Who's ridden a big Touring style bike? How does it handle compared to Monsters

[Speedbag]

A buddy of mine and his wife took an R1200T on trade recently, right before he and his wife moved to Oregon.

He's been riding it quite a bit. And loves it. So much that he's selling his Electra Glide - which says a lot, since he's (well, was) a diehard Harley guy.

If H-D ever got off their duffs and built a touring V-Rod based on the VRSCR chassis, I think it would be awesome.....

[Popeye the Sailor]

That bike won't notice a passenger near as much as the monster, and if it's like all the other bmw's I've been on it should have an adjustable preload knob in the rear, which helps when loading up for a weekend. I think you'll find it's probably pretty easy to ride, and very competent. I would still spend a little time on it sans passenger. Be aware it probably has some decent get up and go.


Let us know how it goes.

[gh0stie]

Great feedback, thanks again all!

[mstevens]

I went from a Vespa bought in December 2005 to a Monster 620 bought in January 2006 to a Monster 696 bought in May 2009 to a Multistrada 1200ST bought in July of this year. The Multi is definitely about as tall as I can manage and has nearly double the HP of the 696, but it's extremely easy to ride.

I've never ridden a BMW and have only been 2-up a couple of times on the 620 (wife strongly prefers to ride her own Monster). However, I've spoken with lots of people who've ridden both the MTS1200 and the BMW R1200 and my impression is that there are many similarities when it comes to riding. If a newb like me has no difficulty moving from a Monster to a Multi 1200, I suspect going to a R1200 would be little different.

[twolanefun]

Excellent thread.

Without going off on all the many different touring bikes available, anybody add input on how Ducati's touring offerings are, two up? Specifically, ST 2,3,4 & Multistrada?

I have 38K miles on my ST3, compared to other so called sport tour bike out there it is a better machine, hands down, assuming you want the sport in your touring. Like a trip to Indy GP, where you get to ride the twistys of VA,WV, SE Ohio and then another ~200 miles on the superslab. My GF and I have ridden the ST3 on multiple 2K long weekend trips, it's been to Barber and back all on back twisty roads, Road America twice, Springfield mile, 2up on the track at Mid-ohio, where we saw 130+ on the back straight, and to numerous other locations on 3-4 day trips. It is a better motor than the ST4 because the power is right for the street, the only complaint I had was to get to the powerband in 6th you are doing 86MPH, I went up 3 teeth in the rear, perfect. It was already the lightest of the breed, I put on different wheels and DP exhaust. I am 5'9" with a 32" sleeve length, 30" inseam and the bike fits me perfectly, flat footed at rest, and 500 mile days in the mountains are easy, although I did add the cycle cat bar risers, developed BTW for Gary Eagan's record setting trip East to West coast. Why Ducati quit making the ST3 is beyond me, not enough sales I guess. Here is a thoguht for you at the Indy GP this year, at the DOC central hotel, the STs in the parking lot outnumbered all the other models by a wide margin. Don't get me wrong I love my monsters and the ST3 won't quite tear up the back roads like my monsters, but it's close, and you have the added advantage of luggage and the ability to hop on the Super Slab if you have to. I think the older MTS is also a fine machine, just kinda fugly. The new MTS maybe the ultimate, sadly it does not fit me, my days of tippy toes ended when I got rid of my BMW K bike. - Gene

[zooom]

Gene, I fully agree with you and the assessment of the ST series bikes....the problem is the fact that there aren't a lot of places that rent Ducati's and much less ST's...

as a sidenote, also worth considering for a rental for the weekend for you and the wifey...the Honda ST1300 is a very capable machine if you find that as an offering...not sure which outfit or where you are looking, but some places have a nice machine or few for offering outside the normal Harley and BMW regularities.....

or perhaps make life easy on yourself and just rent a Can-Am Spyder....

[gh0stie]

Thanks for the suggestion on the Honda, but the BMW seems to be the only rental option available here (other than a Harley, which is a no-no for me)

Also, for those who haven't seen it, this is a very cool vid on the 1200 BMW R1200RT

[stopintime]

...................

Also, for those who haven't seen it, this is a very cool vid on the 1200

Welcome to my backroads

[twolanefun]

Gene, I fully agree with you and the assessment of the ST series bikes....the problem is the fact that there aren't a lot of places that rent Ducati's and much less ST's...

as a sidenote, also worth considering for a rental for the weekend for you and the wifey...the Honda ST1300 is a very capable machine if you find that as an offering...not sure which outfit or where you are looking, but some places have a nice machine or few for offering outside the normal Harley and BMW regularities.....

or perhaps make life easy on yourself and just rent a Can-Am Spyder....

