Tag Archives: Ducati

Motorcycles

Ducati Multistrada Enduro

2 Comments

I’ve talked about the Ducati Multistrada before.   But this one is a bit different.  This is the Enduro version.  Now, everything in the Enduro is based on the 1200 S version.  The 1198 CC V-Twin is on board, cranking out the same 160 Horses of Power pulling the same 87 Foot Pounds of Torques through the same 6 Speed transmission.


The differences come in all the areas making the Multistrada more Off-Road Capable.  Now, it was alright off road.  As long as that off road wasn’t too off the road.  But it was lacking… The Enduro fixes all that.
New on the Enduro is larger spoked wheels, taller ground clearance, a heavy duty bash plate under the engine, and new suspension programming and calibration.  There’s also a different seat and handlebars… and a shorter first gear.  The changes all add up to make the Enduro almost a completely different bike.   The 1200S is a great bike for anything on the road.  The Enduro is just a great bike for anything.   I put a lot of miles on one this weekend, and that included some off roading… and any shortcomings it had before are all gone.

The Enduro isn’t just a motorcycle like the 1200S is.  The Enduro is a full grown, well trained, War Horse.

What sitting on the Enduro Feels Like.

Continue reading Ducati Multistrada Enduro →

Motorcycles

Ducati X Diavel S

9 Comments

15181523_10209912504182646_6097258542033185383_n

The X Diavel S is one of the most unique bikes on the market.  It’s Ducati’s first and only cruiser… and really the only thing out there to compete is/was the HarleyV-Rod.  But HD has killed the V-Rod… Because Harley is stupid.  And really, the X Diavel just crushes the V-Rod anyways, so maybe it doesn’t matter.

Let me give you my impression of the X Diavel S here.   It is Jack The Riper on two wheels.

On one hand, the bike is surgically precise.  It handles fantastically well thanks to it’s heritage and engineering… you are not going to be disappointed here.  And oddly enough, thanks to the wide Drag Bars, it gives you a lot a of leverage that makes it’s handling feel Sport Bike Light.  You can pitch it into a curve with little more effort than a thought, and the bike tracks like a guided missile… until you tell it to go a different direction and then it eagerly flicks over to take the new heading.  Now, it doesn’t flick as quickly as a sport bike… but it does flick easily, like a sport bike.  There’s a difference.  And it’s not a bad one.  The X Diavel can carve through an Apex like a clean cut with a scalpel.   Like I said before… Surgical.

On the other hand, this bike is shockingly savage… offering no quarter. Brutal and merciless.  It accelerates harder than anything else I’ve ever experienced… and I’ve ridden pretty much all of the most powerful bikes on the market now.   But nothing is like this bike in Sport Mode and using the Launch Control.  Judas Priest… This thing is insane.  It will pull your eyeballs out of your ear holes.   Thanks to the well designed seat, it will keep your ass from sliding off the back.   Pro Tip on the Launch Control:  Hold on tight and grit your teeth.   Because… Damn.   Just trust me on that.

The three ride modes are interesting. Urban mode is the softest and most mild.  Don’t use it.  That’s not what you bought this bike for. But if anyone else is going to ride it – put it in Urban.  Or if it’s raining. That’s the only reason to ever use Urban Mode.   Now, Touring Mode is where you want to be most of the time.  Because it just makes sense.  Not sure why they called it “Touring Mode”… But this is where you want to keep it.  It’s the medium setting.   It’s the every day setting.  Sport Mode?  Sport Mode is the Axe Murderer setting.  It gives you all the power the bike has, all at once.  It also sets the suspension to its stiffest… most kidney and spine abusing. You will feel every bump. Hard. Sport Mode turns the bike from a power cruiser, into a weaponized cruise missile.  Don’t use this when you just want to go fast… Use this on Track Day.    Again – just trust me on this.  Seriously.   Your kidneys and your license with thank you.

This bike isn’t for everyone. It’s not even for most experienced riders out there.  This bike is for those who want a cool comfortable cruiser, but just needs… More.  More of everything.  More speed.  More power.   More passion.  More fury.   This is for guys who turn off alarm clocks with hammers.   This bike is for those guys.

Automotive, Motorcycles

Ducati Multistrada 1200S

1 Comment

20161027_111931-1

Ducati is one motorcycle company that is pretty much batting a thousand when it comes to building exciting motorcycles that stir the soul.  Also, they don’t know how to make anything that isn’t fast. The Multistrada keeps up with that tradition big time.  It’s Ducati’s Adventure Bike.  And being Ducati to the core, the formula is simple.  Take the engine out of one of their super bikes, and put on a tall suspension.    If you don’t know anything else about the Multistrada, that’s all you really need to know.  Let’s look at the specs:
527 Pounds Wet.
5.3 Gallons of Fuel.
1198 CC V-Twin (Ducati calls it an “L” twin)
160 Horses of Power.
87 Foot Pounds of Torque.
6 Speed transmission.
33″ Seat Hight.
This is a big bike… It’s a heavy bike.  But it really doesn’t feel big or heavy once your in the saddle.  Unless you are short legged… then it’s going to feel pretty tall.  The Enduro version is even taller by a couple inches.

