Ducati Multistrada – The End of Sportbiking As We Know It [OWD.net]

[atadaskew]

 The Ducati is a great bike but you can forget it taking over sportbikes.

1. PRICE- Most people can not afford it or justify spending that much on a bike.
2. It is not a mainstream design, many would not even consider it. Especially younger riders.
3. High maintainance costs and very few dealers to support the Bike.
4. People don't want to wait a month on parts to go riding again.

I am not a hater of the bike, in fact I love the Bike but there are pitfalls and I diffenitly doubt it will take much if anything out of the sportbike market.

1. People who can afford it do.  Look at how many have been sold on this site.  Look at how many people own bikes like top end BMWs, Harleys, Goldwings etc.  Bikes that can cost a lot more.
2. Mainstream designs are not the way to push new technology, make a splash on the scene.  Those mainstream designs are gathering dust on the showroom floors.
3. Major service at 15K miles. Few dealers - yes.  But I would rather own the best street bike ever made that has fewer dealers than own the bike equivalent of a Corolla because it is easy to get to a dealership.
4. Parts are ordered directly from Italy if they are not in stock, and arrive w/in the week.  My experience with the Ducatis I've owned.

[Mr. Whippy]

1. People who can afford it do.  Look at how many have been sold on this site.  Look at how many people own bikes like top end BMWs, Harleys, Goldwings etc.  Bikes that can cost a lot more.
2. Mainstream designs are not the way to push new technology, make a splash on the scene.  Those mainstream designs are gathering dust on the showroom floors.
3. Major service at 15K miles. Few dealers - yes.  But I would rather own the best street bike ever made that has fewer dealers than own the bike equivalent of a Corolla because it is easy to get to a dealership.
4. Parts are ordered directly from Italy if they are not in stock, and arrive w/in the week.  My experience with the Ducatis I've owned.

Yes, true in my experience also.

As for service, I don't know about the new motor, but the 2V motor is dead easy to work on.  Removing the tank takes some time, but nothing is tricky or hard, just have to be careful to keep bolts, etc straight and not scratch it up.

Maybe someone else can chime in on the 4V motor.

[atadaskew]

Yes, true in my experience also.

Some people just don't realize that today's Ducati is not the Ducati of 20 years ago...

Want ease of service?  Try to figure out how to remove the bodywork on the VFR12.  And try to find a dealership that you can trust to work on it!  I live in LA and I do not know of any Japanese dealerships that I would trust service work to.  

[Rincewind]

Great article.  Well written as usual for OWD.net.  

I agree that the Duc MTS12 is one of the best road going bikes on the market today.  I was very impressed with it's power and comfort during a test ride.  It felt very similar to my old Tiger 1050, but quite snappier.  I would be interested in a comparison review with the Tiger vs MTS12 vs the dark horse KTM SMT990.      

I'm not sure why Ducati went with the wider 190 rear tire over a 180.  That was very anti-enduro, and unusual for road motards too.

[falcofred]

Great article.  Well written as usual for OWD.net.    

I'm not sure why Ducati went with the wider 190 rear tire over a 180.  That was very anti-enduro, and unusual for road motards too.

How else are you going to get 150 HP and 87 foot lbs of torque to the asphalt?

[UFO]

How else are you going to get 150 HP and 87 foot lbs of torque to the asphalt?

But, but...it's obviously and ENDURO bike!!11!1one!1!

[tdeboeser]

I agree.

I don't agree, it just reminds me that I don't have one... AND I REALLY WANT ONE!!!!!!


tom de

[Rincewind]

How else are you going to get 150 HP and 87 foot lbs of torque to the asphalt?

   The BMW GS makes the same level of torque, only 40hp less, and uses a 150-section tire.  I didn't know it was a design necessity to have 190-wide tire for 150hp.

It goes to show that the "enduro" part of this bike needs to be in "quotes."

[tdeboeser]

only 40hp less,

ONLY!?!?    40hp is more than "a lot".  Huge difference in power, especially when comparing bikes.

It goes to show that the "enduro" part of this bike needs to be in "quotes."

Agreed.  But I'd say the same for the ~500lb Beemer.  

Tom de

[Emerson00]

Parts have never once taken me more than 7 days to get. That's from my experience, not what I read once on an online forum.

There's things to like and things not to like; I doubt I'll buy one for a while - my '06 makes me happy enough.

I do love seeing all the widespread love Ducati's getting for it's ugly duckling. I still hear "oh the wierd looking one" when people ask what I ride and I have to explain... now the next generation which, to my eye, isn't quite right or quite traditional-Ducati enough is everyone's darling.

[edited to add:]
The black 1200S sure is starting to grow on me damn fast though!

[atadaskew]

ONLY!?!?    40hp is more than "a lot".  Huge difference in power, especially when comparing bikes.

 

That's a whole Honda Deauville less!

[nater]

No one has

In other Honda news, I saw a Deausville the other day!

Did you have to avert your eyes and cringe?

[Espada]

 The Ducati is a great bike but you can forget it taking over sportbikes.

