Anyone had any experience of a Multistrada?

The_Abyss

The_Abyss

The_Abyss

Soldato
Joined
15 May 2007
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Ipswich / Bodham
I've had my Aprilia Shiver for a couple of years now, and I'm not using it as I planned. I used to ride it to work (6 mile commute each way, mostly town roads) every day apart from the salted roads of winter, but now I rarely ride it for the commute - mainly because I no longer have the time to suit up and now often commute onwards (train) to London.

I also no longer ride as much at the weekends, but do have plans to try and get a good, longer 3 or 4 day tour in every year instead. I'm looking at the Multistrada to do this.

There's no cruise control, but there does seem to be good power and handling for a tourer. I'm a bit curious about the most recent model though, with the introduction of the Skyhook active suspension.

Any thought on this, or generally otherwise?
 
I love it, but sadly decided to go traveling instead of buy one. I test rode one 3 times. Each time I just didn't want to get off it.

Go test ride it, you will absolutely love it!
 
Ever thought about a Triumph Explorer, excellent looking bike which im considering for my next toy. Its got cruise control and a drive shaft so no oiling chains:)
 
I came across the Explorer when looking at some reviews on YouTube. It seems to have some great attributes, as well as some of the missing features from the Multistrada, but I just can't get excited by the look when considering a touring option.

I've booked a test ride on the 2013 Multistrada for a week tomorrow. There's no getting away from the fact that it is a horribly expensive (and dare I say, overpriced) bike when buying new, so I'm really interested in the big difference between the pre-2013 models and now - the active suspension. I'll ride the current bike and then have a look at couple of the older ones to compare.
 
I considered and rode one when I bought the GS, but the chain drive put me off, and it's not as good 2-up or for carrying as much luggage. Awesome engine though.

Personally I still think the GS is the best all round bike I've ever owned or ridden, but it does depend on your priorities. Mines used for weekday all year round commuting in all weathers (I wouldn't use a Ducati for that), long tours 2 up with camping equipment and sunny sunday blasts, where taking off all the luggage and setting the electronic suspension to 'Sports' mode completely changes the feel and attitude of the bike. It's much lighter than you think (over 20kg lighter than the Triumph). The engine isn't anywhere near as powerful as the Ducati, but it is full of character, and is pretty much just right for the road.

You should at least test ride one when spending that much money.
 
Thanks very much for the feedback - it really is very useful. I'm test riding the Multistrada this weekend and will then take a look at the other recommendations too. The BMW certainly ticks a few more paper boxes than the Ducati.
 
I thought I'd update this with a little feedback from the test.

In the end we took out two bikes - the Multistrada 1200 S and the Hyperstrada. I was first on the Hyperstrada, and it was a very odd feeling at first, as you're so upright and forward it feels as though you're sitting on the front wheel. The engine is pretty lumpy low down, and as you move up through the revs there's some fine vibration through the throttle - not enough to notice but enough to start a little numbness and tingling after 10 - 15 minutes. The wind protector flexes a lot and doesn't really offer the protection you'd expect relative to its size. On the whole, the bike felt a little cheap and plastic. That's the bad stuff.

The good? The bike feels very light, almost to the point of skittish, and the engine is very snappy in Sport mode. It didn't take long to get good confidence in the bike and start to attack corners more aggressively. Although for a £10k bike that's sold as offering the capability to tour I wouldn't want to travel a long distance on one any more than I would my current Aprilia.

Next up was the Multistrada. This is the biggest bike I've ever ridden, so my thoughts are likely to be not as balanced as others. You certainly notice the size, especially the width, but on the move the bike is very light and well balanced. It only takes a little push with either feet or hands and the bike follows well. There's a lot more wind protection than the Hyperstrada and it was altogether more comfortable as you'd expect from a bigger bike. I could ride with my visor up slightly and get a good breeze without a diet of insects.

Even in Sport mode, the bike didn't really feel like it had 150 bhp, and I put that down to it's size. It was certainly pretty rapid, and on the ride there really wasn't any opportunity to really test it out to the full without breaking a host of speed limits. Setting the engine mapping to touring made a noticeable difference, with a far more linear power delivery.

