It's a bird, it's a plane, no, it's the Ducati Multistrada 1200
Jeff Dickinson
Contributing Writer
While motorcycle enthusiasts debate exactly what to call it – sport-tourer, enduro, off-road – Ducati is about to unveil all the details of its mysterious 2010 Multistrada 1200.We’ve been teased by a Web site – www.multistrada.ducati.com - and by blogs worldwide. However, until it is officially unveiled on Nov. 9 at the EICMA International Motorcycle Show in Milan, the Ducati Multistrada 1200 generally remains a mystery.
What do we know for sure about the Multistrada 1200? For starters, the engine will be about 100 cubic centimeters bigger than the 1100 and will offer more horses under the tank. We also know that it will also cost more than the previous Multistrada model. 
What is up for debate until Nov. 9, though, is everything else.
The Multistrada 1100 had 95 horsepower, while the 1200 is rumored to come in somewhere around 150. Hinting further that the 1200 will be a rocket is the fact that its dry weight is supposed to be even less than the 432 pounds of the 1100.
Make no mistake about it, the Ducati Multistrada 1200 has been designed with one thing in mind: To take the sport-tour market away from BMW and its R1200GS and the KTM Adventure.
The Multistrada 1200 is rumored to have a new fuel-injection system and a ride-by-wire throttle that offers better sub-3000 rpm fueling than the previous model. The 1200 is also supposed to be one of the most technologically advanced bikes ever produced, with electronically adjustable on-the-fly suspension, a GPS system, keyless ignition and more.
If the Multistrada 1200 is going to become the king of the sport touring market, though, the transmission will have to be improved. The biggest knock against the 1100 was that it didn’t shift seamlessly in the lower gears.
After three years of development and extensive testing, here’s betting that the 2010 Multistrada 1200 will shift like a dream. If not, then Ducati will continue to play catch-up to BMW and KTM in the sport touring class. 
