matjam
Crusty old UNIX engineer
So, with my disenchantment with my Tiger Explorer growing daily, I pulled the trigger on a new Multistrada 1260 Touring S.
(bonus KTM Ken in the background)
After 5 days of riding it, I'm completely besotted. The Panigale sulks in the garage and the only thing that makes her even look at me is when I mention that I'll be taking her to the track.
People rave about the suspension, and yes - it's cool - in Touring mode, the way I've configured it, it's like a sofa. A rocket propelled sofa. Press a button, switch it to Sport, it hunkers down lowering it's ride height and stiffens it's suspension, and suddenly I'm hurtling down Del Puerto Canyon Rd after a small Chinese mate of mine on a Honda thou with the front beak of my multistrada just nipping at his heels - the Pirelli Scorpions doing their job but clearly not quite good enough with the traction control light screaming at me out of every corner. I feel this bike would be better shod with proper Sport Touring tires - not these "a little bit of everything" shoes that don't quite have the grip you're looking for as you're scrubbing speed off into a corner and whacking the throttle wide open on the exit.
No, it's the engine that's grabbed me. The Panigale develops all it's torque up high, and thats just great - for the track - but the Diavel derived plant in the Multistrada is like a tractor engine from about 3.5k revs all the way up. And as you get higher, it just gets more bonkers.
When I was commuting on the Panigale, I kept having to reign myself in because it's only ever comfortable when you have the throttle open enough to sit you back in the seat and take the weight off your wrists. The Multi on the other hand, is comfortable at any speed, and commuting on her through traffic, through wet weather or dry, is all done with no fuss at all. The exhaust rewards you with a delicious little pop when you change gears, and the L twin rumble constantly massages that little part of your brain that wants to hear more of it. So, I find myself reigning myself in, just for different reasons.
Speaking about the gearbox; quickshift with autoblip should be standard equipment. Commuting through traffic is so much easier when you can just pop it down to 2nd as you come up to slow traffic, and let the engine just slow you down as you enter the split. And of course, it's great fun when you're out in the canyons. Finding neutral when it had 0 miles on the box was initially difficult but now it's up around 500 miles it's starting to get easier, and the gear shifts are smooth and purposeful.
The TC is extremely configurable. I have yet to find exactly where I want it, and honestly I think I want to replace the tires with something a little stickier on the edges, so that will change things. But it's not intrusive yet it works well when it needs to. Commuting over the bay bridge in the rain yesterday, I hit those metal meat grinder things joining the sections of the bridge and cracked the gas a little bit to see how it would handle it and TC intervened nicely telling me to stop being a fucking idiot, and I thanked it and apologized to it for making it work. Not even a slight wiggle, just carefully moderated power and a blaring orange light in my face.
The ABS is likewise sensible and progressive. Previous ABS systems I've had on touring bikes were about as subtle as a sledgehammer; notably the one in the Tiger Explorer (the 2015 model I have) modulates the brakes like you're driving a Corolla. On off on off on off. Obviously the fancy pants Bosch cornering ABS unit with IMU gubbins has got a lot more going on that what was in my Triumph - though I will note they've probably got a just-as-capable unit in the new Explorers.
Other equipment that has me happy; heated handgrips and cruise control - which should just be standard in 2019 - and the updated electronics with the integration with headsets which means that the bike can be the central connection point for your headset and phone, and you can control calls and music from the Multistrada's electronic dash and controls on the left hand.
I noted that there's two powerlet connectors, one up front and one under the seat, for accessories. But personally, I would love it if they would give you a little hatch for the plug, and a place to stow wires and such, as invariably attaching things like phones etc gets a bit messy. I've somewhat solved the problem but not 100% happy with the zip ties.
Time will tell on the reliability - but Volkswagen owned Ducati have been doing better on that front in general. I guess because the Germans are out there standing over the production lines slapping wrists when the Italians start getting sloppy. My Panigale has been super reliable over 26000 hard miles of northern California riding.
Machines like the S1000XR might be "better" machines in that they are faster on the track. The Triumph Tiger Explorer 1200 is a solid machine, but agricultural compared to the Multistrada. The KTMs are similarly "cool" and obviously have the bonkers attitude that one looks for in a machine like this, but for the kind of money you're laying down to get one, I feel the Multistrada is just more refined. Out here in the world I live in, the Multi is the weapon of choice for me.
