I’m thinking of getting a used Multi for UK & Euro touring and would be keen to hear thoughts from experienced owners on here. Bear in mind ... I like my Ducati’s raw and characterful (I love my desmoquattro bikes but find the testastretta in the 998, 999, 1098 too smooth and refined for my tastes!). I’m short-ish - 5’8” and 29” inside leg. Budget isn’t so much a factor ... but value for money is ... I can find the cash for the right bike. Sooooo ... I’ve had a browse on the inter web and ... I like the look of this 2012 single-spark S Touring with less than 5k on the clock, FSH, Ohlins, panniers and top box etc up for £9.5k ... https://www.cmcbikes.com/used-motor...istrada-1200-s-touring-for-sale-5f8ed25794c37 ... but I wonder a) if it’ll be too tall for me? b) if it could be prone to the porous heads issue with more miles (@Pete1950 thinks this problem may have been sorted by Ducati for the 2012 production run - anyone know for sure?) c) any other potential show-stoppers on 2012 bikes? If I’d be better off with a DVT given my short-arse stature, then this one is up for £13k local to me - 2016 Pikes Peak, 5.5k miles, FSH, Termi with titanium link pipe, Rapid bike self learning fuelling module, Samco coolant hoses, Oberon billet clutch slave cylinder, Touratech OEM crash bars with spotlights, Healtech quickshifter, radiator guard, billet front cylinder guard and paintwork protection film. To me it looks like a cracking bike at a good price but I’m not sure if the DVT engine would just be too refined for my taste. https://spmotorcycles.co.uk/shop/used-motorcycles/ducati/ducati-multistrada-pikes-peak/ I know I really need to see and ride them (damn lockdown) but it’d be good to hear your views in the meantime!
You will need heels they are too tall for me and we are similar heights Plus a kerb when Donna gets on as it’s easier or was on the DS1000
My Africa Twin has a seat height of 33.5” in the lower position and I find that OK ... but then it is the width as well that affects how planted you can get your feet on the ground. I’ve no idea how Multi compares.
I wouldn't worry about the seat height. I'm 5'9", similar inside leg. I've had a 2010 1200, a 2013 1200 Twin Spark and a 2015 1200 DVT. On each of them I could use both feet on tippy toe if needed but usually one foot squarely on the ground was easy and all I needed. Of them all, the 2010 was the rawest. The Twin Spark was smoother below 3k but nice and punchy in Sports mode. The DVT feels comparatively docile and had what felt like turbo-lag when whipping the throttle open. Mine has been sorted with a Rapid Bike and several official Ducati downloads. It goes well now but is smoother and more refined than the other two. As you say, you need to ride them to find out what suits you best, but they were/are all excellent all round bikes that toured very well and went very fast on backroads/mountain roads/rough roads/any roads. The Skyhook suspension is a great thing to have and adjusts damping on the go to suit the roads and your riding on the day. In my opinion the two bikes you are looking at look good but are too expensive, unless maybe you are getting a long warranty with them. Even then I think you'll find a less expensive bike. Don't worry about higher mileages if they have been properly serviced - all mine did 25k and more (current DVT is at 33k), and none suffered from problems associated with high mileage.
I’ve been using WhatsApp to get @bradders wisdom (now there’s two words you don’t see together very often!) Thanks for the heads-up. I’m generally OK with loud ;-)
Thats good to know This DVT has a Rapid Bike module but it sounds like the single spark model will probably be more up my street. This single spark S Touring that I linked to above has Ohlins which I gather you can get an add-on for that makes it as good as or even better than sky-hook? https://www.ohlins.com/2013/04/ohlins-launch-semi-active-upgrade-for-multistrada-s/ Thanks. I usually go for low mileage used bikes just because they tend to be in better overall condition. I’ll keep on scanning the ads to see how prices are ... plus of course I’ll be having a go at haggling Thanks for the great response!
From the sound of it the DVT will lack the engine character you like. So that leaves single/twin spark which I think you will like both. I am same height and leg as you and have twin spark skyhook, here I can lower the ride height at the touch of a button in town etc. However I did test ride the Ohlins model and I have never stopped grinning since.
I echo what Michel wrote about Ohlins ^^. Moreover, any suspension equipped shop can service them. Furthermore, the rebound and compression damping and pre-load can be adjusted independently.
Good catch. That's not a Pikes Peak. The 2012 PP had a red frame and red stitching on the seat. However, back in 2012 the Pikes Peak wasn’t any different from the "S" other than cosmetics. If I was you @Dave, I'd go for the DVT shown.
It’s local to me so I’m going to go and have a test ride if they’ll let me. If I don’t find the engine too refined for my taste then I might just see if I can do a deal.
£9.5k for a 2012 S Touring is having a laugh, even with 5k miles. That is the exact model I have been riding since March 2012. I had an issue with the horizontal cylinder losing compression at about 33k miles and chose to spend my pennies on a full engine rebuild instead of a new bike. That should tell you everything. Purely my opinion, neither the twin spark nor the DVT could do anything better than the original bike except run a bit less lumpy in high gears at 3000 rpm. Who does 30mph in 3rd gear anyway ? The 1st generation 1200 ECU is the easiest to overwrite and can, if you really want, unleash a beast. I tour, I scratch and I have tracked mine and it is the first of my bikes (including 748R, 1098R and Panigale V4) I choose to ride on the road. Andy
I owned both and in my opinion the DVT is a far superior bike. The front always felt remote to me on the earlier bikes. DVT seat is also lower. Both the bikes you listed are way over priced in my opinion though.
Thanks. You are not the first person to have said that about the prices. Before I decide anything I’ll do some proper comparisons with all the others currently on the market to see how far they are out of line.
At the lower seat height, I can easily flat-foot my Multi 1260 @ 825 mm - 845 mm (32.5 in - 33.3 in)/ I'm 5'8" with a 30" in-seam if that helps. I believe the 1200 DVT is the same height.
