I loved riding the Multi but just lost all confidence in it as far as reliability and the willingness of Ducati to resolve problems was concerned.
Apart from the rear brake rarely working within a few weeks of the brakes being bled the first year was fine but then it was a seemingly never ending list of problems. Firstly the fuel gauge started to act up so I had a series of new fuel gauge components and software updates trying to get it to work which were never properly resolved and for over 12 months I either had no fuel gauge, a low fuel light permanently lit up or the range remaining would drop in 25 mile increments.
It needed a new instrument panel after the original suffered from pixel burn and I was told that it would be an ongoing issue but Ducati would always replace it while I owned the bike. Great, at least the overall mileage would never get over about 18 months worth of miles.
Two new cylinder heads were finally fitted after I was initially told that the smell on start up was normal as was the smoke while it burned off anti freeze that had leaked through porous castings.
After the new heads were fitted I was told that the emulsion in the oil level sight glass was due to condensation and not coolant being in the oil and if I gave it a good thrashing it’d go. I thrashed it and it returned, I thrashed it again and it returned again even after an oil and filter change.
The bike still stunk of coolant burning off on start up but apparently that was down to the cat being corrupted by the previous coolant leak and no, I couldn’t have a new cat because by then the bike was out of warranty so my best option was to buy a nice new full Akro. This was the dealers suggestion by the way
I’d also had to free the exhaust butterfly valve mechanism every couple of months from new but that was my own stupid fault for not buying a full Akro system for it
If I’d gone for a second generation model I’d have avoided the cylinder head and instrument panel issues but I might have needed new switchgear if I was stupid enough to use it in the rain on a regular basis as happened to a friend of mine but at least we shared the pain of seized exhaust butterfly valves, shite fuel gauges and needing to carry a pocket full of spare fasteners for the hugger because the fastener fairies steal them at night.
Buy new and sell when the warranty expires is the best way to enjoy the Multistrada experience