Ducati Multistrada MTS1200

Right Captain Scarlet

This was a question when I sat GCE 'O' level maths

Two riders sit, in turn, on a Ducati motorcycle in the vicinity of Birmingham

One rider is 6 ft 2in tall the other rider is 6 ft 1 in tall.

The tall rider cannot get his feet flat on the ground but the shorter rider can.

How can this be possible?

Choose your answer from one of the following options

1. The floor was lower for the taller rider

2. The shorter rider was wearing Cuban Heeled Daytona boots

3. The taller rider had a smaller inside leg and longer back compared to the shorter rider.

4. The Ducati man craftily let the tyres down when the shorter rider approached

Have fun and enjoy your bike

Sorry didn't spot the edit button.

"Right Captain Scarlet

This was a question when I sat GCE 'O' level maths ...

One rider is 6 ft 2in tall the other rider is 6 ft 1 in tall.

The tall rider cannot get his feet flat on the ground but the shorter rider can.

How can this be possible?"

In theory your comment 'The taller rider had a smaller inside leg and longer back compared to the shorter rider' might make sense, were it not for the fact that I'm a Regular inside leg?

As I was giving stilletos a day off and wore Timberland boots that day, I profer the difference, is quite simply that at 15.7 stone I'm a fat bastard, and therefore I compress the suspension more? That's the only reason I can think of? I certainly wouldn't want you to think I'm making it up?

Here's a picture of me actually sat on it at the NEC show (about 09:05 on the Preview Day, so no chance of anyone fiddling with the suspenders by then), posted some time ago in the MS Forum. Feel free to post your NEC pic yis shortarse - rasp! ;-D

http://www.multistrada.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=19598&highlight=nec

I've booked my ticket for the London Bike Show on Thursday the 4th Feb. to check out the ergonomics.
Adding a Ducati Performance comfort(gel)seat gave me a little more leg room on my present Multistrada.I expect Ducati will offer the same kind of thing for the new bike.They've just introduced one for the Streetfighter.
Another option some people have tried for the current bike are adjustable pegs from Ducati Designs in the States.

Roundincircles,
You're probably right that the standard bike with ABS and one or two options depending or your needs would suit the average rider just fine.It's a similar argument with the current Multistrada and Multistrada S.I've owned both and don't think the Ohlins feel any better than the Showas on my previous Multi.Likewise when I tried a standard 1100 with Marzochi/Sachs.
However,I don't discount psychological effects.If Kevin Ash tells me the ESA bike is hugely superior then I'll convince myself it is.

The MCN, if my memory serves me well, drew skelliton men supperimposed on all the bikes and the MTS12 virtually replicated the bm 1200 GS. Surprise, surprise!

Shame the BMW price list was'nt copied by Ducati but I guess you would have to live in Fantasy Island for that.

"Captain Scarlet -That's a good photo, if I'm looking at the correct one, but I'm suspicious as you have cropped your feet off. I will assume your not wearing stillettos as you look like the type for Daytonas!"
... ha, ha, ha! Didn't think about that! The picture hasn't been cropped, but it's a pitty it doesn't actually show me with my feet down!

"Seriously though have you ordered a MTS12 or will you bide your time? It's a lot of dosh............."
... I'm 'the dealers friend' serial-buyer. About thirty bikes so far. I've enjoyed R1150/1200GS, Tiger 1050, MTS1100,of this genre, and would like to return to it for it's all round capabilities, minus the blandness and/or discomfort. But I splashed thirteen large, or thereabout for a K13S (ESA, ASC, TPC, ABS, yadder) less than a year ago, and if the housing market ever moves I might also be emmigrating this year to, so I'm going to ride it in March and see if it really is the new black, and make a decision then. I suspect it will be the elusive 'keeper' that I've hankered after for so long. And I'm now reluctant to give up traction-control (more useful than ABS IMPO), ABS and the convenience of electronic suspension, so it seems like the only way to go; plus I love the looks ad the ergos, performance and spec are all spot on. Without the relatively recent Beemer purchase and potentual US caveat (hopefully they're cheaper over there!) I'm pretty sure I'd already have my order in, with post-demo confirmation an almost certainty.

"More I dwell on the price for the S version I wonder if a tricked up base model will be OK. Will the electronic suspension be 'need to have or nice to have' "
.. comparing it to the BMW (the only thing we can do) I think it's a 'nice' to have. All the hacks say the stock suspended models are just as good as the Ohlins equipment (more or less) when used on the road. Ok it's not 'quite' as good, not quite as pretty and not quite as blingy at Box Hill natch, but if you know how to set up your own suspension and once sorted you leave as is until the movement is begining to wear, then you could save yourself some decent wedge by fore-going the latest tricknology. Trouble is, and like said Beemer, residuals will be a lot higher and used machines far easier to sell or exchange if they are fitted with all the bells and whistles fitted. BMW, IMHO, disguise the price of their bikes by giving customers a menu list of optional extras. They'd call that choice and I woul have some empathy with that. To an extent. However, when was the last time you saw a GS without ABS fitted? I don't think I've ever seen one, and I've seen zillions! Why it isn't standard, along with heated grips is beyond my simples (copyright Alexandru the Meercat) comprehension. I applaude Ducati for having the danglies to throw everything at the bike and say of course it costs a lot, what did we expect cheap tat? Ironically, given the bashing of the new VFR on the other thread, I recall a Honda Representative saying on release of the first VFR, which was very expensive too 'I don't care how much it costs - it's still worth another £1,000'. Throw in some Termi's and 0% finance and I'd say the Ducati MTS1200 is too ;-D

wadham

Your comments on the SMT ARE WELL made, when I rode it I thought it was a hoot, a naked sports bike with a very comfy seat and riding position.

The £2000 you mention is a lot for the changeable suspension, problem is my wife would spend the £2000 saved on shoes!

I often forget to adjust it on the GS and often feel it is soft at the back anyway.

"I own an KTM SMT at the moment and really think it cannot be compared directly to a GS or MTS1200"
.. having had a long demo, and owned an MS and two GS's (plus Tiger) I agree with you and your other comments. It's an utterly brilliant bike, with the best ride quality I've probably experienced to date; but it just doesn't feel quite finished yet. E.g. why are the left and right mirror brackets different colours?

I'd have an SMT over the GS. A fuly spec'd (for £10k) Tiger is a closer prospect, and for practicality (ABS, luggage, h/grips, touring screen, yaddeer, for £10k) it's hard to beat. But it feel heavy and lathargic after the SMT whippet, which is so much fun to ride and must be a pretty good match against the stock suspended MTS1200 I would think.

"Fuel range only 130 miles to reserve"
... hey it's a 'travel' bike, not 'tour' - perhaps Honda missed a trick there eh?!

No fuel gauge
... no gauge and gear indicators are too old school aren't they? KTM always did Mickey Mouse clocks, trying to appeal to the off-road crew I guess, but they're important aren't they? I mean, I didn't buy my Audi because it's particularly pretty to look at when parked, I bought it because I actually spent many hours looking at the interior which is like a work of art - we don't see how pretty the Marchesini's are from the seat do we? I wish manufacturers would wise up to that. I do like the Streetfighter clocks of Ducati, but the MS clocks are the only 'average' aspect for me; they look a little placky by comparison. Still, much more modern than KTM's Fisher-Price stuff; at least the Brembo's, Marchesini, Braided et all make up for a lot of that natch.

"Ohlins will be great on the road but is it worth..."
.. it's not just gold nitrided whatsits with a pretty sticker for that outlay though is it? We're talking centre-stand, heated grips, ABS and panniers too; some of which mentioned by you. Or in Sport guise carbon snout, cam cover and hugger. I.e. if you want an SMT equivalent, with better tank range that doesn't look like it's been painted by hand with matt hammerite the stock bike is going to cost you £800 more than a KTM. But if you want some of the extra convenience, luxury and safety, it's naturally going to cost you more, plus the Ohlins (Yamaha) suspension is not only of better quality but it is also switchable on the fly too (so you're getting more from it) - plus mode auto-alteration of traction severity, available power, and most probably the delivery of that power too (see my posting above, as questions for Kev). Worth the money now? I personally wouldn't blame anyone for splashing the extra or going with the base model; perogative/preference and all that jazz. But what I would say is, if you do go for the S model Sport or Tour luxo-bling-meisters you won't ever have the potential to say that 'I love the bike, but in hindsight I now wish I'd gone for the extra...'

Prices are not gossip. They are listed prices on Ducati dealer and other sites.

Kevin - I thought that the BMW ESA system was actually WP units and the non ESA bikes had something else. So you get a better quality shock with ESA ?

I think it all depends on the quality of the standard suspension vs the upgraded units. If the standard shocks are decent then most of us will be happy and heavy riders with a load can change the spring long term for a small fee.

Of course with ESA 2 (and MTS1200 ? ) you get ride height adjustment as well.

I never found the need to change settings on my ohlins or Hyperpro shocks when riding. They were properly set up and worked well on all surfaces.

Rounincircles - you make a good point about tyre pressures, certainly applicable to newer bikers. I would hope however that most riders with any kind of experience do realise that the tyre pressure can make a huge difference. My ST2 bought in 97 was the first bike where I really noticed it and only a couple of psi off would make it handle like a box of frogs. Then again it was also the first bike I had owned that had really modern tyres as the previous sixteen years was spent on old clunkers.

Captain Scarlets point about the interior of cars and the bike equivalent is absolutely spot on, in my opinion. I don't give a toss what the ouside of a car looks like but it had better float my boat on the inside. The same applies to bikes as the clocks are where so much of the information of the ride comes from and I want them to give me all that I need and not offend the eyes whilst doing so.

As far as which version of the new MS I will go for, well quite frankly if I am going to splash the cash then I will go the full monty top of the range thus with the heart not the head. I will however stop reading reviews of subsequent versions where the next one will become that months bike of the year and tell me that my model has turned into a cart.