Testing the 2013 Ducati Multistrada & comparison to the 2010-12 MTS1200
By MTS1200 Pike Peak owner Cesar aka ‘Lion’
Part 2 (back to Part 1)
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NB: full size photos here
Testing the 2013 Ducati Multistrada & comparison to the 2010-12 MTS1200 continued…
The high relief “Ducati” emblem on the side of the tank in the 2013.
The new Ducati emblem in high relieve plastic
I like it better as an adhesive under the clearcoat.
Adhesive Ducati ‘sticker’ under clearcoat on previous models
We climbed back on the bikes and this time I took the 2013 for the first time. WOW!!! What a difference on the motor. First thing I noticed was when I just blipped the throttle. The motor of this brand new bike seemed surprisingly rev happy. I put first gear and it launched smoothly… it was very, very smooth. And it pulled firm as if the 5% increase in torque was a lot more than that. I would have to say the changes to the motor can be evolutionary on paper, revolutionary on feel!
But anyway, it was a short trip to the top of the hill and we parked the bikes again for another photo shoot. Check the headlights. The LED lights are bright. I think they should be more noticeable on the road when facing oncoming traffic, for example, a good thing. I’m looking forward to see what happens at night, with the driving lights and the high beams turned on at the same time, which can be done due to low power draw of the LEDs.
LED lights on the 2013
One thing to be missed on the new bike is the Ohlins bling and its golden fork legs. And its performance fame. The Sachs shocks are dark grey, do not photograph well but look better in person. There is no brand or logos or anything identifying what it is, just plain matte grey fork legs and matte black wheel axle clamp. That is something interesting as Sachs has been providing performance products for some of the Dakar vehicles. Could be because Ducati bought the rights for the Skyhook concept, which has been terminology used on the field of semi-automatic suspensions for several years already but no one working on it had claimed proprietary rights for the word. By the way, Ohlins has developed their own semi-automatic suspension for motorcycles, called the Mechatronic (= mechanic + electronic?). They plan to eventually offer it as a retrofit model for motorcycles. Think about the possibilities here.
We jumped back on the bikes. I’m again on the 2013, I put it back to Touring mode, and we hit the road back to Eugene. I noticed that when just cruising I could ride on the lower part of the fat area of the torque one gear taller than what the motor tells me to do on the red bike. Despite how smooth the 2010 felt when I first started riding it earlier in the day, it still has issues. It is never completely round, except when at about 5,500 rpm and above. And it felt more clearly so when I jumped on the 2013 and its motor felt so much more drivable. It was just unbelievable. Yes, I know, what should a Ducati be all about, right? Where is that rough on the edges experience? Well, I think Ducati is offering a different product here, changing the priorities on this bike, but without compromising its original performance.
2013 and 2010 Multistradas: two great motorcycles.
We continued back to Eugene and we hit the area of the road with the tight curves with rough surface. I was anticipating some level of smoothness and was not disappointed. The feeling I got is that it softened the edges of the road imperfections. At some point Doug had mentioned that he purposefully changed his line on a couple of curves, to see how the semi-active suspension worked on the 2013 and was surprised on how neutral the bike felt at all times. Some journalists indicated the bike does not inspire confidence, giving less feel to the rider. I did not ride to a point where that was ever an issue. Doug did not experience that either, quite the opposite, it felt always very composed. Maybe this could be an issue on the track.
For now I liked the simple fact that it was solid and went over the rough surfaces so well. I then moved the bike back to sport mode and got that aggressive throttle response. So it is there, the performance is there. But more the way I like it. A touring bike with a sports motor on tap. That’s the Jackyll and Hyde I was looking for. Thank you Ducati for listening to me (even if it was through other people who thought the same way I did).
Which one is the best?
