2019 1260S vs 2019 1260 Pikes Peak choice...looking for opinions

jmorin said:

I've decided its time for the 1299S Panigale to go and I'm really interested in a Multistrada, but am a bit stuck on which one.

While I don't like to waste money, the price isn't going to be a determining factor. The forged wheels are a nice upgrade on the PP, not so sure on the Termi can (I have full Akra on the Pani). Don't really care about the carbon on this type of bike.

It really comes down to the suspension. Anyone have direct experience with the Skyhook of the 1260S and the Ohlins on the PP? I like the idea of electronic suspension adjustments, but even with the adjustments is it better/more useful than the Ohlins?

I won't ride the bike two-up much, if at all. Mostly backroad scratching and light touring use. Want to be able to ride all day to get to the best twisties and back.

Why would you choose one vs the other, outside of the price difference?

Thanks.

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I came off a Panigale 959. Loved it for what it was but needed something for the occasional Two-up. Marital harmony and stuff like that.
My Monster 1200R is now my Hooligan / Sport / Track bike. Wife didn't like the Monster. Too loud and rambunctious.

My dealer was very accommodating and a great salesman. I was lent a Multistrada 1200S for a total of at least 1000Km in aggregate. I had to buy one.
I bought the 1260 Pikes Peak. No regrets.
The only thing I thought I would possibly miss on the Skyhook was the Urban mode for rough patches of road. That's it. Otherwise, it's always in sport.
I wanted the light Forged Marchesini's and the Ohlins.
Ohlins are easily serviceable. Everyone has parts and knowledge for these. Skyhook not as much.
About the ride: Ohlins are sublime. Now that I've had it, I don't miss the on-the-fly adjustability. Suspension is a dream.
How often have you changed the settings on your Panigale 1299S? That should answer your dilemma.
A friend of mine..a wise man.. always says; " Go big or go home".

PS. Irrelevant of your choice, You're going to change the stupid OEM tires. I'm already at the edge and I haven't even dragged anything....and I have a center stand! While I'm not suggesting Supercorsa's, Diablo Rosso III at a minimum based on back-road scratching.

Two-up & Ohlins Suspension

The Ohlins suspension settings namely, Pre-set, Compression and Rebound Damping on my 2018 Pikes Peak is normally set around Sport. Today, I took the wife out for a ride. Out of simplicity, all I did was max the pre-load on the Ohlins TTX rear shock. Ride was sublime. Had I planned for a week long trip, I would have increased the rebound and the adjusted the front suspension accordingly. However, for a day ride, increasing the rear pre-load, consisting of a couple of turns of the knob, was all it took.

PS It's not my photo: internet copy but good enough.

The Pikes Peak is very cool. If I had to have just one bike in the garage, that would probably be it (or the new Super Duke GT). Fortunately my wife is very understanding 0. In my scenario (two bikes), my preference is for the 1260S, which I just bought.

Similar to the OP, I don't like to waste money, but price wasn't the deciding factor (FWIW I rode the 950S as well - value is value). In the end, I went with the S for a few good reasons:

• While I've always liked the PP paint jobs, I've also always wanted to have a red Ducati (it's my first). In previous generations, both would have been very tempting. However, I find the scheme on the 1260 PP very 'meh'. The 1200 with its white streak across and red tank was sheer perfection. But the vertical lines on the 1260 don't work anywhere near as well, and when you sit on it you're looking at a really boring white tank (personal taste but I would never buy a white bike).
• This goes back to the one-bike garage argument, but I already have the perfect second bike for twisties & tracks. The S was brought in to be much more versatile, load lugging, two-up, long-distance, that kind of thing. I've adjusted the suspension on my other bike twice: once to set the damping & rebound, once more to get the pre-load right. Never touched it after. Even with a remote pre-load adjuster, I just know that I would only use the PP in one setting. The S, with its press-of-the-button adjustments, will serve me much better. It's comfort mode is really smooth, while it's sport mode is more than good enough for what I want to do on a bike like this. And when my wife wants to join, it's just a press of a button.
• This is again personal taste, but I think any and all carbon is naff (kitsch). I've never wanted it on any car or bike, and when I see it, it always think it look and feels like plastic with a pattern printed on. While I could just about tolerate it on a PP (I did look into a 2nd-hand 1200), I'm not willing to pay a lot extra for it on a new bike.
• I would love the Marchesini wheels on the PP, real pity that you can't upgrade the S to those. Maybe one day I'll throw some aggressive 70/30 adventure rubber on the standard wheels for grand (gravel included) touring and get me a set of Marchesini's on Rosso IIIs for local riding... but it seems a ton of hassle (and cost) versus just going on the standard wheels with Angel GT IIs (or even the standard Scorpion IIs, which I don't mind but only make sense if there is light gravel involved).
• I don't care for the looks of the Termi, and it doesn't sound any better than the stock exhaust. Another thing (like the carbon) that makes the PP more expensive for no good reason. Will stick with stock (disabled exhaust flap) first, and if I do switch it would be to that great-looking, twin-exit SC Project muffler.