I have to agree with everything Martin has said. I'm now on my sixth MTS a 1260 PP with a full Termi system. I too have blasted/toured/cruised thousands of miles around the UK and abroad on the various incarnations of this fabulous machine and feel I can verify that every progression is a positive, noticeable and enjoyable step forward.
As with Bumpkin The 1260 is my first Ducati. Choosing it was simple. I researched which was the best Sports Tourer on the market and the 1200 won hands down. I then read rumours about a 1260 being about to be released and put a deposit down sight unseen. I have not been disappointed.
Great post by Martin. As with Bumpkin and Hugo my 1260 is my first Ducati so I can't compare it to previous models, but I can to all my previous bikes, and it is by far the best bike I have ever owned.
I swapped my 2016 1200 Enduro in October for the 1260 Pikes Peak and have not looked back. So happy with it. Noticeably better and more refined with excellent power delivery. I didn’t even have to upgrade the seat which is normal for me with the amount of miles I cover each year. I much prefer the standard Ohlins to Skyhook, but that’s just me. I know that semi-active suspension has a place and each to their own and all that. Test ride the 1260 and see how you get on. ‘Man maths logic’ will help justify the new bike
I suppose I may have some "advantage" or perhaps a disposition to the 2015/18 1200S as I also own a 2016 S1000XR but for a different reason. I have loaned both bikes out to many riders to do back to back comparisons and to a man, they all say the same thing. The MTS is much easier to ride ( fast and agile) in a much more relaxed manner than the XR. I too have found the same thing to be true and for that reason, I have seriously considered trading my 2016 MTS 1200S for a new 1260 which just about everyone agrees is some improvement in "gentility" over the 1200. If you want a laser guided , visceral experience, I suggest the XR..... I also own a 2014 K1600GTL which is an absolutely awesome touring machine . I have high hopes that a new 1260 will fill the gap between the K16 and the XR better as I find the MTS to be closer to the XR than the K16......... I will continue to follow this thread with interest. Cheers from Texas ( where we ride all year!!!)
Interesting that the MTS is considered more relaxed than the XR, maybe its the way it delivers its power. Oh, and some of us ride all year here too TXSailor, I was out on my bike yesterday. Our bike club had ~130 bikes in the car park at 10am (this is just a bike club, not one of the local biker cafe stops)
John - the powerplants are definitely one of the major factors. The XR starts to really sing above 5 to 6 grand and pulls hard (and revs quickly) to 11,000 +. The MTS has that "hole" in the torque curve at 4,500 to 6,000 which by makes the bike a bit sluggish in a throttle on effort. The XR sits higher as well and is a few pounds lighter (I have Akrapovic exhausts on both) and the XR has a shorter wheelbase I think. I think the XR has a more agressive rider position than the 1200S and the 1260S even more so. Just my opinion however......
Groundhog - Exactly... Ducati "filled" that hole on the 2015 - 2017 MTS 1200 when they used the xDiavel 1260 engine on the new model..
Thanks, good info. I don't have the hole on my 1200 either . Mine is by no means sluggish in any part of the rev range As you say its probably just a DVT model thing. If the new MTS price gets silly(er), especially if the V4 MTS appears next year as we all hope, I might need to investigate the XR as an alternative.
I wouldn't worry Android, he has disliked one of my posts on this thread now too, so he seems to be slowly spreading the love The phrase 'am i bovered' springs to mind
Yep, I rode the DVT quite extensively and was pretty underwhelmed by the engine. After riding the 1260 Diavel, I put in a plea for that engine to go into the Multi, which - hooray - they've done. I simply haven't had the chance to ride a 1260 yet (at the Ducati road show, the 1260 was booked up and I had to slum it on a V4S…). However, with even the possibility of a V4 Multi, I'm hanging fire - the V4 is quite the most amazing motorcycle engine I've ever had the pleasure of trying. As for the XR, it's a nice machine if you like to feel 'busy' on a motorcycle - one reason that I've never defected from Ducati is that 'Ducati Deception' where you're always travelling 20mph faster than your senses might tell you that you are. The XR (on a single test ride) felt exactly the other way around, which is not my cup of tea at all.
My 1200 DVT PP goes tomorrow to be replaced by a 1260 DVT PP. I'll post my thoughts on the differences, but don't hold your breath, it will need to get a little warmer.....
I wouldn’t hold your breath for the V4 multi (if indeed it will ever exist). It’s defo not going to be 2019 or even 2020, the 1260 has only had one sales season thus far. It will be a minimum of 2-3 before a new release. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
I’m sure you will love it I’m loving the upgrade to my 1260 PP, bit I did come from a 2010 1200, so a bigger leap in technology from one model to the other I guess
Which was one of the reasons I took to change mine. Given the V4 could be 2 years away and I'm not keen to buy a 1st year model, the 1260 was making more and more sense. I don't often find myself wanting more power, but I do believe that the bike is way under geared as standard. 2 up on the rear or one down on the front sprockets (or both!) wakes the bike up no end in my opinion. I'm thinking that extra wheelbase will solve the high speed vagueness on the front end and I'm looking forward to experiencing the quick shifter/auto blipper. Right now, the V4 can wait.
