1260 1260s - 1,500 Miles Completed. Opening The Taps.

Just junked the Pirelli Skorpion's for the new Bridgestone T31's. What a difference. The bike is much more eager to turn in and once it's on it's side there's so much more grip. So far I've not managed to make the traction control light come on. They're supposed to be a marked improvement in the wet over the older T30 Evo, which was a good tyre to start with.

 

They can't afford to, they only made 45 million last year, where's the exhaust valve development money in there?

 

I think you'll find that going from Urban to Touring is likely to amplify the issue rather than tame it, as you're switching to a higher power mode with a different throttle curve.

Yes, the throttle response is a little snatchy but I've not found it to be too terrible. I've ridden worse. I think you'll find that it is an issue that is exacerbated by a modern, fuel injected, large capacity twin with high compression which by it's very nature will have very prominent engine braking. It was never an issue with older bikes with carbs as a closed throttle still allowed residual fuel to be sucked through which softened the experience, but fuel injection systems literally cut fuel flow almost completely. Ducati could improve this with a change to the fuel map and if enough people whinge then they should address it. Yamaha did it with the MT-10 when it first came out as the throttle was like an on/off switch on early bikes. I would say that the 1260 is nowhere near as bad as that.

I'd also look at the chain adjustment. If it's too slack then it really does make it significantly worse. Just adjusted mine for the first time since I've had it. It only need a small tweak but has made quite a difference.

I always thought the throttle spacers were aimed at Panigale models rather than Multistrada. I'm not aware of the same issue with slack in the throttle being present on the Multi but I could be wrong.

If you're mostly riding in "Urban" mode - which I'm assuming as you indicated you tried changing from Urban to Touring - then you're riding the bike in a hobbled low-power engine mode, so I would expect the whole experience to be entirely artificial. I use Urban mode when riding through sections of central London where there are loads of speed bumps and potholes, but I've always had my Urban mode set with the engine turned up. The default Urban engine setting is limp and horrible and I much prefer have a constant throttle reaction that I can get used to all the time. Nothing worse than backing the throttle to rely on a certain level of power to get you filtered into moving traffic only to find it's not there.

I wouldn't describe it as a problem as it's a similar experience on other bikes which use a similar system. The DVT was no different but the issue is amplified by the more significant engine braking of the 1260. You're effectively just killing the throttle as you come out of CC controlled throttle.

You can't compare it to a car and it's pretty unfair to do so, as a car has a fly-wheel and a much heavier bottom end and/or an automatic gearbox without a constantly engaged clutch, all of which means that when the throttle is closed a car practically coasts. You won't get the exact same experience between a car with CC and a bike with CC. My last six bikes (Ducati, Yamaha and Kawasaki) have all had CC and they have all been pretty similar.

I commute on my 1260S, every day in all weathers and in heavy traffic. I'm constantly on and off the throttle and stopping and starting. I've only been using Touring and Sport mode as I'm not in central London at the moment but I've not experienced anything like you've described. Yes, the throttle is a little snatchy but not to the point that it detracts from my riding experience, as that's only been dented by the faulty quickshift (which gets replaced tomorrow) and a dodgey exhaust valve (currently disconnected).

I would also say that at nearly 2500 miles now I'm noticing that the engine is becoming noticeably smoother and much less harsh. You could well just benefit from getting more miles on it. It's a very long break-in period on the testastretta and the engine on my DVT didn't really feel run-in until about 5,000 miles.

I do tend to ride with a fairly heavy throttle application, generally, so I'm kinda throttle-wide-open to throttle-completely-closed and straight-on-the-brakes quite a lot, so it might be that my riding style is masking the issue a bit more. Next weekend I'm touring in Germany with friends, so my riding style will no doubt need to be a little more subtle and it might be I notice it more then. We shall see.

"Fit for intended purpose" was the test that was part of the old "Sale of Goods Act" which no longer applies. I would suggest you appraise yourself of the "Consumer Rights Act 2015". It doesn't rely on the old definitions but does make returning goods, including motor vehicles, much easier within the first month. If you really do have a problem with the bike then you might find the new law helps you much more.

 

The KTM and Ducati have some very distinct differences in their design which could account for the different roll-off throttle behaviour, so it's a bit of an over-simplification, but I get where you're coming from.

Ducati's desmo valve train will mean there is almost no "dwell" in the operation of the valves - this is where the inertia of the valve being pushed open acts against the spring trying to return the valve, which results in the valves remaining open for longer than the cam profile should otherwise dictate. With desmo valves which are mechanically closed then the valve timing can be made very precise with much less worry about contact between the valves and the cylinder head. This phenomenon is the main reason we have a red-line on a rev counter as their comes a point when high engine speeds result in the valve timing conflicts with the stroke. Some "dwell" can also mean that traces of fuel can enter the cylinder when the throttle is closed quickly, making the initial roll-off a little less abrupt. Like almost all engines the KTM does not have a mechanically closed valve train. Ducati is fairly unique in this regard - when an inlet valve is meant to be closed then it's really closed. KTM are obviously concerned by the issue of "dwell" because they make a big thing about using titanium valves ... lower mass than steel valves therefore less inertia which should lead to more accurate valve timing and a harder revving engine.

Also consider that the Ducati has variable valve timing the influence of which, at lower decelerating engine speeds with a closed throttle , I'm not completely sure about. That said, if the purpose is to improve throttle response at low revs then you could be forgiven for thinking that the same would be true with a closed throttle.

Crank timing is also different significantly between the two, so if you accumulate the differences between the two engines you can start to see why they might behave completely differently.

 

You can adjust the settings in all four modes to however you wish. Personally, I don't touch the Enduro mode as it's not something I'll ever use. I leave all the ABS, DWC and DTC at their defaults for all modes, and I set the engine to "full power/dynamic throttle" on all modes.

I used to do this on my DVT because in Touring mode it felt a little underwhelming, but on the 1260 that's not the case. That said, I've come to realise that a throttle which works consistently between all modes is something that I appreciate - I feel that consistency of throttle action is important to me being to employ a consistently smooth application of throttle. If it changes between modes then my throttle technique needs to adapt to each change, and that's not always helpful.

 

You're not wrong, the engine braking is quite pronounced. If you happened to have developed a bit of a habit of chopping the throttle then the bike it will just replicate what your right wrist is going.

I'm not saying that you've not got an issue with your bike as there are potentially other things that could be going on. What I would say is that it is early days and I think some extended running would help, as the engine will most definitely improve and become smoother as the miles go on. You'll also find that you will adapt to the bike and it's various traits over that time. What might help you whilst adopting a smoother throttle action is changing your default modes to all have the same throttle/power setting as it can only help with consistency. I'm 90% certain that once you've completed the whole break-in process it will feel quite different.

I'm at just over 2,200 miles now, and the bike feels different this week compared to last week. For example, the issue with find neutral has utterly gone completely but was still manifested itself occasionally after I'd completed 1,500 miles. When the bike was brand new the throttle action felt incredibly crisp but now it's noticeably softer, which can only bring about an improvement to what you're experiencing. It is definitely changing all the time. Testrastretta's do take a long time to bed in properly and since getting back into the Ducati brand after a long absence I can't get over how much the characteristics alter from new, compared to a Japanese bike.