Test ride day :-)

Morety

Well-known member
UKGSer Subscriber
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Messages
1,127
Reaction score
257
Location
Dursley
Just to see what the competition is like, I took up the offer of a few test rides on Saturday (thanks go to Riders of Bristol and Fowlers of Bristol).

I wanted to see what the hype was around the new 1260 Multistrada and also check out whether the Yamaha MT10 in "Touring" trim would be a worthy replacement as an all-road (no off road) sports-tourer to the GS, or at least whether either of these would tempt me off a GS.

The day kicked off after an invite to join the Ducati Roadshow 2019 for an extended test ride in groups accompanied by the California Superbike School.

I thought I'd look at riding the most comparable to my GSA in style which was the 1260 Multistrada "Enduro". I really wished I'd picked the lower touring model as the 34.6 inch seat height felt taller than my GSA (even though it wasn't), but this was down to the much firmer suspension and low sag meaning I was on tippy-toes!

Long story short. Although I gelled with the Multistrada, I didn't love it. It felt less stable at low speed than the GS, the engine I expected so much from needed over 2.5K revs low down or it could get a little rough around town with one or two people stalling at low revs. It was lovely and smooth though and the suspension was top notch....way better than my 2016 ESA equipped GSA. Handling was good but with the larger front wheel, it felt a little too slow on some bends but held a line well. Brakes were excellent. Riding position was also quite comfortable.

Engine was muted but pleasant sounding and quite linear from 2.5K to 7K revs. After that, there was a noticeable peak in power before it went bats at 9K...going from sleepy kitten to wild cat. I was surprised how little grunt it had lower down though tbh.

Instrument panel was great and screen, whilst adjustable and not bad, still left me with some buffeting. The height though was too much for me and loaded up, it's not a bike for 5'8" shorties like me. The touring model was much lower and I got on way better with that, but both bikes just left me thinking....Meh....not in love enough to drop 16K to make a switch. It was great getting back on to the GSA which felt so much better at low revs and I don't know if it's an age thing, but I like the fact it doesn't go mental at higher revs...it just isn't something I was looking for in an everyday bike or tourer....or was it?

....queue the MT10. This is a bike I've been wanting to try for ages and finally I got the chance to throw a leg over one. I know this is more naked muscle bike than sports tourer, but chuck a set of panniers and a screen on it, and a comfort saddle (you'll need it...the standard one is a plank!) and it is comfortable enough I'd say for all day touring. I was out for an hour and a half and loved every second of that ride. The high points were the firm but excellent suspension...this bike was ridden briskly over some pretty rough roads but nothing seemed to unsettle it. It sliced its way through traffic in town thanks to being half the width of my GSA and was one of those bikes that handled intuitively well...where you looked is where the bike went. Engine note from the re-tuned Crossplane crank R1 engine was the star of the show...absolutely mind blowingly superb! The gobfulls of torque this thing churned out in any gear at any revs meant it was far more usable and tractable than the 1260 Multistrada or the GS for that matter.

On paper at least, the specs were similar to the Multistrada with about 160BHP and 88ft-lbs torque...it just felt a heck of a lot more than that. I think this was down to the engine tuning bringing that power down from the peaky heights of 15K revs of the R1 to "just" 12K revs but the spread of torque was everywhere. Lovely gearbox too. No feeling of having to rev it to get to the performance, like the Ducati. The MT10 astonished on throttle response every time you open the throttle from any revs in any gear...it just takes off. As the revs climb, power seems relentless...it's like having someone try and rip your arms from your sockets on full beans, and as the revs climb (any gear really) you have to be mindful that irrespective of what the speedo shows, that front wheel is in danger of lifting if the beans are kept on.

I seriously loved the MT10 and wasn't expecting to. It's probably one of the best motorcycles I've ever ridden...highly addictive, well screwed together, fantastic handling and could easily make a great everyday bike or sports tourer although luggage space is quite limited. My only comment on the downside are that the standard saddle is unconfortable and the brakes are a little wooden, although effective enough...this seems to be a Yamaha trait on any I've owned or ridden. If I had a spare space in the garage though, I'd buy one in a heartbeat, but two things would stop me....one, my wife and 2) my licence would last possibly a week!

Riding home on the GS though and I didn't feel let down or short-changed. It is what it is and the journey back was effortless, comfortable, safe and familiar.

Great fun though and I may just persuade myself that I need an MT10 in my life. In fact we all need an MT10 in our lives! For anyone who hasn't had the chance to ride this utterly bonkers, yet very likeable bike, I really recommend you take any opportunity that comes your way to try one. As for the Ducati....no thanks. I can see why some might like it, but it wasn't for me.
 
My mate rides an MT10. It can pass anything except a filling station. Forever hunting down petrol stations.
 
Yes the MT10 is on my radar as well.

I would trade in my Bandit 1250 for one of these...

