Ducati Sporting Club UK - shall I get one?

Ducati Sporting Club UK (/msgboard.php)

- - shall I get one? (/showthread.php?t=4068)

shall I get one?

Perhaps this is n't the right section to ask the question, but as this is the section used by you Multistrada people and perhaps some of the replies might help future users considering buying one I thought i might ask a question or two?
My situation:

I am thinking about trading in the 916 for a Multistrada, - and admit to being torn between what I know is practical and right against my heart which loves the look of the 916.

I bought the 916 a year ago and have done about 3500miles on her, - i don't find her uncomfortable but i do have problems within my own head about riding her as she has to be ridden on the road (full on). There are also times when I want to just pop out on the bike into town with jeans and leather jacket and not the full gear, - I would also like to be able to use a bike from time to time to take the wife on the back, - I also love being part of the Ducati ownership thing. To me this all leads to one bike; The Multistrada, but how can I part with the most beautiful bike in the world? If only I could justify having 2 Ducatis, but I can't as it would n't be fair on the family.

So is the Multistrada enough of a thrill to ride to replace the buzz of a 916?
Is the engine enough? Is it smooth? I found the 916 to be smoother than my old 900SL.The problems I read that some of you have had with yours I read as Ducati niggles that are part of the ownership of the brand so I have no issues there. I know I need to go test ride one, - but I believe keefyboy you have both types of bikes, - how do you find the differing rides? I followed you around wet Mallory, - and it was a great site to see you exit Gerrards on the outside of me sitting up there in the sky.
Excuse me unburdening my troubles on you here.

Ian, I sold my 16month old beautiful red 996 at end of May after just one 2.5 hour long test ride on a Multistrada. It was definitely love at first ride(ohh errr, missus!).
Don't get me wrong I too had yearned for a 996 since buying my first Ducati (750ss) back in 1999. Even took her on a 3,000 mile circumnavigation of Europe but for all the very reasons that you are wrestling with in your own mind I knew in my heart of hearts it was nothing more than a short term relationship, a brief passionate affair if you like!
If I was going to get the best out of me and my bike on the road then I had to settle for the more practical Multistrada.
With the imminent advent of road charging in Edinburgh I now regularly use the bike for that brief ride into town without the need to get all suited and booted up! No sore wrists and back bumbling around town and the panniers are great load-luggers.
What I would stress though is that I don't see having a Multistrada as settling for second best. For normal every day riding on our roads it's every bit as fun and exciting as the 996 and to be honest I haven't noticed any real appreciable difference in performance. I even believe that the Multistrada is more confidence building and definitely more forgiving on the road.
As for looks well after the 996 nothing was ever going to look as good but it does grow on you. The only real disaapointment was that it didn't sound as good as the 996 but recent fitting of a set of Termi's have sorted that out.
Add a few DP parts and accessories and it really is the business. As for niggles the most annoying of the few there have been is the unavailability of accessories although that has in recent weeks begun to sort itself out, slowly but surely.
I for one don't ever regret replacing the 996 with the MS. On the contrary I now take the bike out much more often and use it in circumstances I wouldn't have dreamed of using the 996.
Try one out and I'm sure you too will be converted.:D
Best of luck and let us know how you get on!:roll:

I had a sit on one yesterday, - and it does feel a bit short, - perhaps flatter bars may help. There seems to be a few demonstarators around for sale, - but not sure I want to but a Ducati demo bike, - has it been warmed up before riding off?

If i is not a rude question how much is the termi system?

I am going to test ride one and get a trade in price!!

[Edited on 24-10-2003 by Ian]

Have you thought about the ST4S, especially the new 2004 one which looks much better from the front.

A real gentlemans express !

