[Edge]

I'm not trolling. I'm seriously asking. As I look for a used Multi, seeing them with super low mileage is common. A 2014 with 4500 miles, or a 2016 with 3000 miles. I'm seeing bikes 2-7 years old with under 10k miles seems about the norm. So what gives? They're made to rack up miles. Everyone who owns one seems to love it. Why do so many seem like they're not being ridden? I know if I asked on advrider (Not throwing shade at advrider, just a lot of brand loyal guys there) or some other forum, the answer I'd get is "LOL, because Ducatis are always broke down, lol!" But I know that doesn't explain it. Lots of owners who report no problems still have lower miles.

Now, I know some guys put big miles on. I'm not saying no one does. It just seems like if you took an average, a Multi of any given year would have less miles than a comparable GS or Super 10 etc. So why do you suppose that is? Is the type of person that is attracted to a Ducati less prone to heavy riding than a BMW owner? Is it the cost of maintaining a bike being ridden a lot? Is it the less rugged looks of the bike causing people to fear damaging it?

Anyone have a theory?

 

[DarR]

Ducati engines last a long time. I know this girl with an 899 Panigale with 80,000 miles on it. Five desmo services!
Best guess is that most would like to upgrade before the major service which have been overly-stated as expensive.
Totally ridiculous thinking IMHO.

 

[Zaph]

Wanting an adventure bike means wanting the time and dedication required to ride the bike like it's meant to be ridden. Riders read the stories about trips to Alaska, or watched the movie Long Way Round with Ewan McGregor, how he experienced different cultures and overcame adversity on an adventure bike.

Well you can buy the bike but you can't buy the time and dedication. A lot of people just can't leave their jobs and family behind to hit the road. So the bike goes up for sale 4-6 years later with no miles on it as they realize what a disappointing mistake they made.

I've always wanted an adventure bike. The reason I never got one is because I'm realistic about it. None of my rides are ever more than a day and they never will be. Adventure bikes are just like Harleys - a lifestyle bike, a wannabe bike, and for 90% of the people who buy them, a stupid waste of money.

Flame suit on.... faces turning red... Don't break your keyboard slamming your response out, you happy low mileage adventure bike owners.

 

[eonderde]

Really wouldn’t know.
Mu Multistrada has well over 160.000 k. And maintenance costs actually go down. Everything that was unreliable has been replaced or repaired No mechanical issues whatsoever. Oil consumption lower than that of the dVT engines. Of course mine is the original 2010 version.

 

[ducorama]

Currently, I have multiple bikes, and drive a cage M-F to work after I decided to stop commuting on my bikes several years back (couple close calls including with an overzealous lane splitting motorcyclist). That means my riding is typically limited to day rides on weekends and some of those are filled with activities other than riding. However, I do make it a point to take a multi-day bike trip at least once a year, and accumulate a couple thousand miles on one of my rides that way. So, at least for me, I envision only putting on 2-3k miles on my Multi every year as it shares my time amongst other stable mates. Since I typically keep my bikes for a looooong time, I don't plan to sell the Multi...waiting to find a good window to do the pilgrimage to Deadhorse, AK, that I've read so much about haHA!

 

[aschemkes]

Wanting an adventure bike means wanting the time and dedication required to ride the bike like it's meant to be ridden. Riders read the stories about trips to Alaska, or watched the movie Long Way Round with Ewan McGregor, how he experienced different cultures and overcame adversity on an adventure bike.



Well you can buy the bike but you can't buy the time and dedication. A lot of people just can't leave their jobs and family behind to hit the road. So the bike goes up for sale 4-6 years later with no miles on it as they realize what a disappointing mistake they made.

So true LOL. I've decided to work less and enjoy more. You Only Live Once so make the best of it enjoy. I've put around 150.000km on the Multistrada, my 3rd already...




