I do wonder how much BMW pay MCN. Today's advertorial for the S1000XR is pretty extreme even for MCN. The especially laughable ticklist of features implying the Ducati doesn't have electronic suspension, heated grips or cruise control is a highlight, as they are pitting the top-of-the-range S1000XR Sport SE top against the standard Multistrada (which obviously does have cruise!). It then extolls the electronic delights of the BMW implying you can't get them on the Ducati. Ho hum... Personally I'm delighted with my grunty, torquey Ducati and didn't really enjoy the S1000XR I rode. It's the best bike I've ever ridden without a doubt.
Have no intention of even reading it. I find MCN a waste of time and never even look at it on the shelves.
Even though the DVT won on comfort stakes, overall it was a staggeringly biased (towards BMW) piece that seemed to set out to ignore the equivalent features of the DVT S!
I subscribe to mcn but I'm getting fed up of how biased they are towards BMW. I don't know how Neeves is allowed to be a tester as he races for/on a BMW. Anyway we all know that the multistrada is by far the best bike on test
Might be worth having a test ride on the BMW just to proove how crap MCN really is. And let's not forget BMW's proven track record for providing specially tweeked/prepared demonstrators to the press.
There was an English youtube video from 100ps a German YouTube channel. It had the Kim tourer, multistrada and the bmw. All were liked they did sing the bmw as a bike
Been a BMW car owner for years, bought them all new and hav spend a 5hitload of money on accessories. After the recent events with the Greek economy I swore I won't buy even a needle from Germany and particularly from Bavaria.
Wow, I cant how you all come across as sore losers, it is just possible that the BMW is a better bike you know. I remember when the Multistrada 1200 first came out MCN couldn't praise it enough, does that mean they were getting wads of money to say that? or was it just the best on offer until now? May be Ducati will listen to their fan base and riders now and start to look into ways of solving all the issues we keep raising instead of fobbing us off with a gimmick like DVT and cornering ABS.
+1 to whats Tobers said. I read the review this afternoon as I am picking up my new 1200S on friday and was curious to see how MCN reviewed it. What poor journalism to test the base model of one manufacturer against the full top spec models of every other. The bit that I though was especially bised was to have a side box comparing electronics that made the Ducati look very restricted with out a disclaimer to point out the differing specs of the bikes. This spec difference was only identified on the final page summarising the results and placement of the bikes in their opinion. My feelings towards MCN and it's parent company havs been heading downhill for a long time with their habit of recycling various product reviews and articles across magazines it owns like Ride, MCN and Performance Bike. Bike magazine seems to suffer the least and Adventure Bike Rider looks to be independent for the time being. My fear is this biased and lazy journalism will kill the independant publishers as MCN's publishers flood the market. The same happened to TBM (Trail Bike and Enduro magazine) although admittedly it's target market was smaller. People who are new to motorcycling should be lead by the hand away from this type of sub-standard reviewing and try more independant fare such as 44teeth.com and ABR magazine. Oh yes, and while I'm on the subject I am also cheesed off with the habit (of the same publisher) producing all the new magazines (Ride, PB, Bike, Practical junkheaps et al) individually on certain days of the month, then within a week being sold together in various twin packs and at a reduced price. That makes my blood boil....
It might be a better bike, but the point that is being made is that the basis of comparison is invalid, so the conclusion has to be invalid. If you want to declare one bike to be a king, you have to compare the top of the range models.
I've just sold my week old XR to buy a DVT I hope I ain't jumping out the fire into the frying pan, one think I disliked on the XR is the harsh suspension and the use of black plastics everywhere makes it look cheap !
For me there is a clear winner on this test. Ducati Multistrada v BMW S1000XR. Review and Video! | Bike Social
Thought it was a decent write up but ambiguous at best,why do folk assume the electric sus is best yea sure it's the most expensive and yea the BM makes a lot of power,but there's a lot more to this biking lark than that. I remain a committed fence sitter on either,but the best comparison I've seen so far is Potski's video.
Mcn are in BMW's pockets its common sense and just off this weeks rag they will sell more XR bikes, bods buy into all this bo11ox just like they do with fast bikes mag. I no one one particular BMW dealer whom is/was building a new ducati dealer showroom on the same grounds as the BMW dealership they franchise, BMW stepped in and said STOP we will not allow it they also do not let any of there dealers sell any other clothing apart from there own branding, so do you think they will let mcn or any other bike mag put there bike against other bikes without coming out the favourite !!
What an absolutely dreadful piece of journalism. I actually paid money for this issue. Never again. I don't particularly mind which bike comes out ahead (i'll be looking beyond Ducati when I change next Spring) but they need to compare like with like and actually write something meaningful about each bike, rather than producing a teenager's check list of features, something we can check for ourselves in seconds. No added value here from the exercise whatsoever. Now I remember why I stopped buying motorcycle magazines.