The active suspension seemed excellent - certainly very comfortable - and the ABS brakes, bearing in mind the size of the bike, were composed and could stop it very quickly. Unlike my Aprilia, the rear brake actually seems to work too :D Overall, I absolutely loved the Multistrada. Whether it really is 4 bikes in 1 I've no idea from the ride I took, but I could easily see myself clocking up a few hundred miles in a day if need be, and then having a bit of fun at the destination the next day without feeling cramped from the journey or without feeling underpowered.

I'll set up a ride on the BMW in the next couple of weekends, and then decide if I've learned enough or if I need to try another different bike.
 
I'll be interested to see what you think about the BMW.

There's no doubt the Ducati is more powerful, but you do need to work it more. The BMW just has loads of low down grunt. Even though the Explorer has a fair bit more power on paper the BMW beats it in all top gear roll on tests
 
So I took the GS out, and I think my view was clouded a little from the start as I didn't bond with it at all. It feels just a little more upright than the Multistrada, but feels a lot more top heavy - not cumbersome but just less balanced. The engine was very different - lots more delivery on lower revs but I could really feel the torque unbalancing the ride. I'm not a hugely experienced rider, so perhaps I'm more sensitive to it.

The whole experience was a little odd - there's nothing wrong with the bike but it just didn't feel like it suited me. It is definitely underpowered in comparison to the Ducati, but it didn't feel lacking in power for the bike itself. I think the GS is just a little too suited for off-road for me, something I wouldn't be comfortable with for a bike of this size and something that I don't envisage needing to use at all. The Ducati seems aimed more at the road, and that's what I really want.

Interestingly though, I followed a Tiger whilst on my ride. That really does look (and sound - the sound is amazing when pushed!) like a great bike until you get to the front which I personally find horribly ugly. I think I really do need to try one, as the reviews suggest it betters the GS and is a great alternative to the Ducati, but I'm not sure I could really love it - a bit like a ginger step son (sorry step sons everywhere).

So, one more test ride - on the Tiger - and then I think I need to get on the Multistrada once again before making my mind up.
 
It does take a while to gel with the GS, especially the Boxer engine. The torque curve is so flat it's a very different delivery than a V twin. That shaking the bike thing is real - at a standstill when you blip the throttle it tries to rotate the bike around the engine :D. I love it though - a really characterful engine.

Was it the new water cooled one you took out? I haven't ridden one yet but I've heard they're not quite as soulful as the air/oil cooled
 
To be honest if you're one up and want a sports tourer type bike then it sounds like the Multistrada is a better fit for you.

For me the GS is more of an all rounder, and crucially much better 2-up with camping equipment, which is how most of my tours seem to be now. It's also a bit more hard wearing for a daily commute throughout the year too, but if they aren't considerations then the Ducati really is a lovely bike :)

My GS is due for a service in the next few weeks and I cant decide if I should take the new bike out on test or not. I don't want to be tempted by it when mine is only a year old! I might be tempted when they bring out an Adventure version of it though - I kind of wished I'd gone for that, as I've added a lot of the extras anyway and 300 mile+ range woukd be reassuring in Europe
 
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Give it a try, just don't take your wallet to the test ride ;)

I think you've summed up the differences perfectly. The BMW feels like it could go over some fairly rough terrain (although I doubt I'd have the skill to do that on such a heavy bike) and feels solid. The Ducati seems to nod it's head to touring and trail riding just enough to either let you ride comfortably somewhere where you can then use it for a bit of a hoon, or to ride the last 100 yards down a dusty trail where you're camping for the night. The BMW could go over the mountain, the Ducati would race around it.
 
I'd agree with the above. I have access to both a GS and a Multistrada (well, the ducati is my father's but I am insured to ride it). I was moving away from litre sports bike when i got the GS, and felt that the Ducati was too sports bike like in it's power delivery. I preferred the laziness of the GS, which can still accelerate hard when you need it to. I also find the gs more comfortable on long rides. Having said that, i do take the Ducati out for a quick blast every now and then...

My GS was serviced last month, and I was hoping to get a shot on the new water cooler version, but sadly all they had was a 700gs. A colleauge at work has just bought the water cooled version and has said I can have a shot on it at some point, so i'm looking forward to that.
 
Interesting thread, I'm in the same mindset. I've been riding since I was 17, hitting 41 this weekend and finding my RSV-R just too damn uncomfortable. Have a girlfriend who loves riding pillion, and do fancy some long rides around Europe - so toying with trading the big twin in for a sports tourer/tourer/adventure tourer. Think Ill need to book a few test rides.
 
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