Ducati Multistrada 1200 S ABS 2015-2017 Service Manual

MCN's own in-depth review doesn't ask the question lightly: could this be "Britain's perfect road bike?" That confidence stems from a genuinely new engineering milestone underpinning the entire 2015 model year — the Desmodromic Variable Timing (DVT) engine, MCN calling it a completely new bike rather than an update. DVT gives Ducati's Testastretta V-twin continuously variable valve timing for the first time, independently adjusting both intake and exhaust camshafts to smooth the bottom-end power delivery while still letting the full 160bhp shine through at the top end — solving the classic V-twin trade-off between low-rev tractability and outright top-end punch.

Power comes from the 1,198cc liquid-cooled Testastretta DVT L-twin, DOHC with 4 valves per cylinder, delivering a claimed 160 hp at 9,500 rpm and 100 lb-ft (136 Nm) of torque at 7,500 rpm, run through a light-action wet multiplate clutch with hydraulic control and self-servo/slipper action for genuinely smooth downshifts. Autoevolution's own spec breakdown highlights the S-specific hardware that separates it from the standard 1200: a fully adjustable 48mm inverted fork and rear shock, both running Ducati Skyhook Suspension (DSS) with electronic compression, rebound, and spring preload adjustment — semi-active suspension that continuously reads road conditions and adjusts damping in real time.

MCN's review details the electronics package that makes the S genuinely feel like a technological leap: a five-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) measuring roll, pitch, yaw, lean angle, and rate of change feeds Ducati's cornering ABS, traction control, and wheelie control systems, while a 5-inch color TFT dashboard — exclusive to the S trim — displays speed, rpm, gear position, mileage, two trip meters, coolant temperature, fuel level, and time, with the information layout adapting to whichever of the four ride modes (Sport, Touring, Urban, Enduro) is selected. Higher-spec Brembo M50 brakes and full LED headlights with a cornering function round out the S-specific upgrades over the base model. 2017 brought a subtle but genuine refinement across the range: a redesigned airbox with a different air intake area and updated engine settings, optimizing power delivery specifically in the mid-rev range without touching the core DVT architecture. A wireless D|Air variant, integrating with Dainese airbag jackets for both rider and passenger, was also available across this span — a genuine industry-first safety feature using onboard sensors to trigger inflation in as little as 45 milliseconds during a crash.

This factory service manual covers the procedures, torque specs, and diagrams needed to keep a 2015-2017 Multistrada 1200 S running the way it was built to.