Had a quick ride on the new DVT this afternoon before picking up my 2012 Mutley from its major service. First impressions were a bit disappointing really. The seat was on its lowest position so I managed to get both feet (dangling off their 31" inside legs) flat on the floor. I felt more 'sat in' rather than 'sat on' the bike but the downside meant the foot pegs were that much higher with knees not quite as comfy. The cockpit area seemed much wider with more bulk in front of you but I'm not sure if this was just an illusion. I didn't like the look of the reflectors on the fork legs and I certainly didn't like the black plastic box stuck on the front of the engine! The exhaust note seemed very quiet but once underway in Sport mode the engine was oh so smooth. The throttle didn't seem to have that hair trigger urgency that my bike has in Sport feeling more like it was in Urban mode. In fact it felt like a Honda engine, smooth, quiet, fuss free and rather soulless actually. It seemed to have less low down grunt than my engine but get beyond 6 thou and OMG what a rush. That's fine I suppose if you spend most of your time above 6 thou but actually I get most enjoyment below that using the low down grunt to fire out of corners. Good points included the handling which was sharp and the brakes which were awesome. Also like the cruise control which would come in very handy whilst touring. So, as I said, it was only a quick ride but I'm sad to say that Ducati may well be in danger of designing the character out of the new Mutley in their quest to cure the low down rough running. Throwing the baby out with the bath water springs to mind.
They should have put the Panigale engine in, done away with cam belts and given the bike a bit of a redesign. Job done.
What do you mean by that and what is it? Being new to the forum I'm kind of new to all the mods and add-ons which I presume you are talking about? What will the "upmap" thing do to my bike and more importantly would it affect my warranty if I did it? Questions questions.....
Full exhaust system and matching engine map. Its called an Upmap as the maps are all loaded in the ECU; but a USB key switches which map to use. The full system does make a difference. I find in Sport mode on current bike, the low end is a bit too aggressive. Don't really use it unless its sweeping A-roads. Tight bumpy B roads, mainly Touring. Sometimes catches up with others too quickly as well ;-)
OOps, seems to have posted the same things twice Anyway... first service and software updates out of the way and suspension adjusted so starting to explore the rev band. Hmmm... where's the rush? My reference is a K1300S and taller gears so much of the day is spent in 2nd and 3rd to keep the motor above 5K. I was expecting the DVT to show a new side above 7K but it just feels very progressive. It isn't slow and you have to keep checking the speedo as it seems to want to go everywhere fast , but there's no "wow". That might be because its's just easy to ride and no noticeable vibration, in fact very smooth, but from what others have said I was expecting something - not sure what. While it was being serviced I had a chance to check a 2014 bike side by side with the DVT and compare a couple of niggles. The new exhaust is wider and overlaps the foot peg line, which is probably why it has taken me a while to find the right position. The hand guards are now fixed all around from inboard on the bars out to the bar ends. For my mitts I could feel the ball of the clutch lever on my little finger in traffic. But because the ends of the guards are fixed I can't move the lever unit along the bar - time to take a bit off the ball end. Other than that the bike is growing on me by the day (just got to sort out the wind noise) And someone's nice new 1200S is sitting in P&H waiting for collection.
Splash, How would you compare the engine performance to your K1300S, I would assume the 1300 would be noticeably stronger higher in the revs than the new Multi, but what about bottom end and mid range performance, how do they compare ?? Also are you aware that Ducati are listing a "smoked GT" screen for the new multi, suppose to be wider and taller
I think it depends how you ride. For the K13S I keep it about 5K and up, so 2nd and 3rd for most of the time. That means that when you open the throttle it "just goes". Out of corners it simply piles on the mph with loads of grunt. I'm happy to take it round the rev range as I think 4's are happier at the higher revs when I press on. Some others ride their K's at around 3K but I think that's a gear too high and there's a little bit of a lag when you try to blat out of a corner. Also keep in mind that the gears are taller so starting at 5K in 3rd will take you to very silly speeds without a gear change and still give you engine breaking for the next corner. So far I haven't found the DVT to be any different as yesterday I was running much of the time around 4-5K with traffic flow and the engine was very smooth, and when taken from there round to about 9K either out of corners or on overtakes it was fun and quick but no rush, just progressive. The two big differences for me (my style of riding) are first, I can take more liberties with the Multistrada on poorer quality surfaces - "I can laugh in the face of broken tarmac". 2nd, the gears are shorter so I need an extra change compared to the BMW. But, they are two very different bikes and each has compromises and good bits. If someone had put the K13 engine in a Multistrada body then.... who knows. For the screen I think I need shorter rather than taller. On high setting it's noisier than on low. Ducking down helps a bit but, if I stand up about 2-3 inches then it all goes nice and quiet.
