The first (dealer) service (1000 km.) has been completed at a cost of $82 for parts and $97 for labour (plus taxes).
It only took just over one hour to do the oil change, and complete a basic lights, cable routing, fastener check and computer diagnostic (codes etc. if any).
La Macchina
As set up, with a stock saddle, both positions are quite comfortable, with lots of legroom and sufficient fore/aft rotation of the alloy bars to find a good reach.
The pillion position in particular is receiving rave reviews.
A Garmin Oregon GPS has been positioned by Ram ball and a short arm to the left upper bar clamp bolt, and works unobtrusively and efficiently on two AA batteries until I can scrounge up a Zumo.
The 1198 Testastretta 11' L-twin is a paragon of power and sophistication, entirely different in character from my experience with Japanese I-4s. It doesn't play well under 3.5K rpm, emulating the proverbial paint-mixer, never feeling comfortable until 4-5K, and, of course, after 6K, all bets are off. It accelerates at least as hard as my ex-ZZ-R1200, up to stoopid-warp, where the superior aerodynamics of the BigKaw would take over.
The essence of this bike seems to be marrying the lightweight, and powerful engine, in a rigid trellis frame, and equipping it with state-of-the-art, customizable suspension.
There are four basic modes to the suspension, but what is significant is that each suspension mode is infinitely adjustable within the mode, to electronically "click" up/down rebound, and compression settings. If you ball it all up, it's a simple push button job to re-set to factory defaults.
This equates to one bike that can do whatever one (or two) people require a motorcycle to do.
As we are all too aware, there are some horrible "roads" out there. The Multi is ideally suited to happily navigate the worst, and the best of them. It handles crisply, corners smoothly, and changes lines accurately and immediately. This includes fully loaded , two-up. It’s deceivingly easy to ride above your capabilities, but the Multi makes the odds more favourable with both traction control and ABS (on/off switchable). You have been warned.
I would hasten to add, however, that this isn't a "Big Trailie". The front wheel is too small to safely negotiate serious "off" road, and the tires are a road-biased compromise that wouldn't like wet, muddy grass. Only a Visigoth would consider humping a 450 lb. lump of Italian plastic and alloy down a goat trail anyway.
Making this bike "Dempster worthy" would be a chore. At the very
least , it should have a radiator and oil cooler guard from the factory if they'd been serious about being truly "multi" road. It would also need spoked wheels, more capable lighting, proper tires, and a bigger or accessory tank.
The Touring model comes equipped with side-bags. They mount solidly, and dismount quickly. They are 58 liters in total (73 L lids are available, but you'd not want to lane-split), but the right side bag is limited by the cut-out for the exhaust. That said, we packed for an overnight, and the side bags alone carried our clothing requirements. The top-box was ordered as an option, and will safely hold two HJC SyMax II. (The Sena Bluetooth head-units must be removed from the helmets, and packed separately, as they make the helmets too wide). Besides helmets, the top case swallows the laptop, and an amazing amount of life's essentials. Don't forget the corkscrew!
I predict sufficient boot-space for a week long trip with careful planning.
Gas mileage has gone from an initial 26 mpg to 43 mpg (Imperial). I anticipate high 40's on the highway, with 50 a possibility in cold, wet air on an Interstate, and a range that should see 150 - 200 miles out of a tank (plus reserve).
The headlights are dismal; worst lights on a two wheeler since D-cell incandescents on my mountain bicycle.
They are worse than the opaque plastic-lensed headlights on a 20th century Chrysler. Just BAD.
Fortunately, a 500W alternator capacity means an "upgrade" to the lighting needs accomplishing, before trying to dodge venison donors in W.Virginny.
Considering the complexity and sophistication, I’ve had only one episode where the system failed to initiate. The cause turned out to be a broken sensor on the hands free ignition controller, resulting in a “steering lock error” which precluded the engine from starting. This was promptly dealt with by the dealer, and turned out to be only a mild inconvenience. There has been one occasion when the “system-on” switch failed to initiate. It seems that the switch must be allowed to move one detent at a time (of two), with patience, and the error has failed to return. I’ve encountered a half dozen false neutrals, particularly from 5-6 and 6-5. I expect this to vanish, as the box and my shifting technique break in a bit.
That’s it!
I would definitely advise you take a test ride if you’re considering a new bike. It just may be that the Multi is “one bike to rule them all”!
