dangerous test ride

[Motorcycle_Girl]

I think that the Mulitstrada is a great bike and I wish that I could take one for a test ride...but alas the 33.5 inch seat height counts me out. I need leg extension surgery...lol

Next weekend I am off to BMW summerfest here in Ontario. BMW, Ducati, Yamaha, Honda and Suzuki all provide test rides....BMW's rides are both on and off road...looking forward to riding a whole bunch of different bikes next weekend!!!

Celeste

[Mollygrubber]

It was a windy day when I rode it, but the odd thing was that the windshield was never obvious to me, nor was the wind. This will require further explanation... The Cee Baily's shield on my R always produces a little buffeting, and noise. This aspect was completely missing when I rode the Duc. Another cool thing is that the shield raises and lowers; it's not electric, but it's a great feature to have. There are hand screws on each side that you loosen so you can change the position.

Someone at the dealership said they had ridden the bike in the rain, and was worried they'd get soaked -- but they were pleasantly surprised by the fact that they didn't get very wet. So it seems as though the design offers decent protection despite not being fully fared. My take on the wind and weather protection is that it is better than a GS, but not as good as my former Triumph Sprint.

Oh... and just in case you were going to ask, I found the horn on the first try.

Thanks Peck, very helpful.

So, no angry turn signals either... nice.

Peter

[hoflix]

I've seen a couple of them around, and got to examine one up-close... and my conclusion is:

I'D HIT IT !

(I was actually looking for the ADV-style emoticon saying that, but can't find it here )

[ka5ysy]

The front end somehow reminds me of this scooter...

Actually, if you guys have never taken a ride on one of the MP5's, you are in for a treat. It has the really cool feature that you can engage the tilt lock below about 5 mph, and stop without ever putting your feet down. When you accelerate, it automatically releases. That generates a lot of interesting looks from cagers, and the first time you do it your brain will instantly tell you that you are about to fall over ! The 500CC version is quite peppy too. The front end looks a lot like Darth Vader's helment head-on !=D>

[AllanCook]

I was riding past the local Ducati dealer recently and they had the new Multistrada outside. I pulled in for a look. My first impression was quite favorable. It looks a lot better in person than in the photos, and the dealer had tricked it out with a fair number of carbon-fiber bits that really made it look nice. Fit and finish were flawless. The seating position was nice, but not as immediately comfortable to me as the previous MS. The instrumentation was nicely laid out and the bike felt pretty well balanced. I wasn't wowed by the stock silencers, but there is an option for more traditional mufflers. The Pirellis were made specifically for this bike and looked as though they would hold up well under some pretty serious canyon-carving. I declined the opportunity to take it for a spin, since my Beemer isn't quite paid off and I can't be buying a new bike anyway, but if I were in the market, this Italian hotrod dualsport would definitely be worth looking at.

[Mollygrubber]

I was riding past the local Ducati dealer recently and they had the new Multistrada outside. I pulled in for a look. My first impression was quite favorable. It looks a lot better in person than in the photos, and the dealer had tricked it out with a fair number of carbon-fiber bits that really made it look nice. Fit and finish were flawless. The seating position was nice, but not as immediately comfortable to me as the previous MS. The instrumentation was nicely laid out and the bike felt pretty well balanced. I wasn't wowed by the stock silencers, but there is an option for more traditional mufflers. The Pirellis were made specifically for this bike and looked as though they would hold up well under some pretty serious canyon-carving. I declined the opportunity to take it for a spin, since my Beemer isn't quite paid off and I can't be buying a new bike anyway, but if I were in the market, this Italian hotrod droolsport would definitely be worth looking at.

There, fixed it for ya'.

I too am smitten.

However...

1st year production run -1

Really tall seat -1

BMW levels of technology on a non-MotoGP bike? -1 (I smell regular trips to the service dept.)

I'm broke -1

I'd really miss you guys! -5

[jess]

Actually, if you guys have never taken a ride on one of the MP5's, you are in for a treat. It has the really cool feature that you can engage the tilt lock below about 5 mph, and stop without ever putting your feet down. When you accelerate, it automatically releases. That generates a lot of interesting looks from cagers, and the first time you do it your brain will instantly tell you that you are about to fall over ! The 500CC version is quite peppy too. The front end looks a lot like Darth Vader's helment head-on !=D>

When the Piaggio MP3 first arrived on US shores, Piaggio maneuvered an MP3 250 demo model into my hands for a few days so I could write a review of it. Much to my surprise, that review became one of the more widely-read reviews of the MP3 technology, as a lot of people seem to be curious about the riding experience. The models have changed (there's now a 400 and a 500cc version) but the key points about what this technology feels like on the road remains relevant.

Here's the review, if you're curious: http://www.modernvespa.com/forum/topic7574

[peckhammer]

Really tall seat

I keep hearing people say this, but I have a 32" inseam and was able to flat-foot the bike.

[blueviewlaguna]

Really tall seat

I keep hearing people say this, but I have a 32" inseam and was able to flat-foot the bike.

You are lucky - I think a 32" inseam gives you a much wider range of bikes to feel comfortable on than the sub-30" people (I am 29").

I had the local dealer put the "low" seat on for me and it still felt too tall for me to ride comfortably.