My response was directed at the question which was asked in the quote, namely "anybody add input on how Ducati's touring offerings are, two up? Specifically, ST 2,3,4 & Multistrada?"

As for the Honda ST, that thing weighs as much as my Victory Kingpin, and I've ridden one, it is work on a back country road. I would be glad to have an informed discussion about the current so called Sport Tourers, IMHO there are only two on the market the Ducati MTS and the Triumph ST. - Gene

[zooom]

  IMHO there are only two on the market the Ducati MTS and the Triumph ST. - Gene

I assume you are talking just in terms of current offerings new or relatively speaking from a dealer??(which btw, the Sprint is now the GT, not the ST) if so, what about the FJR? BMW R1200S?  MotoGuzzi Norge? Honda NT700V?(though it is underpowered IMHO by alot) just to name a couple...

[twolanefun]

Even BMW does not think the R1200S is a sport tourer, the FJR and the MG need to go on a diet. To me that is what is so exciting about the new MTS, Ducati gets it, Sport Touring with plenty of power, and under 450lbs in touring trim, while everyone else has bloated their lineup to ~650 lbs. And look what Honda did to the VFR probably the bike that set the mark for years.  I admit the MTS price is up there and so is the seat height for that matter, but for those of us that appreciate a Sport Tourer that spends more time on the back roads than the Interstate, they got it right IMHO, it will be a watershed bike in history is my prediction. - Gene

[Preisker]

My best buddy lives where I used to live, 6 miles from Laguna Seca.   I rode my S4 there last year, he wanted to ride it, go ahead.   He goes about 100 feet and breaks the chain, actually, he didn't break it, it just broke.   He was just putting along.   He felt so bad he let me ride his '08 FLHTC Hardley Ableson to the races the next day.   The radio works OK.   It was very, very loud.    It's pretty damn heavy.   You don't go anywhere in any particular hurry.   And........it was OK.  I'm sure my old lady wouldn't mind sitting on the back, big leather seats, speakers in the saddlebag fronts, and the tail box held 2 helmets.  But, I was really careful turning that pig around in the dirt outside of turn 11 on the side of the hill, I wouldn't recommend that for inexperienced riders, for sure.  

I've ridden a Gold Wing Interstate before, not too bad a ride.   Same deal, don't be in any big hurry, and you'll get there in comfort.  

As for comparing these pigs to a Monster of any sort, oranges or apples.  

Almost forgot.   I've ridden a few K100 series bikes, my brothers K100C, which had a little tiny Monster style fairing, an RS, and an RT.   They are all lighter than the behemoths I spoke of earlier, the RT is heavier than the other BMWs.    Again, they don't really compare with the Monsters or the real tour sleds.   Fly one and see.   In the next couple of years, I'm going to Europe on a motorcycle tour, and I'm not sure what I rent when I'm there.

[Doctor Woodrow]

I have a neighbor with a Kawasaki Nomad (shh, stop bashing), he has never had any trouble with it, got it for a great price, and it handles pretty well. We did a ride to the coast together a couple of summers ago up through the hills and twisties. He couldn't quite keep up as easily as if he had been on a sport bike, but he could lean that thing into the corners pretty far, and it handled really well (for a cruiser) with nary a problem the whole trip. I've tried it a few times, yes it is a bit different, and I started on a Honda Rebel as my first bike so maybe it is a little more natural for me to adjust back to it again, but I think it has a lot to do with just getting used to what your bike can do, and getting familiar with how it responds.

I would buy one just like it, or even his if the timing was right, the price was right and I had the cash (I don't). On the other hand I moved my dad's 2009 Harley Davidson Ultra classic full-dress a few times. Hated it. Too much shake, flt like it was going to fall apart, moved like a tank. I would never buy one of those, and have told my mother that if he passes away and leaves it to me the first thing I will do is take it straight down to the dealer and trade it in for cash, then ride straight to the local Ducati dealer and hand the cash over for something else more my style.

But, hey, thats just me and my experience. My real adice for you would be to go to a lot of dealers, tell them you are just looking and to go away while you sit on a few bikes, get in some rides on the ones you like. If they won't let you ride it before you buy it or commit to buy WALK OUT right then. That's total bull-excrement. I would even talk price before driving something first, its not even on the table until I have had the chance to give it a go on the pavement, and I don't mean around the parking lot.

The Doc