I used to be a mechanic in a bike shop and I've also got a fairly wide circle of friends with whom I frequently ride and tour with, and who change their bikes as frequently as I do and we frequently swap about and make comparisons. A mate of mine used to work in a BMW dealership too, so you name it I've ridden it, including GS's of various generations, so please, lets move on hey?
So if 19" front wheel is a non-starter, have you ridden the 1290 SDR-GT? My main question is about the 1290 engine vs the 1200/1260 of the Multi.
Anyone seen the Performance Bike article on the 1260 Pikes Peak? Interesting and fits with my impression on Ohlins stability versus Skyhook damping for the extra money (I've ridden both quite a lot now and agree). I know the usual self-appointed oracles and sages will have their usual shots (cheap Ohlins versions made especially for Ducati, active skyhook best bike engineering on the planet so must be better unless you never vary terrain or payload etc.... LoL) but to me the strength of the Ohlins makes a massive difference to the quality of the feel and stability when cornering at anything like a reasonable speed. By the way the article said something else I'd noticed - the 1260 feels smaller than the DVT despite having a considerably longer wheelbase..... 1260 engine mid-range is great, I must say, although not quite as exciting, maybe. Oh and the drain hole at the bottom of the rear shock actually works, unlike the one on the DVT, which I think someone else pointed out.
Yes I read it, very interesting and positive! And great timing as I take delivery of my 1260PP at the weekend hopefully, after enjoying my 2010 S Sport for the last 7 years If its as much fun as that one as been ill be delighted
Here here! That’s why off road mountain bikes have progressed to 29” wheels, they roll better over rough undulating terrain whereas road bikes have smaller diameter wheels for smooth ish tarmac.
I did have a long hard look at it and was very tempted, and I hate to say it but it did come down to aesthetics. I think I've mentioned it somewhere else in here before - if KTM could drop the orange branding from their colour schemes I'd start giving them more than just a second look. There are some other factors that keep me away from the brand too.
Where I live the roads are pretty decent and I've even seen some resurfacing being one in a few places around the home counties. Road biased setups make more sense than off-road but if you live down a dirt track then I guess that might be a factor.
Luckily orange is my favorite color, so that is a feature rather than a bug This is my first KTM but I've lusted after them for years. Just not quite the right fit bike-wise, and some issues around dealer support. The latter seems to have gotten a bit better, and the Super Adventure S does everything my GSw did but with more power everywhere and certainly more style (as in, it isn't a GS). I actually wasn't impressed by a short test ride, thinking that the SA-S might replace my Multi. But I kept reading/watching reviews and noted that it felt closer to the GS than the Multi. I took a chance, and instead traded the GSw in for the SA-S. No regrets - the 1290 motor is everything that people say it is. I've gone through mental gyrations of, "oh, I should ditch the Multi and get another KTM" but the SDR is a no-go since there is no top box (we ride 2-up a lot), and the GT needs some updates. The reality is they are just very different engines. The 1200 is rather peaky, and needs to be worked to get the most out of it, at least in my hands. While the full Termi system got rid of some of the torque flat spot, it still doesn't pull linearly. The rush above 6K though is pretty damn fun. The 1290 otoh just pulls from anywhere in the power band. I had a very brief ride on the 1260, working from my memory I think the motor was somewhat in between the 1200 DVT and the KTM 1290 wrt response and feel. I wouldn't mind getting a longer ride on the 1260, but when I ran the numbers with my dealer it really didn't make sense to swap my '17 for an '18 - a bit too painful.
I added an “ish” but you’re right and overly optimistic given funding available for repairs and when they get round to filling the pot holes in, the repairs are generally shite, and even on new roads some contractor will be along shortly to dig it back up, feckers.......now look what you’ve done!
I popped into Pro-twins yesterday and had a nice chat with them. Still can't really make the sums work for me to change this year. According to the salesman the comfort seat and the majority of other accessories should transfer from a DVT (Apart from the racks) The carbuncle of a water pump cover can be removed, apparently it's only fitted to help the bike pass noise emission tests
1000 miles now. Engine is just getting better and better. Sooooo much smoother and easier to exploit than the 1200 DVT. It's just instant drive everywhere from 2K up and it just feels so much more alive and ready to rev than the DVT does.
Had a go on the 1260 at Riders on Saturday, couldn't draw many conclusion's because we were being escorted but the two I did come too was, it'll pull a taller gear than the 1200 DVT and my mechanical sympathies won't let me enjoy the quick shifter
Being escorted ... that's not a test ride. You're definitely right about pulling a taller gear as I'm sure all the gears are longer than on the DVT. All the more impressive is that not only does it pull the longer gears but does so at lower revs with no clattering and lurching at 2K RPM. On the quick shifter - having ridden the Panigale V4S back-to-back with the 1260S, the Multistrada's QS isn't as slick as the Panigale. I took my MT-10SP out for a whiz at the weekend, and the upshifts on that are better than the Multi's too. It works well enough and makes for easy progress but it's not the seemless change that a QS should give you. I don't know if it's going to improve with age the gap from the throttle-cut to throttle-open is too much. I'm wondering if this is deliberate on a new tight gearbox. Neutrals are much easier to find but can still be a bit evasive from time to time so it's still needs more bedding in.
Rainman, could you give me a bit of a comparison of the bottom end and mid range performance difference between the 1260 and the V4.
Don't want to sound dumb or anything, but is a QS maybe not as smooth on a V twin as 3 and 4 cylinder engines? All that reciprocal mass in a V twin , Jesus where did I pull that big word from.