20161027_111952-1

The Multistrada though, is more than just a butch superbike…  Thanks to the DTC and Skyhook technologies (Traction Control and Active Suspension) the Multistrada becomes a very road-worthy bike that can devour the miles on pretty much any road surface you would care to travel on… and even when there is little to no roads.   You could easily take it on long trips .  The bike shown in the photos is a used bike that I borrowed to check out.  It’s sporting factory hard cases, and an aftermarket windshield, which sets this bike up nicely for some serious distance touring.  The Multistrada is very comfortable, and after an hour in the saddle, I really felt like I just wanted to keep going.

Pitching the Multistrada into the curves is pure joy.  The bike is flickable like a Switch Blade.  It really thinks it’s a sport bike.  Cutting the apex and gassing it, you can feel the bike wants to play.  20161027_112004-1

The Engine is what makes this bike rather special… Typical full bore Ducati Twin feeling, it’s happiest when you are keeping the RPMs above 5000.

My first impression on this bike was that it was “Naughty”.  It wanted to misbehave.  It didn’t like to be lugged… it didn’t like to go slow… It wanted to RUN!  It wanted to buck like an excited wild horse.  It would lift the front wheel on a whim, and would exceed the posted speed limits at moments notice if I didn’t keep it in check!   In short – This is a FUN motorcycle that you could spend a lot of time on.

I can’t speak to the offroad prowess… As I didn’t take it over anything more challenging than some damp leaves on the ground… But the Multistrada 1200S isn’t really meant for Off Road.  There’s another version for that.  The Multistrada Enduro… But dirt roads wouldn’t be a problem at all for the 1200S, thanks to the onboard avionics.  The bike is filled with tech… gyros that measure Pitch and Yaw and bank, as well as throttle position and tire slip… it’s basically the flight control systems out of an F-16.  The computers take all that information and adjusts the suspension and the power to the wheels and brakes to keep you on two wheels…. at pretty much any speed.  And all done seamlessly and transparently.   It makes you feel like a much better rider.  It gives you confidence.   It urges you to ride a little harder… It’s a naughty bike for sure!

If you think Adventure Bikes are boring… Friend… You need to try a Multistrada.

Automotive

Monday’s Motorcycle: And it’s a Ducati

17 Comments

Ducati has made a very interesting machine.  It’s a Motorcycle… but I just can’t tell what kind.  I’m talking about the Multistrada 1200.

The bike a technological powerhouse.  ABS, Traction Control, and the valve tech that Ducati uses in their racing bikes, just tuned for low end power and smoother riding.  It gives fantastic on road performance… but it isn’t a sports bike.

It’s more of a Supermoto, or as they call it in Europe, a Motard… or as Sports Riders call it, Motor-Retard.  But the haters can just hate, because Supermotos are just straight up fast and agile where ever they want to go… and they can go anywhere.

So it’s an Enduro?  The Multistrada is very offroad capable… compared to a ZX-10, but not so much compared to, say, a KTM… er… damn near any KTM… Anyways… still, the Multistrada is no two wheeled Jeep, but it’s not scared of dirt.  Not at all.    It’s more suited to street, but since it can do dirt as well, it gives the Ducati a great deal of versatility.

And what I like about the most… it’s got legs.  It has range.  You can go anywhere… everywhere… I love that about motorcycles, and this bike can do everything.  It’s a bike that either has serious split personality issues, or it’s a bike that really can do it all.  Surprisingly, it’s not even that expensive.  The new Honda NC700ABS Vanilla is 8999,  and it is heralded as a Bang for the Buck winner…   The Multistrada starts out only Two G’s more.  Two G’s more for some real performance, sex appeal, and a 1200cc engine that is seriously awesome.

Ducati Multistrada

PRICE
MSRP: $11,999

ENGINE

Type…a-c 90-deg. V-twin
Valve arrangement…sohc, 4v
Bore x stroke…94.0mm x 71.5mm
Displacement…992cc
Compression ratio…10.0:1
Transmissio…6-speed
Final drive…chain

CHASSIS
Weight…486 lb. (wet)
454 lb. (fuel tank empty)
Fuel capacity…5.3 gal.
Rake/trail…24.0 deg./3.90 in. (99mm)
Wheelbase…57.6 in. (1462mm)
Seat height…33.5 in. (851mm)

SUSPENSION
Front…43mm inverted cartridge fork adjustable for spring preload, compression and rebound damping

Rear…single shock, adjustable for spring preload, compression and rebound damping

PERFORMANCE

Horsepower…82.9 hp @ 7750 rpm
Torque…66.9 ft.-lb. @ 4250 rpm
Corrected…1/4-mile* 11.44 sec. @ 113.22 mph
0-60 mph…3.82 sec.
0-100 mph…9.63 sec.
Top-gear roll-on, 60-80 mph…3.92 sec.
Fuel mileage (low/high/average)…33/46/41