Hi Guys, Sorry for not posting very often, life has been a bit hectic of late but I thought I'd summarise my Multistrada experience so far. My bike is a 2010 S with the touring parts added and the Ohlins semi-active SCU. I have a Mivv system but for the last couple of years I have just used the standard exhaust. My wife and I tour Europe 2-up for our holidays and this year having moved into semi-retirement we have had the time for longer tours. As I use my bike in km, I filled up the odometer last year and found that when it gets to 99999 it just stops counting up. I passed by Bologna so I dropped in to the factory to ask how to reset it. "Buy a new speedo" I was told. So this year with virgin clocks fitted we started this year's touring. New chain (the fourth since new) new belts and a check of the valves (one shim changed so far since new) and new for this year Garmin bluetooth valve caps to talk to the Zumo 660 on my left bar. I also have a Tomtom 430 front and centre for primary navigation. I use Michelin Pilot Road tyres but the Road 4 front does not suit the MTS (good grip but slow steering and weaves at 180 km/h). Luckily there are good stocks of the fabulous Road 3 front tyres and the Road 4 rear works well with it. After our first leg to Jerez and back to Le Mans I fitted a new rear tyre while in France before heading to Mugello. We took ferries from Italy to Barcelona via Sardinia and came back to UK at the end of June. For our second trip we rode to Brno and then Warsaw, Vilnius Gdansk, Szczecin, Berlin, Bautzen and back. New front Pilot Road 3 fitted and off to the Rhone Alps, Carcasonne, Lyon, Switzerland and then Misano before back to UK via Mayenne. That is this year's 28,000km or 17,500 miles in a paragraph. That is also 14,000 miles on one rear tyre which is one of the reasons I like these Michelin so much. The bike is still fabulous. Comfortable when ridden all day and day after day. We lived off the bike and the 40kg of luggage for weeks at a time (we do stay in hotels and B&B's) and the bike shrugs off the load. After seven years the bike still feels like the high speed extension to my arms and legs that it did back in 2010. The fourth chain is still good and it's on the second set of sprockets. It has never used any oil, or none that I can see between changes. I have had only one component failure. One of the bolts holding the side stand bracket to the crankcases sheared off flush. Maybe a few too many enthusiastic strappings down by Brittany Ferries. This left the bike leaning over a bit too far on the stand until I could get back my garage. The drilling out of the remains of the bolt was a bit awkward. Best add-on is still the Ohlins SCU. Adding the semi-active operation to the already wonderful suspension was a revelation four years ago and it still is. If you are lucky enough to have own an Ohlins equipped MTS1200 it should be on your bike or on your shopping list. MRA touring screen with an MRA X-wing added to the top (not a recommended fit) keeps the wind noise below where I need earplugs. Givi E42 panniers on SW-Motech rails with a Bagster tank bag and the DP top box carry our gear. Muc-Off PTFE dry chain lube every 1500 miles or so gives me plenty of chain life. I could go on and on but suffice it to say I still believe my MTS1200S to be the best bike ever made and I cannot think of another bike that could replace it. I'm planning next year's tours.
You, are my hero. If I'm ever in Europe I'd love to buy you a pint and shoot the breeze for few. Safe riding my friend and happy new year, -Jamal
Kudos for the miles & great to hear it’s been so reliable. Instead of dealers shying away from the high milers at trade in, they should keep at least one in the showrooms to show potential customers what they are capable of instead of the usual plethora of sub 3k bikes. Well done!
I aspire to that mileage with this bike, but we do split time between Multi and GSw . While work gets in the way, we're averaging a bit above 1K miles/mo on the Multi so only 6 years or so to go
Now that is a good review! Is the Muc Off you use the same stuff that is for push bike chains? Also may I ask why you removed the Mivv exhaust and went back to the stock one?
Muc-off make different lubes for motorbikes and push bikes so no, not the same. They make two Motorbike ones, the Endurance and the dry PTFE that I use. I get mine at Halfords (they keep both). I wore out the Mivv Suono after three years (the rivets fatigued and failed) I rebuilt it with stainless screws and clip nuts and used it some more but found that I preferred the quieter pipe for long tours (less obtrusive and more relaxing) so this year I haven't used the Mivv at all. I may refit it for a hooligan spring outing though.
Thanks for the interesting report @Longwayhome . Long may you continue to tour on your trusty MTS. If you are so inclined you might treat us to more detailed accounts of your adventures, preferably illustrated with photos. I have only managed about 55,000 miles since 2011, but that was on three different Multistradas.
Great report, thanks for posting. It’s fantastic to hear of someone who racks up the miles, after all these bikes are built to be used and enjoyed. I think it’s easy to get caught up in the “Oh no, my bikes getting too many miles on the clock, I’d better trade it in” scenario so hats off to you and I wish you many more happy, trouble free miles!
Great write up, I'm looking to move from my BMW K1200s to MS but was concerned that the 2010 (around my price range) would be unreliable. It's great to hear from someone who owns one and has put some miles on it
Great review. Respect. Your Multi has done so many more miles than most Ducs do in 20 years or more, I think the factory should have given you a new clock for free! Can't be many that have "worn out" their clocks. All the advertising you have done for them and Ducati reliability all over Europe! Agree with you about the M. Pilot Road 3's, really liked them on my 2010 Hyper. How has the paint on the engine cases held up? How often are you cleaning it etc.? At 13,000 miles the Hyper's has mostly flaked off & looks a mess. Really a major job to do anything about it. Mind you it has had some winter use which can't have helped. Thanks for the PTFE dry spray tip, might give it a go. What kind of intervals are you applying it when touring? I used various generic chain sprays this summer touring France, not really convinced by any of them. Was going to mod a std exhaust but really my ears appreciate a gentler time on long runs. It's not a whisper quiet bike by any means.
Great review LWH, I take my hat of to you and can only hope to emulate the type and regularity of wonderful trips you've briefly described on your magnificent machine. I have a 2013 MST 1200s GT, which has now done >15k miles some of which where ridden through France to Switzerland/Italy and back via Germany and Belgium but more recently it performed outstandingly on an excellent trip to Northern Spain, touring the Picos National Park - highly recommended by the way. So nothing, as yet, compared to your mileage! However, all year I've been asking myself the question - is it time to move on? But after the Picos trip I decided to stick with it for a while longer at least and especially now its had the 1st Desmo service...... since then I've also removed the butterfly valve from the Cat and that's had an amazing effect on improving the low speed running and smoothness in low gears. So, with all that to take into consideration, in conjunction with your glowing report on the potential reliability and longevity of MST 1200s's, I'm feeling more positive about my bike and now looking forward to covering many more miles on it in 2018. Happy new year to you and all forum readers...and happy riding to all. pde
Just turned 7K miles, bought it new late summer this year so I'm doing my best to catch up Will have to get the Brembo recall done as soon as they have the parts, and part of my front fairing is falling off . Lost a screw but it was not really fitted right from day one - hence the screw eventually working its way out I figure. Plastics...
well I owned an 1150 GS for 70000 km in 7 years and a 1200 has for 70000 km in 10 years with no major issues other than a crap crankshaft seal that needed the bike to be split in two literally. Now I am on a mts enduro and since April have done 8000 km and these where weekend Kmeters so on we go.
