[mohansrides]

Originally Posted by Vasuki

Below link contains all the details. Interesting to read the tech specs, seems the major service interval is so designed to navigate 1.5 times the earth.

Link

Thanks for this. I read through the whole thing and watched the videos too. The long video looks and sounds like usual marketing material. But the short two minute video of the engine being assembled was awesome. There is something deeply satisfying about watching an engine getting put together by hand - the quietness of the shop floor, the look of concentration on the engineers, the lovely clink-clank of the engine components falling into their respective slots, the smooth swivels of the engine by the assembly line robots, the precision of the caulking being applied, etc. Simply amazing!!

Incidentally, 1.2 kgs lighter, 85 mm and 95 mm shorter in length and height, respectively?! Those are some serious savings in dimensions. Now it remains to be seen if the CG feels perceptibly lower than it does in the current MS. A couple of years ago, I TRed the 1260 (I think) and couldn’t shake the top-heavy feeling. Hopefully this new MS will feel different.

Ducati should really up the game in sales in India by giving long TRs. Even the BMW guys have gotten better at offering test rides. But undoubtedly, it’s the Triumph guys who lead in setting up a comforting and welcoming sales process. The numbers are proof.

[dreamseller]

Finally getting to see it in all its glory. While I'd have loved a single sided swingarm, the lean body with the 19" front does give it character. Since the below video released by Ducati is in Italian, posting some screen grabs from it to feast your eyes on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dLUSsyci84

[mohansrides]

Originally Posted by dreamseller

Finally getting to see it in all its glory. While I'd have loved a single sided swingarm, the lean body with the 19" front does give it character.

I woke up this morning and the first thing I did even before getting out of bed was to watch the full video. A 20 minute piece in a language I don’t even understand!! All just to ogle at the bike. All of us petrolheads are 100% hopeless.

The bike looks stunning. On the face of it, I like how they have broken up the visual bulk at the top with those fins like thingys. A personal inspection in the presence of the 1260 would be more telling.

What I am really hoping is that Ducati has managed to lower the CG here. The MS that I test rode for a very short distance had me feeling terrified that I would drop the bike if I leaned it even by a millimetre at slow speeds.

The other things that I am hoping for are for the heat to be better managed and for the bike to be reliable. In particular, European brands have to work on the reliability aspect to make inroads into the Indian market. Otherwise they are going to be restricted to super rich customers who don’t have regard for their money. In actuality, there are plenty of people who would buy an expensive product provided that they are convinced that the bike would be solid and reliable in the long run. That’s a bigger market I think. My guess is that currently everyone in this category is making a beeline for the Japanese bikes and staying the hell away from Ducati and BMW (especially). Who wants to deal with problems and poor resolution mechanisms after shelling out huge amounts of hard earned cash?

In any case, what intrigues me is, why did Ducati even bring this bike out? I mean what was the need for another big liter class Multistrada when the 1260 is their apex predator? Are they permanently moving to V4s in view of some distinct advantages that that configuration offers? Someone more knowledgeable here could answer that.

[Vasuki]

Some more pictures to drool about. Seems spokes or alloys are optional. Seems radar splits the headlight assembly into two.

[GoBlue]

Now THAT is desirable.

I haven't felt this kind of lust for any other bike so far!

Let's see how they price it here.

Anyone up for the pricing speculation game?

They'd have to price the base V4 variant with manual suspension same as that of the base variant of the 1250 GS (which also has a manually adjustable suspension), to gain any traction.

From an aftersales perspective both are money pits, the less said the better.

[Vasuki]

Originally Posted by GoBlue

Now THAT is desirable.

I haven't felt this kind of lust for any other bike so far!

Let's see how they price it here.

Anyone up for the pricing speculation game?

The Multi V4 base model is almost 1000 dollars premium to exisitng 1260 base model. So it would likely quote between 21 to 27 Lakh on road here in India.

[GoBlue]

Originally Posted by Vasuki

The Multi V4 base model is almost 1000 dollars premium to exisitng 1260 base model. So it would likely quote between 21 to 27 Lakh on road here in India.

Interesting.

That puts it bang in S1000XR territory and there it's a tough decision to make for a buyer who has road riding as a primary use-case (no off-road use). The S1000XR weighs 226 kg kerb with panniers (hard-cases).

The V4 base variant weighs 243 kg kerb without panniers attached. Let's assume a difference of 25kg in kerb weight with panniers over the S1000XR. So unless there's a specific preference for a V4, the BMW is on-par with build quality/power and far ahead in terms of the engineering of the chassis.

Also, "IF" this Multi V4 is top heavy unlike the BMW R1250 GS, many who would want to take it offroad could prefer the 1250 GS. That is a-big-IF as no one's ridden one yet, so this factor is yet an unknown.

Unless the Ducati Multi V4 is really special in terms of the engineering (with benefit of doubt to Ducati as journos are yet to ride and compare), BMW has it covered on paper with two existing top-tier products.

Personally, I don't see them being too successful with this kind of uber-premium pricing, atleast, as a future buyer of this segment of motorcycles. I would be happy to see them succeed, however.

Perhaps many would also buy the Multi V4 as a heart over head purchase, and may be that's the small segment of buyers that Ducati is aiming for with this kind of pricing.

[Vasuki]

Multistrada V4 Review.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qxra...ature=youtu.be

[Vasuki]

So two variants Multistrada have been launched.

V4 and V4S ( 2 colours).

OTR in Kerala would be greater than Rs.28.5 Lakhs. Plus if you include protection bars, panniers, top box, centre stand, extended warranty it will easily top Rs.32 Lakhs. Now 1250 GSA looks very desiarable.


Link