At some point Doug mentioned: “if I was buying one these two bikes, I would buy the silver one. The red one seems old school.” And I remembered one article I had just read on the July 2012 Motorcyclist magazine about the Ducati 750 SS Imola. That’s the bike that put Ducati on the map, 41 years ago. Imola 200 in 1972 was their first win. And Ducati was only on their second year of production of the V-Twin motors, up until then they only had the big singles. Paul Smart was the Ducati rider who won that race. You should know he was not too keen about riding that bike at first. “They felt pretty awful to ride, and slow too. There was loads of torque, but it seemed to fire every other lamp post” he said. But when he checked his time sheets on practice, he realized he was riding something really special, he was going a lot faster than he perceived it was. Well, I don’t know if Doug was thinking this far back when he mentioned “old school” in reference to a 2010 Multistrada. But that’s how I feel about that motor on the 2010-2012 bikes. There is something raw and rough on the edges about it. That way it is old school. It is deceivingly fast, but it also demands you to work on it as you ride tighter curves, for example, and anytime you let revs fall below 5,500 rpm. We got back to the shop and parked the bikes upfront.
Bikes parked in front of the shop
Overall I have to say that I was ecstatic with the new bike. The DSS suspension is fine. It actually feels more evolutionary than what its revolutionary design represents. After all, this is a completely new and radical approach to how compression and damping operates. But you only notice it, at least on sport mode, when you hit rough surfaces. Other than that, it feels very composed and un-intrusive. You wouldn’t know it was there until you hit the extremes. And then you would feel what it was meant to do. I would like to try a softer setting to see how it responds to the rough surfaces. Must be even smoother.
The motor, on the other hand, that was a complete departure from the previous model’s experience. I enjoyed the extra torque experience and thought about Paul Smart’s quote on the 750 SS and thought what would he say about this bike. It is still deceivingly fast, or faster, but it now fires on every lamp post. It clearly shows it is a V-twin, no questions about that so that part of the Ducati identify of the last 40 years is preserved very well. But it feels more compact, it actually reminded me of the Streetfighter 848 motor, which is something that I really like. As a matter of fact, on sport mode it reminded me of the 848 in terms of feel, responsiveness, sound, but with longer legs and so much more refined on the low range. The only fault is that it is a bit quieter, or it sounds “lighter”, at least that’s what I perceived. But that can be changed with a slip on, if you want it louder. Or a full aftermarket exhaust system. I would not go that far, though. How much more power and sound would one want? I know I should not have asked this question.
Soon after we parked the bikes Scott and the guys from the shop came to greet us upfront and to know our thoughts about the new bike. Doug and I were both enthusiastic about the new Bike. But I was really impressed with Doug’s excitement about the new bike. After all, Doug rides many old school bikes. Real old school ones like his 1970-something Moto Guzzi 850 Eldorado. And on our bar conversations, when we talk bikes, he is always the first to show skepticism towards new electronic technology on the bikes. But surprisingly he liked the Skyhook semi-active suspension (DSS). And he also liked the revised motor and felt the red bike required more rider’s work and input during a ride. Which can be a good thing. Or not.
When we were walking back to our bikes I mentioned to Doug: “Now we will feel the real difference.” He replied: “I’m the one who will really feel the difference,” as he mounted his 850 Eldorado. The Tiger felt soft, sluggish and heavy. And the Tiger is an awesome bike!
2013 Multistrada 1200 or 2010-12 model?
Would I buy one of these bikes? The 2013 is really appealing to me. I think Ducati has produced a motorcycle that has a more clear touring capability, without dismissing the sport performance. I did not try urban or enduro, but with the touring and sport modes I can more clearly see the distinctions between the two modes. The semi-active suspension is an improvement, evolutionary in feel. Overall it is a more refined motorcycle.
For the people who appreciate that old school feel, there are plenty of brand new 2012 bikes still available. An Ohlins bike may become a coveted item. They are not really old school, as they obviously come packed-full of technology. At the shop here in town they have a brand new 2012 on the floor that you can get with some Ducati factory incentives. So if you are interested in that 2012 that is on the floor, in a nice titanium color, stop by at the European Motorcycles of Western Oregon and talk to Scott or Mickey. And there is a brand new silver 2013 on the floor as well (besides the demo bike I rode). And maybe there is a special one to arrive at some point in the future with my name on it.
Now, listen to me: if you don’t want to buy one of these bikes don’t take them for a test ride, especially the new one! And don’t say you were not warned!