1. PRICE- Most people can not afford it or justify spending that much on a bike.
2. It is not a mainstream design, many would not even consider it. Especially younger riders.
3. High maintainance costs and very few dealers to support the Bike.
4. People don't want to wait a month on parts to go riding again.

I am not a hater of the bike, in fact I love the Bike but there are pitfalls and I diffenitly doubt it will take much if anything out of the sportbike market.

1.  The Multistrada 1200S is offering something truly unique in the world of motorcycling.  Enough so that many people are going all in for the bike.  Myself included.  If some people cannot afford it, that is on them, not Ducati.  This motorcycle blends the practically of a sport-touring bike, and adds something to the mix that other ST bikes do not have in spades: fun – and lots of it.  Hell, that alone is almost worth the price of admission.  Besides, what’s an FJR going for these days?  MSRP is closer to $16,000, no; and for what?

2.  Absolutely not true.  I’m 29.  I love the bike’s design.  My wife is 29, she loves the bike’s design.  My little brother is 27, he loves the bike’s design.  I was in Old Town Alexandria, VA last night chilling out, and all sorts of people checked the bike out.  Thus far, it seems the majority of people who do not like the look of the bike are the established ST and ADV crowd.  Shit even high school girls think the Ducati is hot.  Heh, if I wanted to pick up anybody on my 2008 Concours 14  the only people I could choose from were middle aged men, and old men.  

3.  Actually, oil changes are 7,500 miles apart.  Valve services are 15,000 miles apart, and Ducati said they knocked 6 hours off that service.  In fact, I have a very strong suspicion that servicing my Ducati will be cheaper than servicing my 2008 Concours 14.  Hell the shop charges an hour for taking the fairings on and off that freaking bike.  Then there is actually getting to the valves.  It also swallows near as damnit 5 quarts of oil.  That’s more than my old Subaru.  Oh yeah, the valves were also 15,000 miles on the C-14.  Where’s the advantage?

4.  That might, or might not be true… only time will tell on that point.

[Rabidsnipe]

 

That's a whole Honda Deauville less!

Maybe I missed your hatred of the Deauville.  How did this show up in this thread?

[atadaskew]

Maybe I missed your hatred of the Deauville.  How did this show up in this thread?

Let me recap..

1/ Some dood mentioned the BMW GS makes only 40hp less than the Duc MS1200
b/ Some other dood then mentioned something to the effect of - 'only 40hp, dang that's a huge amount!'
iii/ I step in and say something to the effect of "that's like a whole Honda Deauville!"

Should I have used the term Dullsville instead?  Or used the DN-01 instead?

Oh yeah, Falconati, that rat bastard, brings up the Deauville on page one of this thread.
 

[Galo]

So.......I ran with GTS_Rider (Rick) and his Multistrada from Grand Coulie Dam to Castlegar a few weeks ago for the BBBBQ and I got to see this bike in action. I'm no slouch on my Sprint, and in the twisties, Rick would consistently inch away from me while at lower lean angles than me -and he was not hanging off the seat. In the short straights typical of canyon/back road carving, he would pull away from me like I was standing still.....

That Multistrada is truly one fast bike.

[ZenOfZoom]

Hi all,
Glad to see the article is stirring a bit of discussion.  Also I'm taking a few notes on what bikes people would like to see the new MTS 1200 compared to.  I really am grooving on the idea of a SMT 990, Tiger (new Tiger???) & MTS 1200 smack down.  I'm not sure including the GS would be fair in the context that it can really do a bit of off road.
Now I need to find a hotel sponsor in LA so we can write and maybe film that sort of epic.  It's near impossible to get all those bikes together simultaneously here in Vancouver.
Cheers,
Neil

[GTS_Rider]

Hi all,
Glad to see the article is stirring a bit of discussion.  Also I'm taking a few notes on what bikes people would like to see the new MTS 1200 compared to.  I really am grooving on the idea of a SMT 990, Tiger (new Tiger???) & MTS 1200 smack down.  I'm not sure including the GS would be fair in the context that it can really do a bit of off road.
Now I need to find a hotel sponsor in LA so we can write and maybe film that sort of epic.  It's near impossible to get all those bikes together simultaneously here in Vancouver.
Cheers,
Neil

Yeah, I could supply the MTS 1200. You can't ride mine, but your welcome to chase on whatever sub-par bike you can scratch up.  

Really, I think the 1050 Tiger is probably the nearest match that's not quite there...

[atadaskew]

  Also I'm taking a few notes on what bikes people would like to see the new MTS 1200 compared to.

I'm curious to see how it shapes up to my Vespa PX.  Let me know when you're in town.

 

Back on topic, there really isn't anything that compares to it.  Peeps mention the Triumph Tiger, KTM 990st but those bikes in comparos basically held their own or were slightly better than the old Duc MS1100.
The new one is so far ahead...

[Brad1445]

Gotta love OWD.  The best thing to come out of Canada since the Red Green Show.  

I would love to have a 1200s, but 20K isn't exactly chump change.  


P.S.  Does anyone else think it may be more than a coincidence that 2 out of the last 3 stories our glorious leader put on the front page have been singing the praises of his new bike?  

Thats all the Magazines are talking about too.  And all GOOD press.
That is rare Its a winner.