Ducati MultiStrada 1200

I've seen a few pics of the touring models with the little front fender extension in place.

Does anybody know if the sport model comes with that?

That is part of it and thanks. Now we need gross vehicle weight which would give us how much total weight above the bike itself is recommended. Not that I am a heavy weight at 170lbs but you add a passenger at another 100-130lbs then pack the side and top cases how close are we going to be at or above Ducati's weight limit? Until we see that number who knows.

Where I am headed with this, I simply hope the handling is not easily affected by approaching or being at the limit.

It was encouraging, when the photos appeared of the devopmental mules being put through their paces, that an oversized rear topbox (seemingly considerably larger than the present optional item) was shown mounted in one or two shots. Not everyone travels with just an Aerostich suit and a gold card, but it would appear loaded stability was certainly on Ducati's agenda, judging by the Coleman cooler sized topbox in the early photos.

When the trickle becomes a cascade, of owners receiving their MS1200's in the weeks/months ahead, it will be interesting (irresistible even) to review the rider reports filtering in on the forums...
While I'm sure someone will quickly post the load capacity information you've requested, it'll be everyday owners of all descriptions that'll help determine and inform us, as to how well this exciting bike responds to real world use and abuse.

I'm in the rarified minority, dying to hear of how MS1200's fitted with non-aerodynamic panniers and loaded heavily will behave...

However for myself, Suzuki generously provided (at no additional charge ) restricted output in 5th and 6th gears on my DL1000, otherwise the bike would have been a lot more expensive,
if it actually handled when loaded...

996DL

On a few other forums I have been following a UK Multi 1200 owner that has taken delivery of his new bike. He has just recently had the first service completed and has been writing impressions thus far.

I managed to have him test the handlebars to see if they truly are steel rather than the Al they appear to be. He confirmed with a magnet that they are indeed steel. Hope I don't come across as obessed about this detail but I am just thinking / planning ahead if I take ownership. While I would likely be crying about much more than a bent handlebar dropping this thing I just remember how messed up it made my bikes from many years ago when you take a fall and had to ride with tweaked handlebars until you could replace them.

What is the advantage of using a steel handlebar painted to look like aluminum, instead of real aluminum?

Did Ducati's marketing dept decide many buyers would pay thousands for carbon fiber non structural parts like engine timing covers and $4000 worth of optional carbon fiber parts, but nobody was interested in an extra $40 for an aluminum handlebar, not even offered as a $100 option? Do other Ducati's come with steel handlebars too?

Mine does not.

I would think that a steel bar has a different harmonic vibration than a similar aluminum one.

That's my guess as to why it isn't aluminum -- vibration reduction.

yep - think bar end weights

I know that a steel (chrome-mole) bicycle is much more solid and stable vs. an aluminum frame...which is light but chattery and transmits all road vibs to hands.

I am sorry if I have missed the answer but a fellow inmate had asked the alternator capacity. I couldn't find it either at the time. (It should have been trivial info for a touring bike.:huh) However, June issue of Cycle World list electrical capacity as 360 watts. It is half of 1200GSA (720 Watts) and 6/10 of GS (600 Watts) With so many electrical gadgets, I wonder how many watts will be available for farkles? Not so much I guess.

Cheers...

Not listed in the spec sheet on the Ducati web site...

http://www.ducati.com/bikes/multistrada/index.do

However - did a little poking - you can get the owners manual here: http://www.ducati.com/services/maintenance/index.do

It says 500 W

Electric system
Basic electric items are:
Headlight:
low beam bulb type: 2 x H11 (12V-55W);
high beam bulb type: 2xH11 (12V-55W);
Parking light: led bulb (13.5V-4W).
Electrical controls on handlebars.
Turn signals:
Front: LED (9.8 V - 2.2 W);
Rear: halogen bulb type RY10W amber (12V-10W).
Horn.
Brake light switches.
Sealed battery, 12V-10 A.
GENERATOR 12V-500W.
ELECTRONIC RECTIFIER, protected by a 30A fuse located
on the solenoid starter, behind the battery (2, fig. 169).
Starter motor: 12V-0.7 kW.
Tail light and brake signal:
led (13.5 V- 4.2 W/1.5 W)
Number plate light: bulb type C5W (12-5W).

Nice find scodill !

So the gross weight is 430 kg or 947.9 lbs.

So if the bike truly comes in full of fluids just under 500 lbs then that will give close to 450 lbs of load it can carry. Not bad.

