Multistrada V4S

[Sneldog]

I have ridden 100 miles ish on my new one now. Still got 500+ miles to go before it can be ridden past 6000rpm but I can tell it is fast point to point. Beautiful handling. Much sharper than the GS.

I can update as I go if anyone is interested.

 

[Flappytabs]

Going above 6000 is a whole new stratosphere. it is really quick. The exhaust noise is fabulous above 8k.

 

[G&T]

I like the colours of the new GT, but I’m a tart!

 

[Sneldog]

I’m similar @G&T - I think my gold wheels are marvellous!

 

[bdev]

I've recently test ridden the big three (R1300gs, Multistrada v4, KTM 1290 SAS) and it's been an interesting experience...

I currently ride a KTM 890 Adventure R

R1300GS
- Felt extremely stable and easy
- Motorway cruising capability was amazing
- Felt small
- Deceptively fast - I was always generally going a fair faster than I thought I was
- Amazing wind protection
- Clutch didn't feel nice at all (very on/off)
- Amount of brake level travel was scary after the KTM (although the brakes themselves did feel powerful enough)

Overall I didn't come away massively impressed, my 890 felt like a scalpel in comparison on the ride home but I have to admit it has grown on me...(not as a replacement, as an addition) - I need to ride it again

Multistrada v4s
- Wind protection was terrible compared to the GS (it was similar to my 890R, which is terrible)
- Engine howl at the top end was amazing
- Brakes were amazing
- Felt bigger than the GS.
- Looks great from the front
- Found it quite vibey through the seat exactly at the motorway cruising speed
- Deceptively slow... I don't mean it was slow, but it always felt you were going faster than you were.
- I think on open, sweeping type roads, this bike would be in its element, but for the smaller narrow B roads and exploring I'm not so sure.

Towards the end of the test ride I started to gel a bit more with it, but I never quite got a 'Ducati magic' feeling like I was expecting.

KTM 1290 SAS
- Felt at home straight away after the 890R, great balance
- Felt like a big bike, bigger than the v4s, way bigger than the GS
- Engine is incredible - strangely a great mix between the GS and the v4s as it has both the torque and the top end.
- Hooligan.. my big fear would be my license.
- Better wind protection than the v4s, but not as good as the GS.
- Looks great from behind, front is a bit more questionable.

Of all the bikes, I think :
- GS is potentially going to pick up speeding tickets the easiest (unintentionally, because you don't realise how quick you are going)
- KTM is going to get you into trouble the most (because it just wants it)
- v4s kinda got lost on me somewhere... I'm not really sure why - I really wanted to feel some special magic. Where did I go wrong?

 

[Sneldog]

I've recently test ridden the big three (R1300gs, Multistrada v4, KTM 1290 SAS) and it's been an interesting experience...

I currently ride a KTM 890 Adventure R

R1300GS
- Felt extremely stable and easy
- Motorway cruising capability was amazing
- Felt small
- Deceptively fast - I was always generally going a fair faster than I thought I was
- Amazing wind protection
- Clutch didn't feel nice at all (very on/off)
- Amount of brake level travel was scary after the KTM (although the brakes themselves did feel powerful enough)

Overall I didn't come away massively impressed, my 890 felt like a scalpel in comparison on the ride home but I have to admit it has grown on me...(not as a replacement, as an addition) - I need to ride it again

Multistrada v4s
- Wind protection was terrible compared to the GS (it was similar to my 890R, which is terrible)
- Engine howl at the top end was amazing
- Brakes were amazing
- Felt bigger than the GS.
- Looks great from the front
- Found it quite vibey through the seat exactly at the motorway cruising speed
- Deceptively slow... I don't mean it was slow, but it always felt you were going faster than you were.
- I think on open, sweeping type roads, this bike would be in its element, but for the smaller narrow B roads and exploring I'm not so sure.

Towards the end of the test ride I started to gel a bit more with it, but I never quite got a 'Ducati magic' feeling like I was expecting.

KTM 1290 SAS
- Felt at home straight away after the 890R, great balance
- Felt like a big bike, bigger than the v4s, way bigger than the GS
- Engine is incredible - strangely a great mix between the GS and the v4s as it has both the torque and the top end.
- Hooligan.. my big fear would be my license.
- Better wind protection than the v4s, but not as good as the GS.
- Looks great from behind, front is a bit more questionable.

Of all the bikes, I think :
- GS is potentially going to pick up speeding tickets the easiest (unintentionally, because you don't realise how quick you are going)
- KTM is going to get you into trouble the most (because it just wants it)
- v4s kinda got lost on me somewhere... I'm not really sure why - I really wanted to feel some special magic. Where did I go wrong?

I have ridden all three as well.

1300 GS - I have ridden this several times, once for a few hours. I find it too small, too harsh a ride and overly complicated. It feels to me like I have been disenfranchised by BMW. I wanted another GS and had every intention of buying one with my expectation being more of the same with a bit more speed. It was a massive disappointment to find that to me, the bike had lost its GS-ness.

