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.

[Busa@11K]

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.

[Busa@11K]

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?