MTS1200 - How do you like it now?

[Diablo Rojo]

Now that the newness has worn off a bit, how do you owners like the bike?  Any problems?  Do you have an after market seat?  I love the look of the bike and I am getting close to upgrading to a newer bike, so any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

[Sport-Touring]

[expatbrit]

Now that the newness has worn off a bit, how do you owners like the bike?  Any problems?  Do you have an after market seat?  I love the look of the bike and I am getting close to upgrading to a newer bike, so any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

I'm in exactly the same boat. I saw the 'happy owner' thread over on Ducati.ms

[falcofred]

Love my MTS 1200 S Touring. No regrets, no problems, Ducati is planning some fix for the saddle bag gap, and I'm going to modify the centerstand to shorten the arm that contacts my heel when I'm riding on the balls of my feet. I've already adjusted my riding style to keep from contacting it, but I am still going to modify it this winter.
With the cooler weather, the heated grips have really come in handy, really nice.  
I'm going out tomorrow, will be using my heated vest and heated grips, expect to be really warm and cozy.

[Mr Sunshine]

Still love it.

[GTS_Rider]

Now that the newness has worn off a bit, how do you owners like the bike?  Any problems?  Do you have an after market seat?  I love the look of the bike and I am getting close to upgrading to a newer bike, so any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Since the pick-up end of May and 9k+ mostly touring miles later, I can still say this bike is bad-ass...the best ever!

My ass would also like to reply that the stock seat is the best ever, having sampled some 15 other stock seats. My ass told me there is no need to look for aftermarket seat. Though, your ass may disagree. Asses are different and finicky...

I did have a problem with the electronics a couple weekends ago on a South Sierras 3-day weekend tour. The last 20 miles of a 300 mile day of full twisties the gear position sensor kept telling the computer I was either in 1st or neutral and dancing between the two no matter which gear I was 'actually' in. This presented a problem because I think 1st gear fueling or timing is a little dulled down so you don't loop the bike, so the end result was drooping and surging as the signal switched back and forth willy-nilly. Though, after parking the bike overnight, I did another 300 miles of twisties the next day with no problems, then a 250 mile ride home the following day also without the issue coming up again. This bike is self-healing! lol  

Seriously, I think the gear position sensor is faulty on my bike, probably heat related since it was probably the highest temps after coming down the mountains when it started acting up. Next couple days were cooler....   . Something I have to figure out, since it's not repeatable for a warranty dealer repair right now...

[Diablo Rojo]

Good to hear everyone still likes the bike after the new bike glow wears off.  I am trying to decide between the Duc and the R1200GS.  I will be replacing the FJR and R1 and it seems like the MTS would be a good replacement for both.  Thanks for the replies.

[falcofred]

Good to hear everyone still likes the bike after the new bike glow wears off.  I am trying to decide between the Duc and the R1200GS.  I will be replacing the FJR and R1 and it seems like the MTS would be a good replacement for both.  Thanks for the replies.

R1200GS or Multistrada 1200, both good bikes, you'll probably be happy with either, but if you've never owned a Ducati, now is the time. Damn this thing is fast, comfortable, good looking, good sounding, and it's new. The GS is an evolution in progress, great bike, but it ain't pretty, doesn't sound good, and is not as fast.

[evilted]

I've only put 200 miles on mine since I got it yesterday, but I have to say that the stock seat is pretty good.  It may be the first touring bike I've owned that doesn't get a Corbin/Sargent/DP/Mustang, etc.

This is my "fix" for the centerstand.  After 60 miles today, this seemed to resolve the foot-centerstand contact issue, though I might shave off another 1/2" before I weld the foot tang back on.  Right now I can just feel it when I stand up on the pegs with my feet neutral/relaxed.

[SalsaShark]

Love my MTS 1200 S Touring. No regrets, no problems, Ducati is planning some fix for the saddle bag gap, and I'm going to modify the centerstand to shorten the arm that contacts my heel when I'm riding on the balls of my feet. I've already adjusted my riding style to keep from contacting it, but I am still going to modify it this winter.
With the cooler weather, the heated grips have really come in handy, really nice.  
I'm going out tomorrow, will be using my heated vest and heated grips, expect to be really warm and cozy.

I couldn't have said it better myself. Having mine for just shy of 2 months and 2K miles later, this bike keeps getting better and better. I love riding it and consistently find new reasons to take the long way home. It's got amazing twisties capabilities and comfortable highway riding abilities as well.

My beefs are simple:
1. The bags suck. But like it's been said, Ducati's planning fixes.
2. I experience some low rpm lagging, but again, 2011 will bring remaps for the bike
3. The center stand needs help. You shouldn't have to remove a center stand to change the oil on a bike. My solution, take it off. I have a pit bull already so it won't be missed.

Now that we've had a decent amount of snow and ski season has officially started, the amount of mountain riding will be seriously curtailed until next year... but that's a year that I'm looking forward to!

I don't regret buying this bike for a second.

[Dex]

This bike exceeds my expectations in so many ways  

As has been said, saddlebags and fuel mapping issues should be addressed by the company, the centerstand was easy to modify and is really simple to remove and reinstall if you should so desire.
The seat for me is very uncomfortable (airhawk helps) YMMV

Biggest gripe is that the aftermarket is slow in developing products, hopefully they will catch up for the winter farkling season.

Absolutely love the bike more with every ride  

[Blondebaerde]

Got mine in June, about 7K miles on the odo, now parked in my cozy garage for the season.

2,500 miles were a fast tour in September: 1,100 superslab and the remainder going fast as feasible in northern New Mexico and Arizona (until busted by AZ cops north of Flagstaff).  The first 4,500 miles were a mix of urban, freeway commuting, and occasional sport rides.

Oh, one more thing about the 2,500 mile trip: quite a few miles were in 100+ degree F heat.  Hours on end, near Needles and Vegas.  Most of the rest was 80 degrees and higher.  Keeping a mindful eye on the temp readout, the Multi didn't seem to mind and didn't blow excessive hot air (I wore a cool vest, most of the time, which works wonders).

This (remains) a fantastic motorcycle.  I'm on the original rubber, though it will need to be replaced within 1K miles or sooner.  I come from a Blackbird, so "needed" (ahem!) a motorcycle with a lot of squirt that could cruise 80-110mph without serious strain.  The Multi handles that with total aplomb, plus carries all my shti, plus has plugs for the heated vest, plus handles almost as good as a serious sportbike thanks to Mr. Ohlins, plus etc. etc.

I cannot say enough good things about a bike that carries goods, w/upright riding position, a lot of engine, and great handling.  Blast up to Mt. St. Helens video, below (youtube, 720p): I am the bike ahead of the filmer.  The filmer rode a KTM 990 Adventure.  Lead bike is my buddy the AMA racer on his raucous Yamaha 250X Supermoto.  That I kept a good pace on wonky, treacherous pavement en route to Mt. St. Helens speaks volumes about the Multi's engine and suspension.  We ditched two buddies on sportbikes, en route, because the undulating pavement kept them off-balance in a bad way.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ3a5H1SBz0

Would agree with another guy on-thread that the GS is somewhat "down" on power, suspension, and panache to the Duck.  But,  BMW probably remains a better off-road bike, in my opinion.  I would proudly ride a decked-out GS, however, and thought it a close second choice to the Ducati.  Depends on what you want out of an "Adventure" bike.

Pushbutton warfare, aka The Riding Modes, comes in handy again and again.  This is "nice to have" vs. "need to have," but makes a noticeable difference.  I commonly switch from Touring to Sport, or Touring to Urban, often during a sport ride or commute.  75% or more of my time is in Touring, with stock settings, though I may play with the settings maps in 2011 since they're fully adjustable.

