The above photo was sent to the Italian website Moto.it by one of its readers, and it is supposedly a photo of an upcoming new version of the Ducati Multistrada, which is physically smaller than the current 1200cc model.

Presumably, this would make the machine in question then the Ducati Multistrada 939, thus adding to the Euro4 compliant engine’s call to action for the 2017 model year.

We say this all hypothetically however, because it is hard to verify anything from this photo…beyond the very obvious double-sided swingarm setup.

What we do know is that the photographed motorcycle shares a chassis with the current Multistrada models, with both the cast and trellis pieces of the frame matching the Multistrada 1200 models, and not the Hypermotard 939.

It’s hard to ascertain scale from a photo like this, but if we take the Moto.it reader at their word, the bike is physically much smaller than its larger-displacement compatriots.

Primed for this, it looks like the rider does sit lower in the bike, and potentially could reach the ground with much more ease than if they were on a Multistrada 1200. Of course, that could just be us trying to see what we’ve been told to see.

There is no way to talk past the double-sided swingarm however, which is itself a tip-off to a lower-spec/smaller-displacement machine, as we have seen Ducati use the double-sided swingarm in the Monster series, to separate the Monster 821 from the Monster 1200 (another lineup that is due to see the 939 engine).

Such a machine makes sense in Ducati’s arsenal, especially for adventure-touring riders who are put off by the Ducati Multistrada 1200’s large size and ample weight of 511 lbs (wet). A machine of 450 lbs, or less, here could really get the attention of the ADV crowd.

How will such a bike slot in between the current Multistrada 1200 lineup, and the rumored Scrambler DS? Well, we’ll just have to wait and see. Perhaps this model will debut at INTERMOT or EICMA…assuming it’s a 2017 machine.

Source: Moto.it