1260 1200 Abs ('11) Vs 1200s ('15) Vs 1260s

After a considerable wait, the time has come to get my hands on the new 1260S. Together with two friends (one being the owner of the '15 1200S) we got the bike for about two hours and headed to the nearby mountainous areas to test it in the twisties. So we got a chance to do a comparison of the "old" '11 1200 ABS (mine), the next gen '15 1200S and the newest 1260S, by swapping. All the bikes were tested in sports mode, the suspension in default/middle for that setting and they all had the original equipment, except mine that has shorter gearing (42t in the back). Other than that, no changes (no after market exhausts, no quickshifter for the older ones etc.). So, let's see ...

• The motors

All motors are great. Period. Quite different in the way they output the power but just great. I don't think you can ask for much more from either of the three. The 1260 is probably the winner but not by much and not for sheer power. There are absolutely no hickups in higher gears and low engine revs. It's just smooth, powerful and extremely linear. Pick any gear you like, open the throttle and it just accelerates, no hesitation whatsoever. The 1200S's engine is less refined in low revs (although very well behaved compared to the 1200 ABS's) but torquey. If it wasn't for the (very minor) dip in the mid revs, it would be spotless as well. The 1200 ABS's still feels like the absolute brute. It totally lacks the electric feeling of the other two, it's equally or more eager to rev than the newer ones and it just delivers through the whole rev range. Having to propel a lighter bike than the other two as well as one with shorter gearing, made this even more pronounced. I couldn't tell a real difference between the three as far as power is concerned. The 1200 ABS's motor was and still is great. What it really lacks is any manners. below 3000 revs, it just jerks the bike around and it makes working the clutch a continuous necessity in low revs (especially in the city). It's nowhere as easy as the other two when opening the throttle. The 1200S was the loudest of the three. I like the sound from any of them however.
​

• 
  
  
  • Suspension/geometry

It's difficult to compare the 1200 ABS's suspension (not electronic) to the Skyhook of the other models. However the bike is excellent on the road. Weaving at high speeds (~200km/h) is totally absent, it turns like hell but it also gets more easily unsettled by driver input/error. I am not the most experienced rider and I do make mistakes and my bike is the less forgiving of the two when mistakes are made. It also is the softer of the three (by far) and that has a negative effect in general when pushed hard or when breaking. Stability wise, when the bikes are settled for the turn or in the straights I cannot tell much difference (except what I will mention later). They are all great. The suspension of the 1200S was the hardest of the three. It did have a positive effect for sporty riding but in the city it was a pain (greek roads are notorious for bad patching). The 1260S's was the winner as far as comfort was concerned, and it seemed to me that they had done an excellent job in improving Skyhook. It felt more refined.
Although the new bike has changed geometry (theoretically for the worse) I couldn't tell any difference between the three. I never experienced any instability on mine, either on a straight or in a turn, regardless of the speed at which I am riding (when mistakes are made however, mine feels less stable but it doesn't come in the form of weaving of the bar), so I don't really get the argument "it was made longer to help stability on the straights". Instability never happened to me even with three bags on. The 1260S is as flickable as the other two. Maybe a more experienced driver could tell but me .... no.
What felt really different however was how planted the front wheel of the 1260S was. I was much more confident on it than on the other two. I don't know if it can be attributed to the different geometry or the different tires (the 1260S had the Pirelli Scorpio II while the other two ran on a pair of Michelin Pilot Road 4's). If I had to bet I'd go with the different geometry/revised suspension on the 1260S. Really great job.​

• 
  
  
  • Controls

The further back you go, the worst it is. The buttons/control on mine feel plasticky and cheap compared to the 1260S's. They have a very positive feel in the newer models. A definite improvement. The same applies to how intuitive things are. The menu is far easier to understand and work as you move forward in time. Color adds to the experience of course and it seems that the screen on the 1260S doesn't scratch as easily as on the 1200S (which was in really bad shape even compared to mine).

​

• 
  
  
  • Weight

1200 ABS being the lightest (by far) bike, feels like it. However, although the other two are heavier, the 1260S feels exactly like mine. I am talking of course only for stationary handling but the 1260S was as easy as mine in getting it off the sidestand. I can only attribute this to a lower center of gravity than the other two (the 1200S felt quite heavy when doing exactly the same). As soon as they are on the go of course, all three feel light.