Tightening the chain took just a few minutes.  The procedure is rather weird, but makes sense once you walk it through (set bike in Urban mode, do not put on centerstand, loosen pinch bolts, use special tool to move things around in a direction counter to intuition, use checking device to eyeball tension, done!)

I have no problems with the stock seat, but use a simple gel pad for any planned trip over 300 miles.  YMMV.

I have a Touratech soft case that fits great on the rear.  Haven't tried a hard case, though that would probably be quite nice for extended tours.

The centerstand does not bother me, though it bothers just about every other owner.  The bag seal issue needs to be addressed.  Mine does not surge much, though this too needs to be addressed.  I assume Ducati will deal with some or all of these "common" teething issues.  I can't find much else to complain about, as-yet.  Some rather strange glitches cleared themselves up (tendency to sometimes stall on hard braking, mystery neutrals).  Other glitches are trivial and will work themselves out as kaizen (continuous improvement) over time.

ADVrider in Seattle has various aftermarket parts, mostly targeted for offroad.  I might pickup some crash bars.

Oh, and a pleasant surprise: this is a great rain motorcycle!  The upright riding position, wide bars, and 'Urban' mode (to tame the power, wheelspin, and ABS engagement) make it less drama-filled than one might expect.

'Nuff said.  Buy one; the new Multi is a home run on their first try of a totally new model.  (This from a guy who swore he'd never own another Ducati, after dealing with a POS 1990 Ducati 851 for almost three years in the 1990s.)  I am personally partial to the S Touring, damn the cost: I challenge anyone to suggest Ohlins isn't worth an extra four grand.

[evilted]

Nice write-up.  I noticed the stall under hard braking to a complete stop too once.  Supposedly, I have a fairly recent map flashed on mine.

Selling my WR250X last year was a mistake, but it took me about 6 months to figure that out.  

Got mine in June, about 7K miles on the odo, now parked in my cozy garage for the season.

[Mr Sunshine]

Nice write-up.  I noticed the stall under hard braking to a complete stop too once.  Supposedly, I have a fairly recent map flashed on mine.

Mine did that a couple of times and it stopped after fiddling with the air bleed screws.  I also have a set of FatDucs on it which really have helped that last little bit.

[evilted]

Thanks for the info.  I checked out the FatDuc site, and it sounds like that would be just the thing to cure the Hypermotard of it's poor off-idle throttle response.  The Multi experiences it too, but it's lots less bad.  I might order one anyway.

Mine did that a couple of times and it stopped after fiddling with the air bleed screws.  I also have a set of FatDucs on it which really have helped that last little bit.

[[email protected]]

What's the issue I'm starting to hear about the rear brakes going super soft and essentially not working?

Almost sounds like the master cylinder if failing and not building up hydraulic pressure.  Even heard of guys getting a new master cylinder installed and the rear brakes worked fine for awhile then went bad again.  

[Mr Sunshine]

What's the issue I'm starting to hear about the rear brakes going super soft and essentially not working?

Almost sounds like the master cylinder if failing and not building up hydraulic pressure.  Even heard of guys getting a new master cylinder installed and the rear brakes worked fine for awhile then went bad again.  

The theory is that the exhaust runs too close to the brake system thus boiling the fluid.

Personally I almost never use my rear brake so I don't really miss it....but mine does work for me.

[GTS_Rider]

The theory is that the exhaust runs too close to the brake system thus boiling the fluid.

Personally I almost never use my rear brake so I don't really miss it....but mine does work for me.

Personally, I almost always use my rear brake in conjunction with the front. Many people say that the rear brake only adds like 10% or less to stopping power if you're loading the front or zero if you're doing a stoppie. Still, if you come up to a street situation where you need to stop ASAP, I think that those that have conditioned their-selves to 'also use' the rear brake can come up a few feet shorter in an emergency stop. Just say'in.

Back on topic, I think it was Sunshine that gave me some pointers on adjusting my rear-brake on another site. I adjusted and went too far the other way, resulting in too much drag and locking up the rear 2-3 miles into the test ride. I backed it out and still was not happy, the rear brake still barely worked. Somewhere between L.A. >Canada and back the rear brake actually started working as I expected, that was some 6-8k miles into ownership. Really don't know what to say...other than put some miles on and it might work for you too!  




 

[Bottomdog]

Personally, I almost always use my rear brake in conjunction with the front. Many people say that the rear brake only adds like 10% or less to stopping power if you're loading the front or zero if you're doing a stoppie. Still, if you come up to a street situation where you need to stop ASAP, I think that those that have conditioned their-selves to 'also use' the rear brake can come up a few feet shorter in an emergency stop. Just say'in.

I agree. I always use the rear brake in conjunction with the front every time I slow or stop. Was taught that way in M/C class as the proper way and I'm not one to change habits if they're working.

Oh, and a pleasant surprise: this is a great rain motorcycle!  The upright riding position, wide bars, and 'Urban' mode (to tame the power, wheelspin, and ABS engagement) make it less drama-filled than one might expect.

I am personally partial to the S Touring, damn the cost: I challenge anyone to suggest Ohlins isn't worth an extra four grand.

Since day one of owning my multi I've been in the rain. Even had to break in the tires in the rain. I'm cautious in the rain anyways so adding the stability and handling of this bike in makes every moment I spend on this bike pure joy. For what I use a bike for I have no regrets about what I spent to own my 2011 Multistrada Touring.

Ohlins!............... Money well spent

[atadaskew]

Somewhere between L.A. >Canada and back the rear brake actually started working as I expected, that was some 6-8k miles into ownership. Really don't know what to say...other than put some miles on and it might work for you too!  




 

Same thing happened with my St4s.  Rear brake seemed like a waste of time, until a few K's were under the belt.  Then suddenly it worked great!  Still does.

[[email protected]]

The theory is that the exhaust runs too close to the brake system thus boiling the fluid.

Personally I almost never use my rear brake so I don't really miss it....but mine does work for me.

So why would the pedal be soft and move 5 inches even when the fluid is cold?  Seems to me the master cylinder fails and does not build up any hydraulic pressure.

Any "official" word from Ducati on the rear brake issue?

[[email protected]]

I agree. I always use the rear brake in conjunction with the front every time I slow or stop. Was taught that way in M/C class as the proper way and I'm not one to change habits if they're working.

Yes, should always use some rear brake in conjunction with the fronts for maximum braking power.  

[Mr Sunshine]

Yes, should always use some rear brake in conjunction with the fronts for maximum braking power.  

Um if you can use your rear brake on this bike you aren't using the front enough.

[[email protected]]

Um if you can use your rear brake on this bike you aren't using the front enough.

They put rear brakes on a bike for a reason.    I can stop shorter and under better control by also using the rear brake with the fronts.  You just have to know how to combine them for each situation at hand to get the maximum braking performance out of the bike.

I wouldn't want a rear brake that is shit ... someday it will be needed and could result in a bad situation if not working properly.

[Mr Sunshine]

They put rear brakes on a bike for a reason.    I can stop shorter and under better control by also using the rear brake with the fronts.  You just have to know how to combine them for each situation at hand to get the maximum braking performance out of the bike.

I wouldn't want a rear brake that is shit ... someday it will be needed and could result in a bad situation if not working properly.

Backup.  That's all why it is there...backup.  

[Rincewind]

Anyone get the 15k service w/valve check or adjust done already, or have some hearsay about it?  Cost and/or labor hours involved?  Any other maintenance/service cost comments?

This month's Cycle World has like half-a-dozen MTS1200 one-page ads in near succession.  I guess it worked cause it made me think about it.  

[Mr Sunshine]

Anyone get the 15k service w/valve check or adjust done already, or have some hearsay about it?  Cost and/or labor hours involved?  Any other maintenance/service cost comments?

