About to buy a MTS950..

[BrownTrousers]

Hi all,

I have a test ride on a Multistrada 950 this weekend. It's a demo bike at a dealer and i will likely be looking to buy a brand new example in the next few weeks.

So, i would like to gather any useful information in advance....

What should i look out for on the bike? (I'm currently riding a Tiger 800, which i do like, but looking for something a bit more exotic. Anyone else moved on from a tiger?)
What should i look out for when negotiating the purchase (interested especially in deals to be had on accessories and info about the cost of services, especially first "run-in" service?)
What accessories are worth getting immediately vs. aftermarket options later? (I probably need panniers, and 'adv' bikes that don't have a center stand is a pet peeve, but is there anything else worth having?)
Anything else? (most of my riding is medium distance to work, relatives or bike shows/races with one 1,500 mile touring holiday per year thrown in, but i also do the odd Sunday morning blast in the summer)

Thanks in advance! Looks like a great forum.

Cheers,

[thenozzle]

 Hi BrownTrousers, welcome to the forum,
I have now had my 950 for a year now and just luv the look, power and comfort.
I also owed a tiger 800 for 5 years I believe a few others on this forum also owed one.
Also have been to Europe on it last year and it was faultless and going again this year.
I hope you enjoy your ride at the weekend 

[Conman]

If you enjoy the test ride then you won't be disappointed if you buy one. Bare in mind the test bike will probably be not fully run-in and so a bit tight. The bike loosens up nicely after a few 1000 miles. I've test ridden a Tiger 800 and loved the engine; the Ducati can match that and more 
Negotiating with my local Ducati dealer was murder. They seemed to have an attitude of "you will buy it at the price we say because it's a Ducati - and think yourself lucky"! After several months of too and fro I was literally on my way to buy a Vstrom when they relented, knocked a couple of quid off the package price and placed all the extras I wanted at my feet (they were initially saying a lot were on back-order). Not a good experience really, so good luck. Since then, the dealers service back-up has been very good.
Everybody seems to be getting the Pyramid fender extender, me included. I have an MRA vario screen which helps keep wind blast down to next to nothing. Stickers look good on a white bike (there's not much hope for a red one tho  ). If your after panniers and a centre stand, get the Ducati versions I think they're good and may come in a package with other bits. I wouldn't be without heated grips.
The bike is an ideal mount for the riding you propose 
Hope that helps.

[Murf46]

Originally Posted by thenozzle

Hi BrownTrousers, welcome to the forum,
I have now had my 950 for a year now and just luv the look, power and comfort.
I also owed a tiger 800 for 5 years I believe a few others on this forum also owed one.
Also have been to Europe on it last year and it was faultless and going again this year.
I hope you enjoy your ride at the weekend 

Plus 1

Love every aspect of this bike (just don't get a white one) he he 

I have the touring pack centre stand and side boxes works for me

[Beitsta]

Hi Browntrousers,

What should i look out for on the bike? (I'm currently riding a Tiger 800, which i do like, but looking for something a bit more exotic. Anyone else moved on from a tiger?) No - but the Multistrada is a beautiful bike!
What should i look out for when negotiating the purchase (interested especially in deals to be had on accessories and info about the cost of services, especially first "run-in" service?) I regretted not trying to get the first service included in our negotiation when I was buying. The first service cost was about €265 which I was unaware of at the time.
What accessories are worth getting immediately vs. aftermarket options later? (I probably need panniers, and 'adv' bikes that don't have a centre stand is a pet peeve, but is there anything else worth having?) I like to put my helmet away when I leave the bike rather than leaving it pad-locked on the side of the bike so therefore I would definitely get the panniers or the rear case. The centre stand is perfect when cleaning the bike and believe me, you will be doing a lot of cleaning - as the mudguards/fenders are very short. In my opinion, heated grips are a must for those cold days - that we seem to have more and more of!
Anything else? (most of my riding is medium distance to work, relatives or bike shows/races with one 1,500 mile touring holiday per year thrown in, but i also do the odd Sunday morning blast in the summer)
Just enjoy it!

[Simoncelli58]

Welcome Browntrousers  , i'm also new to this forum .....

 .. in 2013 i bought a tiger800xc , this was after demo-ing a hyperstrada 821 for the day and taking a demo tiger800xc out twice , i went with my head and not my heart (big mistake !!)and bought the tiger . although the tiger is an excellent bike and does everything extremely well , i just had to get rid of it after 18mths , chopped it in for a hyperstrada 821 , it was my first ducati and the best move ever , loads of fun but very focused. I got really excited when ducati announced the MTS950 but was put off by a few journos who claimed it was a bit dull and lacking power , so i overlooked it completely and wasnt really interested in taking out a demo . That all changed when i was literally passing a ducati dealer in late january   , they had a demo MTS950 in so i took it out for a couple of hours , the weather was pants and there was remnants of flooding debris all over the roads , but, i thoroughly enjoyed it , felt comfortable on the bike straight away, had a real road presence about it , and the engine is an absolute peach , ride the mid range torque all day , its all the power i need , and just enough electronics on it without getting silly . I initially wanted a 6mth old low miler , but that was no longer available , so bit the bullet and bought new with touring pack ,panniers, centre stand (yes , why dont all bikes come with these !!) and heated grips..... i got a really good deal and was much better than the used example i was initially looking at , think it was just good timing rather than good negotiating skills .... my advice would be to make a list of the accessories you want and take it from there with OTR costs and 1st service etc .......  (1st service can be £170-£220ish ) , with spring around the corner that only means one thing , bikes command higher prices and deals dry up ... good luck , hope you get a great deal and let us know how you get on with the demo ride ....    big waffle sorry , hope this answers some of yours Qs

[BrownTrousers]

Well first of all, thanks for all the helpful responses and warm welcome.

I'm looking forward to the test ride, despite the wet weather forecast, and will let you know how it goes. Sounds like i'll have a tough job to get a 'deal' at this time of year but like someone has already said, it's really about buying with my heart this time, rather than my head with my last two bikes.

Are there any common issues with this model that i should be aware of? The main complaint with Tiger800s is the wind noise (which i have suffered from) but it's always useful to know these things going in.

Also, the demo bike doesn't have panniers so can anyone tell me if they fit a full face helmet in? I guess not but worth checking.

Cheers.

[thenozzle]

 :435:BrownTrousers all the issues have been sorted out and yes you can fit a full face helmet in the stock panniers. What dealership are you doing your test ride https://www.multistrada950.com/index.php/topic,54.0.html

[tozes]

Those test rides are dangerous, I stopped by at the dealer one day just to look around and went home on the test bike. Next thing I know, my old bike was gone and I was waiting for an MTS. Got a great deal on mine, the factory had it registered for press events but never used it so I got 15% off and the bike was brand new with 3km on the clock. Just lost 1/2 year of factory warranty that the dealer covers with free labour and 50% off for parts and had a bit more trouble to change the registration from Italian. Now it's the high season for bike sales so it's much harder to get a discount

On the topic of luggage, I have an unpopular opinion around here but I think that aftermarket is the way to go. A set of alu panniers and mounting kit cost about the same as the plastic ones from ducati but are more durable and are not exclusive to one bike which is handy if you have more bikes or plan on changing sometime in the future

Welcome to the forum and enjoy your ride! Let us know how it goes then

[Lambert]

i have always gone in with a list of what I want and work from there. If it is the bike you want and the deal isn’t sweet enough then ring around, most if not all dealers are happy to deliver.
Luggage options now also inc Shad, again means you can use the cases on other bikes after installing the fitting kit. I haven’t used them on the Multi myself but have used them in the past.