Riding Black
Warm noses on an icy day
First photo : Sadie nuzzles Andrea Lorang at Black Nugget Ranch, a family-friendly horse-boarding facility in Issaquah named for the coal that was once mined in the area. Lorang said she kept the 17 horses in their stalls Sunday and Monday because of the cold.
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A riding review of Ducati's 2010 Multistrada 1200 S Touring model
Ducati's Multistrada 1200S From Canyon To Mountain Top
An Italian engineer with a penchant for Discovery Channel and Sci-Fi flicks pontificates the notion of splicing the DNA of a mule with that of a cheetah's. The result is a sure-footed mountain climber capable of incredible bursts of speed and maneuverability. When the directive comes from Ducati brass to construct the Multistrada that should have been but never was, the engineer's muleetah changes from inspiration to purpose.
Bikes of this nature are often constructed from an off-road perspective with enough D.O.T. accouterments granting them street-legality. Ducati's reverse engineering approach with the Multistrada 1200 emphasizes the the bike's road-going capabilities and subordinates its prowess when the pavement ends. Essentially, the MTS is a cross-breed that should pique the attention of sportbike enthusiasts, and once ridden, expose a world of motorcycling beyond knee-dragging and reduced lap times.
I make the above statement as a motorcyclist who has subjected numerous sportbikes to tests of endurance in environments unsuitable for their specific purpose because I've always enjoyed the adventure of motorcycle camping, but was unwilling to deny myself the measure of performance provided by modern race replicas. By gracing the Multistrada 1200 S with a 150 horsepower Testasretta engine, Brembo brakes and Öhlins suspension, Ducati negated any sacrifice.
Riding the Multistrada 1200 S Touring model from the sea level altitude of Long Beach, California to the 7,500 ft. summit of Idyllwild's Black Mountain campground in the San Bernadino Mountains lends credence to the bike's ability to excel in canyon twists while maintaining composure and confidence with pebbles, dirt and sand beneath its tires.
Sans Blacktop
For a streetbike rider with intermediate off-road talents, such as myself, 150 hp can be somewhat intimidating even with practiced throttle control skills. Ducati addresses this situation with four pre-programmed modes (Sport, Touring, Urban, Enduro) that adjusts engine characteristics and suspension settings with the push of a button, and while on the fly. Selecting the Enduro mode reduces horsepower to 100, creating a more manageable power output, and also adjusts the rebound and compression damping settings, on both the forks and shock of the Ducati Electronic Öhlins Suspension ( DES, S model only), to pre-determined off-road riding settings.
The Enduro mode also reduces the Ducati Traction Control (DTC) setting to level 2 for "minimal intervention," which is fine if it's a short jaunt or joy ride, but for more aggressive fun in the dirt turning off DTC is the better option. Turning off the DTC is a push-button process using a combination of left handlebar buttons, but unlike the suspension settings and riding modes the bike must be stopped to switch between on and off.
With 6.7 inches of travel, front and rear, the Multistrada 1200 bests most street bikes by nearly two inches, allowing for more aggressive off-road antics, but with its 5.3 gallon fuel tank topped off, the 485-pound Multistrada isn't lithe by dirt bike standards. The Pirelli Scorpion Trail tires maintain high levels of grip on the road and adequate performance in the dirt, and seem the appropriate compromise for a bike that'll spend 90 percent of its time on tarmac.
Fitted with 17-inch rims, there is no lack of grippy, on-road rubber hoops to choose from, which is contrary to exceptional enduro tires (BMW's GS sports the more dirt-common 19" front wheel). The quandary here, of course, is that choosing a better enduro tire reduces on-road performance and vice versa. The best option? A second set of wheels at the ready when you're certain to be attacking a landscape void of black top. For my trip to the top of Black Mountain, the Scorpions performed fine as long as cornering speeds were kept in check when navigating the switchbacking fire road leading from highway 243 to my campsite.
Viewing the Multistrada 1200 from a crash/cost perspective is another revealing element of the bike's on-road heritage. The blinker-integrated hand guards will not survive a get-off and are expensive to replace. The plastic saddlebags and mounting apparatus, while easy to remove, are anything but Heavy Duty, and while there is a bash plate protecting the bottom of the motor, the exhaust pipe extending from the front cylinder is left exposed.
