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Old 9th December 2022, 18:01   #1
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My first bike | Ducati Multistrada 950S | Ownership Review

Disclaimer: My knowledge of the big bikes is extremely limited and hence the review is more of what I "feel" about the bike than being technically accurate. Of course, with time I will be able to add more bits and pieces to this review which will probably make it more worthy of your time. Cheers!

The Story:
Driving was my passion, until I learned how to ride a motorcycle…
My first bike | Ducati Multistrada 950S | Ownership Review-eepg6143.jpg

By the age of 18, I was already doing the family driver’s duty on our Mahindra Commander when one fine day my dad asked my elder brother to teach me how to ride a motorcycle. It was my dad’s 1985 Rajdoot 175 (we still have it albeit in a near scarp condition unfortunately). I still have vivid memory of that first ride of around 15 kms at the end of which I was riding on my own. Credit goes to my brother who asked me to downshift and throttle it whenever I feel like losing balance. Advice that has worked in all walks of my life so far.

After that day, I used to wait patiently for my dad/family to assign me any task. A bottle full of kerosene and a dropper full of petrol was always kept under our porch. All my savings in those couple of years went in to buying fuel for the joy rides.
Then I was lucky enough to get engineering college admission in the city of Pune and was promptly rewarded with my dad’s 1996 Kawasaki 4S. You could circle the earth twice on a tank full of petrol on that bike. My dad still used to think that it’s too expensive to run as it doesn’t accept the modest Kerosene as fuel. However, I was happy that I could ride all day and still have enough money left to enjoy Durga’s cold coffee and Sweekar’s poha everyday (Pune millennials will know what that means).

That Kawasaki 4S was my daily ride for almost 3 years when my luck shined again and my brother got a job offer from the US. That meant his Honda CBZ (Gen-1) will be mine now. What a bike it was. Had lots of fun on it. Went to Konkan multiple times, went to Mumbai a few times and so many nearby places. That mere 14bhp machine had so much in it. Had that bike with me for almost 5+ years before flying off to Europe for a couple of years’ stint.

Back from Germany in 2011, married and newly started venture, decided to stick to cars and got myself a Polo 1.6 and forgot about riding bikes all together.

Fast Forward to 2020: I had made up my mind to get a big bike. Home minister also gave a go ahead with a promise in return that I will be careful while riding. She by now very well knew that she married a captain slow and need not to worry about speeding and all. So even though there was a hint of worry, she was overall comfortable with me riding a big bike.

Once the lockdowns were relaxed a bit, I decided to TR shortlisted bikes. The shortlist was really short: Triumph Tiger 900 GT, Ducati Multi 950S and Honda AfricaTwin AT. I first went to Legacy Ducati showroom which was hardly 10mins from my home.

The Purchase Decision Making Process:
Circa 2019, thanks to the experienced rider and close friend BHPian Ashtorque, I started dreaming about owning and riding big bikes. I used to TR bikes like Bonnie 120, Street Twin, etc whenever I am at the local Triumph showroom with another close friend, BHPian and experience rider Monaro CV8. However, it got serious when during Covid lockdown I decided to finally pull a trigger on a big bike. Did multiple TRs of Tiger 900 GT and Multi 950S. Honda sadly didn’t have a showroom in Pune and so no TR possible for AT. However, Ashtorque did connect me to Honda SA in Mumbai who promised me a TR. I wonder how he was going to arrange it as Honda doesn’t have official TR AT bikes. Anyhow, I couldn't travel to Mumbai due to work commitments and that was more or less the end of it.

Also, I wasn’t keen on a 21” front bike as I wanted an all-rounder and not off-roading biased bike. Didn’t consider BMW GS 850 because for me the real and only GS is the 1250 one. 1250 GS/GSA was out of already stretched budget so was not considered.

I didn’t want my first big bike to be supersport/street bike because of many reasons but majorly I didn’t have the skills to ride one. And also I wanted a bike which I can take almost anywhere without asking the riding buddies “how’s the road condition” for the Sunday rides.

