One of the biggest safety innovations in motorcycling’s recent history is finally here, as Ducati announces its Multistrada V4 S radar system is available for Canadian customers!
When Ducati unveiled its Multistrada V4 platform in 2020, one of the most exciting features was the radar-powered adaptive cruise control. Alas, it wasn’t initially available in Canada, thanks to regulatory restrictions. Now, we’ve got word that the system is approved for North America.
What does the radar actually do? It’s part of Ducati’s new adaptive cruise control and blind spot warning systems. These systems have been available in cars for years, but now they’ve come to the two-wheeled world. Adaptive cruise control functions like regular cruise control, maintaining a constant speed, until it senses a vehicle in the roadway ahead. At that point, the system slows the motorcycle to maintain a constant following distance.
As for a blind spot warning system—this works the same as on a car, too. The bike’s electronics determine when there’s a vehicle in the rider’s blind spot, warning the rider by lighting up LEDs on the bike’s mirrors.
You can read our initial review of the Multistrada V4 S if you want to see how those work in real life. Obviously, trusting the adaptive cruise control system is a bit of a change-up for motorcyclists. However, Ducati’s trying to make its bikes safer and more enjoyable to ride, and judging from the announcements out of the 2020 show circuit, adaptive cruise control will be available from most manufacturers eventually (BMW’s already offering it on the R1250 RT, and probably most of the other bigger companies will follow as well—Harley-Davidson has been working on similar tech for years).
Riders can opt for the radar when they buy the V4 S, or have it retroactively activated if they already have the bike in-hand.
Canadian MSRP starts at $22,395 for the Multistrada V4, $26,745 for the Multistrada V4 S, and $28,795 for the V4 S Sport.