Splash: "If someone had put the K13 engine in a Multistrada body then.... who knows". My previous bike to the current K6 was a BMW K1300GT. My oh my how I wish they hadn't taken that bike off the production line.Iin my view a very under rated but brilliant bike. Not as big as the K6 which is a good thing but that K1300 engine was a brilliant mill and had a more sporty feel than the big 6. If they had upgraded that K1300Gt (or even just kept it available) I would not have hesitated in renewing it - not a single second thought. The luggage on the K1300S version is shite basically and as a touring rider was not a consideration. I'm hoping the new Multi will offer me much more sport and agility as in "fun" than the current bike and will also cover the "me and the missus touring, fully loaded" element too. That's why I ordered one. Everything has good and bad points I suppose but the Mutley hopefully will have lots of good ones!
Full exhaust system and matching engine map. Its called an Upmap as the maps are all loaded in the ECU; but a USB key switches which map to use. The full system does make a difference. I find in Sport mode on current bike, the low end is a bit too aggressive. Don't really use it unless its sweeping A-roads. Tight bumpy B roads, mainly Touring. Its n The flaring at the top of screen doesn't help. I too find dropping it low is better. Then add a wunderlich extension for deflection over helmet (thanks to Veetwin for this tip!) DVT's screen looks similiar
Test ride on a 2015 S Version in the dry and wet! Engine much smoother but it has lost that "raw" edge, still very quick, loads of power, pulls cleanly, sounds quieter (Standard Exhaust) Basically a more refined V Twin. Vibrations - nothing to speak off at all - it is a V twin! Brakes - both work very well and the front is MUCH better and the rear good - easy to trigger the ABS - major improvement. Dash - new and different and better Switches - easier and feel good, back lit which is good. Triggered main beam once and switched indicators from left to right twice instead of cancelling them - just something to get used to. Screen (standard screen) - much better that I thought it would be - perfect? No but better. Hand guards - kept my hands dry and warm in a downpour - much better. Centre stand - This has been fixed, toes on pegs and I did not feel the stand leg once! excellent! (but was aware of the hose from / to the water pump on my leg). Seat - Standard seat in the higher position (low was too low for me), initially felt pushed forward but then got used to it and felt very comfortable. The BEST bit - It turns quicker, rake angle changed by 1 degree and you can really feel it, my 2013 likes corners, the 2015 model actively sniffs them out and says lets go!!! High Speed stability - well it felt just fine on the motorway at a progressive pace! I would still swap the Tyres to PR4's ASAP! But they felt OK in the dry and wet. AND - They are on their way Lokyc
I bet right now they're building a prototype with a retuned 1299 Pani lump in it. They'll give it a special name - the words Pikes Peak comes to mind. I think I might be interested. Oh yeah.
Veetwin: That is a very positive review. Not much not to like it seems. Thanks and I trust you have good info that some of them are on the way! What was the single biggest improvement and what was the single biggest disappointment in your view in terms of the new bike compared to the old? Have you ordered an upgrade and if not has your test given you food for thought?