Tiger 900 GT was agile, eager and exciting in mid range. Braking was spot on and there was nothing to complain. But then I had TRed the Multi 950S before Tiger and I simply couldn’t stop thinking about the Multi. And that was the sign that it has to be the Multi. Even though both have similar power numbers, I didn't feel half of the excitement when I was riding the Multi. Though I must agree that Tiger was more nimble and easy to handle at standstill.

So Ducati Multistrada 950S in red it was.
My first bike | Ducati Multistrada 950S | Ownership Review-img_4699.jpg

The Delivery Experience:
Experience at Legacy motors was overall good. I booked my bike mid of January and was promised the bike to be delivered in a couple of weeks. Once the bike landed in Pune, I went to the unloading station and saw the bike for the first time:

Registration took a little more than expected and I had to talk to the owner of Legacy to get things moving faster. May be it was due to RTO process but I wasn’t getting any updates from the SA about the delivery date. However, it was handled well and bike was delivered on 17th Feb.

The delivery experience was super nice. Legacy team prepared the bike and arranged a small Pooja. My family enjoyed the event.
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I had already purchased riding gear before the delivery day.
My first bike | Ducati Multistrada 950S | Ownership Review-f96239337fa6449b89bf3ef8e3436c67.jpg

The A* Viper 2 jacket which I now use only for short rides. The bike immediately encroached the car parking.
My first bike | Ducati Multistrada 950S | Ownership Review-img_4714.jpg

The Ride So Far:

I have clocked approximately 10k kms so far and each and every kilometer has been pure joy. Most of it has been Sunday rides with my riding buddies (can be anywhere between 150kms - 400kms). It takes the engine few kms before finding its sweet spot after warming up. Also, tires need same amount of kms to warm up enough to have better grip. So once I am 20kms in the ride, the engine feels much smoother and settled.

Engine:

As like any typical V-twin (L twin in this case), the engine has solid mid-range torque which makes it so much fun to ride in our conditions where traffic can surprise you anytime. However, the first gear is more or less useless as it's too short and you will find yourself upshifting to 2nd pretty quickly. DQS (quick shifter) works flawlessly beyond 2-3k rpm. You can feel the 110hp of power every time you twist the throttle on open roads. Of course for me this much power is definitely scary but I am learning to tame it and use it effectively. I am not an experience rider so have no idea how Multi fares against similarly powered bike but as my one of my colleagues (a very experienced rider) would say, "there are horses and then there are Ducati horses". I guess I will have to ride more bikes and 1000s of more miles before I can comment on such comparisons.

Suspension:
However, one thing I can surely comment on is the suspension. It is simply outstanding. Skyhook suspension is fully electronic and at a press of a button you can change the setting. I keep it softest for Urban mode and stiffest for Sports mode and in between for Touring and Off road modes. The suspension is truly made for all types of roads. In Touring mode you really don't feel bumps on the road and the potholes can be handled with ease. I have ridden the bike over various types of roads in last 1.5 years ranging from super smooth ones in RJ/MP to riverbed roads in Spiti. Every time I was thanking the Skyhook suspension for its flawless working.

Handling:
One of the reasons to go for the Multi was it's supersport type handling. This bike can leaned like a street bike and with equal confidence you can take it off-road and stand on pegs to maneuver over rocks, sand, etc. In true sense I think it is an allrounder bike. Of course it will not as good as purpose built bikes in either of the category but it does it well enough that you won't miss anything. The Pirelli Scorpion Trail II tyres I feel are more road biased but I took the bike to Spiti and they performed decently in water crossings, loose sand and over rocks. They last longer too as its already 10k kms and looks like there is some more life left.

Ergonomics:
Spot on is what I would describe the ergonomics of this bike. It is a little sportier than typical ADV bikes (like, Tiger 900 for example) but still very comfortable for long rides. We did 900+ kms daily for a couple of days in September and I wasn't complaining at the end of the day with back/shoulder/wrist pain. Sunday 300kms rides are a breeze in terms of comfort. You also sit quite high as like any ADV which is good and bad both as you gain visibility but lose that tug in and disappear feel. The windshield is also massive so no wind blast at all for me. Taller riders may face some wind blast issue over their helmet but for me it's perfect. Seat height is just OK for me. I got low seat installed for our Spiti ride as I knew that in off-road mode and tackling difficult terrain being sure footed would help and it did. Handle-bar is wide as like any ADV and it makes the U-turn relatively easy. The wide handlebar also helps in off-road conditions. About pillion comfort and ergonomics, I have limited information as hardly anyone sat behind. But whosoever did sit for few kms gave two feedback: it's tall and the seat is super comfortable.

Riding Modes:

The bike has four riding modes: Urban, Touring, Sports and Enduro. However, all of these are configurable on a click of a button. Thanks to the electronic suspension which is the key IMO for riding modes customisation. All four modes are configurable. They of course come with default settings but then you can change it easily with menu buttons.

The riding modes are really useful and inspire confidence in various riding conditions. When I start the Sunday morning ride, it's usually in Urban mode and then based on which route we are taking, it's either Touring mode or Sports mode. In Sports mode the first thing that hits you is the throttle response. It's get noticeably more responsive. On bad roads or broken roads, I mostly use Touring mode and if speed really gets dropped below 30kmph then I switch to Urban mode as again the throttle response is much better manageable in such situations.

I did use the Enduro mode in Spiti and can say that it performed very well. The only issue it that the GC is increased in Enduro mode and that can be a little tricky as it's a little harder to land your foot fully on ground in time. But the way it manages gearing and throttle response is very good for those conditions.

Other Bits:
The side stand could have been better IMO. I installed an extended to make it more stable but stock one could have been better designed. The bike is keyless but for fuel lid you need the key. There is an accessory (super expensive like anything Ducati) available to make it keyless but Ducati could have just done as standard. Foot pegs are wide enough for my boots and as per suggestion from trottleking, I took out the rubber pads and that made it even more grippy.

Accessories:
I have so far installed following accessories:
- Engine guard
- Radiator mesh
- Oil cooler mesh
- Side stand extender
- Grip puppies
- Fork slider

I have done two regular services so far and both have been a pleasant experience. Got appointment in week in advance and work was done in 3-4 hours. The folks at Legacy motors, Pune are really nice and accommodating. The second service costed me around 13k.

The only issue I faced with the bike so far was of cold start in Kaza and Chandrataal. Which was strange considering the bike is just 1.5 years old.

To sum it up I tried to pen down my likes and dislikes of the Multi:

Likes:

- L-twin engine is so tractable and that mid range torque means this bike can be ridden more in our traffic conditions
- Sykhook suspension is simply outstanding - well done Ducati
- Quality of switch gear and overall bike is superb
- Multistrada 950S looks hot (subjective but haven't met anyone so far who didn't like it)
- Ergonomics of an allrounder
- DQS is super smooth
- Braking
- LED headlamps are really good - I haven't installed any aux lights
- Ducati dealership experience so far has been quite good

Dislikes:

- Accessories are exorbitantly expensive
- This being a twin, the exhaust note is very basic
- Side stand base is not wide enough to safely park the bike on loose gravel/uneven surface
- No keyless feature for fuel lid
- Rear view mirrors could have been better in visibility

Overall the bike has only brought joy with every km of riding. Sometimes I even enjoy staring at it from my balcony (TMI?). I am also hooked to it's solid mid range torque and it will make it hard to upgrade (whenever that time comes).

Few photos from our recent ride in to the mountains:

Leaving MH and entering MP:
My first bike | Ducati Multistrada 950S | Ownership Review-img_4171.jpg

Somewhere on Trans-Haryana highway:
My first bike | Ducati Multistrada 950S | Ownership Review-img_4190.jpg

Chitkul:
My first bike | Ducati Multistrada 950S | Ownership Review-img_4406.jpg

En route Chitkul:
My first bike | Ducati Multistrada 950S | Ownership Review-egtv8984.jpg

Near Nako:
My first bike | Ducati Multistrada 950S | Ownership Review-ghhv3787.jpg

Somewhere between Tabo and Kaza:
My first bike | Ducati Multistrada 950S | Ownership Review-grpb4058.jpg

As I am new to big bikes, every ride is a new learning for me about my riding skills as well as the bike. So I will try to pen down all that here and keep this thread updated.