[Tarmac]

I stopped by the local Ducati dealership this weekend, and my assessment hasn't changed. It's the uglest Ducati since... the last Multi-Strada! That horrible beak/RAM air duct/MX front fender thingy is beyond description. The whole bike looks like it came off a low budget Sci-fi channel made for TV movie. Maybe a re-make of "Time Rider"?

Ducati is such a cool company, I have no idea why they can't make a bike to fit this niche that looks classy.

Also, the bike clearly isn't a dual-sport. It looks completly un-off road worthy. Any attempt to trail ride on it would result in thousands of dollars worth of damage.

On the plus side, I did really like the little Hyper Motard, and Moto-Guzi v7 Cafe (in green) rocked my socks off.

http://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/ ... 88191.html

[peckhammer]

Also, the bike clearly isn't a dual-sport. It looks completly un-off road worthy. Any attempt to trail ride on it would result in thousands of dollars worth of damage.

Let's face it, the GS isn't a dual sport either, but I've seen the GS ridden in serious off-road situations. Whether a bike can be ridden in off-road/dirt road conditions depends more on the rider than the bike itself. And with the right protective equipment on a bike, they can withstand spills without destroying the bike. Malcolm Smith's son didn't seem to have any trouble hitting triple digit speeds in the dirt aboard a Multistrada:



Also take note that he crashed that Multistrada at 130 mph, on pavement, during practice, and yet he road the same bike on race day. Motorcycles can take quite a bit of abuse.

[Tarmac]

I said "off road".

That beak/RAM/fender thingy would be completely destroyed on the 1st tip over. A log crossing, or triple would destroy the entire under carriage. An honest assessment of the Multi-Strada is that it's about as off road worthy as my R12R.

I've never even thrown a leg over a GS; my last bike was Suzuki DRZ-400SM, so maybe I’m looking at it from a different angle. I had a set of wheels and knobbies off of an S model that I could mount up in about 1/2 an hour, and ride off road. More importantly, you could replace the tank and all the body work for a couple hundred bucks.

Do you have pictures of the bike after the crash? Im willing to bet that the bike sustained THOUSANDS of dollars of damage.

[peckhammer]

I said "off road".

Where did Ducati claim that the Multistrada is an off-road bike, or a dual-sport? The Multistrada and the GS are marketed as Adventure bikes. They are capable of crossing continents. That means riding on streets, superslap, or sub-par roads such as this:



And they can take on this sort of thing on occasion, too:

[Mollygrubber]

You may be a little hard on the poor new Multi, Tarmac! After all, Multistrada means 'many ROADS', not 'OFF roads'... .

In my humble opinion, it would be a killer all-rounder for most people, including regular doses of gravel roads. If you bought one of these expecting it to tackle 'A' route single track, you didn't do your homework, and it's not marketed that way.

However you do have a point in that even the big GS's are probably more capable in true off-road situations (until you have to pick them up repeatedly). However if you study your round the world m/c history you'll find people have done it on RT's, Harleys, scooters, etc. Any bike will do the job, you just have to ride it within it's design parameters.

Winning the Pike's Peak race (and a second Multi coming in third - after falling) is a pretty good endorsement for the new Multistrada. Good thing for my bank account I like my R12R.

Peter

[Kieran R1200R]

However you do have a point in that even the big GS's are probably more capable in true off-road situations (until you have to pick them up repeatedly). However if you study your round the world m/c history you'll find people have done it on RT's, Harleys, scooters, etc. Any bike will do the job, you just have to ride it within it's design parameters.

The above is a very good comment!

i don't care what it is, unless it comes with a shaft drive i'm not interested.
also 150+hp doesn't threaten me either, i'll take one on in any twisties.
there's always going to be new bikes to tempt us off what we currently own.
do you think for one minute that BMW is going to let you wonder away.
Just wait and see what the new R****R will be like!!!!!

[angellr]

However you do have a point in that even the big GS's are probably more capable in true off-road situations (until you have to pick them up repeatedly). However if you study your round the world m/c history you'll find people have done it on RT's, Harleys, scooters, etc. Any bike will do the job, you just have to ride it within it's design parameters.

The above is a very good comment!

i don't care what it is, unless it comes with a shaft drive i'm not interested.
also 150+hp doesn't threaten me either, i'll take one on in any twisties.
there's always going to be new bikes to tempt us off what we currently own.
do you think for one minute that BMW is going to let you wonder away.
Just wait and see what the new R****R will be like!!!!!

Very much agree here! Must have shaft driven, ABS (Am a convert here!!) and be almost totally naked. I hate all of the crap that covers the front end of the bikes (not a fan of the RT, etc.).

The one bike that I would consider over the R12R is the K13R, but they will not allow them here in the US.

As far as going off-road, would not do it in an R12GS - way too heavy for me. I certainly could manhandle the bike, but would not enjoy picking it up time and time again. The new F650GS would be the ideal off-road bike - 800cc of power, can get a lowered seat and can put bags, etc. on it. It is also VERY nimble. If you are worried about long trips with fuel etc, bring along a RotoPax 4-gallon gas system.

Just my proverbial $0.02.

[peckhammer]

Winning the Pike's Peak race (and a second Multi coming in third - after falling) is a pretty good endorsement for the new Multistrada.

I just want to clarify that the "fall" in engineers corner at 130 mph was during practice. The bike was scraped up, but still straight and rideable. They weren't using crashbars on these multis in order to keep the weight down. And that same bike did place third on race day, as you indicated.

Here is engineers corner: