New touring wheels?

[webspoke]

Was down at AMS today and noticed some paperwork with Cher's name on it.  So how is the new ride 

[caffeinejunkee]

 

[Pinocchio]

Was down at AMS today and noticed some paperwork with Cher's name on it.

This blatant breach of patient confidentiality should  be reported to the Italian Motopsychiatric Association immediately! 

[Cher]

It friggin' rocks.      All 84 air-cooled hp of it.  


 


P.S.  It's Stuart Rust's old bike...

[Cher]

Did I tell you about my new/old 999 track bike?   

[webspoke]

Did I tell you about my new/old 999 track bike?   

I heard about that too, which replica paint scheme will it be?

[Pinocchio]

It friggin' rocks.      All 84 air-cooled hp of it.  


 


P.S.  It's Stuart Rust's old bike...

Your vague description does not ring a bell for me. Hmmmm.....q=Ducati+84bhp+air-cooled+touring......
MTS 1000S DS?

[Cher]

Your vague description does not ring a bell for me. Hmmmm.....q=Ducati+84bhp+air-cooled+touring......
MTS 1000S DS?

DING, DING, DING.  Hold your calls we have a winner.

2004 two-tone silver/gray MTS 1000 with matching hard bags, DP comfort seating and termignonis.  16k miles.  It's also the first Duc I've owned with a gas gauge... AND functional mirrors   
 

[muskrat]

It's a Chinese knock off if it has a gas gauge. 
Congrats, now we can tour 200+ miles before fill ups.......not you. 

[Pinocchio]

The first-generation multi comes equipped with a gas gauge, but the bike's, um..."unique" underseat tank shape causes a low fuel warning to show when the tank is still 2/3 full, at which point the level indicator disappears from the LCD display.

You should use fuel stabilizer religiously; in fact, it would be a good idea to inspect the tank carefully right away for signs of swelling. There was a class action settlement that requires Ducati to warranty replacement in most cases, but it is time-limited.

Aside from the tank-related issues, which are very manageable, it is a great bike and a lot of fun to ride.

Congrats!

[ducnut]

I think you probably bought my bike, Cher. I bought it in about 2008 used. Rumor then was it was Stuart Rust's bike to take to and from work for awhile then was sold to someone who later traded it in. When I got it, it had all the upgrades you talked about. The gas tank issue was handled earlier this year. The gas gauge was completely unreliable, just gas up every 140 miles or so. I have also put on the smaller countershaft sprocket that everyone seems to do. If the bike has a red dragon decal on the rear license plate area it is for sure mine. I took the long ride to North Carolina for the tail of the dragon ride. My recommendation to you would be to replace stock headlight if any thought you want to ride at night. The rear view mirrors are pretty poor also.   The windshield is a zero gravity. The bike was very reliable and had no problems. I traded in the 2004 MS to buy 1200 MTS. 2 very different animals. the '04 is a lot like a dirtbike. Awesome in the twisties. I had a 550 mile day on the bike once and I wasn't too beat down. Nash also told me that the valve guide issue that had plagued these bikes was remedied at the shop. You are going to love the bike. Recommend you go to Multistrada forum for volumes of info.
Congrats. Mike (I was right behind you when you went off at the Track day last year-ouch)

[Cher]

Wow!  Thanks for all the info Mike.  The Red Dragon is still on the tail section so it is indeed your old bike.

Stuart had mentioned that once he sold it, it had had two other owners so I must be the fourth.  The valve guide/top end rebuild was mentioned but not a word about the plastic gas tank/body.  Will run fuel stabilizer from now on.

Today, I rode it a around a lot and I was beginning to wonder about the gas gauge situation.  Once I got on line and saw that basically everything you see that's plastic is a gas tank    it's no wonder the gas indicator isn't exactly reliable.  I've always reset my trip meter at fill ups anyway so this is no big deal.  Also having a miles to empty reading buried down in the menu is handy too.

The MTS is a VERY different kind of bike to ride from the SBK.  Having to really figure it all out as I go.  Not a bad experience at all, but really different.  I really like the utility of it and the relaxed riding position.  I'm looking forward to some long trips on this bike.

Now about that track day last year    You'd think I'd learn but I crashed it yet again two weeks ago at Cresson.  No real damage to me this time and the bike isn't quite as torn up so we'll be back out there again in the Spring I imagine.  As I'm rebuilding it this time, it's become a full-on track bike; no lights, mirrors, etc.

In the meantime, I'm taking it easy on my Multi and just enjoying the scenery     

[Cher]

The first-generation multi comes equipped with a gas gauge, but the bike's, um..."unique" underseat tank shape causes a low fuel warning to show when the tank is still 2/3 full, at which point the level indicator disappears from the LCD display.

You should use fuel stabilizer religiously; in fact, it would be a good idea to inspect the tank carefully right away for signs of swelling. There was a class action settlement that requires Ducati to warranty replacement in most cases, but it is time-limited.

Aside from the tank-related issues, which are very manageable, it is a great bike and a lot of fun to ride.

Congrats!

What brand of stabilizer were you using and how much did you use per fill up?   

[TresGatos]

Another new bike in your stable?  Wish you many happy miles on your MTS!   
Sounds like its had some good owners to fine tune any problems. Good choice

[Pinocchio]

What brand of stabilizer were you using and how much did you use per fill up?   

Starbrite StarTron seems to be the stuff most widely available at motorcycle shops:
http://mystarbrite.com/startron/
An 8 oz. bottle treats 48 gallons (1 oz/ 6 gal) for $8, or about $.80 per fill up with a 4.6 gallon tank, factoring for my typical sloppy measuring. (Accidentally over-treating can't hurt your engine.)

I read on this forum that AMS recommends K100. I've never seen it anywhere else.
http://www.k100fueltreatment.com/

Or, since my bike has been sitting up all summer and fall, I might add a bottle of this to my next AMSOil order:
http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-product/fuel-additives/gasoline/quickshot/

During the height of the plastic tank scare, everyone was talking about using this stuff to seal their plastic tanks:
http://www.caswellplating.com/aids/epoxygas.htm

The MTS 1200 hides the plastic fuel cell inside a cosmetic outer shell. When I first got my 2010, I noticed that the slots for the shell fasteners were oblong, presumably providing the tank some room to expand. That should preclude the need to coat the inside, but I'm still using fuel additive and watching for body parts not fitting or lining up like they should, since my regular warranty runs out in March....