Last edited by the_skyliner : 3rd January 2023 at 12:25.
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Old 4th January 2023, 05:14   #2
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Re: My first bike | Ducati Multistrada 950S | Ownership Review

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!
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Old 4th January 2023, 05:56   #3
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Re: My first bike | Ducati Multistrada 950S | Ownership Review

That is a beautiful bike and a very beautiful write up as well. Hope you have millions of kilometers of joy on this superb machine. How is the heat management? On the highway, I guess, it should not be an issue. In the city or when you are stuck in slow moving traffic? The bike isva sure beaut!
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Old 4th January 2023, 09:53   #4
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Re: My first bike | Ducati Multistrada 950S | Ownership Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by rajeevsulu View Post
That is a beautiful bike and a very beautiful write up as well. Hope you have millions of kilometers of joy on this superb machine. How is the heat management? On the highway, I guess, it should not be an issue. In the city or when you are stuck in slow moving traffic? The bike isva sure beaut!
Thanks, rajeevsulu!

I haven't face any heat/over-heating issue so far. But to be honest, I haven't ridden the bike much in the city traffic. I ride mostly on Sundays and that usually means less traffic on the roads compared to weekdays.

I did however encountered some heavy traffic once or twice so far but the heat management was still OK.
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Old 4th January 2023, 09:59   #5
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Re: My first bike | Ducati Multistrada 950S | Ownership Review

Congratulations to you on your beauty. That is a lovely bike. Short and sweet review. I wonder how dose it handles in Pune traffic?
wish you have lots of happy Kms on the superb machine. Hope we catch up someday.
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Old 4th January 2023, 10:17   #6
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Re: My first bike | Ducati Multistrada 950S | Ownership Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by aneesh2M View Post
Congratulations to you on your beauty. That is a lovely bike. Short and sweet review. I wonder how dose it handles in Pune traffic?
wish you have lots of happy Kms on the superb machine.
Thanks! I don't ride it much within the city limits. It's mostly like getting out of the city before 6am on Sunday morning and back before the crazy hungry crowd starts for their Sunday lunch hunt.


Quote:
Originally Posted by aneesh2M View Post
Hope we catch up someday.
Sure thing. Do you also ride? In any case, I am sure sukiwa will be arranging his famous Pune-Mumbai February meet. Hope to see you there.
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Old 4th January 2023, 10:56   #7
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Re: My first bike | Ducati Multistrada 950S | Ownership Review

Congratulations on your new Ride.
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Old 4th January 2023, 12:06   #8
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Re: My first bike | Ducati Multistrada 950S | Ownership Review

Congrats ! A beautiful write up of a beautiful bike ! Italians somehow know how to make real head turners. I always notice Multis on the road whenever they zoom past me.

Wish you many happy miles riding this beauty.
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Old 4th January 2023, 12:58   #9
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Re: My first bike | Ducati Multistrada 950S | Ownership Review

Excellent writeup @the_skyliner. MS is super hot. I can't stop clicking her pics on our rides.

These new generation of Ducati L2 engines are so much refined than the older ones. Ducati surely has addressed the issue of knocking and somewhat raw experience. Another issue is that of heat management, to which I will let you share your experience. My Scrambler had these issues which took some fun out of riding these otherwise excellent bikes.
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Old 4th January 2023, 12:59   #10
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Re: My first bike | Ducati Multistrada 950S | Ownership Review

What a wonderfully penned review Steve! Its a pleasure to watch you on the Multi man. Hats off to you for your gutsy decision of riding the whole distance of our Spiti trip, and you rode like a professional. I really enjoyed being a part of the 'short trip' with you guys.
Wishing you more and more miles on the beauty and may there be many additions to your garage.