Hi Ian,Ive been away for a few days,so Ive only just picked up this thread.
I bought my 'Strada initially as a second bike to my 999,but now I think of it as an equal,complementing the superbike series.I think that LWH has basically answered all your questions.The differance for me is that on the 'Strada you dont have to try hard to have fun,ie,go ballistic and "prove" yourself and your bikes abilities.What I mean by that is,if you want to pootle down the shops in a paddock jacket and jeans or take the missus to a country pub and not dress up like a Power Ranger then the 'Strada will do it.If you wanted to go touring around the UK or Europe then the 'Strada will do it.And if you want to do track days,.....................well you know the answer to that!;)
The 2 valve motor is a peach,and lets get real here,you dont need any more than the 84bhp it produces on the open road.It'll do 100mph all day with a top whack of 131 bolt upright and 138 if you bury your head under the screen.Thats fast enough,innit?
Dont get me wrong tho,I still love the speed and thrill of the superbikes.Its just the 'Strada is a more practical bike for all occasions.I did look at Monsters,but a great big bloke like me looks silly on those.(No offence Yorkie!)ST2,hmmm maybe.Certainly it does just about everything the 'Strada does,but the 'Strada is a taller bike giving me loads more confidence in town and back lanes.It great being able to see over cars and hedges.The wide bars make it easy to hustle the bike around.For me the Multistrada is an easier bike to ride than the ST.Nope,the 'Strada it is then.

Get a test ride,take off your 916 glasses and enjoy.Hey,if you are up this way,you can have a go on mine if you like!:D

Hi Ian, I think between Keefyboy and myself we've put up a pretty good sales pitch don't you think?:roll:
Termi system for MS costs a mere £689 inclusive of VAT (when I say 'mere' I mean relative to a system fora 9**). Add another couple of hours labour for fitting. I had center stand fitted at same time and between that and Termis's total bill still under(just!) £900.00.
I've also had high screen and panniers fitted, and desperately waiting on hugger, carbon belly pan, comfort seat and rear seat cowl.
Then I'll start on some more carbon bits maybe, once they've got supply problems sorted out.
I'd also offer you a go on my bike but I fear I might just be a tad out of the way for you.
My local dealer has a MS Demo for sale. I think theywere looking for something in order of £6.5k. Seems a good deal!
Good Luck!:sing:

your replies have been really helpfull, - and confirmed what I had hoped, - in that the MS is a real world bike that by the sound of it does n't dissapoint. And in relative terms that temis system is just such good value :lol: it does sound it though when comparing with the 9** range! Not that my wife would see it that way!
I guess motorcycling is a bit horse for course really and you have to pick the bike that best suits your requirements best. Perhaps up until The MS there has not been a bike that will do a bit everything so well. The ST range seems a bit too tourer focused for me, CK was good enough to let me ride her monster and it did bring about a big grin, - but I do want to do a week on the continent next spring so would like a bit of fairing protection. And 100mph cruising is enough (on autobarns of course), although the occasional excursion beyond that from time to time would do no harm!?

The commitment of the 916 hit home again the other week, - apart from the fact that come the winter it is n't so much fun to ride as the tyres have to be warm to work, myself and the wife needed to dash up to one of the Foreign consulate buildings off Picadilly. So the choice was car and congestion charge with expensive parking, train and tube or 916 being uncomfortable and in pain for a very slow 15 miles, - we took the train and tube.

The demo one close to me is around £6.5k but it's silver :( It seems new they are £7.6K with £400 extras or £7.2K with nothing thrown in. It is all aboout trade in value though really unless i sell privatley of course.

I think you will be doing well to get a new one for under 7.6k.(official UK bike)
I fully expect the price will rise soon,in fact in the latest On yer Bike ad,they list the 'Strada as 7750.
If you cant get a red one,what about black.I was in Riders of Bridgewater the other day and they had one in,looked great.

On the subject of accessories,QB carbon now do a selection of bits including a hugger,exhaust guard and swingarm guard.Just need someone to make cheaper screens!

[Edited on 25-10-2003 by keefyboy]

ok..... so i want the black paint job on the tank and plastic, - red frame and black wheels. Why am I so awkward? OK i will take what i am offered. :)

Black does look good.

I will keep you guys posed once i have ridden one, thanks again.

Aha,you want one a bit like this.
Does it look good or what!?!

