In some sense, chefs are the (mostly) unseen forces that drive our world. Most of the time hidden in the kitchens of their restaurants, they roll out dishes that delight our senses and fuel our imagination with superhuman talent. But even the superheroes of the culinary world have Earthly passions, and for onne of them, Italian chef Massimo Bottura, there's no bigger passion than Ducati.
If you are into the culinary arts, then the name Massimo Bottura speaks volumes. The 61-year-old is the owner of an Italian restaurant known as the Osteria Francescana. Based in Modena, the place is naturally much more than a restaurant: it's a venue where such wonderful things happen that it was gifted with no less than three Michelin stars (something only 152 other restaurants in the world can brag about). And it has been included on the first position, not once, but twice, in The World's 50 Best Restaurants ranking.
What does a location such as this have in common with motorcycling? Well, other than Osteria Francescana being located pretty close to the hometown of the Italian bike maker, its owner is a true fan of what rolls out the doors of the Borgo Panigale company.
Given how Ducati now has the means, through the Ducati Unica program, to fulfill the wishes of its famous and rich fans, we end up drooling over some very impressive and unique rides.
The Ducati Unica program has been around for two years now, and it's meant to do the same thing for its customers that luxury carmakers do for theirs: allow people a hands-on approach to the design of their own bikes, something that often results in incredibly good-looking mechanical wonders sporting unique materials, finishes, and colors.
The colab between Ducati and Massimo Bottura resulted this week in the presentation of something called the Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak Desert. A fitting name, given how Desert can be interpreted either as the sweet coronation of a meal at Osteria Francescana, or a representation of the bike's looks, made to appear "as if the bike just came out from an adventure in the desert."
Photo: Ducati
The guys over at Ducati's Centro Stile worked with the chef to create a Multistrada unlike any other. The first thing one notices is the sand effect paint job, most visible on the bike's most important body parts: its wings, handguards, mudguards, and the two rims – speaking of handguards, these pieces, as well as the handlebar, have been taken off a Multistrada V4 RS and installed on this ride.
The visual effect of the paint is mimicked on the Alcantara seat, which wears the signature of the Italian chef, etched right alongside the three Michelin stars earned by the man's restaurant back in 2011. A Green Star, something meant to highlight a restaurant's approach to sustainable cuisine, is also featured there.
The only other parts of the bike touched by the chef and Ducati's designers are the brake calipers, engine crankcase, and shock absorber. The single major functional modification compared to stock is the fitting of an Akrapovic silencer that has been specifically designed for the Ducati Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak Desert.
That means that everything else on the bike is stock. Yet, given how this is Ducati we're talking about, stock doesn't mean, at all, ordinary.
The V4 Pikes Peak is one of no less than eight Multistrada models Ducati is offering at the moment. It slots right under the V4 RS to be one of the most impressive of the bunch.
Based on the Multistrada V4 S, the Pikes Peak comes with several unique features, including a single-sided swing arm, Ohlins suspension gear (this is the first Multistrada to use tuned Ohlins electronic suspension), and 17-inch wheels wrapped in sports tires. On top of it all, a unique riding position makes riding this thing up winding roads a breeze.
Photo: Ducati
At the core of the motorcycle sits the V4 Granturismo, the powerplant the Italian bike maker let loose into the world back in 2020. We're talking about the lightest Ducati engine ever made, snatching the crown from the Testastretta twin-cylinder, but large enough to make a difference when installed in bikes.
In the Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak application, the engine is capable of delivering 170 hp at 10,500 rpm (that's a figure valid across the board for motorcycles that use this powerplant) and 125 Nm of maximum torque at 8,750 rpm.
On top of it all, the Pikes Peak comes with a Race riding mode, meaning it can be calibrated to take quite a rapid beating around a track.
In its normal, off-the-line configuration, the Ducati Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak Desert sells for just under $30,000, but it's natural to assume the Desert version made for Massimo Bottura goes well above that. It's unclear by exactly how much, but that ultimately matters little, doesn't it?
Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies. Full profile
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