Ducati Multistrada 950S reviews

I strongly agree that the MTS is a better looking bike and I think with a smaller front wheel it will perform better on the street where lets be honest, a majority of riding is done.

Yep, I'm on board with both the previous posts! Not only that, but the decision may get even harder if BMW steps up with a good competitor to both the AT and the 950S this fall.

I'm curious to what rear rack for luggage and the box are for the 950s in the pic. I was looking at putting on mosko moto's backcountry panniers to whatever bike I get next.

Anyone have experience living with a 950S in a hot climate? I’ve read the engine can dump a lot of hot air on the rider. I live in a place where it’s 85+ F for most of the year and am wondering if this would be a concern.

I'll put in my 2 cents on this one although I don't own the 950s. I have the Hyperstrada with the 939 engine (same as 950s) and live in South Florida. I've put 24,000 miles on it so I feel I have enough experience with this. The engine is HOT, runs between 200-220, the fan kicks on at 220. The fan blows air right onto your left leg. I understand this is the same as the 950's. At slow speeds in town it's pretty bad during summer riding months, even at I95 speeds (90mph) you can feel the heat wafting by your legs. All that being said I don't mind it much as I'm very used to hot environments. I'm an engineer on a boat and my daily work space runs 104-130 deg. I would never ride the bike with less than jeans, I rode with shorts one afternoon and burnt my legs (think bad sunburn). I will say with my Klim riding pants I had no heat issues. The thicker material plus the knee pads seemed to help a bunch. I've loaned the bike to friends and they complained allot about it. I've just moved to Italy and winter is coming, so I'm looking at buying the 950s for its heat. lol I'm hoping it will help keep me warmer this winter. If your sensitive to high heat then this would be a concern.

Moved to Italy? I'm jealous! Thanks for the insight. I'd say South FL and Mississippi have similar climates. I never ride with less than kevlar jeans.

BTW - I also worked in hot engine rooms for most of my career, first on steamships, then land-based power plants. Now I have a cushy office job :)

Tapping back in for anyone thinking about the 950S. I just purchased a 20 model and am at the 600 mile break in service. So far my opinion of the bike is well rounded. Braking, acceleration, and handling are IMO great. Performance and comfort are married seamlessly along with styling.

At 225 and 6ft with a 32” inseam with tcx over ankle moto shoes I find myself having to barely focus on flat footing. It is still winter time in SoCal and haven’t experienced heat issues yet. I will update further with mileage.

Thanks!! It's hard to find owner's reviews and I hate to base my decision on a brief test ride and pro journalist's reviews as they are often bankrolled by the manufacturer, at least to the extent of all expense paid trips to exotic destinations.

I picked up my '19 Multistrada S with Spoked Wheels in the later part of November and like Southtrails19 I've only just reached the initial service. As far as heat goes, it definitely puts off some heat but seems like it will be manageable in the summer. It's nothing like my Aprilia Mille, which directs heat from the radiators right onto the rider's legs. There is a small open area in the tray below the seat on the right side. Hot air from the rear header can come up through that opening and heat up the bottom of the seat. Might consider putting some sort of heat shield there if it get's uncomfortable in the summer.

Thanks, good to know. I'm looking forward to the spring so I can demo the bikes that I'm interested in and pick one. They all cost about the same, produce about the same torque, weigh about the same, and have similar tech so it should be interesting. The new Africa Twin, the BMW F 900 XR, the Ducati 950S Multistrada and the new Triumph Tiger 900 are all on the short list. I tried to like the Yamaha Tracer GT, but it didn't "speak" to me when I went for a test ride. It's a good time to be shopping it looks like!

I agree that the 2020 lineup is getting more competitive at a price and tech perspective, The new AT for me was more off road oriented and not suitable for daily downtown city commuting, the 900 XR is a really interesting bike to me as the engine size compared to the tried and tested S1000XR, comparing the 900 XR to the Multi 950S I find it to be a great bike for a much cheaper price. It is going to be interesting to see how sales add up. Even with the difference of Ducati selling ~53k bikes and BMW ~130k bikes last year, I'm sure the middleweight sport/adv/tour segment will continue to grow.

I'm a bit confused about your comment about the Honda not being suitable for daily downtown city commuting. Seems like with the DCT transmission and lower weight and seat height it would be well suited to the task. What am I missing? (I'm a bit prejudiced already 'cuz there's only a BMW and a Honda dealer in town...)