Hey Ian,
Local Dealer in Edinburgh has got an ex-demo MS with a sticker price of £6250.00!
Got to be a bit of bunce in there too for negotiation/ trade-in!
I understand that it has somewhere between 2.5-3k miles and of course it's red!
Seems a pretty good buy! :roll:

Yep the price is going up to 7750 soon.
ItaliaMoto Lincoln have got a good selection of new ones,(all colours including black) and a s/h silver one.

I thought I would get out of the Tesco's food shop today so announced to the wife that i had to take the 916 into the bike shop.
Well it was a bit more than pop in, - they let me out on their demo bike, - i will only need 20 minutes i said as i left, - 1 1/2 hours later I came back with a big smile. I will ramble on a bit here as it might be useful for other prospective MS ponder-errs.

Swinging a leg over it felt fine for me, - I am about 5'11", - it is tall compared to the 916, but the 916 is very low.
My first thoughts were, as i pulled away and then braked to get around some parked bikes were that the brakes were too fierce and the forks were too soft, - never had the front end dive before you see. Then i noticed a draft down each boot as again for the first time in ages my legs were n't bent backwards. The seating position is a bit odd as you do sit forward with bent arms. I headed off around the back roads of Gatwick which have some nice twisties but are full of holes, drains and covered in mud in places, - i was cautious but not as cautious as i would have been on the 916, - the seating position and wide bars do give you a feeling of being in control of the bike rather than at times the feeling i get of just being the crash test dummy. I came up behind a CBR600 and thought I would be polite and stay behind him, - 2 bends later i thought sod this (he was kicking up stones and far slower than i wanted to be), - so i went by expecting him to tag on, 2 bends later i could n't see him ( i could even look over my shoulder which is a no go on the 916, although the mirrors are no better). Within a couple of miles I was really enjoying myself, - the seat is odd, - it is perhaps too hard and does feel a bit tilted towards the front, - a couple of times i tried to push myself back to get more comfy, - it could be the bars though that need to be straighter and an inch away from me. Realizing that I was now on the outskirts of Dorking I thought i had better turn back, - and I did a U-turn in the road without putting a foot down!!!!!!! Back down the country lane again, - passed the CBR, - he did n't want to knod, - this time i thought i would give it a bit of way-heeeee, - and true Duc she pulls clean from 3000, - the rear suspension squats a bit and the front goes light, but no big deal. 2 cars ahead and the first left hander of an s-bend just ahead of them, - i went for it, passed them, rolled off the throttle and cornered easily, - it felt as fast round the bends as the 916, but so much easier, - i was n't concerned with the joins and bumps of the road, the MS just coped, - if it wobbled it was no big deal. The ride form here to the M23 went with me looking over the hedges and not noticing the bike, - i was doing something that i had not done in a while which was to just enjoy being out in the fresh air looking at the scenery. Onto the motorway for 1 junction, - accelerated by a Fazer 600 onto the road and out into the fast lane, - ***mph, - it is stable, i was expecting a weave, the only complaint is the screen puts too much wind onto your head, but i guess that is easily sorted. I guesstimate that 90mph cruising all day is no problem (on autobahns of course), perhaps 100mph with a better screen. Would be interesting to know if panniers bring on a weave? Off the motorway and back towards the dealers, - i was impressed, the bike rides better than he looks as if it will, i knew it handled from following keefyboy around Mallory. It is not as "plush" comfortable as i thought it would be, - but the most important thing is that it just lets you ride with a smile. It can be what you want it to be. The 916 needs t be controlled and mastered to get anything out of it, - it is a summer, dry road no traffic no speed traps bike. I did get back onto the 916 and had that initial feeling of having my hands hugging the front tyre, - but there is still part of me that still loves the full on committed ride, - i just need to decide what is right for me, -do i accept that i am 40 next year and get more sensible, to be honest i would like to own both, - i know the MS would get used more, and that perhaps tells its own story about what 1 bike i should own.
As keefyboy said prices have gone up, the black is available and there is a new 0% finance deal. As usual the trade in price was not what i had hoped for, - i understand that they cannot give the same payback on magnesium Marchesinis and carbon stuff.
One thing that did concern me and you guys with them can advise on, - the front brake when warm was really juddering if i braked hard, - when very warm it almost through the bars out of my hands, not a problem as i was down to walking pace by then - is that warped disks? - Not normal is it?

