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Newbie With A Multistrada Problem. Advice Needed

Discussion in 'Newbies Hangout' started by Grub, Jul 13, 2014.


  1. Hi

    I hope one of you lads can help me with a problem I have with my newly acquired (purchased this week) 1000DS Multistrada.




    The wife and I took the bike across to Wales over the weekend. En-route I discovered that the bike felt / sounded like it was scratching the road on corne and when leaning at round abouts.



    At first I thought something on the bottom of the bike was rubbing against the road (which obviously would be of major concern!) but when I stopped and took a look I couldn't see any damage, son contiuned the journey.


    As I continued across into Wales the noise continued. I tried to analyse the noise / cause of the noise as I rode. Sometimes I thought it might be something mechanical in the gearbox / clutch region (bottom end) that was rubbing against a metal cover etc, or maybe the chain catching the chain cover or something similar, as the noise sounded like it could have been created by this type of rubbing contact.


    When we got back home a few hours ago I took at longer /closer look to see if I could identify the cause of the noise. What I can see is that the centre stand has a filed look with sharp edges on the outer edges on both sides of the stand. There has clearly been some rubbing / grazing on the outer bottom edges of both sides of the centre stand because the black paintwork has been scratched off at these grazed points. Also, the exposed grazed metal work has not oxidised. Therefore, I can only assume, since no rust exists at these grazed points, that the grazing has taken place recently, i.e. during the Welsh trip. I am assuming the centre stand is made of ferrous metal and not some alloy that does not rust?


    I do not want to raise the issue too soon with the chap who sold me the bike in case he thinks I am a pain and in case it is a known issue that can be resolved easily. I do not think the chap who sold me the bike ever had a pillion passenger and he was not a particularly heavy looking chap either. So, could it be that the combined weight of the wife and myself contributed to the rubbing issue experienced? Is that a known problem with this bike two up?


    I did adjust the centre suspension by fully closing the adjuster to accommodate the additional weight of my passenger and myself . Was it correct to have done this? I suppose the sure fire way to establish if it is the centre stand causing the noise would be to remove it from the bike and see if the noise stops. But it would seem a shame to have to loose the stand!.


    Hoping someone can shine a light on my problem.


    Thanks in advance for any help.



    Grub
     
    • Funny Funny x 1
  2. Raise what issue? From your description there isn't one. The centre stand decks out when two up and leaning in corners? Up the preload or stiffer springs

    My ST2 used to deck out all the time, my MTS1000 used to deck the exhaust cover and pegs

    Or just ride slower ;)
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  3. My ST4 used to deck out, dramatically two up. Clearly the size of the rider and pillion is important, as Bradders said turn up the pre-load to the max. I ended up changing the rear shock absorber unit as carrying a pillion is important to us.

    On the new Multi it isn't a problem.

    If on the other hand your built like me, less chips is the way forward :)

    And welcome
     
  4. Only had the stand down a cple times on new multi bit tbh that was combination of lots lean plus funny camber and lots of throttle so squatting.
     
  5. Bradders & ymfb, thank you for your super fast replies.

    Regarding the suggestion to lower my speed when cornering, I am usually in second gear and not travelling particularly fast when the noise occurs. The noise / rubbing even happens when turning left or right from a side road on to a main road and while in first / second gear / travelling at very low speed, e.g. 10 mph. I just can't see that the bike has that kind of a lean on it that the stand would contact the ground. Yet, in the absence of any other obvious damage to the bottom of the bike, I can only assume it is the centre stand, and I only assume that because the centre stand has grazing to the bottom edges.

    I did fully close the shock adjuster before setting off. It can't be closed any more.

    I have just sprayed the bottom of the centre stand with black paint to cover the grazed and exposed metal. The plan now is to take the bike back out and corner a few times at the local traffic lights where the rubbing noise has been heard before. I will do this two up and then if I hear the noise again I will examine the centre stand paint work to see if the newly applied paint has been scratched awat. revealing the metal work again.