Cheers,
AB
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Old 4th January 2023, 13:49   #11
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Re: My first bike | Ducati Multistrada 950S | Ownership Review

Congratulations on owning a Red Dream! Lovely crisp write up and great pictures. Enjoyed reading every bit of it. Wish you loads of safe miles.

I have a couple of questions:
  1. What kind of Fuel efficiency is the red beast delivering?
  2. Is the weight manageable in tricky situations like we face in mountain rides - Inclined U Turns, water crossings, dry river beds, etc.?
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Old 4th January 2023, 16:40   #12
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Re: My first bike | Ducati Multistrada 950S | Ownership Review

Were you guys in Haryana around 17th or 18th December with couple of other Ducati bike on Delhi Hariyana highway.....If yes then I believe i saw you guys near Sonipat Toll Plaza.
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Old 4th January 2023, 18:07   #13
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Re: My first bike | Ducati Multistrada 950S | Ownership Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by bf1983 View Post
Congrats ! A beautiful write up of a beautiful bike ! Italians somehow know how to make real head turners. I always notice Multis on the road whenever they zoom past me.

Wish you many happy miles riding this beauty.
Thanks, bf1983! It does gather attention both on the move and standstill.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ashtorque View Post
Excellent writeup @the_skyliner. MS is super hot. I can't stop clicking her pics on our rides.

These new generation of Ducati L2 engines are so much refined than the older ones. Ducati surely has addressed the issue of knocking and somewhat raw experience. Another issue is that of heat management, to which I will let you share your experience. My Scrambler had these issues which took some fun out of riding these otherwise excellent bikes.
Thanks, ashtorque! Thank to you I could take a decision in no time.

As mentioned, the heat management is decent, IMO. Haven't had any major issue so far.

Quote:
Originally Posted by coriollis View Post
What a wonderfully penned review Steve! Its a pleasure to watch you on the Multi man. Hats off to you for your gutsy decision of riding the whole distance of our Spiti trip, and you rode like a professional. I really enjoyed being a part of the 'short trip' with you guys.
Wishing you more and more miles on the beauty and may there be many additions to your garage.

Cheers,
AB
Thanks for the kind words, AB! We have to do a repeat of our Spiti ride and this time around it sure will be a longer one.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sachin_Nair View Post
Congratulations on owning a Red Dream! Lovely crisp write up and great pictures. Enjoyed reading every bit of it. Wish you loads of safe miles.

I have a couple of questions:
  1. What kind of Fuel efficiency is the red beast delivering?
  2. Is the weight manageable in tricky situations like we face in mountain rides - Inclined U Turns, water crossings, dry river beds, etc.?
Thanks, Sachin_Nair! Glad you enjoyed the write-up.

1. FE is around 18-20 kmpl depending on how the ride is.
2. It surely is not as easy as the well balanced GS. It is also top heavy to a certain extent so it does take some time to get used to it. I rode to Spiti and that too all the way to Chandrataal and can safely say that I didn't feel uncomfortable even once. What made water crossings a breeze was the insane torque delivery and the higher GC in Enduro mode.

Quote:
Originally Posted by IM_PARTHRATHOD View Post
Were you guys in Haryana around 17th or 18th December with couple of other Ducati bike on Delhi Hariyana highway.....If yes then I believe i saw you guys near Sonipat Toll Plaza.
Nope, we were in the north in September.
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Old 4th January 2023, 20:33   #14
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Re: My first bike | Ducati Multistrada 950S | Ownership Review

Congratulations Sumeet for the bike
You took a while but what a lovely review this is of Multi.

Since it has already been to the holiest place of Adv’s, I suppose it will fare great at whatever challenge is thrown to it in future rides.

Hope to ride together some day!
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Old 4th January 2023, 22:15   #15
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Re: My first bike | Ducati Multistrada 950S | Ownership Review

Nicely written, the_skyliner!

Lovely pictures!

The skyhook suspension is such a special feature of your motorcycle. I also like the brushed aluminum finishing of those front forks, that's a unique colour.

Another very nice feature that the Multi gets is back-lit switchgear, love motorcycles where manufacturers go the extra mile in giving these nice features.

Wishing lots of fun on the motorcycle!
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