Wanna buy » Wife and I want MTS 1000S, good idea?

[dlorenz]

We are looking for one motorcycle to fill all our needs:
1) beginner bike for wifey (limited experience, has taken class).
2) roadbike for myself (have ridden dirtbikes all my life, limited street experience).
3) Touring bike to go two up on weekends.
4) Daily commuter 80mi. a day.

We both like the feel and riding position of the MTS, especially after lowering it for my wife. We have good local support and friends with Ducs. but none of them have a MTS. We've looked at the V-Stroms, SV650, Ninja 650, even some dual purpose bikes but still go back to the Ducati. The 620 is an option too, but I think the lack of c.c.'s might be an issue later on since we hope to have the bike for awhile. Also riding tandom I think would be better with the bigger bike.

Thanks in advance for your help, looking forward to some of your input.

DLorenz

2006 Husky TE610

[atypical1]

Typically a beginner bike and a two-up touring bike are not really two compatible things.

We have the 1k and do some two-up riding on it. I could not speak to the 620 but I would imagine that it might be lacking a bit of power for two-up work (I don't know that for sure though).

What does make the Multi a good starter bike is the geometry of it. It handles perfectly, has a nice turning radius, good visibility, and is light. The 620 makes sense as a starter bike because of the wet clutch.
How much touring are you thinking of doing? If it is limited then you might be ok with the 620.

What about two 620's?

[MultiWiley 2006 1000S DS (Red)]

I'm in the same boat as you. But I'm going with the Multi. Let me know if you are too. Maybe we could start a SoCal group buy. Now that would be a first.

[dlorenz]

Thanks for the reply guys. I think its going to be hard to have one bike fit all needs, but since we've never had a streetbike before and my wifes limited experience, we don't really know how much we are going to tour with it or ever use it. It would just be nice to get one bike thats decent for all aspects of riding and we'll figure it all out later. With gas prices on the rise, I think commuting on a bike might be a something we are going to have to get used to, plus its fun!

P.S. MultiWiley; we'll keep you posted on our decision, please keep me up to date on yours.

Thanks again

[Apex 2005 1000S DS (Red)]

I think buying a Multistrada as a beginner bike is a huge mistake. Part of learning to ride is having a good chance of dropping a bike at a stop sign, wheeling it out of the garage, just sitting still. Happens all the time. I think the MTS 1000 will serve you well in most of the jobs you want it for, but why not buy your wife a used Japanese bike that she can learn on, drop, reach the ground on easily, drop again and then sell next year for what you paid for it?

[GrayMia 2005 1000 DS (Red)]

I think buying a Multistrada as a beginner bike is a huge mistake. Part of learning to ride is having a good chance of dropping a bike at a stop sign, wheeling it out of the garage, just sitting still. Happens all the time. I think the MTS 1000 will serve you well in most of the jobs you want it for, but why not buy your wife a used Japanese bike that she can learn on, drop, reach the ground on easily, drop again and then sell next year for what you paid for it?

I agree.

I did however buy the Multi 1000 for my first street bike, but I'd had dirtbikes and ATV's. Repairing a dropped Multi with cosmetic only damage will make you cringe. Don't want to talk you out of it, cause owning it is a great experience, but there are more sensible choices. Good luck.

[lotus54 - Moderator]

The bike will work great for everything, but with some thoughts on a beginner bike.
As many have mentioned, the parts for a minor drop can get a bit expensive. Also, unless she is fairly tall, the bike may seem a bit overpowering at first from a height standpoint. The power and brakes may be the other factor for a beginner. The brakes are quite strong, and it does have a bunch of power down low. It is quite easy to wheelie under power.
Not to say someone can't learn on it, but it may be better to score on a used 10 or 15 year old bike cheap and learn on it. That way you can sell it with no real loss. There are lots of good beginner bikes out there.

I've used mine two-up with full gear and it works very well. Plus it works great just by myself with stuff for just a day.

mark

[dlorenz]

Thanks for all your input; sound advice for sure.
We were going to buy a cheap Japanese bike and after looking at used and new bikes we kept going back to the mts. The dealer in our area finally gave us a good deal on a 620 dark, we bought it, and couldn't be happier. The bike fits my wife great and she feels confident with the geometery and weight. I took it out for a three hour ride through the back roads east of Ventura expecting to be wanting more power but had an absolute blast with it. Handling, power, and comfort were all better than expected. I was grinning ear to ear. I think the 1000 is a great bike but the 620 fits our situation better, well, until we drop it.

Thanks again!

P.S. Now its my wifes bike and I'll be lucky if I'll ever get to ride it again.

[xmonster 2006 620 (Red)]

Now thats what i like to hear, another happy 620 owner. Congrats to you both