Ducati MultiStrada 1200

[cug]

Originally Posted by Motodisiac

If every GS owner would test ride new Multi sooner than later ADV Rider would not have G Spot forum

Matter of taste and preferences. I rode the MS1200 a while ago and didn't like it. Exchanged my F800GS for an R1200GS three weeks ago.

[JayD]

Originally Posted by cug

Matter of taste and preferences. I rode the MS1200 a while ago and didn't like it.
.

True
After 4 years on the GS I can say the 1200gs is EXTREMELY competent

The wizards at Ducati stated that one of the goals they put down on the clean sheet of paper from day one was to make an everyday comfortable sportbike
IMHO I think they suceeded
I came up on sportbikes and was jones'n for that in your face viceral feel again but in a liveable all round package
Hopefully she'll be as good a bike as the GS was (and a little more)

[oalvarez]

owned the previous model and now the new one, a MTS 1200S (Sport).

i've owned so many different motorcycles, including the hugely popular R1200GS. i really find it difficult to understand the negative comments as the bike is almost perfect in my eyes. yes, i completely understand that the difference of opinion is what makes the world go 'round, but seriously, it's a fantastic motorcycle. to hear lackluster comments from those who only "sat on the bike" or "test rode it for a short distance" cause me to scratch my head. i get it if the bike doesn't "fit" a particular individual (too tall, too short, hates upright seating, hates superbike power, etc) but i find it to be a motorcycle that would make so many happy, especially those who want an upright, comfortable, superbike powered and suspended, do-it-all bike. i think it's that good.

ya, i know, just another man's opinion. :)

[Motodisiac]

Was that your Evo Hyper at Pro Italia on Sunday? That is one beautiful motorcycle.

D.

Originally Posted by oalvarez

owned the previous model and now the new one, a MTS 1200S (Sport).

i've owned so many different motorcycles, including the hugely popular R1200GS. i really find it difficult to understand the negative comments as the bike is almost perfect in my eyes. yes, i completely understand that the difference of opinion is what makes the world go 'round, but seriously, it's a fantastic motorcycle. to hear lackluster comments from those who only "sat on the bike" or "test rode it for a short distance" cause me to scratch my head. i get it if the bike doesn't "fit" a particular individual (too tall, too short, hates upright seating, hates superbike power, etc) but i find it to be a motorcycle that would make so many happy, especially those who want an upright, comfortable, superbike powered and suspended, do-it-all bike. i think it's that good.

ya, i know, just another man's opinion. :)

[tremor38]

Originally Posted by wsmc99

Enthusiasm exceeded Talent.

More like MCN's blind faith in Ducati as some super-natural bike that trancends all laws of physics.

I hope the rider is OK.

[RockyMtnRoadRash]

Originally Posted by tremor38

More like MCN's blind faith in Ducati as some super-natural bike that trancends all laws of physics.

I hope the rider is OK.

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that Ducati adds length, and BMW adds girth, particularly if one has a receding hairline.

Love,
-Duc and Beemer salesman

[Motodisiac]

Check out this lucky guy traveling around the world on new Multi

http://www.paolopirozzi.com/it/

[scooteraug02]

Originally Posted by JayD

After reading all the mags and this entire thread I went out and tested one today
I was blown away!

.... traded in the 1200GS and have a Multistrada coming in a week




Thanks ADV

I tested one today. There is nothing about that bike that I didn't like. It felt like it was custom made for me.

If I bought one I would be a grease spot on the road or in jail.

I felt like a kid again. If I had one I would wake up early every day skip breakfast and go ride.

Way to go Ducati!!!


Rode my Adventure home and I felt like I was on a CT90.

[go-GS]

Originally Posted by scooteraug02

I tested one today. There is nothing about that bike that I didn't like. It felt like it was custom made for me.

If I bought one I would be a grease spot on the road or in jail.

I felt like a kid again. If I had one I would wake up early every day skip breakfast and go ride.

Way to go Ducati!!!


Rode my Adventure home and I felt like I was on a CT90.

I tested one yesterday.

As a sportsbile it's fantastic, as a long distance adventure bike it's not so good. Too much power on top, leaving the bike with little power on low rpm.

They should have used the DS1100 in the Multi......the best Ducati engine ever:-)

[canadianstrom]

damn what a machine! The motor is superb, enough torque down low and throttle transitions were ok ( a little abrupt in sport mode). She absolutely rockets in sport mode. The suspension was great, loved the adjustability, was doing it on the fly no problems. Brakes were very good. The dash had a ton of info and I think I'd get used to it quick enough. The riding position felt like it was custom made for me ( that centre stand is a funny thing behind the left foot though). And its just a damn sexy italian I'd love to mount every morning.
But.. at low speed I felt the steering to be very vague and not enjoyable at all. maybe I'd get used to it. Over 60 k the thing was like a surgeon's scalpel, precise and so maneuverable. Below 60 k, not so much. Maybe that smaller front tire than I'm used to.
Also the wind blast was worse than the Vstrom and looking at the screen to handle bar clearance you can't go much wider in the narrow part of the wind screen. So not sure what can be done to improve it. Also the panniers aren't really to my liking (flimsy?) but thats just opinion.

