In 2008, alongside the standard 1100 model, the Italian motorcycle manufacturer launched the Ducati Multistrada 1100S, a half-naked machine part of the Multistrada series that comprised several models with different engine displacements but similar appearances.
Compared to the base model, the Ducati Multistrada 1100S came equipped with race-derived Ohlins suspension both front and rear. Besides that, the bike had minor modifications to the fuel injection system, an additional timer switch for the headlight, and visual tweaks to resemble the graphics on the Ducati 1098 model.
In the aesthetic department, the S version packed a half fairing with an adjustable windscreen, a two-piece dual seat with a passenger grab rail, a dual exhaust system tucked under the seat, a single-sided swingarm, and five-spoke blacked-out lightweight wheels.
The bike's steel Trellis frame was fitted with a 43 mm fully adjustable upside-down TiN-coated Ohlins fork on the front and a fully adjustable Ohlins shock absorber on the rear, delivering excellent handling capabilities and more ground clearance than the base model.
In the performance department, the 2008 Ducati Multistrada 1100S took its muscles from a 1,078cc four-stroke air-cooled V-twin engine fed by an open-loop fuel injection system, boasting 95 hp with a peak at 7,750 rpm and 104 Nm (77 lb-ft) torque at 4,750 rpm.
The engine power was handled by a six-speed manual transmission with a hydraulically controlled wet multi-plate clutch and a final chain drive, spinning the rear wheel to a top speed of 210 kph (130 mph).