Speaking of saddlebags... the stylish ones gracing the Multistrada are a cheap compromise on a bike adorned with such advanced techno gadgetry. The bags do not seal tight enough to be considered water-resistant. The mounting system is virtually transparent when the bags are not attached, and the right-side bag loses most of its capacity due to unnecessary exhaust compensation.
The rear of the Multistrada features a rack (to which an optional top box can be attached), and when used in conjunction with the rear seat provides ample room for carrying gear, firewood and/or various other adventure necessities.
In Its Element
There's something novel about sitting in a casual, comfortable, upright position when piloting a 150 horsepower motorcycle through one apex after another. Compared to the common sportbike, the Mulistrada feels like a barcalounger with enough leg room to satisfy an NBA player. The wide, superbike handlebars personify leverage and are a welcome change from clip-ons.
At 33.4" the Multistada's seat height is commensurate with its additional suspension travel. The seat itself is flat and wide, while seat foam was a perfect density for my 185 lbs. during the course of a four-hour trip. The extra travel of the forks can be marshmallowy during hard braking, but experience and smooth operation will keep the front end from impromptu diving when riding an aggressive pace. The Multistrada may not be as fast as a sportbike through tight twisties, but the sensation when transitioning from side to side through a series of corners is exemplified because of the bike's height. There's also an unobstructed view when in city or highway traffic.
Switching from Enduro mode to Sport mode unleashes the engine's full power output, tightens the suspension, bumps the DTC to level four and transforms the Multistrada into a new bike. There also exists the Touring mode (150hp with progressive power delivery, suspension adjustments for long-distance traveling and DTC set at level 5), and Urban mode (100hp with progressive power delivery, suspension settings for rough pavement, and DTC at level 2), which I did experiment with, but always found myself returning to Sport mode because it's just too damn fun!
The new MTS features a Ride by Wire (RbW) system, which replaces the throttle cable with electronic signals, but unless you're thinking about it, it's a technology that remains invisible during normal operation. In addition to RbW, the Touring model features heated handgrips and a centerstand. As it was the middle of August, I skipped testing the heated handgrips, but the centerstand, and accompanying lever attached to the passenger footpeg for hoisting the MTS onto the centerstand, are always beneficial when it comes to at-home maintenance. The placement of the centerstand is a questionable choice as my left heel was constantly pushing on it when riding aggressively. And yes, I did inadvertently push the centerstand down and grind it while cornering.
In all, it was a great weekend spent aboard the Multistrada 1200 S Touring model. The bike handled everything I packed on it and rode over whether on pavement or not. At $19,995 the S model isn't cheap, but considering its package of electronic goodies (DTC, RbW, ABS, DES) it seems like a bargain. Between the 1200 S Sport and Touring model, the Touring seems the logical choice because it has everything the Sport model offers but with heated handgrips and saddlebags in place of the Sport's carbon fiber bits. Of course there's the standard version for $14,995, and while it doesn't come with the electronics package it does retain the most important element — the 150 hp Testastretta engine!
About the Author
People ask how I became a moto-journalist, often assuming it to be accidental employment and not a premeditated course of action. In my early twenties I was selling motorcycles at a mom & pop dealership on California's central coast. The position gained me access to motorcycles I couldn't otherwise afford, eventually resulting in a sales management position at a nearby dealership specializing in vintage bikes. Between selling, trading, exporting and completing all the paperwork associated with these activities, I read a lot of enthusiast magazines, newspapers, books, biographies, etc. At some point I realized I was reading more for the gratification of particular writers and their craft of story telling than gleaning any usable information for my sales job. It was while reading a biker magazine the idea of eking out a living as a moto- journalist was hatched. It was a career choice not manifested in remuneration, but rather a way of combining my knowledge and enjoyment of motorcycling with the creativity of writing. I began freelancing for a local sports magazine and returned to college invigorated with the goal of riding and writing professionally. In San Francisco I earned my Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism, cut my editorial teeth at a regional motorcycle magazine and introduced a motorcycle section to the San Francisco Examiner. From there I moved to Southern California to assume the Senior Editor position at Dealernews magazine, then off to Atlanta to be Editor of 2Wheel Tuner magazine, and now... ThrottleHand. The journey has been exciting, aggravating and rewarding, and has earned me friendships and developed business relationships which are oftentimes one in the same.
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