​

• 
  
  
  • Brakes

Although the 1260S has bigger disks I couldn't tell any difference in braking. Mine would supposedly be the weaker one, however, it is a lighter bike that has to slow down. We didn't apply the brakes too often anyway . However, it was evident that the combined (and working rear) brakes of the newer models felt more solid. They would probably do a much better job if requested. Also, the feel of the 1260S's brakes wasn't as direct as in the previous models. The travel of the lever was longer and it didn't bite as quickly as the other ones. Felt like when air is in the system but not as dramatic. Just a different feel. The stopping power was there whenever it was needed.

​

• 
  
  
  • Quickshifter/Clutch

I don't find this a necessity in a bike but it made things much more smooth when changing gear at full throttle (overtaking benefited from this). I don't have any experience with quickshifters at all, so this was totally new to me. It felt adequately smooth, either upshifting or downshifting. Downnshifting was performed flawlessly for once (I don't think I have achieved the smoothness that I want when doing a manual downshift yet). So, it was a welcome addition. I also don't know if the lever feel has anything to do with the quickshifter (I guess it does) but it was firm, with shorter travel than mine. The 1200S's shifting was also positive and with a shorter travel. Nice.
The clutch is still heavy for my liking. They could definitely go for a bigger slave to fix this. But they didn't ...

​

• 
  
  
  • Riding position/Wind protection

Being different generations of the same bike, all three riding positions felt nice and familiar. I like the fact that you sit lower on the newer models and you can put both feet on the ground. I can't do that with mine. Although I am close. None of the positions felt too aggressive so you don't feel any different as far as pressure on the hands is concerned. Legs are a bit more bent on the newer models. I don't know if this is going to have any effect on your body in long trips but it didn't feel like it would. I found out that you can hold on the tank with your legs in the newer models much better than on mine. I would never think of it on mine before but now that I've tried the other two, it's become clear.
The air protection on all three is at least adequate. I had experienced some buffeting on the 1260S. Never had this on mine (although I do have a higher screen). The wind was a non issue.

​

One note about quality: the panels on mine and on the 1200S felt much more solidly built and fixed to the frame. I didn't experience any rattling during the ride but the panels felt more shakey (for a lack of a better term) than on the older bikes. Other than that, the 1260S seems very well made.

​

That's about it. The 1260S is really a (more?) complete bike. If it is to be your first big bike, you're going to love it. If it going to be your upgrade, you are going to love it again. BUT, in the latter case, it's overkill if you already own a previous S model. It is A LOT of money Ducati is asking. Here the price is €21800 and you need to add another €1100 to get the grips, center stand and side bags. I believe at least the first two should be included in the original price, which is already very high. I understand you pay for the name as well but come on Ducati...

​

Another thing is that the official dealer doesn't have any knowledge of the TPMS feature. Which still gets me confused: does the new Multi have a TPMS or not. And if it does, does it come as an extra and how much does it cost? (the one we tried didn't show anything relative to a TPMS)

Sorry for the long post and glad you've made it through.

​

 

You are already confused!
Joking aside, if I was to try the XR and the SD GT, I would wait for the (imminent?) updates. I haven't driven the XR (I don't like inline fours or the looks of it) but the GT is a great bike but flawed for me. Too much vibration at "touring" revs (at the feet), too much heat from the engine and by far the worst seat I've tried for touring. I believe the vibrations on the pegs would give you numb feet in half an hour. The engine is a beast and the electronics are excellent but the problems I've experienced would make the touring experience far less fun than with the 1260. I'd suggest you wait (if you can) so you don't get misled about the comparison with the 1260. But then again, it's your money and your choice. Maybe you'll ride one of these bikes and fall in love with it

 

I know what you mean but this may be a trap named "waiting for the perfect bike". It may never come. In the meantime there is depreciation ... (I think it's one thing that makes me wanna change)
When I bought mine, I got it second hand, a kind of "try before you buy" test. If it wasn't what I would like it to be I wouldn't have given a load of money (I actually got a pretty good deal and the bike was immaculate) and if it was I would enjoy it until the "right" replacement came up (I don't like changing bikes too much, nor I buy them in order to sell them later. Especially if it does the job). I don't know how much longer I can wait (at least four years).