Ducati MultiStrada 1200

[GB]

Pampero, thanks for your efforts, however, due to our strict copyright enforcement clause in our posted rules, you may not post copyrighted pics from Motorrad on this site.. Your post has been removed.

I suppose you could re-tell what they had to say in your own words.

I just wish Motorrad published an English iOS / Android tablet edition, many of us would be subscribers.

[Hap Hazard]

I just turned 1400 miles on my 2013 Multi and enjoy it more with each ride. I did switch to a 14 tooth front sprocket. While the low speed fueling problem I felt in the demo ride of the 2012 was gone, the gearing was awkward at low speed, stop and go traffic. Too slow for second, too fast for first. Also at 70 to 75 mph it was a toss up between 5th and 6th gear. If in 6th, there was a lag in acceleration. With the 14 sprocket both issues are gone. At 70 mph 6th now has " grunt". Did not seem to affect mileage.

I'm 5'8" and get no turbulence from the windscreen. However the wind noise is quite noticeable. I installed the Wonderlich wind deflector and it made a big improvement. However, the bike seems to be effected more by wind turbulence from trucks than before. Not a severe problem, and may just be my imagination.

My only complaint is there are not yet any aftermarket windscreens or seats.

[Andreazz]

Originally Posted by Hap Hazard

I just turned 1400 miles on my 2013 Multi and enjoy it more with each ride. I did switch to a 14 tooth front sprocket. While the low speed fueling problem I felt in the demo ride of the 2012 was gone, the gearing was awkward at low speed, stop and go traffic. Too slow for second, too fast for first. Also at 70 to 75 mph it was a toss up between 5th and 6th gear. If in 6th, there was a lag in acceleration. With the 14 sprocket both issues are gone. At 70 mph 6th now has " grunt". Did not seem to affect mileage.

I'm 5'8" and get no turbulence from the windscreen. However the wind noise is quite noticeable. I installed the Wonderlich wind deflector and it made a big improvement. However, the bike seems to be effected more by wind turbulence from trucks than before. Not a severe problem, and may just be my imagination.

My only complaint is there are not yet any aftermarket windscreens or seats.

Any aftermarket seat`s that fit a 2012, will fit your 2013

[GB]

Originally Posted by Hap Hazard

At 70 mph 6th now has " grunt". Did not seem to affect mileage.

My only complaint is there are not yet any aftermarket windscreens or seats.

At 75 mph with the 14 tooth sprocket, what is your rpm?

Screen width will always be limited due to the swing of the handlebars but there are taller screens.

[Pampero]

Originally Posted by GB

Pampero, thanks for your efforts, however, due to our strict copyright enforcement clause in our posted rules, you may not post copyrighted pics from Motorrad on this site.. Your post has been removed.

I suppose you could re-tell what they had to say in your own words.

I just wish Motorrad published an English iOS / Android tablet edition, many of us would be subscribers.

Agreed. I am not offended and wondered if I might be crossing a line . Basically it said:
The Multistrada is a powerful, fun bike () that it's owners like a lot and depending on your priorities it or the KTM look like the best of breed as road bikes from a rider's perspective. Of course, it said that in Babel fish language, and paid passing homage to the GS as well.

The Guzzi came in last

Anybody who wants to translate it for themselves can use this link: http://translate.google.com/

If you type in the url of the magazine, it will translate the entire document onto a single page. The reader can enjoy interpreting for him or herself

[Hap Hazard]

Originally Posted by Andreazz

Any aftermarket seat`s that fit a 2012, will fit your 2013

Andreas, that turns into an interesting subject. When I purchased, the dealer said ithe 2012 low seat would not fit. They based it on the different part numbers. Today, after your post, I went to the dealer and said lets try the 2012 lower seat. It sort of fit. When positioned correctly at the front the rear peg is about 1/4 too far. There is enough slack up front to make it fit. The round spacers extend about the same 1/4 inch from the front of the pillion seat. Would a Sargant or Corbin fit? Maybe.

