Ducati Multistrada 1260 Pikes Peak vs BMW S1000 XR: Competition Check

The Ducati Multistrada 1260 Pikes Peak arrived in India yesterday. It is a performance oriented version of the standard bike. While the bike does not have any direct competitors close to its price range, it rivals the BMW S1000 XR in terms of characteristics. We compare how the Multistrada 1260 Pikes Peak fares against the S1000 XR on paper-

Design

The design of the Multistrada 1260 Pikes Peak is similar to its siblings. However, to visually differentiate itself the bike gets a tri-colour scheme that consists of black, white and red. It also sports a red trellis frame unlike the rest of the range and is equipped with carbon fibre components like the fly screen and fuel tank cover and air intake covers. To top it all, the Pikes Peak variant gets a Termignoni performance exhaust system

On the other hand, the BMW S1000 XR’s design is influenced by its adventure-touring and supersport siblings. It gets the tall stance and short ‘beak’ from the GS series while the asymmetrical headlamp setup comes from the S1000RR. While the Multistrada 1260 Pikes Peak gets only one colour scheme, BMW offers the S1000 XR with three colours in its palette. The bike is also offered with a performance exhaust from Akrapovic, although as an option. 

Engine 

The Multistrada 1260 Pike Peak gets a 1262cc L-twin, Testastretta DVT engine that produces 156bhp and 96Nm of torque. The BMW S1000 XR is powered by a 999cc, inline-four cylinder engine that puts out 159bhp and 114Nm of torque. Despite having a smaller capacity engine, the S1000 XR is more powerful than the Ducati.

Cycle Parts

The Multistrada 1260 Pikes Peak rides on 17-inch forged aluminium wheels on both ends that reduced the overall weight by 3kgs from the standard variant. The bike has a kerb weight of 229kgs. However, it is marginally heavier than the S1000 XR which weighs in at 228kg. 

Suspension duties on the Multistrada 1260 are taken care of by fully adjustable 48mm Ohlins inverted front forks and a Ohlins TTX36 monoshock at the rear. Stopping power comes from twin 330mm disc brakes for the front and a 265mm disc at the rear; both Brembo units. The braking setup is further aided by cornering ABS as standard.

The BMW S1000 XR also sits on 17-inch wheels at the front and rear. It uses slightly smaller 320mm discs up front and a 265mm rear disc; also sourced from Brembo. The bike gets BMW Integral ABS system which is a technologically advanced version of Honda’s Combi braking system (CBS). The suspension setup consists of 46mm inverted front forks and a rebound and adjustable rear monoshock.

Electronics 

The electronics package on the Ducati Multistrada 1260 Pikes Peak consists of an eight-level wheelie control system, eight-level traction control, vehicle hold control for uphill starts and a cruise control system. 

The BMW S1000 XR comes loaded with two riding modes- Road and Rain along with Automatic Stability Control (ASC) as standard. Also available as an option is the Ride Modes Pro, which allows the rider to choose from two additional modes and BMW’s Dynamic Traction Control (DTC). BMW also offers an optional bi-directional quickshifter which allows for clutch-less upshifts and downshifts.

Pricing

The BMW S1000 XR retails at Rs 17.50 lakhs. On the other hand, with the unique paint scheme, carbon fibre parts and lightweight wheels, the Multistrada 1260 Pikes Peak demands a premium of Rs 5 lakhs over the BMW. It is priced at Rs 21.42 lakhs (both prices, ex-showroom).