Wanna buy » Buy '05 or later?

[Paul D]

Would anyone strongly recommend holding out for an '05 or later MS? The '03s and '04s are generally much less expensive. From what I can see in the forum, the earlier mirrors suck and are difficult to mod due to integral turn signals; the seat is a rock; and there may be an issue with valve guides. I guess the fuel gauge sucks on all of them before '07. A new bike is not in my budget. I have a perfectly good and reliable 1000 V-Strom and I'm willing to take on a bit of uncertainty for the Duc, but I do want to know what I'm getting into. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

[fmechini 2005 1000 DS (Red)]

Look for an 05 and up.
Fred

[AllanK 2005 1000 DS (Gray)]

There was a few bugs/annoyances with the first batch but they were corrected with the 05 model. I would recommend an 05 or later.
1. Mirrors still suck but they´ve extended the stems. You can see something but not what it is due to vibes, but I live with this minor annoyance for now.
2. Seat is changed and I´m very comfortable even after hours of riding and my butt is normally kinda sensitive
3. Fuel gauge is OK but not fantastic. Not a problem.
4. The valve guides should have been corrected.

I´ve tried the V-Strom and allthough sturdy, comfortable and reliable its somewhat dull and spiritless. You will enjoy the Duc. Be prepared to sacrifice a little comfort in windscreen protection. Reliability is in my opinion and experience not a problem with the Multi.

[Paul D]

Thanks for the input. I'm don't fear Duc reliability; I had a Monster for three years and although there were many "issues" they were almost never the bike's fault. I'm hoping to start over again

Holding out for an 05 or later will slow me down though! Wish me luck.

[kneepuck - Moderator]

Ignore those guys! They are late to the scene arrivals and are just jealous that we had one more year to ride our multistradas! Most '03 and '04's I have seen have had these issues fixed. I have longer mirrors, better kickstand installed, same seat (but call me wierd, but I like it), and the valve guides seem to be very limited.

Go for the savings. You will probably find the 03 and 04's have been sorted out better too.

[potomacduc 2013 1200 (Red)]

What exactly is the valve guide issue? Does it apply to a certain batch of bikes, or was/is it random? Was this a re-call item? How do I avoid buying a bike with this issue?

[wayward - Moderator 2004 1000 DS (Black)]

What exactly is the valve guide issue? Does it apply to a certain batch of bikes, or was/is it random? Was this a re-call item? How do I avoid buying a bike with this issue?

http://www.multistrada.net/forum/viewto ... alve+guide