This month's Cycle World has like half-a-dozen MTS1200 one-page ads in near succession.  I guess it worked cause it made me think about it.  

Its going to be the same as the 1198's 15k service.  Belts and valves are the big hitters.  I figure it'll be $1200ish when I get there.

[falconati]

Whaaaaaaaaaaat.

Belts/valves on my ST3 was around $700...

[Mr Sunshine]

Whaaaaaaaaaaat.

Belts/valves on my ST3 was around $700...

Was that for your full 15k mile service?

[falconati]

That was for a 6k service plus belts.  Valve adjustments on my model were set to 6k intervals.

[Blondebaerde]

Mr. Busa, that is a timely mention of the rear brake going-bad thing.  Happened to me, too.  Didn't know it affected others, until this thread.

I forgot to mention this as a potentially-serious problem, since I hadn't really used the rear brake until navigating some treacherous downhill at Hoover Dam a couple months ago:  I went looking for rear brake, there wasn't any.  The world didn't end, but I was surprised and dismayed.  I don't want to get into the "which brakes to use," (front/rear combo and modulation) discussion, other than to agree that "when I need rear brake, it (cough) should function!"

Thought I'd let the dealer iron it out at the 7,500 mile service, probably in the spring.  I have no idea where this came from, and all appears externally well on the system.  Bummer, though.

Based on other's comments, and my prior experience, they probably went away on the trip I mentioned up-thread (2,500 miles in three days, American SW States, fall 2010), since I ran the bike for hours on end in 100+ degree temps.  Strange the rear brake never came back, though.  Back in the day (Y2K), the clutch went bad on my Aprilia Mille for potentially similar reasons (boiled fluid), on very long rides or even long track days.  Solution for the Aprilia was an aftermarket slave cylinder.  For the Duck, well, we'll see since it's under warranty.  And, assuming that is the problem.

(Or I could just bleed the system myself, call it good, and move on.  I'm more into solving issues than curing symptoms, however).

Sounds like fodder for a service recall to me  

[UFO]

Not too happy today....as posted on ducati.ms.

----------------------------

Went out to take a quick Christmas day spin since it's not raining and the roads are relatively dry.

Started fine. Warmed up fine. Turn on the heated grips, snick it in to first gear and head up our long driveway. Pull in the clutch at the top of the driveway....bike dies and never comes back.

Push it back down the driveway. Bike won't wake up, red ring just flashes at me in a mocking and taunting manner. Pop off the cover at the front of the tank and try to get the bike to wake up that way. Nothing. Let it sit for awhile, try again. Nothing.

Checked/tested all the fuses (left panel and under seat). Nothing.

Bike just continues to flash at me but will not wake up. Not real happy right now. I'm not having a lot of confidence in taking this bike on any long adventures based on fueling, basically no rear brake, stalling, and bike just deciding to hibernate and never come back.

Keep in mind this bike is well maintained, lives in a garage under sheets when it's not on the road, and is usually connected to a Battery Tender.

Any ideas?

[tomek]

 I don`t want to sound obnoxious but ,,,,,,,,, have you tried to test battery or  connectors  ?

 Bikes like yours with sophisticated electronics/electrics don`t tolerate much of the  voltage drop in the system before ECU just cancels the party . Motorcycle when idling is not really charging the battery.

You could have just discharged the battery. (by idling and then switching on the heated grips)

Anyhow,that is where I would start.

[Mr Sunshine]

With the red ring just flashing are you sure you weren't playing an Xbox360?

Dude that sucks. Wonder what it is.

[Diablo Rojo]

Have you tried touching the 2 battery cables together.  I have heard this resets the Comp and the bike will wake up once done.

[UFO]

Have you tried touching the 2 battery cables together.  I have heard this resets the Comp and the bike will wake up once done.

No go.

And the battery should be fine.  It's always on a tender and the bike fired right up...but I'll officially check the voltage just to be sure.  You'd think the bike should show some sign of life (but may not turn over) even with a low voltage.

Check that.  Bike has been back on the tender again for about 6 hours and the bike woke up again when I toggle it up.  There must be some software check that won't wake up the computer unless the battery voltage is above a certain level.  Maybe the battery is shitting out on me even tho it's always on a tender.  I think the reason it cut out on me at the top of the driveway was just the cold conditions and the crappy fueling   .  But cut out, battery voltage was low, so computer said "No way, I'm staying asleep."

If true then Ducati should add some code that displays some error in the info display area when you try to fire up the computer with a low voltage.

[tomek]

Have you tried touching the 2 battery cables together.  I have heard this resets the Comp and the bike will wake up once done.

 May God have a Mercy on you   , modern bikes ( and cars also ) have rather fragile electronics, you can easily burn some components  ,,,,,,,,,,,


I would check out the battery,specifically how it reacts ( voltage ) to the load without engine running.

Second would be checking the voltage in the system vs rpm.  

[GTS_Rider]

Bummer, about missing your opportunity for a Christmas day ride...  

No real clue about why the computer would not wake up, but if I had to guess, it was not lack of battery power. Just for reference, I've had mine since late May and it has never seen a battery tender. It usually gets ridden at least once a week, but have gone more than a couple two week stretches with no battery tender and still got it started. A couple times, just barely, and there was a text message in the window telling me the battery was low, but still got it started. Heck, even when the battery is at full charge, it still 'sounds like' there's barely enough juice in it to kick over those big 1200-twin pistons...

Just say'in, if there was enough juice to start the thing, there was certainly enough juice to run the computer after a stall. Though, 'sudden battery failure' is not un-heard of... Best of luck to you for running that one down. At least the problem presented itself in the Winter riding months...








 

[vulcanbill]

Not too happy today...

Any ideas?

Yep.  Auction!!!

No help w/ your bike situation but your post made me remember that driveway from the VFR vids.  Then I remembered the rest of your property and the house at the end of that driveway.  

Then I remembered that I hate you.  

Good luck with your bike, though.  

[atadaskew]

Though, 'sudden battery failure' is not un-heard of...

Ducs' computers need a minimum voltage level for them to run the motor.  If your battery is not putting out enough, your bike is not going anywhere.   That final start could have been the nail in its coffin..
You may have a bum battery, no matter that you kept it on the tender.  I'd replace the battery.  Then claim the old one under the warranty when you see it now runs.

[UFO]

Well, bike is being hauled to the shop on Thursday.
------------
Death #2 happened today.

As I said previously the bike seems to wake from it's slumber about 7 hours after the first death. So today I tried again.

Battery voltage before I left (using multimeter) = 13.20 V (bike not running, no tender attached)

Fire up the bike, gear up, leave the house. About 1/8 of a mile down the road the bike just shuts down. No signs of life other than the Red Ring of Mocking.

Push the bike home (first time I've ever had to do this BTW ) and check the battery voltage, 13.18 V.

Battery appears to be fine, and it still doesn't explain why the bike just commits suicide right underneath me.  It's gotta be a sensor, or ECU problem, or some other electrical gremlin.  Thank god for 2 year warranties.

[Mr Sunshine]

Wow that sucks.

Your antenna prolly died...ala BMW.  

( I shouldn't be laughing which is why I'm knocking wood right now )

[BobW]

^+1, worried until the new ring was on my bike and even then it still left doubts in my mind so for a long time I would check if I had cell service prior to turning the bike off in remote areas  

The pfm (pure fuc#%ng magic) leaking out of all these new"gadget filled" (official marketing term ) bikes is more of a concern than it should be especially when discussing premium brands using what IMO would be considered common/"reliable" technology offered in a broad range of vehicles.

My BMW had the "ring" and also the dash/gauges short out and my Stelvio suffered from a pulled wire in a connector (loom routed too tight) and then a bad relay that needed an R+R. Nothing big and I never was stranded while riding all over the country, but ........... the thought is always there.


Good luck, hope it's a simple repair and this is soon forgotten as you enjoy her as was intended.  


Cheers

[Mr Sunshine]

^+1, worried until the new ring was on my bike and even then it still left doubts in my mind so for a long time I would check if I had cell service prior to turning the bike off in remote areas  

I had the ring fail on me on a rent R1200RT when I was trying to leave Frankfurt.  That was about to be a joyous thing.  Just as the wife was getting someone on the help line with help from the English/German speaking hotel person, it fired up.  Didn't have any issues the last few days of the rental but when I told the rental place about the issue when I got back....the manager of the place picked up the phone right then and there and then went OFF on who ever was on the other side of the phone.  Lesson: Never piss off a Swiss business person with a technical issue.  

[Rincewind]

With the red ring just flashing are you sure you weren't playing an Xbox360?

Xbox's Red Ring of Death - I thought the same.   I didn't know Ducati had incorporated that feature. 

Good luck skipper - I hope the shop picks it up and diagnoses it in quick time.  I had a bad connector on the ignition wiring for my StreeTTripe - the warranty took care of everything, including pick-up.

[atadaskew]

Battery voltage before I left (using multimeter) = 13.20 V (bike not running, no tender attached)

Fire up the bike, gear up, leave the house. About 1/8 of a mile down the road the bike just shuts down. No signs of life other than the Red Ring of Mocking.

Push the bike home (first time I've ever had to do this BTW ) and check the battery voltage, 13.18 V.

Unfortunately that does not prove the battery is ok.  All it shows is that it is ok under no draw.  You need to read it's voltage when you put a load on it.  Like trying to start it.

[UFO]

VERY unlikely it's the battery.  Bikes just don't completely shut down (I'm talking DEAD) riding down the highway because a battery has low voltage.

[atadaskew]

VERY unlikely it's the battery.  Bikes just don't completely shut down (I'm talking DEAD) riding down the highway because a battery has low voltage.

True.

[Diablo Rojo]

Skipper sad to say this seems to be a far to common problem after reading the Duc forum.  Make sure you get the new flash while you have it in the shop. Suppose to cure the fueling problem.

[jsceen]

Skipper sad to say this seems to be a far to common problem after reading the Duc forum.  Make sure you get the new flash while you have it in the shop. Suppose to cure the fueling problem.

After reading all the posts on here and other sites, I can only conclude that this 1200 mts has not been perfected yet.  I mean all these gadgets seem to bring more damage than good.  All you hear from every Duc owner is you buy it, then you change most of the parts to make it work good and then you have a really good bike.  I beleive in the mindset that you buy a good bike, you PERSONALIZE IT and you should be good to go, if not I don't consider it be a good bike.  Please don't misunderstand me, I really want this bike to succeed but lets face it, it's not reliable.  

[Mr Sunshine]

After reading all the posts on here and other sites, I can only conclude that this 1200 mts has not been perfected yet.  I mean all these gadgets seem to bring more damage than good.  All you hear from every Duc owner is you buy it, then you change most of the parts to make it work good and then you have a really good bike.  I beleive in the mindset that you buy a good bike, you PERSONALIZE IT and you should be good to go, if not I don't consider it be a good bike.  Please don't misunderstand me, I really want this bike to succeed but lets face it, it's not reliable.  

Quite a first post.

My MTS1200S has been very reliable.  

[UFO]

I have more problems with this bike than I've had with my previous 12 bikes combined.

• Shift linkage screw fell out on the ride home from pickup.  Luckily it was still barely hanging in the linkage or I would have been stranded.
• Unpredictable fueling around 3000 RPM with light throttle.
• Some stalling when pulling in clutch coming up to stops.
• Very ill-fitting hardbags.
• Defective LCD dash (replaced), but the mileage on the dash no longer matches the actual mileage on the bike.
• Rear brake fading to non-existence.
• Now the bike just dies for no reason I'm privy too (in the dealer again).

I guess I just got lucky and got one of the bad ones.  It was a risk I knew I was taking.

That being said, I'm sticking with the bike because I really like it and wanted a change from the Japanese brands I typically rode.  It's a freakin' hoot to ride when everything is behaving correctly.  But if it's not sorted by the time the warranty expires in May 2012 I will dump it.  I know Ducatis have "character" but I like my character to fire up and run perfect every time I want to ride it, especially if I dropped $20K on it.

[servicerifle]

As a GS owner who waits in the wings and wonders if the new Muliti is everything he has but better everywhere, I'm interested in how this works out for you and what the fixes are.

[GTS_Rider]

...That being said, I'm sticking with the bike because I really like it and wanted a change from the Japanese brands I typically rode.  It's a freakin' hoot to ride when everything is behaving correctly...

+1

I've had some issues, not as long as your list, but really love the engine/long-travel suspension/stock-seat/sit up and beg riding position. The 1198 dual-thumper engine in this (comparatively) light-weight package, really makes the 'hoot' part of riding it. Coming off the C-14 which I think has a bit more max HP,  the MTS1200 still feels like 'hooligan turbo-mode' once you hit 6k or above. Where the C-14 just felt like, 'ok...now we're really going...' . Yeah it's a power to weight thing, and a twain vs. 4 power delivery thing.

And hey, mine was broken in, pretty much on the moto-man theory. I was thinking the lower weight would reduce tire-wear, but I think I countered that with wrist action: http://www.motorcycleinfo.co.uk/index.cfm?fa=contentGeneric.zvfiihryhlqbrzht&pageId=1235496

I've run to Canada and back, burning more tires, and I'm still glad for my purchase. Luckily, no 'stranded' break-down scenario like Neal encountered 'Luckily', in his front driveway.  

Still, for my preferred ride routing, mostly 'semi-paved'  back-roads , all bumpy and needing a repave soon, I still think the MTS1200 is current king in that realm. Go ahead and name another bike you think could keep up, assuming I don't suffer a mystery electronics illness like Neal has encountered...



     

[Bottomdog]

+1

I've had some issues, not as long as your list, but really love the engine/long-travel suspension/stock-seat/sit up and beg riding position. The 1198 dual-thumper engine in this (comparatively) light-weight package, really makes the 'hoot' part of riding it. Coming off the C-14 which I think has a bit more max HP,  the MTS1200 still feels like 'hooligan turbo-mode' once you hit 6k or above. Where the C-14 just felt like, 'ok...now we're really going...' . Yeah it's a power to weight thing, and a twain vs. 4 power delivery thing.

And hey, mine was broken in, pretty much on the moto-man theory. I was thinking the lower weight would reduce tire-wear, but I think I countered that with wrist action: http://www.motorcycleinfo.co.uk/index.cfm?fa=contentGeneric.zvfiihryhlqbrzht&pageId=1235496

I've run to Canada and back, burning more tires, and I'm still glad for my purchase. Luckily, no 'stranded' break-down scenario like Neal encountered 'Luckily', in his front driveway.  

Still, for my preferred ride routing, mostly 'semi-paved'  back-roads , all bumpy and needing a repave soon, I still think the MTS1200 is current king in that realm. Go ahead and name another bike you think could keep up, assuming I don't suffer a mystery electronics illness like Neal has encountered...



    

+2 I've been doing lotsa back roads with mild terrain and some bumps here in Washington and the bike performs excellent!  Superb around town too

Blown away by it actually. I even test rode one and figured I knew. Way beyond what I expected. Key issues and less than avg fuel consumption but still love the bike! I also don't mind the tire wear as they stick to anything it seems

[[email protected]]

Well, bike is being hauled to the shop on Thursday.
------------
Death #2 happened today.

As I said previously the bike seems to wake from it's slumber about 7 hours after the first death. So today I tried again.