KTM - I actually spent some time on the Super Duke GT 1390 and I thought it was fantastic. Brilliant suspension and fabulous power delivery. I would probably have bought one were it not for the slightly precarious state of their business. I also have reliability concerns with KTM and don’t want to get stuck in the Dolomites with a broken bike. The looks aren’t quite to my taste either and it bugs me that you have to pay extra to unlock features that are already on the bike. Very nice machine to ride though and I can see me owning one at some point.

Multistrada V4S. Well I bought one so I must like it? Yes, I do. The handling is amazing and it looks and sounds great. And the brakes are unreal. As said above, I am yet to experience the engine properly as it is limited to 6k rpm for now. But it is not perfect. I am irritated by the lack of space near my boots and have to shuffle around more for the gear lever. I agree about the wind protection although it is actually better than I was expecting. The panniers seem flimsy too but I am coming from the BMW adventure ones so that is a natural view to take. It is way too early to give a qualified opinion on it but what I can say is I am really glad I bought it and it makes me smile when I walk in my garage. It is very well designed in terms of user interface and having ridden it in the dark last night, the lights and backlit switchgear are excellent. Best lights I have ever had on a bike for sure. And one last thing. It has tech in it that when the front registers a bump, it sends a signal to the rear suspension to anticipate the same. I thought this sounded like a gimmick but it actually works and is really noticeable at any speed! The front hits a dent or a hole and you feel nothing as the back wheel passes over it. Very clever. Time will tell if I love it as much as my last GS1250 but the signs look good so far.

 

[Arsey]

I've recently test ridden the big three (R1300gs, Multistrada v4, KTM 1290 SAS) and it's been an interesting experience...

I currently ride a KTM 890 Adventure R

R1300GS
- Felt extremely stable and easy
- Motorway cruising capability was amazing
- Felt small
- Deceptively fast - I was always generally going a fair faster than I thought I was
- Amazing wind protection
- Clutch didn't feel nice at all (very on/off)
- Amount of brake level travel was scary after the KTM (although the brakes themselves did feel powerful enough)

Overall I didn't come away massively impressed, my 890 felt like a scalpel in comparison on the ride home but I have to admit it has grown on me...(not as a replacement, as an addition) - I need to ride it again

Multistrada v4s
- Wind protection was terrible compared to the GS (it was similar to my 890R, which is terrible)
- Engine howl at the top end was amazing
- Brakes were amazing
- Felt bigger than the GS.
- Looks great from the front
- Found it quite vibey through the seat exactly at the motorway cruising speed
- Deceptively slow... I don't mean it was slow, but it always felt you were going faster than you were.
- I think on open, sweeping type roads, this bike would be in its element, but for the smaller narrow B roads and exploring I'm not so sure.

Towards the end of the test ride I started to gel a bit more with it, but I never quite got a 'Ducati magic' feeling like I was expecting.

KTM 1290 SAS
- Felt at home straight away after the 890R, great balance
- Felt like a big bike, bigger than the v4s, way bigger than the GS
- Engine is incredible - strangely a great mix between the GS and the v4s as it has both the torque and the top end.
- Hooligan.. my big fear would be my license.
- Better wind protection than the v4s, but not as good as the GS.
- Looks great from behind, front is a bit more questionable.

Of all the bikes, I think :
- GS is potentially going to pick up speeding tickets the easiest (unintentionally, because you don't realise how quick you are going)
- KTM is going to get you into trouble the most (because it just wants it)
- v4s kinda got lost on me somewhere... I'm not really sure why - I really wanted to feel some special magic. Where did I go wrong?

Why did you test the old KTM 1290 rather than the new 1390 ?

I can confirm that the V4 engine is blindingly quick, as have it in my X-Diavel, though it now makes 181bhp rather than 168bhp due to the full Akra system and remap.

 

[bdev]

Why did you test the old KTM 1290 rather than the new 1390 ?

I can confirm that the V4 engine is blindingly quick, as have it in my X-Diavel, though it now makes 181bhp rather than 168bhp due to the full Akra system and remap.

Being honest it was a second hand bike that came up locally... 2023 with 5k miles on and seemed like a bargain (was up for 10.5k)

I'm not sure I'm a fan of the new 'tablet' style screen of the 1390 either - (although arguably the front end looks better)

Really rated the KTM... full of character... that engine !

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't trying to insinuate the v4s was slow by any means... I meant that the character of the delivery was more top-end based, more sports-bike like, and that reflects how you end up riding it... open flowing roads across Scotland or Europe I can see it being in its element.... small Welsh B roads just exploring probably not as much?