[Edited on 15-11-2003 by Ian]

Yep,they all do that sir.Dunno what it is,seems to effect some more than others.I mentioned it on the 1st service.Mine only seemed to do it on the last 20-15 mph before stopping.After the service,could I make it do it again?Could I buggery.Went out on it the other day and it juddered everywhere.
Expect some sort of fix/recall soon...........or not!;)

Oh,and the bike deffo needs the comfort screen as standard.100mph cruising and the wind blast is trying to rip my helmet off.Just waiting for mine to turn up at Italia.

[Edited on 15-11-2003 by keefyboy]

Ian, looks like you've been Stada'd!!!:lol:
Everything you say was just so similar to what I experienced on my first test ride even down to getting back on my 996 and feeling like I was hugging the front tyre, although I put it more like I was getting on a mini-moto!
I've got comfort screen which is a big improvement even for me at 6' 1 and a bit. As for panniers, fully loaded or empty I've never experienced as much as a wobble. The booklet states that you are not recommended to exceed 120km/h when fitted, but alas I never read this 'til much later having done a steady 80-95mph on a weekend away, without mishap. :roll:

Seems to me that you've all but convinced yourself!:D

PS My dealer still has red ex-demo with £6k price tag---go on you know it makes sense!:lol:

PPS Brake judder - I initially thought that it was just that brakes hadn't bedded themselves in and to be fair I tend to use gearbox to provide a lot of braking rather than front stopper, but after best part of 3k miles it's still there, but not that bad that I can't put up with it!

[Edited on 17-11-2003 by luckywhiteheather]

i need to get off my backside and go and sort this out really, - do you think it is still too early to sell the 916 for the right money?

I have had "travellers" parked up 500 yards from my house so have not dared even open the garage for the last month.

Aargh,decisions,decisions!
Bit of a dilema there mate.Do you sell the 916 now and lose out on a good price?
Or hold on for the warmer weather and get a better price?
Tough call.
There are a few s/h Multistrada's for sale at the mo,one in the comic and two on www.multistrada.net.Trouble is,they will get snapped up too,when the weather cheers up.
The choice,as they say,is yours!
I'm not being very helpful,am I?!?!:)

As too panniers bringing on a weave, thought I would answer this since I have more experience than most of riding a Ducati with panniers.
The manual for the ST4S states that panniers shouldn't be used at over 120kph-really! Well I have had an indicated 146mph on mine 2 up, bolt upright (you try getting down with my tankbag) and I have to say at that speed it did weave a bit-mainly in and out of the traffic :devil: (This was on the Italian A1 2 years ago) Last year with Jo on the back we clocked 140 once and over 130 loads of times with no weave at all-I would guess the Multistrada would be similar.

John

Ian there are a couple for of Multistradas on e-bay just now. One in Norfolk, the silver one is in MCN I think and a red one down your end of the country as well.

To far to travell or I would have a look myself.

When to sell is always a problem.

.. you don't want one of those. You want a nice VFR you do m:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

Henners, - your screen badge is going to have to have the words "touring boy" in brackets. :roll:

Good to have chat to you keefy, - more wise helpful words.

I really want to keep the 916 and really want to get a MS. Now do I be sensible and only have one bike or...........

Ian, just stop dithering m8!:devil:

Do it!!! - keep the 916 & get the other too.

There, decision made.

JUST DO IT!!!!!!!

C
xxxx:saint:

Two Dukes are always better than one!
You know it makes sence.
Ive stuck a pic of our bikes on the Photo board.

went in today to get the figures for buying that second Duc for the collection. hmmmmm I think I might you know. Seems you can get 400 squid off list and 0% for 2 years 40% deposit. Would be rude not to?

Yeeess! Go on my son!
You know it makes sence!;):D

deal in principal today..............watch this space.

Well done mate,have you stopped grinning yet?:D:D:D