1200 Considering 1200 S - What To Look Out For ?

I changed from an ST4s to a 2012 s and the difference is day and night. You will get replies in support of both the 2010-2012 and twin spark models. You will get horror stories about the earlier models and a different set of issues with the twin spark. My 2012 has been very reliable but not without small problems which were quicky rectified under warranty and I will find out next week if the latest niggle will be done under good will which the workshop manager is confident that it will. High beam tell tale glows when the neutral light is on which is a known problem but nothing major. There have been a small number of major engine failures between 10,000 and 15,000 miles but given the number of bikes sold, I do not think that the Multistrada is any more prone when you hear of similar disasters with BMWs and Aprillias. Andy

 

I like a man that does his home work and asks questions , I on the other hand rushed out and purchased this without any information what so ever and had never even sat on one until I handed over the cash lol. I have achieved 2 rides since last Friday, one on the way home and one on the following sunday , both rides were accompanied by it pi%"ing it down but I think me and this bike will have a good year .

 

Twin spark doesnt have the low end fuelling issues, and the skyhook is a mixed bag for some. Takes some getting used too, and more than one owner has ended up selling and going for the older S with ohlins or even new DVT with std suspension. Personally, I love skyhook and find it well worth it.
Nothing especially concerning to look for that isnt easily spotted checking its condition out

 

I think the key thing is to make sure it's had all the factory recall work done. Full service history. There were a few additional things - check that the radiator doesn't have any cold spots when bike is warmed up. Check exhaust for water/steam, again when warmed up - there were some with porous cylinder heads. Rear brake is pretty crap on most bikes but you may get lucky and find one that's not too bad. I like the Ohlins S model and prefer it over skyhook but that's just me.
Obviously if the bike is near 15000 or 30000 you'll have a belt service due which is 700 quid or so.

 

Always avoid low mileage pikes peak models, especially the single spark variant.
I may revise this advice after my next purchase.

 

If the preload at the front is correctly (mmanually) adjusted this solves many of the complaints on sky hook.

 

I had a 2014 pikes peak delivered to me last March with 1.5k on the clock - I'd never sat on a multi or even seen a pp in the flesh - gamble but I've done about 2k on it so far and I've had no problems and am I'm still enjoying it - famous last words though as average tenure is less than 12 months.... Good luck with your search.

 

Although the two Multistradas look vaguely similar, the pre-DVT with Ohlins and the DVT with Skyhook feel very different both as to the suspension and the engine. Having both I'm cannot easily decide which one I like best.

 

If it helps, I've been keeping a blog on the subject since getting one of the first 1200s - still have it. it's at ducati.info - in short, I've had no huge issues but lots of small problems and a dreadful problem with corrosion from the start - something Ducati couldn't have been less helpful about. So, bearing in mind that it's a bit of a TLC queen (more so than any Ducati I've owned since 1983 and way more than my ST4s), it's a great bike to ride.

 

This one? Multistrada 1200S: Four-up | Ducati Diary Very useful stuff. My Multi is five years old, 30K miles with a similar story to you EXCEPT Zero corrosion! And all I do is wash it regularly and douse it in WD40 before garaging it when it'll be standing for a while. Sometimes I wonder about these fancy corrosion inhibitors - is it possible they may negatively interact with some finishes?

 

Interesting - I've only ever used WD40 and ACF50 so am more inclined to blame poor QA on the first batch of components - I gather that my bike was one of the first half dozen off the line, so yours may have been a slightly later build? Some of it is large acreages simply peeling off the swing arm. I've now managed to locate a good condition used swing arm to swap with mine - that was actually cheaper than taking mine off, stripping and refinishing.

 

I collected mine in October 2010 and I think the build date was June...if I remember correctly. Dunno where that puts it in terms of production numbers though. You're probably right, perhaps just dodgy initial batches of parts. Makes me wonder about the XDiavel I currently have on-order! :-(

 

I went through a dealer to ensure I got a 12 month warranty and was glad I did. Despite my warranty claims, I love the bike.

 

Enjoy, it's a great bike