More interesting is that the low seat set me further from the ground than the stock. I have a 30" inseam and the stock is acceptable, barely. Lower would be better. But the low seat, even though it purports to be 3/4" shorter, is wider. I was pretty unstable. I believe I'll just shave the stock down.

[Moronic]

After posting the link to Motorrad's 50,000km teardown of the Multi 1200, and taking a gander at their similar piece on the Yamaha Super Tenere, I took time to wade through a few more of their recent efforts.

(For anyone interested in doing the same, here is the link to Motorrad's endurance test home page, which carries the latest pieces and a test-finder search tool. Use google translate.)

The more I browsed, the better the Multi 12 looked. Among the disasters and near-disasters:

BMW K1300GT: Clutch exploded at 25,000km, famously blowing a hole in the crankcase and killing the engine, then 10,000km later a big-end bearing blew in the new motor. Among multiple other woes including worn final drive. (A K1200S did much better.)

KTM RC8 superbike: Front cylinder big-end bearing failed at 1700km, factory fitted "revised" engine with better finished bearing, front big-end blew again at 26,000.

Suzuki GSX-R750: At 50,000km all valves burnt and badly in need of replacement; big-end bearings worn; sixth gear about to collapse.

R1200GS: Catastrophic gearbox failure at 37,000km. (But the engine at 50,000km could be bolted back together without changing parts, despite wear marks visible on the big-ends.)

Among the most impressive:

GSX-R1000: valves and pistons spotless, hone marks still on bores, entire engine could be bolted back together.


Overall: Ducati technicians commented after the teardown of a 1098 that the bike had been used "primarily in short-haul operation", and from other comments it appears these test bikes do lots of commuting and are not spared during cold German winters. Tough tests, then. A high proportion of the bikes pulled down exhibited wear marks on the big-ends.

The other point worth making is about the small sample size: it is impressive that a magazine does this at all, but nevertheless Motorrad does it to only one example of each bike, making luck a significant factor.

Motorrad could have got one of the Multi 12s whose cylinder heads have failed, in which case the result would have looked rather different. They did not, and after reading all this guff my confidence in the build quality of the Multi has risen.

[Dr. Greg]

Thanks for the examples. My '06 Uly is now the "short-haul" bike, and every time the MTS1200S is started it is ridden for a "reasonably long" distance. Like this morning: yay, it's in the 30s out (not the 20s as usual)...great day for a 350-mile ride! Supposed to get up to mid-50s (deg F of course).

My winter commute (5 miles...bike never gets fully warmed up) has been hard on more than one of my bikes. Heck, it's hard on me...or rather, it used to be .

I'll have to admit that in my 43,000 miles of accumulated MTS12 mileage (13K on one, 30K on the other) the engine has been absolutely troublefree. That's why I'm hoping for 100K miles on the thing. Hopefully get well past 50K miles by the end of the summer.

Then next year if I (and the bike) can stay healthy I'll really try to do some riding...

--Doc

Originally Posted by Moronic

...Overall: Ducati technicians commented after the teardown of a 1098 that the bike had been used "primarily in short-haul operation", and from other comments it appears these test bikes do lots of commuting and are not spared during cold German winters. Tough tests, then. A high proportion of the bikes pulled down exhibited wear marks on the big-ends...

after reading all this guff my confidence in the build quality of the Multi has risen.

[bobobob]

Originally Posted by GB

At 75 mph with the 14 tooth sprocket, what is your rpm?

4,629rpm according to gearing commander.

http://www.gearingcommander.com/

[Pampero]

Originally Posted by Dr. Greg

I'll have to admit that in my 43,000 miles of accumulated MTS12 mileage (13K on one, 30K on the other) the engine has been absolutely troublefree. That's why I'm hoping for 100K miles on the thing. Hopefully get well past 50K miles by the end of the summer.