Like all loves in life, only time will tell if it will last and be something that I can build a relationship on. I'm just hoping that my Panigale will be open to allowing another bike into our relationship. I'll have to make sure to buy her some nice Pazzo levers or something. She likes the fancy aftermarket stuff.
(bonus KTM Ken in the background)
People rave about the suspension, and yes - it's cool - in Touring mode, the way I've configured it, it's like a sofa. A rocket propelled sofa. Press a button, switch it to Sport, it hunkers down lowering it's ride height and stiffens it's suspension, and suddenly I'm hurtling down Del Puerto Canyon Rd after a small Chinese mate of mine on a Honda thou with the front beak of my multistrada just nipping at his heels - the Pirelli Scorpions doing their job but clearly not quite good enough with the traction control light screaming at me out of every corner. I feel this bike would be better shod with proper Sport Touring tires - not these "a little bit of everything" shoes that don't quite have the grip you're looking for as you're scrubbing speed off into a corner and whacking the throttle wide open on the exit.
No, it's the engine that's grabbed me. The Panigale develops all it's torque up high, and thats just great - for the track - but the Diavel derived plant in the Multistrada is like a tractor engine from about 3.5k revs all the way up. And as you get higher, it just gets more bonkers.
When I was commuting on the Panigale, I kept having to reign myself in because it's only ever comfortable when you have the throttle open enough to sit you back in the seat and take the weight off your wrists. The Multi on the other hand, is comfortable at any speed, and commuting on her through traffic, through wet weather or dry, is all done with no fuss at all. The exhaust rewards you with a delicious little pop when you change gears, and the L twin rumble constantly massages that little part of your brain that wants to hear more of it. So, I find myself reigning myself in, just for different reasons.
Speaking about the gearbox; quickshift with autoblip should be standard equipment. Commuting through traffic is so much easier when you can just pop it down to 2nd as you come up to slow traffic, and let the engine just slow you down as you enter the split. And of course, it's great fun when you're out in the canyons. Finding neutral when it had 0 miles on the box was initially difficult but now it's up around 500 miles it's starting to get easier, and the gear shifts are smooth and purposeful.
The TC is extremely configurable. I have yet to find exactly where I want it, and honestly I think I want to replace the tires with something a little stickier on the edges, so that will change things. But it's not intrusive yet it works well when it needs to. Commuting over the bay bridge in the rain yesterday, I hit those metal meat grinder things joining the sections of the bridge and cracked the gas a little bit to see how it would handle it and TC intervened nicely telling me to stop being a fucking idiot, and I thanked it and apologized to it for making it work. Not even a slight wiggle, just carefully moderated power and a blaring orange light in my face.
The ABS is likewise sensible and progressive. Previous ABS systems I've had on touring bikes were about as subtle as a sledgehammer; notably the one in the Tiger Explorer (the 2015 model I have) modulates the brakes like you're driving a Corolla. On off on off on off. Obviously the fancy pants Bosch cornering ABS unit with IMU gubbins has got a lot more going on that what was in my Triumph - though I will note they've probably got a just-as-capable unit in the new Explorers.
Other equipment that has me happy; heated handgrips and cruise control - which should just be standard in 2019 - and the updated electronics with the integration with headsets which means that the bike can be the central connection point for your headset and phone, and you can control calls and music from the Multistrada's electronic dash and controls on the left hand.
I noted that there's two powerlet connectors, one up front and one under the seat, for accessories. But personally, I would love it if they would give you a little hatch for the plug, and a place to stow wires and such, as invariably attaching things like phones etc gets a bit messy. I've somewhat solved the problem but not 100% happy with the zip ties.
Time will tell on the reliability - but Volkswagen owned Ducati have been doing better on that front in general. I guess because the Germans are out there standing over the production lines slapping wrists when the Italians start getting sloppy. My Panigale has been super reliable over 26000 hard miles of northern California riding.
Machines like the S1000XR might be "better" machines in that they are faster on the track. The Triumph Tiger Explorer 1200 is a solid machine, but agricultural compared to the Multistrada. The KTMs are similarly "cool" and obviously have the bonkers attitude that one looks for in a machine like this, but for the kind of money you're laying down to get one, I feel the Multistrada is just more refined. Out here in the world I live in, the Multi is the weapon of choice for me.
Like all loves in life, only time will tell if it will last and be something that I can build a relationship on. I'm just hoping that my Panigale will be open to allowing another bike into our relationship. I'll have to make sure to buy her some nice Pazzo levers or something. She likes the fancy aftermarket stuff.
ort