Battery voltage before I left (using multimeter) = 13.20 V (bike not running, no tender attached)

A 12v battery when fully charged should be showing around 12.8 volts after is sits off the charger for a  while ... so I'm thinking the "13.20 V" you measured was just after the battery tender was disconnected.

Did you check the voltage across the battery while the bike was running ... should be around 14.0 ~ 14.2 volts.  Maybe the charging system is weak, and after the bike runs for a bit the battery voltage gets drawn down under load.

It still could be just a battery problem ... I've seen weird problems just boil down to system voltage issues from a bad battery.

Did you get it back from the dealer yet ... if so, what was their finding?

[UFO]

I don't think it's a battery issue.  Everything I checked indicated the battery is fine, and still doesn't explain the behavior.  Imagine starting up your car fine (every time you try to start it) then driving down the highway and have it just shut down on you like an EMP burst just went off nearby, and then remain completely dead.

Dealer is still playing with it.

I also have a crazy theory concerning my smartphone.  Here's what I posted on a MTS forum:

Anyone know what frequency the 1200 fob sends/receives on?

Okay, bear with me and don yer tinfoil hats

The reason I ask is because we typically charge our Droid X smartphones next to our wireless home phone transmitter/receiver. The smartphones create absolute havoc on our wireless home phone (just figured it out this weekend, we thought the phones were just dieing on us), rendering them basically useless unless we move the smartphones away from the home phone base or turn them off.

It's a wild assed idea but I'm trying to figure out why my MTS died the last two times I rode it. The only thing different is that I had my Droid X on and in the front breast pocket of my suit the last two times I rode it when it died. And the dealership hasn't been able to exactly recreate the bike completely shutting down while riding.

I know there's some kind of key/code sent between the fob and bike, but could an errant signal in some frequency range that's close to the antenna on the bike cause some weirdness, or close enough to the bikes electronics? Our phones seem to put out a hell of a lot of noise (wireless, cell signal, etc).

Sound like a wild enough conspiracy theory? LOL!

After posting this I've read reports that cellphones/RF can interfere with fob and vehicle electronics.  Someone posted that a guys iPhone would kill his CBR1000RR.

Just an idea I'm keeping in the back of my head if it can't be root caused.  Wasn't able to test it because I just discovered how freaking much RF noise these phones put out after the bike went to the shop.

[curvesurfer]

I have more problems with this bike than I've had with my previous 12 bikes combined.

• Shift linkage screw fell out on the ride home from pickup.  Luckily it was still barely hanging in the linkage or I would have been stranded.
• Unpredictable fueling around 3000 RPM with light throttle.
• Some stalling when pulling in clutch coming up to stops.
• Very ill-fitting hardbags.
• Defective LCD dash (replaced), but the mileage on the dash no longer matches the actual mileage on the bike.
• Rear brake fading to non-existence.
• Now the bike just dies for no reason I'm privy too (in the dealer again).

I haven't had many of the problems you have, at least not on this bike. Fueling glitches are common on FI KTMs, and my SO's Duke 690 needed a new dash. A 25 cent part sidelined that bike for awhile, too. My Guzzi stalled constantly until I added a power commander: blame EPA and CARB requirements. The Goose also had flaky engine paint, crappy relays and a bad starter switch. So much of this stuff is par for the course for European bikes.

I can live with the small, poorly designed saddlebags, it's a Ducati, not a BMW!

That said, I'm struggling to come to peace with my MTS12 too. It's the best combination of comfort, handling and power I've ever ridden. But I'm irritated with the slow response by Ducati to fix the fueling/ABS software (promised when the 2011 model was announced) and in particular to rectify the rear brake.

If my bike died suddenly like yours, I'd be out of my mind.

[falcofred]

I don't think it's a battery issue.  Everything I checked indicated the battery is fine, and still doesn't explain the behavior.  Imagine starting up your car fine (every time you try to start it) then driving down the highway and have it just shut down on you like an EMP burst just went off nearby, and then remain completely dead.

Dealer is still playing with it.

I also have a crazy theory concerning my smartphone.  Here's what I posted on a MTS forum:

Good News! There is an APP for that

[[email protected]]

I don't think it's a battery issue.  Everything I checked indicated the battery is fine, and still doesn't explain the behavior.  Imagine starting up your car fine (every time you try to start it) then driving down the highway and have it just shut down on you like an EMP burst just went off nearby, and then remain completely dead.

Dealer is still playing with it.

I also have a crazy theory concerning my smartphone.  Here's what I posted on a MTS forum:


After posting this I've read reports that cellphones/RF can interfere with fob and vehicle electronics.  Someone posted that a guys iPhone would kill his CBR1000RR.

Just an idea I'm keeping in the back of my head if it can't be root caused.  Wasn't able to test it because I just discovered how freaking much RF noise these phones put out after the bike went to the shop.

Might want to pass that on to the dealer so he doesn't rip your whole bike apart looking for shit.  Ride it with the iphone wrapped in tin foil for awhile, the unwrap it in safe place (near home) and see what happens.

[DogBoy]

UFO, I know this is going to sound a little crazy but it could be the kickstand kill switch. When I worked at a Ducati dealer, this would happen every so often. All electrical readings were fine. The bike would run fine for days and then completely die at random times. Usually happened on Monsters.

[UFO]

UFO, I know this is going to sound a little crazy but it could be the kickstand kill switch. When I worked at a Ducati dealer, this would happen every so often. All electrical readings were fine. The bike would run fine for days and then completely die at random times. Usually happened on Monsters.

Hmmm, hopefully they're aware of this potential issue with Monsters and check it.  Thanks for the heads up.

[CreepingMalaise]

Hmmm, hopefully they're aware of this potential issue with Monsters and check it.  Thanks for the heads up.

I think the dash stays alive if the  sidestand switch kills it?  Far away from the bike, so I can't check right now.


I know if the bike looses contact with the fob while running, you get a message.  Put mine in a tail bag once, and periodically, would get a msg about no fob on the lcd.  I don't remember what it said exactly, but remember being happy it didn't just cut out.

You say the switch at the front of your tank has a cover?  Mine doesn't, and I asked my dealer about it at the 600 mi service, because the manual said it had one.  He said only non-USA bikes with the immobilizer systems had the cover?

[TwistiesAllDay]

To the original thread. I'd never seen another bike I'd prefer riding. I'm 48 6'2" 215lbs and the position, the seat, the pegs, the windshield, the power, the braking, the handling and the light weight... It's all perfect for all day touring on twisty roads at speed. I absolutely love this bike.

Any problems it had were taken care of by the dealer either before I picked it up in Sept. The last issue was the ecu remap fix and I took it in for a couple hours and they switched in the new ecu.

My only 'problem' now is that my local (Modesto) dealer just closed its doors and I have to take it to Sacramento for service over an hour away. But even with that I'd buy this bike again in a heartbeat over anything else at any cost.

This is my all time favorite bike period


2010 MS1200 ABS - the most all day woo hoos!

[BobW]

^ Nice! Any photos, overall miles, how she changed as she broke in and specifics w/ old VS new tune? Thanks and good luck with her.

Cheers

[TwistiesAllDay]

4300mi and I'm not sure she's broken in yet :-) The ecu change hurt my ~200mi/tank by 20-25 mi. But she is butter smooth now! I used to have the surging 3-5k but it was not really bad. It just felt rough but wild. Now it's so smoooooth it doesn't feel as wild. But it's just a feeling, it's as fast as ever

I'm about 65% on the tires and since I'm a street rider I'll be trying the Michelin power pures.

In one sentence... It's a dirt bike stance, touring bike comfort, and a sport bike in the twisties. Just what I need. I typically ride 300-500 mi most days with no problems and I ride a desk 5 days a week for the last 27 years...

---
2010 MTS1200 ABS - The most all day woo hoo's!

[BobW]

Thx.


Cheers

[SalsaShark]

I don't think it's a battery issue.  Everything I checked indicated the battery is fine, and still doesn't explain the behavior.  Imagine starting up your car fine (every time you try to start it) then driving down the highway and have it just shut down on you like an EMP burst just went off nearby, and then remain completely dead.

Dealer is still playing with it.

So... any updates on the Strada?

[UFO]

Hands free (keyless) unit replaced.  Picking it up next weekend.  Hopefully all is well now.

[Flyer]

Hands free (keyless) unit replaced.  Picking it up next weekend.  Hopefully all is well now.

Was MamaDuc doing this   when she called the MTS12 an "adventure" bike.  
I'm still looking for a reasonable explanation why we need "keyless".

[Mr Sunshine]

Was MamaDuc doing this   when she called the MTS12 an "adventure" bike.  
I'm still looking for a reasonable explanation why we need "keyless".

I love my keyless.  Nothing to put into a slot and turn.  Or leave on the bike.  Or clutter up the look with something stupid.  

[Aviator]

I love my keyless.  Nothing to put into a slot and turn.  Or leave on the bike.  Or clutter up the look with something stupid.  

Sounds Harley ish.

[Mr Sunshine]

Sounds Harley ish.

No....its Ducatish

[evilted]

Anyone get the official Ducati reflash fix yet?  Mine was done today.  I only rode it home (10 miles), but it didn't hunt or surge from 3k-4k like it used to.

The dealer also told me to bring my panniers along for the latch fix, which apparently includes additional latching mechanism of some sort on the front & rear of the pannier (?), but I was apparently so excited at the prospect of riding today that I left them at home.  I'm going to drop them off and leave them for a few days next week.

[evilted]

Had more updates today for ABS, suspension, traction control and the dash.

Also got my luggage fixed.  Fixes include new front & rear latches and a new weather seal.  The latch system is pretty nice all things considered.

[Mr Sunshine]

Thanks for the latch close-ups...I might cave and get them. I don't know.

[staedtler]

this guy sure is....

all of the sudden i can forget of the aquired taste look  



hey.. its comming out on green for 012...!!  

[SalsaShark]

That termi sounds amazing!!!

[Shizoku]

I have more problems with this bike than I've had with my previous 12 bikes combined.

• Shift linkage screw fell out on the ride home from pickup.  Luckily it was still barely hanging in the linkage or I would have been stranded.
• Unpredictable fueling around 3000 RPM with light throttle.
• Some stalling when pulling in clutch coming up to stops.
• Very ill-fitting hardbags.
• Defective LCD dash (replaced), but the mileage on the dash no longer matches the actual mileage on the bike.
• Rear brake fading to non-existence.
• Now the bike just dies for no reason I'm privy too (in the dealer again).

I guess I just got lucky and got one of the bad ones.  It was a risk I knew I was taking.

That being said, I'm sticking with the bike because I really like it and wanted a change from the Japanese brands I typically rode.  It's a freakin' hoot to ride when everything is behaving correctly.  But if it's not sorted by the time the warranty expires in May 2012 I will dump it.  I know Ducatis have "character" but I like my character to fire up and run perfect every time I want to ride it, especially if I dropped $20K on it.

Skipper,
I'm just getting started on my search for a new bike.  However, I am drawn to the Multistrada as it fits all my needs.
I am worried about the reliability issues though.  It appears yours is a 2010 model.  I am wondering if the kinks have been
worked out going into the 2012 models....

Thanks,
Dave

[Justin]

this guy sure is....

all of the sudden i can forget of the aquired taste look  

That's a good vid   - the Duc sounds great

The guy following was getting in over his head trying to keep up with him though.

[falcofred]

I am worried about the reliability issues though.  It appears yours is a 2010 model.  I am wondering if the kinks have been
worked out going into the 2012 models....

I've got almost 19,000 miles on my 2010, the rear brake has been fixed, the bags have been fixed, nothing has ever fallen off, it has never left me stranded, it's been very dependable.
I wouldn't hesitate to purchase a 2012 model. If mine were to disapear, I'd buy another right away.

[Shizoku]

I've got almost 19,000 miles on my 2010, the rear brake has been fixed, the bags have been fixed, nothing has ever fallen off, it has never left me stranded, it's been very dependable.
I wouldn't hesitate to purchase a 2012 model. If mine were to disapear, I'd buy another right away.

What was the issue with the rear brakes?
I read on a couple of the MTS boards that this is a common issue along with a few others.
Thanks,
Dave

[falcofred]

What was the issue with the rear brakes?
I read on a couple of the MTS boards that this is a common issue along with a few others.
Thanks,
Dave

The original rear brake constantly got air in the system and became soft and useless. I bleed it, the shop bleed it, I wrote to Ducati NA and they replaced the rear master cylinder with a new (but same part number) master cylinder, but still air kept getting in, no fluid ever leaked out.
Finally Ducati had a recall or a service bulletin, they came out with an entirely new rear master cylinder and now my rear brake is nice an firm. Still not much stopping power there, but Ducati's traditionally don't have much rear brake, plenty of front brake where you need it though. I just use the rear for holding the bike at stop lights on hills and if riding on gravel or dirt roads which I rarely do.
This winter I plan on installing some HH brake pads front and rear as recommended in the long term test report in Motorcyclist Magazine, that should bring the braking up to par. The braking is good now, but why settle for good, when you can have great for just over $100.00

[Flyer]

I am worried about the reliability issues though.

After 5000 miles, my '10 has been reliable with the exception of the RF interference issue.
There is a fuel stop nearest my home, under a tower with multiple antennae on top, that I don't dare use, as twice, I've had to push the bike 50-60' to get anything to come to life.
I observe that the fuelling issue at 3-4K is much diminished as the air gets colder and denser now in the pre-winter weather.
I've not had any ECU reflash since taking delivery in early April.
I bled the rear brake myself, resulting in improved effect. It's probably almost as good as the rear on the ZZR now.

I still believe the "keyless" ignition is a pointless affectation, and I seriously recommend Ducati (and others) reconsider the wisdom of continuing to use it.
It's just another layer of worry, and a source of income for the dealer when it goes wonky after warranty coverage expires.

Oh, and DO NOT EVER sell your Galaxy Silver Bullet!  
I really regret dumping mine...

[Shizoku]

Oh, and DO NOT EVER sell your Galaxy Silver Bullet!  
I really regret dumping mine...

LOL!  I do plan on keeping the ZED!  
Just had it tuned up about a month ago and it runs GREAT!!!

[KodiakRS]

Going to test ride, and possibly pull the triger on, a '12 s touring tomorrow.  Any reason not too?

Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk

[falconati]

They're expensive.  

[GTS_Rider]

They're expensive.  

But worth it!  

BTW... Where's the pix?

It's a forgone conclusion, if you test-rode, and had the money available, it would conclude with a purchase...  

[jfusaro]

Going to test ride, and possibly pull the triger on, a '12 s touring tomorrow.  Any reason not too?

Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk

Don't do it, test rides turn into purchases and Ducati knows this all to well. As far as me still liking it hell yeah, one of the best  bikes I ever owned.

[Cozye]

But worth it!  

BTW... Where's the pix?

It's a forgone conclusion, if you test-rode, and had the money available, it would conclude with a purchase...  

He's riding it now and can't be bothere with playing on the Internet  

[KodiakRS]

He's riding it now and can't be bothere with playing on the Internet  

Rode the 2012, big mistake.  I'm ruined and will never want to ride another bike ever again.  Turns out the dealer had a 2010 s touring with some nice farkles on it and only 2100 miles.  Picking it up tomorrow as soon as I can get the insurance sorted.  Pics to follow.  