Then next year if I (and the bike) can stay healthy I'll really try to do some riding...

--Doc

This is encouraging and an inspiration. I need mine to last the duration.

[KHVol]

Originally Posted by Dr. Greg

Thanks for the examples. My '06 Uly is now the "short-haul" bike, and every time the MTS1200S is started it is ridden for a "reasonably long" distance. Like this morning: yay, it's in the 30s out (not the 20s as usual)...great day for a 350-mile ride! Supposed to get up to mid-50s (deg F of course).

My winter commute (5 miles...bike never gets fully warmed up) has been hard on more than one of my bikes. Heck, it's hard on me...or rather, it used to be .

I'll have to admit that in my 43,000 miles of accumulated MTS12 mileage (13K on one, 30K on the other) the engine has been absolutely troublefree. That's why I'm hoping for 100K miles on the thing. Hopefully get well past 50K miles by the end of the summer.

Then next year if I (and the bike) can stay healthy I'll really try to do some riding...

--Doc

We are watching you closely, Doc. Thanks.

[Tubulchain]

Checked out the new model today at Razee here in RI. Certainly nice to look at but thats no different from the last iteration. Suspension had a few parts not found on my 2012. Hope to get a ride on one soon.

[ten.98]

Originally Posted by Hap Hazard

With the 14 sprocket .... Did not seem to affect mileage.

I put the 14t front on mine and went from just under 200 miles per tank to about 160 miles per tank. That may have more to do with the general increase in hooliganary I find myself engaging in with this new gearing, but nevertheless, decreased mileage was definitely a direct result of moving to the 14t.

The the plus side, the interval between front tire replacements has been dramatically extended due to the sharp decline in the amount of time it spends making contact with the tarmac.

[Suruppak]

I've been looking hard at the Multistrada, but I am wondering if I should get a 2013 or a 2012. Are the opinions generally that the upgrades are definitely worth it? MCN says they think they are if you ride 2up a lot, but I never do. I ride alone, and most of my riding is either commuting 30 miles each way to work, or taking long touring trips.

I'm sure there are opinions out there, I'd like to hear them!

[Moronic]

Originally Posted by Suruppak

I've been looking hard at the Multistrada, but I am wondering if I should get a 2013 or a 2012. Are the opinions generally that the upgrades are definitely worth it? MCN says they think they are if you ride 2up a lot, but I never do. I ride alone, and most of my riding is either commuting 30 miles each way to work, or taking long touring trips.

I'm sure there are opinions out there, I'd like to hear them!

You won't get many opinions from first-hand - too soon, not enough bikes in owners' hands.

There is a thread running here on ducati.ms where an owner is documenting his experiences with a new '13 Touring S. Only such thread that I know of and he has had the bike only a few days. (Likes it tho )

From his report and the spec sheet, we know that:

1. The many complaints about the rear spring being too soft should be well sorted on the '13s, which have not only a much firmer (as in 50 per cent), and progressive, spring but also a much broader range of preload adjustment.

2. Ducati made a lot of changes to the engine of the '13 aimed at improving low-speed smoothness and throttle response, including adding a secondary air bleed system.

More minor changes include LED low-beam on the headlamp and a different windscreen that can be adjusted one-handed.

How important that stuff is to you, only you can say. Whether Skyhook is better than Ohlins, and in what respects, including durability and serviceability, we will know in a year or two. Same for the new engine, really.

It is encouraging though that whoever put together the Skyhook system got the springing and preload right. Unlike Ohlins, whose stock spec, given the bike's design purpose and marketing, was disgracefully inadequate, IMO. (Of course, it might have been Ducati who made the relevant decisions here.)

BTW: From what Ducati has on the net, it appears the '13 base models also come with the new, progressive spring. Which makes sense. And if you like Ohlins, that company has announced it will offer a full DES system aftermarket for the base bikes some time this year. (Fork, shock and controller.)