 

[Morety]

Don't discount the all new V2 Multistrada. It will retain the scalpel like handling you're used to and having ridden some V4's, a 950 Testastressa and the newer V2, I can honestly say for a majority of riding I much preferred the 950s and V2 over the V4 which I found a bit busy and didn't like wind protection much. The V2 in particular was a lovely smooth lump. I went in a different direction as I preferred the ergos of the Supersport 950s and have had it over a year now and love every minute on it. No lack of grunt either despite the more modest power figures of both the 950 and V2.

 

[siddo]

Don't discount the all new V2 Multistrada. It will retain the scalpel like handling you're used to and having ridden some V4's, a 950 Testastressa and the newer V2, I can honestly say for a majority of riding I much preferred the 950s and V2 over the V4 which I found a bit busy and didn't like wind protection much. The V2 in particular was a lovely smooth lump. I went in a different direction as I preferred the ergos of the Supersport 950s and have had it over a year now and love every minute on it. No lack of grunt either despite the more modest power figures of both the 950 and V2.

Why not buy one of the older V2 pike's peaks? I'd have loved one but couldn't afford one at the time!

I had a 2014s 1200 and that was amazing. The acceleration, sound, handling and braking were brilliant. I put 50k miles on that and loved it. Only swapped it out for the 1250 GSA as I was fed up with the constant refuels when touring.

 

[Khulu]

I've got a 2019 1260S and I prefer it over the V4.

 

[Morety]

Why not buy one of the older V2 pike's peaks? I'd have loved one but couldn't afford one at the time!

I had a 2014s 1200 and that was amazing. The acceleration, sound, handling and braking were brilliant. I put 50k miles on that and loved it. Only swapped it out for the 1250 GSA as I was fed up with the constant refuels when touring.

Servicing costs and economy really plus the little 950s is more than zippy enough for our roads, it has plenty of go and is still a 150mph sports bike. For thrills I also have my Hayabusa.

 

[siddo]

Servicing costs and economy really plus the little 950s is more than zippy enough for our roads, it has plenty of go and is still a 150mph sports bike. For thrills I also have my Hayabusa.

Saying that about the service costs, I reckon my GSA costs more than my old Multistrada. That was every 15000 and £1000. In doing 2 services a year on the BMW.

 

[Morety]

Saying that about the service costs, I reckon my GSA costs more than my old Multistrada. That was every 15000 and £1000. In doing 2 services a year on the BMW.

True but having tried Ducati, wouldn't go back to a beemer. I dislike the new designs. I reckon modern Dukes have less issues....build quality is pretty decent, and better than on my 1250 and 1200 beemers.

 

[Sneldog]

V4S update.

Less room for my left foot around gear lever etc. slightly irritating. And the throttle is snatchy at low speed. Especially in Sport mode. Also, turning circle is wider on Ducati and indicators stay on longer even though they’re supposed to be automatic cancelling.

Still enjoying it though. No major regrets.

 

[J biker]

Multistradas are nice. Though not ridden the very latest spec. (Drawn to the PP, not drawn to the price )
Noted, the comment about the R1300GS being harsh. It is firmer and sportier than before.
But, ride can be softened significantly by going in to the menu and reducing the damping, -2 is much more compliant on bad surfaces. Tyers also make more difference to ride than before, probably due to increased feedback.

 

[Sneldog]

Turns out the linkage can be adjusted to suit the rider. Will have a play at this tonight.

 

[Sneldog]

Gear lever adjusted. It can be put into an upper position from the standard configuration. Dead easy to do.

 

[2 wheel humvee]

Gear lever adjusted. It can be put into an upper position from the standard configuration. Dead easy to do.

View attachment 544861

I couldn’t get the adjustment I wanted with the OEM gear lever so fitted this which has a greater range of adjustment (as well as added bling factor) along with a matching rear brake pedal, shop soiled and direct from the manufacturer on eBay with a great discount.

 

[richardbd]

Some interesting points and opinions in here.

After three 1200/1250 BMWs, I switched to the V4S back in 2022. I traded that for a V4 Rally 18 months ago, to do two long-distance dual sport trips. I'm about to change again.

Never crossed my mind to go back to the GS. Like somebody said earlier, the design of the 1300 has lost me. Standard bike looks like a Cross Tourer and the GSA - well, best not to mention that. Mind you, when I was the only one in the arse end of Finland's forests outside cleaning and oiling my chain, whilst the GSers were in the bar, I did begin to see the attraction!

I tried the new 890 V2 engine. First in the new Desert X. Great engine but in the wrong bike was my take (I didn't really like the original Desert X either, hence the V4 Rally). The V2 Multistrada is fun but as an all-day distance bike? Not for me I'm afraid. It's light and flickable and shows the new 890 engine off better than the Desert X but it's just too small and insubstantial to be a genuinely serious mile-muncher unless you're a less substantial gentleman (or lady). Sure, you can do it on the V2 if you have to - but that's true of almost any bike.

The V4 knocks it into a cocked hat, so I'm going on to my third. All I have to decide is which colour.

Yellow anybody?