Anyone had any experience of a Multistrada?

The_Abyss

The_Abyss

The_Abyss

Soldato
Joined
15 May 2007
Posts
12,804
Location
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 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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom