your own weight and it'll work the rest out from there - unlike some of the opposition, which assume an average 80kg rider. Changing modes is easy to manage from the rider seat, and they include an enduro option, although owners will be unlikely to take this bike too far into the Kiwi rough.
They'll be too busy tucked behind the efficient screen, which alongside the bike's ergonomics got a tune-up to increase the range of rider-size likely to be comfy aboard it.