Always liked the MT10 ever since their launch :thumb2
 
Yep...I reckon I got no more than 30 or 35mpg from it, so 100 mile tank range before light comes on? That's a downer for touring use.
 
Yep...I reckon I got no more than 30 or 35mpg from it, so 100 mile tank range before light comes on? That's a downer for touring use.

It's really a coffee bike, in my opinion. Go out on it, get totally high, come home grinning :D

GSA is a tourer....
 
MT10 is a great bike.
I had one when they first came out. Only had it 5 weeks as I had a 1290 coming,but should have kept it.
I did do 3300 miles on it though, including 680 miles in one day.
I fitted all the extras that basically now come as standard with the Touring edition.
My bro and his mate have just bought one each in the light grey/orange wheels colour which looks fab.
Here was mine in the Alps.

9e757560cf882ea931acf91b559b9dca.jpg


Only downside was fuel range ,always looking for fuel at around 130 miles with about 30 left.

It's really a coffee bike, in my opinion. Go out on it, get totally high, come home grinning :D

GSA is a tourer....

But you don’t fall asleep on the MT10 and its much more comfortable than you think.
I’m 6’1” and the bar/peg/screen position was much better than any GSA for a long day in the saddle as you don’t get any lower back ache at the end of a long day.
 
Must admit, tank range aside, it is one of the best bike's I've ridden and I was totally smitten. If I ever made the jump I'd kit it out like the photo above (cheaper than buying the touring model I was told).

Fuel range is one of the big plus points for the GSA....close to 300 miles before you have to start sniffing out a petrol station. If only they'd added another 5 litres capacity to that tank...
 
tbh, dont see tank range as too much of an issue (was never a deal breaker for me at least) - am usually happy to have the occasional break and stretch so (although i had a GSA and loved it) dont need the 300 mile plus between stops
 
But you don’t fall asleep on the MT10 and its much more comfortable than you think.

I didn't mean it that way, I'm sure it's an ace bike.

I'd have one. :)
 
I was attracted to the MT10 but one of the magazines did a "can this be a tourer" type test, and concluded it could, but some of the pictures with a pillion on board told a different story, and I realised that it would not work for two-up touring unless your other half was a lightweight and flexible gymnast with a high discomfort threshold! Luggage options would also be a bit limiting for two people.
 
I was attracted to the MT10 but one of the magazines did a "can this be a tourer" type test, and concluded it could, but some of the pictures with a pillion on board told a different story, and I realised that it would not work for two-up touring unless your other half was a lightweight and flexible gymnast with a high discomfort threshold! Luggage options would also be a bit limiting for two people.

Totally agree. Absolutely fine for solo touring but no good two up.
 
MT10? Your comments reminded me of my ZX10R period, preceded by 2 'Busas - they had to go, before my licence. Great fun, but frankly impractical in today's riding environment. Hence the rise & rise of the GS & imitators.

The bike that interests me currently, a bit left of field, is the re-vamped Versys 1000, now replete with a few goodies that have filtered down from the H2SX. Well down on power maybe, but reports seem good on the SE models & that engine was always a peach.
 
Great reviews, thanks.
Agree about the MS, if i lived permanently in Spain I would have the Ducati. A great hooligan adventure motorcycle.
 
Have owned MT10 & MT10SP to be honest I did like both but my Aprilia V4 1100 RR would have beat them both in terms of outright speed. I recently went down to just one bike for everything and I chose new 1250 Exclusive GSA. Getting older and sensible. Never saw that coming lol.
 
I had two Aprilias in succession and whilst they were outright faster, they were no better fun than the MT10....I'm struggling to think of any bike (and I include my KTM Duke) that was more fun than the MT10 :). The MT10 might top out at "only" 150mph but for a naked bike and bearing in mind the speed limits, that's plenty fast enough...it's the way it delivers that makes it so good...the engine...what a motor that is :bounce1

It is in license busting territory though and buying one and saying "I'll ride it sensibly all the time" just isn't going to happen...it's too irresistible to play when the conditions allow. The GS is a sobering ride and as you get older I think that a decent all rounder with adequate performance appeals as long as it has character.
 
i had the S1000XR and unlike what some say, i could ride this legally. Getting to the legal limit was very impressive and i enjoyed every second of that, but it was a bike you could "bimble" on and not have to thrash. Am guessing this would be the same
 
Yes...in fact the MT10 reminds me a lot of the BMW S1000R (more so than the S000XR). The two are very similar in many respects and the BMW definitely has the edge on performance. They're even a similar price. The BMW scores more highly on refinement, fuel economy and flexibility...in any tests you care to read, it just about manages to pip the MT10 overall. For my likes, I just prefer the character of that crossplane crank motor over the more common place IL4 of the BMW and the fact that the beemer reportedly shares the 60-70mph vibes in top gear with the S1000RX which would intrude after a while.
 


Back
Top Bottom