Good points, I think the city would be an optimum setting for the transmission however it’s not my preference over manual. Secondly to me the 21” wheel of the AT floats marginally more than the precision of the 19” multi’s for street use. Tires of course affect this as well. I have had 7 Honda powered vehicles and never had a single issue no matter the abuse and am definitely a fan of their work, the 20 AT tech is impressive and a flagship in the adv segment, considering the seat height being lowered/slimmed on that model I do not know off the top of my head the height difference between AT and Multi. I do believe the quick shifter and power of the Multi favors in my safely vacating dangerous situations of heavy SoCal traffic

I happen to love Dual Clutch Transmissions in general, from my old VW GTI to Porsche's PDK and I'm thinking that the Honda will do the same kinda of things; no reason to think that it wouldn't. Smooth launches, auto shifting if you want, "manual" (paddle) shifting when you want. In town I generally have used the Manual setting on those car's transmissions for the very reason you have mentioned: safety. I would do the same on an AT I'm assuming. Granted I don't ride much on the dirt except on my Honda 250, so different strokes, but then that's why there are so many different bike brands and models. Like you all of my Honda products from a '65 Honda 50 to many other Honda motorcycles to cars, lawn mowers, generators, power washers, etc. have all be excellent products. None of them particularly exciting and usually not the the lightest or best handling (the S2000 comes close), but always very competent.

I agree with you about the 21" front wheel on the street and do find that to be a demerit. I've read on the forums about replacing it with a 19", but nobody has a good solution yet.

The AT is taller than the MTS with a 33.5" height vs. 33.1" for the Duc, both in the low position. Both a bit high for bikes with a fairly high CG for me as I'm short in the leg and long on the years.

First I don't own a Ducati or BMW at the moment so, take this "armchair quarterback" for what it's worth.

I'm ~5'6" with a 32" inseam and 168lbs. The Ducati Multistrada carries more weight forward and up high than the BMW F850. For parking lot maneuvers, it won't be as forgiving for someone like myself pushing it around. The F850 with the low suspension and low seat are really low, like sit in the seat and flat foot both feet in street shoes almost low (with real motorcycle boots its doable, though I won't go low/low and be hidden in traffic).

Coming from an off-road & dual-sport background, the Ducati Multistrada 'fits' me very well. It sits up high enough for me to 'see better' so improved situational awareness is on my side to predict the crazy things the cars around me are going to do.

BMW's have a much larger dealer network which can be a significant factor to some people.

The Honda Africa to me doesn't make any sense today! It is way more 'bulky' and lacks the quality feel of both BMW and Ducati. Personally, I love the Porsche PDK transmission on a Macan but, Honda has a lot of room for improvement IMHO.

For myself, I'm really leaning towards a Ducati Multistrada versus KTM 790 showdown as the BMW 850 just doesn't 'move me' like the other two. I am a bit biased towards "Team Orange" so, I'm trying to keep an open mind regarding Ducati.

Does the 950 (non s version) have fully adjustable suspension front and rear? I am considering the standard 950.

Yes, you can adjust the preload, compression, and rebound on the front forks and rear shock absorber of the standard 950 Multistrada.

I have been having the same problem. I've been a member for over a year and I can't start a thread.

Thanks from here as well.

I'm trying to decide if I should jump from my '16 MTS 950 to the MTS 950S. My '16 has been very good to me. All tarmac commuting, ~60 R/T utilizing the HOV lanes here in Northern Virginia (free pass on MC). The only thing I think I'm really missing are the heated grips and the suspension upgrade. My 950 isn't comfortable below 3K either but that has been easy to overcome as the balance is super at low speed-in and out of neutral. The only other 1st world problem is the heat the water cooled V-Twin generates when temps and humidity reach the higher limits here...no windage-no relief from the heat between your legs.

Thanks for the excellent reviews. I guess I need to go ride the S.

Cheers mates,
G

I would say with the technology the S comes with it would be a good decision but the price talks, as for the heat I have ridden Ducati's Xdiavel and Panigale and it puts out nothing compared to those two. Riding in 116 desert heat this weekend and the heat from the engine wasn't what cooked me and even in traffic at comfortable temps you really don't get that much.