Or just buy a KTM..... Not sure Ducati can "get back" to dual purpose bikes. Its pedigree is in road racing, its never been an off-road brand. KTM on the other hand is an off-road marque to its bootstraps. Its been making them since the year dot and its still by a country mile the biggest manufacturer of off-road bikes in the world and the most successful in terms of sales and competition wins. They have the knowledge like no one else. Off-roading is in their genes in a way it just isn't with Ducati. Most so-called adventure bikes never go anywhere near the dirt. KTM's versions are properly dirt capable because that's what KTM does but even they have had to acknowledge that not every buyer wants or is capable of going off the tarmac and so when they discontinued the 990 Adv and replaced it with the 1190 they offered it as an all-round or a more focused"R" off-road version to accommodate everyone, and in terms of sales it paid off. There's nothing conceptually wrong with the Multistrada. Its a very popular bike and a very solid performer. There have just been too many reliability problems with some bikes and it seems the performance edge of some of the non-sports Ducati models has been softened. I'm pretty sure that on both counts that's down to the current ownership regime and its marketing and development strategy and not a fault with the basic engineering design. I doubt if trying to copy or rebadge KTMs as Ducatis is the way to compete with them. Ducati needs to up the ante for sure, but they have to do it in distinct Ducati flavour, not by imitation. If you can buy the real thing cheaper why would you buy a badge-engineered copy? There's nothing wrong with desmodronics except the price of servicing and much of that is artificially high. Ducati need to concentrate on their traditional strengths of road-going performance and handling and deliver it in a reliable, user-friendly package that is priced to sell and not for exclusivity. If they really want to make a true dual purpose bike they are quite capable of it but its a small share of a market that KTM pretty much owns and any bike needs to be high-miles reliable with much better and cheaper service and parts back up.
As I said in the original post, I genuinely really did have a great time with my Multi. Loved every minute of it. I think the Ducati sales staff seem to be up themselves though. Having said that, Blade in Maidenhead were great, looked after me, and gave me a really good discount. This to me is where Ducati may lose out to KTM. My KTM kitted up with comfort pack, touring pack, crash bars and rad guard was £15.5k. The only thing I haven't got is panniers. It's got dynamic suspension and a quickshifter with auto-blipper. The Ducati sales guys need to start being prepared to make a deal.
My 1290 Super Adventure is 2.5 years/12,000 miles old now,(I have too many other bikes....),and apart from a pannier latch pin falling out and one recall,(NFA needed),I've not had a single issue.Sublime power delivery and plenty of it,(apart from Sport mode; all a bit immediate for me),fantastic handling,nothing has needed tightening or fallen off,nothing has broken. The only thing I have any grumbles with is that my supplying dealer,(Gear4 at Market Deeping) is always busy so getting it serviced requires a lot of forward planning.But they are very nice folks so I won't be going elsewhere,it's worth the wait. The 990/1090s etc do nothing for me as I'm too tall and the seat is too small/soft for my "substantial",posterior. Good luck with it,I've nothing but good things to say about mine.
Just had a look at the 1290 adventure S and have to say its on my radar as my next bike. the S seems to hit the mark, but I would add the travel pack,ali hand guards, wheel set and style and sound pack, thats just shy of £17K.
Agree, with your post But Ducati sports bikes are unsurpassed by their; beauty, engineering and performance, and deserve their sticker price Where as the dual purpose bikes are definitely inferior to the versatility and outright performance of the KTM range The Duke R can embarrass Pangalies on track days and in some race series?? Ducati needs to get serious in this segment? because this segment drives KTM and their market share? Do a SCRAMBLER; Brand in a brand? look how it works? Get pragmatic Dual purpose bikes; competitive price, cheap servicing, encourage a market the rides them hard, scratches them? get the Bayliss's of the future to ride them? Make them be known for their (bikes) great deeds not how few scratches, how much bling, and whether the rev limiter will save the engine if you hold it on the 'stops' on the side stand when on the beach at Missano while I watch Kawasaki's doing mono and stoppies?? and ducati punters discussing their latest anodized frame plugs my meal makes me sick as i realised I recently fitted $240AUD of frame plugs and bar ends to my Scrambler; tomorrow i will pull them out and offer them to the bin or anybody wants them? Ducati can do it? The fight back starts? get Troy's, Shakeys Bostrums Zaus and Hislops of the future to ride them? copy the KTM cheaper to buy, cheaper to service, better to scratch, more crash resistant, cheaper to repair? more exciting? build a competition dual purpose heaps of electronics to save the faint of heart, build beasts, controlled ones, non pretentious ones with big cubes, and no desmodonics? cubes instead of rpm, Cheap like a Scrambler, but with good seats and proper suspension, least pretentious bike ever made by Ducati I have bikes ,I look after bikes really owned by Shakey and Hislop, and Bayliss but not mine, in my shed, but not mine, my favorite bike is a shitty asian manufactured Scrambler? I wait for the Ducktms?
I'ts a shame KTM never brought out a 200 bhp RC8R sports bike with the 1290 Duke engine as a direct competitor to the 1299 Pani. Apart from the fact the KTM would have been epic it might have spurred Ducati to continue developing their super sports twins. Someone has already made a special with a 1290 Superduke lump in an RC8R chassis and (it was in Performance Bike I think - may have been Fast Bikes) and on standard internals with mapping and induction mods it was dynoed at over 180 bhp at the wheel. Makes you wonder what KTM could have got out of it if they'd had a mind to and how Ducati might have responded with the Pani. As it is KTM have a V4 MGP bike so maybe we'll have a battle of the V4s instead. A three-way supersports arms races between KTM, Ducati and Aprilia could only be good news for the buying public. And it really pisses off the elf n safety fascists, which is nice.
Got the 1290S back from the 1st service today. Holy shit balls! She's quick now! That bike's already bringing out my naughty side.
Gimlet, don't know if you've owned a KTM enduro bike, but I've had a few from new, and they do have their issues, ask anyone about the electric boot on their 2t's for starters (please excuse the pun)
Gimlet, don't know if you've owned a KTM enduro bike, but I've had a few from new, and they do have their issues, ask anyone about the electric boot on their 2t's for starters (please excuse the pun)
I've still got the carbon screen, if anyone is interested please PM me. I think it really does set off the look of the bike, and (at 5'11) personally found it stopped the annoying buffeting I experienced from the standard screen.
Owning a KTM is like marrying an ugly woman. It does everything it says on the tin, but one day you,ll wake up & look at it & think what the hell did i do.
