I don't have a Multistrada yet, but it's just a matter of time 'cos the damn thing has got hold of my free will and now I'm deep doo-doo! I expect to be placing an order just as soon as a few of you have done some product testing for Ducati and reported back on the quality and reliability.
I admit that if it were any other manufacturers machine I probably would have bought one already, but every fibre of my being is telling me that buying a Ducati will lead to a life of misery & enforced poverty following a succession of expensive breakdowns.
My rational view is that Ducati are hardly likely to still be producing the unreliable and fragile machines they are famous for, but the less than positive publicity that Ducati have had over the years is a hard thing to ignore.
I recognize your feelings. I'm currently riding a '92 Yamaha TDM and it is just about everything I ever waned from a bike. The things that are wrong have been fixed on the TDM900, so the 900 is the perfect bike for me, ecxept for one thing: it never touched me the way my old Pantah did. And than came the Multistrada . Wow, once the looks grew on me there was no way back.
Reliability? Well, probably not as good as the TDM (only failed me once when a header pipe broke in the south of France), but I think Ducati has come a loooong way. Overall design and component quality should not be a problem, I just hope the Italians bolted it all together correctly. And if anything is wrong: just fix it with a smile
Just watch this space, If my bike arrives early next week, I'll be touchting 3.000 kilometres at the beginning of june.
Within a month or slightly more, I should be able to give you a good rundown on how the 'Strada handles long days and tough roads. I'll be taking mine from Salt lake City, Utah to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, then down to Key West, Florida and back home. That will be a roughly 12,000 miles ridden over about 12 days.
My mechanic is instaling Light Force driving lamps, a six gallon aux fuel tank, Scottoiler and a new saddle built by Rich's Custom Seats in Seattle, Washington. I am then riding down to Orange County, California to have Aeroflow's owner, Paige Ortiz, concoct a taller windscreen to stick over the stocker. All mods should be done by about Aug. 15 and weather permitting, I will leave for Alaska shortly after that.,
If the MS handles this ride with the panache I anticipate, I'll be a lifelong devotee.
do not abbreviate Multistrada with MS! it is MTS!! MS reminds me of Microsoft and who wants to be compared with their products??
have fun on the trip!
I never read the first message in this thread; not worth owning and riding a DUCATI!
Japanese bikes have numerous problems but because the owners are hardly fans or devoted you never hear or read about this.
R1/R6 gearbox; Honda voltage regulator etcetc..
Woah: 12'000 miles in 12 days that's an average of 1'000 mile per day or a 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) considering a 10 hours non-stop ride per day !?
Are your numbers right ? if so, that's a hell of an endurance ride !!!
. Wow, once the looks grew on me there was no way back.