On the charging system, it does not state at what RPM however.

Thanks for the clarification Scodill. A 500 (with ~150-200 excess) Watt electrical capacity would be enough for heated clothing and charging non-bike related gadgetry (Camera, PDA.. etc)

Cheers...

How about 2 heated jackets, I would think 500 is okay? Keep the RPM's up.
Allen.

Hi Guys, let me introduce myself, Goss asked me to come over here to post some first impressions on the Mutly since I am the lucky guy who got the first one in the UK.
Where to start-well-it's everything they say it is and then some-this is a superbike in adventure clothes. Mine is nearly run in now-it's done 800 miles so I can rev it to 9000rpm-but why would I want to-it goes like a rocket keeping it under 8000!
The electronic suspension is brilliant, really compliant and easy to change modes when on the move. I have taken it offroad-down a very rutted bumpy track-it was dry-and in enduro mode the bike just rode over the bumps like they weren't there. I have to be honest here and admit I am no enduro rider, and if I really want to go offroad I wouldn't choose to do it on a nearly 200kg motorcycle-I have a 450RT for that and it only weighs 125kg-and it's a Ducati.
The majority of 'adventure' type bikes get used for distance touring and the Multi will do that with ease-and then thrash through the mountains when you get there. It will also handle fire roads and stuff like that-if you want to read a more detailed report on the first couple of weeks with the bike have a look at multistrada.net which is where Goss found me.

Must go-got some riding to do.

John

It runs to 202 pages-and that's just the English bit..............

John

Many thanks Monty777 for joining the asylum here to share your impressions of the new Multi 1200 S !

Keep us updated.

Well, I went for my test ride today in warm spring sunshine, and what a cracking bloody machine it is too. By way of background I’ve owned a number of BMWs over the years, and currently a 1200GSAdv and Ducatis - 450 single, Bevel 900SS, 851, 888, 916 (which was the worst of them all).
It was a Sport model I rode, with plenty of carbon fibre as standard. I started off with the bike set in urban mode, and just following traffic out of town it had all the usual Ducati character, only with the bad bits removed. Even the dry clutch was barely audible when riding, and not the normal "Clockwork monkey with a tambourine" of old. It can potter along snatch free at 2000 rpm, something you take for granted on a jap four, but light flywheel Ducatis always used to struggle there. Delightful quick action throttle (fly by wire) gets it away from traffic as soon as I’m in the countryside – then I switched to touring mode, where it gets decently quicker. Although it can be done while riding it’s a bit of a palaver – first hit the indicator cancel button to bring up the menu, hit the button again to scroll through the four options, then hold it down for a couple of seconds to select the new mode. What the hell is wrong with a four position selector switch? While I’m carping on, the indicator telltales are the usual Italian nice but dim things – fairly useless in sunshine. The bike was very new so gearbox was a bit on the stiff side – fine when riding but tetchy selecting neutral at a standstill. Comfort and ergonomics were great for me, with the small screen in the lowest position it did just enough without any excessive head buffeting, just right I reckon. I felt right at home very quickly – a very confidence inspiring bike. On to the full fat Sport mode – strewth, this thing bloody shifts, now I can feel the strain on neck muscles as it got up 120 alarmingly quickly, but I can’t be bothered to stop and raise the screen as I was laughing too much. Oh, and while I was up there I noticed that the mirrors were still capable of showing what was behind you, fairly blur free. As a license embuggeration device this thing’s certainly got it, real sports performance – much sharper and stronger than the 1050 Tiger I sold last month. I reckon this bike’s natural enemy will be the next Aprilia Tuono with the V4 engine – I don’t see it as an adventure bike, just a really excellent comfortable sports bike that’s up for sport touring at the push of a button (or not if the little red horns grow on your head). Mind you I forgot to test the Enduro mode, and only found out when I got back to the dealer that it not only softens the suspension, but raises it as well, which would be just the ticket for our pot holed fen roads.
You can tell a lot when you get back on your own bike. The GS felt soft, slow, top heavy and ponderous with weird steering characteristics, all of which I had got used to, and adapted to, only it only took a short ride on something really good to have the shortcomings shoved in your face. I’ll still keep it, but I’ve got an awful feeling that it’s got to share a garage with a Ducati.

Thanks for the great report. The clutch is quiet because it's a wet clutch.

Did you happen to notice if the clutch lever was fairly easy to pull? They're supposedly really soft and they have some kind of torque locking mechanism in the clutch basket.