    Grub
     
  6. You have gone the right way with preload? Ie its rock solid firm when stationary?

    Only other thing could be something rubbing when compressed, hugger? Or is the stand somehow catching the rear wheel? If chains as adjusted to far forward, not sure if it would foul or not
     
  7. Just completed test and it is now confirmed to be the centre stand that is causes noise / contacting with road surface.

    I went out on my own and did a few turns and round about with no issues (even though leaning as much as possible).

    Went back and picked up the dead weight (wife) and did the same journey again. Sure enough the noise occurred at the bends and round about.

    Back home on inspection the black paint had been scratched off the bottom of the centre stand.

    To answer your question Bradders about going the right way when adjusting the rear shock, I turned the adjuster knob clockwise so that it travelled down towards the 'high' mark on the side of the adjuster. As I turned the knob clockwise I could see the spring get compressed and as I turned the adjuster knob anti-clockwise I could see the spring tension loosen. So I believe I set the rear shock correctly when carrying a pillion.

    I am really surprised that a bike manufacturer would produce and sell a bike with a suspension system incapable of allowing a pillion passenger to be carried without the centre stand rubbing on the road surface! But then again I don't have that much experience of or knowledge about bikes. My bike history is laughable really compared to most members of this site.

    My bike history is as follows: First bike (1980) was a 1970s MZ 125 (the one where the indicators stuck out the ends of the bars). My second bike (1981) was another (but new) MZ ts 125. But this one had panniers, top box and fairing. It looked brilliant but the build quality was so bad! Sold the bike in 1984.

    My biking career only restarting again last summer when I bought a BMW f650. That bike got me back on the road and gave me the confidence to get a bigger bike. I looked at a few bikes (adventure) but nothing seemed to excite me until I saw the Ducati Multistrada 1000DS. Seeing the name Ducati brought flashbacks to when I was a kid with an MZ 125 and looking at ducatis in motorbike magazines and thinking / dream that one day.....That day arrived last week, almost 35 years later!

    So, now I have identified the cause of the noise, do I just take off the centre stand or do I get the rear suspension changed over to one that can accommodate a pillion passenger? Any idea of the likely cost of changing the shock? Can I keep the suspension unit and just replace the spring? Do I really need the centre stand?

    Your views appreciated.

    Grub
     
  8. My bike

    DSCI0238.JPG
     
  9. Adjuster knob centre of picture

    DSCI0239.JPG
     
  10. Does the stand hang down, ie spring isnt working well?

    Sounds like spring is way too soft or you need to get shock serviced
     
  11. Stand spring is excellent and the stand closes tight, i.e. no hang down.

    If the shock needs servicing (apprently the bike was serviced recently) does that potentially mean I was sold a bike with a fault? The reason for asking is the bike has a 7 day warranty.

    Grub
     
  12. Highly likely with a bike from 2003-2006
     
  13. Unlikely the shock will bw covered by warranty, it's a secondhand bike and they do wear out.
     
  14. Whereabouts are you Grub? All Bike Engineering in Greenwich will sort your shock for around £100.
     
  15. I'm in Tamworth Satffordshire
     
  16. Those centre stands are a liability & should be removed. In fact I'll come and take it off your hands for free if you like ;-)

    :Angelic:
     
  17. There'll be somewhere close to you that'll do the business. I'm a fat kid and I found the spring rate a bit too soft on my 1000DS sometimes, so I can understand it struggling with 2 on board. You've wound up the preload (via the big knob) to maximum, so perhaps you should have a play with the damping before you start shelling out money...

    Download the manual from carlsalter.com , pay attention to page 41, with particular interest in rear suspension compression damping, and turn that adjuster clockwise until the rear end firms up a bit. It's not a perfect solution, but it'll help.
     
  18. The link went wrong there, but it still works...
     
  19. Personally I would keep the centre stand and fix the suspension.
     
  20. Thanks for the link to the manual Figaro. I do have that manual (came with the bike) but great to know there is an on-line back up of it!

    I will have a monkey around with the damping settings on the shock as you suggest. I will keep the stand on the bike for now as I agree with you YMFB. If I can't resolve the decking out when riding two up after tinkering with the damping adjuster on the shock I will just go ahead and get an uprated suspension fitted.

    Thanks all for your replies. Much appreciated.

    Grub
     
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