Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > Multistrada: Enduro / Pikes Peak / V4 / V2 / 1260 / 1200 / 1100 / 1000 > Ohlins Suspension

[Steve-S]

Just got my new Multi-SDS. The ride is too hard for the B roads I use a lot but i am reluctant to adjust the settings until it beds in a bit. How long does it need to bed in? Any body found a good set up for a 13(ish) stone rider using a lot of twisty & bumpy B roads?

[Gizmo]

the Ohlins on the S DS can feel harsh, I've been trying to get some base settings for it for a while but so far most of the work myself and another SDS owner have done has resulted in us spending more time sorting the geometry than the actual suspension. when you say hard, is that both ends front or rear?? have you got rear preload wound right out??

[Steve-S]

I wound the preload right out half way home, it was nearly on the hardest setting & this obviously helped a bit. I felt both ends skipping off the bumps in the road so things were a bit twitchy. I was going to back off the damping at both ends but thought I would ask first. I usually have my bikes quite firm on the front but this one feels feels a bit vague in the corners; doesnt feel planted enough. It sounds daft but the standard demonstrator I tried seem to cope better with bumpy roads although it did wallow a bit mid corner.

[Gizmo]

yup, i owned a DS and it handled way better than the S hence the work underway to sort it out. I've got almost all the compression damping off and rebound mid way, no preload either end ( I'm only 65kg) but had zero confidence in the front end, it always feels like its running wide yet at same time could tuck. Settings we are now at both involve raising the rear, its hard to measure as its the eccentric swingarm and you can't get a datum tool for it but both myself and another S DS owner have moved up to 260mm on the tie bar way beyond what Ducati say is the max but we can't find any reason why they stick to 255 other than the old short sidestand issue of very early bikes, 5 rings showing on forks. this pushes weight further forward and seems to help the front, you may find rear spring is OK, the stock 90 is too stiff for me but Keith is a lot heavier and is running a stiffer, 160 ( Ohlins stock is 170) length spring ( can't recall weight) and finds it OK. I need softer fork springs and less oil his front end is OK ( he's about 110 KG I think). If you do raise the rear it may make it seem harsher but we both feel you can brake more easily into corners and because of this the suspension seems to work rather than just sitting extended.

Its interesting that no mags have picked up on the S "quirks" other RPM in its latest issue, its the first time I've seen a reviewer discern the differences between an S and a DS and they are very different.

[Steve-S]

Thanks for this info, I'm glad its not just me!!
I will run the bike up to the first service the try the damping settings you suggest first. With my weight between yours & Keiths it will be interesting to see the outcome. My old 900ss was rock hard when I got it but worked ok when I took the compression damping on both ends down to 20% & rebound on the front down to 40%.
Its also unfair to judge it too harshly until the tyres are well scrubbed in but I don't like the feeling of the front end pushing in corners.
Keep me posted on what you find & I'll do likewise.
Ta

[UglyDuckling]

Having both a 900ss and a Mulitistrada, I found that the front end of the Multistrada does feel like it runs wide and compared to the SS it does. Haven't had the time to sort it out yet, but as I'm trying to sell both bikes I'm not going to try to hard.