[expatbrit]

Rode the 2012, big mistake.  I'm ruined and will never want to ride another bike ever again.  Turns out the dealer had a 2010 s touring with some nice farkles on it and only 2100 miles.  Picking it up tomorrow as soon as I can get the insurance sorted.  Pics to follow.  

Funny how that works, isn't it?

[KodiakRS]

The Good:
-It's comfrotable
-It's F#$%^&*ing fast
-It go's around corners pretty fast
-Electric suspension/engine controls are NICE!

The Bad:
-Not a whole lot of wind protection
-1st gear is a little tall making tooling along at <10mph in rush hour a chore
-Rear brake is almost worthless
-Little bit vibey

[Cozye]

The Bad:
-Not a whole lot of wind protection
-1st gear is a little tall making tooling along at <10mph in rush hour a chore
-Rear brake is almost worthless
-Little bit vibey

There are a lot of windscreen options out there, and a whole bunch of opinions on which ones work best. It's personal preference I'm sure. You will find something that works for you.

The bike doesn't like being ridden below 3k rpm, shouldn't have much vibration above that. Mine is smooth IMO.

The rear brake is worthless because the bike is so light. It won't do any good when you have the front binders squeezed good and the rear tire is in the air. Ride it like a sport bike and forget about much rear brake. The rear brake does work better than the one on my cbr did fwiw.

Some people are going to a shorter gearing. Personally I like the taller gearing as it gets better mpg and is good for long trips. If it still bothers you after you get used to it, put a 14t on the front. Many swear by it.

[KodiakRS]

There are a lot of windscreen options out there, and a whole bunch of opinions on which ones work best. It's personal preference I'm sure. You will find something that works for you.

The bike doesn't like being ridden below 3k rpm, shouldn't have much vibration above that. Mine is smooth IMO.

The rear brake is worthless because the bike is so light. It won't do any good when you have the front binders squeezed good and the rear tire is in the air. Ride it like a sport bike and forget about much rear brake. The rear brake does work better than the one on my cbr did fwiw.

Some people are going to a shorter gearing. Personally I like the taller gearing as it gets better mpg and is good for long trips. If it still bothers you after you get used to it, put a 14t on the front. Many swear by it.

The bike is more shaky than vibey really.  It's not even close to being a deal breaker just an observation.  The rear brake becomes an issue at low speed or if you want to use the rear to hold the bike in place on a slope.  

As for the gearing, it's perfectly fine unless you get stuck in stop and go traffic where you pretty much have to constantly slip the clutch.  

[SalsaShark]

First off congrats...

Second, try the urban mode when in traffic. I never thought I would use it, but it makes tooling along in traffic very smooth.

[falcofred]

The bike is more shaky than vibey really.  It's not even close to being a deal breaker just an observation.  The rear brake becomes an issue at low speed or if you want to use the rear to hold the bike in place on a slope.  

I had my rear brake system replaced under warranty, new master cylinder design. Not perfect, but it will hold the bike on a slope.

[KodiakRS]

another minor issue.  Some moron over at Ducati decided to put the keyhole for the rear seat cover about 2 inches away from the exhaust pipes.  Now my glove (and thankfully not my hand) has a nice scorch mark on it.  

[SalsaShark]

another minor issue.  Some moron over at Ducati decided to put the keyhole for the rear seat cover about 2 inches away from the exhaust pipes.  Now my glove (and thankfully not my hand) has a nice scorch mark on it.  

Just wait until the first time you ride off and forget to remove the key from that spot... Get about a quarter mile before the dash light up with the "NO KEY" Error message.

that'll make your heart jump!

 

[expatbrit]

Just wait until the first time you ride off and forget to remove the key from that spot... Get about a quarter mile before the dash light up with the "NO KEY" Error message.

that'll make your heart jump!

 

It's worse when it DOESN'T do that, you get to your destination and realise it's STILL THERE.

The point when you think about it falling out, being out of petrol, etc. There are many times when I really like the keyless ignition. And sometimes I just cringe.

[Motozeke]

I have ridden off at various times with the key in each of the 3 possible pannier locks and the seat lock. Never had it fall out, melt or get damaged, did get the NO KEY message once though.

Fortunately the locking mechanism seems to keep a solid grip on the key when you're on the move.

[Flyer]

... the locking mechanism seems to keep a solid grip on the key when you're on the move.

Oh that doesn't sound at all like my luck.
Fortunately I keep the Owner's manual with the pin code start procedure, under the saddle.
Locked up safe and...D'OH!

[expatbrit]

Oh that doesn't sound at all like my luck.
Fortunately I keep the Owner's manual with the pin code start procedure, under the saddle.
Locked up safe and...D'OH!

*grin*

Evernote and a PDF of the manual for me.

Mind you, it's going to be opening the tank to fill up that's going to get me. Usually, mind you, I do get the 'NO KEY' warning, which is scary enough as it is. Rode back the first time, searched everywhere, stomped screamed, sulked, found it in the seat lock...

[KodiakRS]

Just wait until the first time you ride off and forget to remove the key from that spot... Get about a quarter mile before the dash light up with the "NO KEY" Error message.

that'll make your heart jump!

 

You just HAD to mention that didn't you...  I keep my cellphone under the rear seat.  Today I stopped to call a friend and about 1/4 mile down the road sure enough, there was the no key message.  Gave me a bit of a scare.  

Another scare I had was a "DES REAR PRELOAD" error message that came on at the very beginning of my ride today.  It came on right after a sloppy high power shift that caused the rear to squat abruptly.  Turning the bike off for a minute cleared the error.  I then proceeded to ride for another 450+ miles including multiple stops and plenty of hedonistic throttle twisting and canyon shredding debauchery with nary a complaint from the duc.  

In related news.  Today was a very good day!

[Motozeke]

I keep the spare key in the back pocket of my riding pants. I committed the PIN to memory.

[caasland]

Do any of you have 75k+ on your MTS1200's ?

I'm getting bored with my FJR and the MTS1200 is on the short list, but if longevity isn't it's strong point, I may have to look elsewhere.

[evilted]

You realize the MTS1200 has only been available for sale for about 2 years?   I think you're going to be hard pressed to find any examples with 75k+ miles.

Do any of you have 75k+ on your MTS1200's ?

I'm getting bored with my FJR and the MTS1200 is on the short list, but if longevity isn't it's strong point, I may have to look elsewhere.

[caasland]

You realize the MTS1200 has only been available for sale for about 2 years?   I think you're going to be hard pressed to find any examples with 75k+ miles.

Ah good point, I was thinking it came out in 2008, but a little googling shows it came out in 2010. I guess I'll wait a couple more years.

[falconati]

Really?  I don't think you're going to have a large sample size of bikes to determine whether or not they're reliable past 75k.

If you like it, you should buy it.  If you're really concerned, look elsewhere because I don't think you're going to be able to get enough data to make an informed decision unless you wait a long time.

[Silverbird]

Do any of you have 75k+ on your MTS1200's ?

I'm getting bored with my FJR and the MTS1200 is on the short list, but if longevity isn't it's strong point, I may have to look elsewhere.

I'm in the same boat.  I expect a $20,000 bike to last a long time.  It will be interesting to see if the one thing this bike doesn't do is repel bullets.  

[caasland]

Really?  I don't think you're going to have a large sample size of bikes to determine whether or not they're reliable past 75k.

If you like it, you should buy it.  If you're really concerned, look elsewhere because I don't think you're going to be able to get enough data to make an informed decision unless you wait a long time.

I still have a year or two before I'll make a decision, even longer before I *have* to do anything.

Maybe by then Ducati will address the swelling gas tanks.

[Silverbird]

I'll tell you one thing, if they do iron this bike out, talk about a must buy!

[Cozye]

Ironed out? This bike is well sorted. Got 3000 miles on mine so far and very very little to complain about. It's plenty ironed out. A test ride will pull on anyone's pocket book.

[jfusaro]

I can sum up my purchase thought like this, I could find 100 reasons not to buy, but only needed one to!

[expatbrit]

I can sum up my purchase thought like this, I could find 100 reasons not to buy, but only needed one to!

... and I bet you found more than one. I sure as hell did.

[KodiakRS]

I figured out a great way to describe the engine in the MTS.  It's the engine that Harley Davidson claims to make.  

[falconati]

I'd prefer an ST3 with slightly more upright ergonomics, slightly less weight, and 15k valve intervals.  I would buy new.  Bonus points for electronic cruise control and better fuel economy (the original was great, but I'll take extra mileage).

[jfusaro]

... and I bet you found more than one. I sure as hell did.

Oh there were more than one but the one that did it for me was the wife saying ok!!

[Cozye]

I'd prefer an ST3 with slightly more upright ergonomics, slightly less weight, and 15k valve intervals.  I would buy new.  Bonus points for electronic cruise control and better fuel economy (the original was great, but I'll take extra mileage).

You just described the multi to a T, sans cruise control.

[Croak]

And with long travel suspension, much more upgright, sans fairing, and sans the ST2/3/4's classic and far less polarizing styling in general.  But you know, other than that, it's close.  

[Cozye]

Have you ridden it?

[Croak]

Me?  Yes.  And the ST3.  

I think I know where Falconati is coming from.

[evilted]

+1 on the sport tourer ergos & wind protection.

I have an MTS1200 and it's awesome -- the best motorcycle I've owned.  But I only opted to get one in late 2010 after I was reasonable certain that Ducati was not going to be releasing an ST version of a bike wrapped around the same drivetrain & suspension any time soon.  Adventure tourer ergos are fine, and I like the high vantage point in traffic, but some additional forward lean and more wind protection would be nice on the interstate and for touring in the colder months.

That said, I'm told that Ducati promised dealers something like 7 or 8 break-the-mold type of bikes in the next 10 years with the 2007 1098 being the first.  Unless Ducati has another Hypermotard or Diavel type of play up its sleeve, an updated ST might be in the offing.

Me?  Yes.  And the ST3.  

I think I know where Falconati is coming from.

[Motozeke]

If there are bitter complaints about the Multi to be found all over Teh Internets, it's rear brake, wind protection, and lack of cruise control. The last two would be de rigeur in a Grand Tourer. Maybe one of those is on the list?

And why would that be any less likely than, say, a power cruiser?

[falconati]

Have you ridden it?

Yep, liked my ST3 more.  Have you ridden an ST3?  PS the Multi doesn't get better mileage, unfortunately.

[Cozye]

No, I have not ridden the st3. I've been on plenty of sport bikes over the years and got the multi when I decided to give up on sport bikes and go the sport touring route. I just know that I had an itch for a comfortable, practical, light, and fun to ride bike that handled great and the mts has fit that wonderfully for me. I had originally planned on keeping one of my 600's in addition to the multi, but sold it as soon as I realized the mts was so good I would never ride it.

I had a vfr once and didn't car for the half sport riding ego's on it. Maybe the st3 would be more upright, not sure. I was just tired of any forward lean. It isn't necessary on the street.

[GTS_Rider]

Yep, liked my ST3 more.  Have you ridden an ST3?  PS the Multi doesn't get better mileage, unfortunately.

Funny the talk about mileage. From the bikes I use for commuting, they all get around 35mpg, keeping it just under triple digits to avoid the extra special ticket instituted in California a few year back, for those that exceed the ton.

SV650, DL1000, GTS1000, MTS-1200, they all suck gas almost equally, when you twist the wrist...



 

[SalsaShark]

No, I have not ridden the st3. I've been on plenty of sport bikes over the years and got the multi when I decided to give up on sport bikes and go the sport touring route. I just know that I had an itch for a comfortable, practical, light, and fun to ride bike that handled great and the mts has fit that wonderfully for me. I had originally planned on keeping one of my 600's in addition to the multi, but sold it as soon as I realized the mts was so good I would never ride it.

I had a vfr once and didn't car for the half sport riding ego's on it. Maybe the st3 would be more upright, not sure. I was just tired of any forward lean. It isn't necessary on the street.

I did something similar. I held on to my speed triple when I bought the MTS thinking I would have more fun on it in the mountains, commuting and what not... Nope... Waited for spring and sold the speedie.

Even now, I wander in and out of the dealerships and nothing jumps out at me as something to replace the multi. There's just nothing out there that is up to the task without some type of major sacrifice.

[Flightar]

6K since March and zero issues...love the MTS12 so far. Nothing to complain about.

[BillL]

Yup, this is an old thread.  I've located a low mile 2010 for sale.  Skipper, others with issues getting this model sorted out, how did you fare?

Is this model year one to consider?

[Flyer]

I just turned 18K km (13K mi?) on my '10.
I've bled the rear caliper so many times to no lasting effect, that I've simply given up using the rear for anything beyond hill holding. The caliper must be removed/inverted, (which requires wheel removal), 'cause some ingegnere tecnico spec'd the bleeder on the bottom of the caliper.  
Recently, I replaced the rear master cylinder, as it refused to bleed at all. ($95 part).
Now, at least the brake works as well as new, which is faint praise indeed...
I still experience what I assume is RF interference (or spiriti maligni) that requires the bike to be pushed 50-60 feet away from it's "no start" location, until it'll wake up and run. Makes for comic relief theatre wherever there's a crowd of onlookers.  
The bike is due for a TSB #14-002 to replace the right lower fork clamp (prone to cracking!). Warranty item.  
All these tiny gripes don't amount to a hill o' beans once you swing a leg over and ride off.
Still  

[expatbrit]

I'm with Flyer. 25k miles on mine and just ran it up to Utah from NM. It's an '11.

I've had issues, most seriously the coolant dissolves the engine issue at 20k miles, resulting in new heads, radiator, and exhaust valves (!!). 


I've also replaced the clutch slave with an Oberon after the factory one leaked and -- as with Flyer -- have abandoned hope of having a rear brake.



So. It's not been trouble free, but my local dealer had been fantastic, and the bike handles, is comfy, and had enough luggage capacity for long trips -- and to be amazing when I get there!

No plans to replace it. Still love it.

(Though I am a little concerned the tank is expanding. If so, it'll be a warranty issue but I'll get it coated)

[Silverbird]

^ Dang, was all the under warranty?  Is it common?

[expatbrit]

Was all under warranty. The engine thing was more on 2010s; don't know how common.

Would have been exceptionally painful not as a warranty.

[Epyon]

This is a great post, kinda  .  My Triumph Street Triple took a dump and is dead now.  I've been wanting to do some longer touring stuff for a while but have not gotten off my butt.  Since my trumpet has left me I decided its time for something else.  It was a absolutely fantastic bike I loved it.  I've been struggling to find anything that was very interesting AND I could start my touring career on AND do a track day with.  VFR is way too sporty IMO for long touring duties and 2up.  KTM 690 Duke seems to small and a single doesn't seem optimal for long distance riding, but that thing has to be a damn hoot around town.  I tested the Multistrada and Diavel one day and loved them both to death.  Nothing floats my boat like those two.  I would like to try a KTM 990SMT bit I have only ever seen one in person.  It's good to see that some folks are having some good luck.  The others with issues are kinda freaky.  I'd like to get this next bike and sit on it for a while.  It's sounding like maybe a '12 is the way to go.  I know it won't be all rainbows and gummy bears over the life of the bike, it's Italian after all.  But I just don't know if I'm ready to be so touring as to have a FJR1300.  

So keep us informed on how things are going I'm stashing cash this winter for a large down payment on a used unit or maybe a left over demo.