All in all a great bike but just not the direction I'm looking to go; I'd rather go towards a more dirt worthy bike and I'm waiting on the new Triumph 800. The strada has more of what i really don't need- speed- and less of what I'm looking to improve over the strom- dirt usability , I also would have a hard time taking a 22,000$ bike through rough conditions.

[Josephvman]

If it makes you feel any better, when I had my R1200GS and frequented the GS forum here, most of what I read were GS owners bitching about their bikes, their dealers, etc. It seems to be a case of "You can't do that to our pledges, only we can do that to our pledges!"

Originally Posted by oalvarez

owned the previous model and now the new one, a MTS 1200S (Sport).

i've owned so many different motorcycles, including the hugely popular R1200GS. i really find it difficult to understand the negative comments as the bike is almost perfect in my eyes. yes, i completely understand that the difference of opinion is what makes the world go 'round, but seriously, it's a fantastic motorcycle. to hear lackluster comments from those who only "sat on the bike" or "test rode it for a short distance" cause me to scratch my head. i get it if the bike doesn't "fit" a particular individual (too tall, too short, hates upright seating, hates superbike power, etc) but i find it to be a motorcycle that would make so many happy, especially those who want an upright, comfortable, superbike powered and suspended, do-it-all bike. i think it's that good.

ya, i know, just another man's opinion. :)

[scooteraug02]

Originally Posted by go-GS

I tested one yesterday.

As a sportsbile it's fantastic, as a long distance adventure bike it's not so good. Too much power on top, leaving the bike with little power on low rpm.

They should have used the DS1100 in the Multi......the best Ducati engine ever:-)

It has 4 modes of power, sport, touring, urban, enduro. What mode were you in when it was lacking power at low rpm?

To each his own. Can't argue with your experience. I enjoyed the heck out of the thing.

The wind screen left no buffet but I did get air and wind noise so long distance touring may be an issue.

Some review said it was a good bike for the Ducati sportrider who was getting older and wanted the upright seating with sportbike performance.

It isn't a replacement for the BMW R 1200GS/A but they cross paths and the Ducati sure is a blast to ride.

I test rode the Ducati for 120 miles. I didn't want to get off.

[Lion BR]

I have a question to MTS 1200 owners (I prefer to call it like the Italians do "MilleDue" which means "Thousand Two"):

I test rode one recently and felt it was an awesome bike. I want one. But I was unsure of one thing: was I lugging the engine at below 5K rpm? I had a feeling that I should keep the revs up for the engine to be in the sweet spot. Is that a wrong impression? The engine sounded better and had more responsiveness to input at above 5K rpm. At that RPM level and above, the impression I had is that the bike came into its sweet spot both on how I felt the engine sounding, and how it moved.

I tested the bike on Urban and Touring modes. I stayed on urban mode just for a mile or two and the engine did not seem to be completely round, and soon moved it to Touring. On Touring, it was alive and sounded happy and round at 5K rpm or above. It really sounded GREAT at those higher RPMs. Impressive. Addictive.

I ask this because although I really love the thrill of riding at those levels of engine output (above 5Krpm), and I know if I had this bike I would push it there on many occasions, I know I can't "live" there all the time. I'm sure I will have to settle for a large proportion of miles of more subdued riding. That is, I will be riding this bike in many situations that will require slower speeds, either because of traffic or for preserving my riders permit (and insurance), or simply for safety when conditions so require.

Much appreciate any info I can get. This is a serious question and I'm looking at unbiased opinions, if that is possible, of course.

Thanks guys!

Originally Posted by scooteraug02

It has 4 modes of power, sport, touring, urban, enduro. What mode were you in when it was lacking power at low rpm?

To each his own. Can't argue with your experience. I enjoyed the heck out of the thing.

The wind screen left no buffet but I did get air and wind noise so long distance touring may be an issue.

Some review said it was a good bike for the Ducati sportrider who was getting older and wanted the upright seating with sportbike performance.

It isn't a replacement for the BMW R 1200GS/A but they cross paths and the Ducati sure is a blast to ride.

[cug]

Originally Posted by Lion BR

I test rode one recently and felt it was an awesome bike. I want one. But I was unsure of one thing: was I lugging the engine at below 5K rpm? I had a feeling that I should keep the revs up for the engine to be in the sweet spot. Is that a wrong impression?

I had absolutely the same impression. It felt awkward and jerky below 3.5k rpm happy only from 4.5k up. As my riding style is completely different from what this bike wanted from me, I was incredibly happy to be back on my F800GS I had at that time. Much smoother and much more happy in that rev range. Much less capable on the road though, granted. But I just didn't care for the engine.

[sfarson]

Ducati big bore twins are like thoroughbreds chomping at the bit if only allowed to roam at lower leg speed, er, RPMs. These race bred engines come into their own as the RPMs climb north of 3500-4000 RPMs. It isn't just with the MTS1200, but has been that way with most big Bologna twins I've owned. As the tach needle climbs, the Ducati enters a sweet zone where few bikes can enter. I also ride tractor like bikes with better manageability at low RPMs. I have zero issues adjusting between bikes with different characteristics, different strengths.