IMO Best Improvement - New Brakes closely followed by the quicker steering Disappointment - I have always felt that a Screen with an angled flip at the top would improve the rider comfort (I use a wunderlich flip on my 2013), who knows maybe the touring screen will have a flip at the top and be better than the standard. The whole package is more "refined" now, smoother engine, panels look better, better switches (hopefully), coloured dash, USB under the rear seat, power socket by the dash, etc. lots of little changes. The perfect bike doesn't exist and probably never will but for me the 2015 is pretty close and yes I have one on order.
Why majority of these Italian bikes got very bad screen, also I this type japoneese travel bikes are shit about their screen as well. They should learn from bmw and Ktm so far they have the best screen. 1190 was ok but 1290 screen is amazing now ! And bmw gs screens are so good too. Such a. Bike like ducati still got rubbish screen . Aprilia caponord has got a shitest screen as well.
Just come back from riding the KTM 1290 SA. What a bike! Haven't ridden the new multi yet but it's hard to imagine that the suspension could be any better.
I thought that the KTM screen was only about 10% better than the '13 multi screen but nowhere as easy to adjust on the move.
I went back to P&H today for another test ride of their standard 1200 DVT. I wanted to have a good look at the bike, try all the modes, fiddle about with it and do more miles. I had 2 hours on it this time so did some slab down to Brighton then twisties on the way back. The bike is now run in at 600+ miles, rather than the 30 miles it had on my first test ride, so I felt comfortable nailing it a bit more aggressively. Holy mother of god it's amazing! From 6k rpm it goes ballistic. In sport mode it is very very fast indeed. You will not be disappointed. I tried the heated grips which were nice and toasty with an even heat. At 6'2" there is noise & buffeting from the screen - as per usual I'm about 2" too tall as it's calmer if I slouched down a bit. I might investigate a short screen or that carbon thingy. The front seat didn't seam to be attached properly at the rear. Very curious. I couldn't work out how it was meant to fit on, and couldn't see how height adjustment would work. I didn't have a manual handy either. Cruise control is excellent. Coming off cruise control is a bit surprising as suddenly you're in a world of heavy engine braking which throws you forwards. Once you've done it for the first time you can be prepared next time. Throttle response isn't quite linear and it'll take a while to figure out how the bikes going to react to a given input. Most noticeable in Sport mode. Handling is excellent - just chuck it on its side with no drama. I didn't have the guts to try the "crack it open while leant over" traction control on a demo bike with a £750 insurance excess. But it is beautifully nimble in the twisties, flipping from side to side easily. It will destroy everything up in the Alps I think. Sitting on the motorway was fine - no issues other than being a bit noisier (wind) and buffetier than I'd like. It felt very relaxed at 80mph like it would just go and go all day. And EVERYONE got out of my way - brilliant! The seat feels tipped forward a bit, resulting in me sliding forward and my trousers rucking up and trapping my nadgers - this would get uncomfortable on a long trip but it may just be how the seat was (not) attached. I prefer a flatter seat. Around town it was all very light and easy to ride. One important aspect of a bike for me is how well it does slowly, as well as quickly. It was occasionally (twice) slightly reluctant to slot into neutral at a standstill - a gentle release of the clutch and nudge of the gear lever worked. I'll put this down to a new gearbox. Plenty of steering lock, able to dribble through traffic, not overly noisy and flashy. Light clutch, light throttle, easy steering. Lots of people gawking at it. Overall, small niggles in what is a truly weaponised motorcycle. Ludicrously quick, handles brilliantly, comfy riding position, and 42 mpg average with a mix of motorway, slow town, twisties - your typical normal ride in crowded southern England. Just waiting eagerly for mine to be delivered now. They had a new 1200 DVT Touring pack ready to be picked up by some lucky person. I tried to bribe them to give it to me but it wasn't happening. Come on come on!!!
tobers: Nice review. One or two reviews have made odd comments about the seat appearing not to be fixed - very odd. Did they give any indication what-so-ever when the S models might turn up? It sounds like it's going to be a really great bike if only they would bloody supply one or two! Where are they? Has anyone got an S version yet? My dealer said their demo model had only just arrived on Friday and he had no notion of when others might turn up - including the standards. Very frustrating as a waiting customer :Banghead:
