I had this same dilemma today at the Ducati dealer here in Austin. I've been considering the MTS vs the BMW 1200 GS, but really liked the look and feel of the ST3. Certainly, the ST3 seems the better buy in that you get a funcntional seat, functunal wind screen and functional rear view mirrors. They ...

fiirestorm wrote: So its a showdown between the GS and MST.

I'll be making the decision very soon. Good luck with yours.

Wait till Spring and take a serious look at the BMW GS 1200. Huge reported improvements over the 1150 in every way.

We demand that of our cars....why shouldn't we demand it of our bikes?

So, seriously, what do you think will win you over to the Multi? I am interested to know.

-Noah

I think that for the type of roads I plan on riding here in Central Texas, (up/down and winding with a variety of surface ...

You will probably have a few problems, but thats part of the romance of this type of bike.

I will probably, after much consideration, end up deciding on the MTS over 3 competitors. The only thing that makes it NOT a slam dunk decision is this "character" or "romance" issue. Oil leaks, studdering ...

I talked to my dealer here in Austin and he said to expect to pay about $700 for the first 6,000 checkup. The 12,000 mile check will be closer to $1,000.

It's not that I can't afford this but it really is ludicrous to pay these outrageous maintenance fees. They'll all give you this crap about it ...

Well, I called two Texas Dealers that sell both Aprilia and Ducati. Both service department managers said the same thing......that the Multistrada will cost roughly twice as much to maintain as the Tuono. As mentioned above, Ducati must adjust valves every 6,000 miles while maintenance on the ...

gbenner wrote: Its also very prone to wheelies, at least based on 2nd hand info.
greg

You say that like its a BAD thing!

First service on my bike was 750 euros, but that included a new rear tyre.

What did you expect from an Aprilia dealer? Surely he is not going to try to convince you into buying a Ducati wen you are interested in one of his bikes.

So without the rear tire your maintenance bill would have been ...

The Aprilia dealer said that Ducatis generally cost about $1,000 per 6,000 mile maintenance interval. That's the number that scares me if true. He said the Tuono would be about 1/3 that much.

I was just talking to the Aprilia dealer, comparing and contrasting the Multistrada to the Tuono. He said the biggest difference other than 85 horses vs 126 horses was the cost of ownership. Any truth to his statement that it costs about $1,000 every time you bring it in for its scheduled ...

I'm looking for the same answer. Might be a moot point as there may not be any 2003 Tuono's left in the country. The 2004's won't be out till March or April.

To Rawdon Young,

26,000 miles in 10 months!!! I had only 7,700 in the same time frame. Were you a member of the ST1300 Forum as well? I was......and was probably pegged as one of the complainers for my rants about the engine heat and the fact that it leaned to the right.

I assume in those miles ...

Appreciate the thoughts, although wanting to love this bike is not being absurd. I want to love a Ferrarri as well, knowing that it's not going to be as comfortable as an Escalade. You can want something simply for its sex appeal, for its heritage. You think that most Harley guys buy their bikes ...

Last Saturday I sold my Honda ST 1300 after 10 months of ownership. Absolutely wonderful except for one fatal flaw.......a near dangerous amount of engine heat that is blasted onto the lower legs. Living in Texas, that made rides of any distance literally impossible from June through September.

So ...