When I had my MV’s they probably had half a dozen firmware update during my time, each improving fueling, dash glitches etc. Would have thought if MV could do it then a manufacturer many times their size could manage it?
I picked my V4S up on Friday having traded in a 3 year old S1000XR that I'd owned from new. I've done 350 miles on it which would have been more but I've been working nights the entire Easter weekend and yesterday's ride was done in snow showers which made some of the back roads more than a little interesting. Onto my review of the bike so far. The engine is smooth with plenty of torque except between 4 to 5k where it feels a bit lumpy. I'm guessing this is where the fueling is leaned off to pass some crappy Euro 5 noise or emissions test and it's nothing a remap or power commander can't sort out. I hate running in bikes as it's so tempting to to use the higher end of the rev range where it really delivers some serious speed and power. I think it is faster than the XR but it's hard to tell as the power delivery is very smooth making it very deceptive. It's an easy bike to ride whether short shifting and using the V4's fat range of torque or when accessing the top end power. The suspension works much better than the XR, especially 2 up. It's smooth without being soft and soaks up bumps and defects in the road with no fuss which is a good job as most of the roads are pot hole strewn patchwork quilts full of repairs and overbanding. The adaptive cruise control works very well but it's not something I'll use very often as I avoid motorways at all costs on the bike simply because they are boring as f*ck. The panniers work really well and are so easy to take on and off but the right hand side one looses some space as it goes over the exhaust. Not a problem as the higher level exhaust looks better than a low slung one in my view and I'll only have the panniers on 3 or 4 weeks of the year when I'm touring. I've got the tank bag which comes in the Urban package, I've not used it yet but it's big enough to put my drone and phone in and has 3 usb charging points. I've not used the little cubby hole on the tank and doubt that I will because it would be too easy for things to fall to the bottom and potentially be hard to retrieve. It's a good idea but falls short of the mark. Onto Ducati connect and Sygic. Having had a play about with Sygic fur a week prior to collecting the bike I decided that it was shit and I couldn't put all my eggs in one basket being totally reliant on a phone that could get lost, stolen or broken for all my navigational needs so I've got a Garmin Zumo XT which I'll be hard wiring in once Evotech or Iconic Parts have the Sat Nav bracket in stock. Don't see the need for the Ducati connect as my phone is already linked to the Garmin and Sena headset and from other reports it doesn't sound like I'm missing much except for cursing and frustration. In summary it's a smooth, quick easy to ride bike that does everything very well. Is it worth the £21k+ asking price? Is any bike? I'm not looking at the top headline figure just the £230 per month it's costs me which is manageable and a cost effective way of riding a serious bit of kit.
Thanks Wilbert, I shall be fitting my XT to the bike too. I shall just use the handlebar 1" RAM mount. Any guess what the handlebar bolt size is. I took one look at the idea of Sygic and placed it in the catagory of "near tech" so it works sometimes !
Same as my 1260 Mutley and MV Turismo before that. The idea of integrating comms and the bike is surplus to requirement and a pointless additional step, adding to the complexity and fragility of the system. Using a decent GPS as a hub instead of the bike makes it so much easier. Trying to control things like music and phone calls using the switch gear is a step too far IMHO, shouldn't be done whilst riding anyway.
I had the sat nav and phone connected on my KTM, the only time when it came in handy was to find a KTM garage when in Italy a couple of years ago. The rest of the time I never bothered with it.
Been to have my first look at the Multi V4 today. Couldn't test it as it’s having a new engine fitted next week as part of the recall. However just sitting on it, it feels so much better balanced than the V2. No heaving it off the the side stand and not as top heavy. Lovely finish to it as well. Very tempted in a few months time.
Likewise I also popped into Pro Twins to have my first look. Overall I thought it looked good, a lot of small practical improvements (screen, mirrors, seat, hand guards), the front wheel does look a bit large when you see it next to a 1260 and the swingarm is not as attractive. They had a S version with the sport paint which was very smart (weird to have a black Ducati logo on the grey though, would have looked better white). The Akrapovic exhaust doesn’t look much different from the Standard exhaust IMHO. Overall I liked it
Once on the move, I would agree its not top heavy but I know from my experience on my 1200 DVT that sometimes it takes a lot of effort to get the bike upright from its side stand when loaded with fuel.
The new Super Adventure S has 3 separate tanks, two down low on either side and a small top up tank on the top.
I think Pete was suggesting I might swap to a B4 but I agree with KTMs discounting policy it makes sense to wait if you want one.
Have Ducati brought out a new bike then named the B4 to deal with the crap press they will now receive for the disastrous V4 valve guide issue?
The V4 makes the V2 look dated in my eyes when they are sat side by side. The v4 tail is much slimmer than the V2.
I am very happy with my v4 so far, It is smoother than my 2016 DVT. I don't use the Ducati connect as it is a hassle and the 2016 Ducati music interface was a pain as well. I just use a Garmin xt for music and phone as I knew what I was getting into. I had a 2014 then the 2016 and had no issues with either and I am hoping the V4 will be as trouble free. Touch wood