Verzonden vanaf mijn iPad met Tapatalk

 

[Kirigakure]

I just flipped 47k miles on my 2013 Multi, and about to embark on a 5k mile trip to CoTA for MotoGP and swing on over 1k miles to Key West then back home (Richmond, VA). This bike is so sorted, I don't know when I'm going to replace it. I have other Ducs, but this one is just so much fun to rack up miles on. And I kind of love seeing these 2013/2014 (best years, best motor IMO) for $7 and $8k. Makes it all the easier to pick up another one and rack 'em up all over!

A pal of mine just bought a 2013 GT fully loaded, and I mean decked out, with only 4,500 miles on it. $9k. Holy shit right?!

 

[Piscatory_6]

Wanting an adventure bike means wanting the time and dedication required to ride the bike like it's meant to be ridden. Riders read the stories about trips to Alaska, or watched the movie Long Way Round with Ewan McGregor, how he experienced different cultures and overcame adversity on an adventure bike.



Well you can buy the bike but you can't buy the time and dedication. A lot of people just can't leave their jobs and family behind to hit the road. So the bike goes up for sale 4-6 years later with no miles on it as they realize what a disappointing mistake they made.



I've always wanted an adventure bike. The reason I never got one is because I'm realistic about it. None of my rides are ever more than a day and they never will be. Adventure bikes are just like Harleys - a lifestyle bike, a wannabe bike, and for 90% of the people who buy them, a stupid waste of money.



Flame suit on.... faces turning red... Don't break your keyboard slamming your response out, you happy low mileage adventure bike owners.

I think you hit that right on the head.

 

[Piscatory_6]

Currently, I have multiple bikes, and drive a cage M-F to work after I decided to stop commuting on my bikes several years back (couple close calls including with an overzealous lane splitting motorcyclist). That means my riding is typically limited to day rides on weekends and some of those are filled with activities other than riding. However, I do make it a point to take a multi-day bike trip at least once a year, and accumulate a couple thousand miles on one of my rides that way. So, at least for me, I envision only putting on 2-3k miles on my Multi every year as it shares my time amongst other stable mates. Since I typically keep my bikes for a looooong time, I don't plan to sell the Multi...waiting to find a good window to do the pilgrimage to Deadhorse, AK, that I've read so much about haHA!

I've ridden my multi on gravel and don't really enjoy it there, too used to a ktm 500exc on gravel and trails i guess. Great on the highway though.

 

[DaveK]

I'm not trolling. I'm seriously asking. As I look for a used Multi, seeing them with super low mileage is common. A 2014 with 4500 miles, or a 2016 with 3000 miles. I'm seeing bikes 2-7 years old with under 10k miles seems about the norm. So what gives? They're made to rack up miles. Everyone who owns one seems to love it. Why do so many seem like they're not being ridden? I know if I asked on advrider (Not throwing shade at advrider, just a lot of brand loyal guys there) or some other forum, the answer I'd get is "LOL, because Ducatis are always broke down, lol!" But I know that doesn't explain it. Lots of owners who report no problems still have lower miles.

Now, I know some guys put big miles on. I'm not saying no one does. It just seems like if you took an average, a Multi of any given year would have less miles than a comparable GS or Super 10 etc. So why do you suppose that is? Is the type of person that is attracted to a Ducati less prone to heavy riding than a BMW owner? Is it the cost of maintaining a bike being ridden a lot? Is it the less rugged looks of the bike causing people to fear damaging it?

Anyone have a theory?

European bikes tend to be expensive to maintain... that may be part of it. I have almost 50k miles on my 15S and have spent quite a bit on routine service and consumables each year (couple k a year I suspect), but Ducati isn't out of the ordinary for service (other European and high strung Japanese bikes like the R1 are also expensive). That may cause folks to try to keep the mileage reasonable

As for reliability... the last report I saw had Ducati mid-pack for European bikes (German bikes were the lowest reliability - both BMW and KTM). Japanese bikes were the MOST reliable... but there again if you look at the high performance Japanese bike they were more like European bikes.

 

[duc96cr]

I always have multiple bikes so I never put a ton of miles on one bike. A lot of people buy Ducatis because they always wanted one, not because they intend to ride it around the world. A similar comparison: Why do so many Panigales not get ridden at 180 mph ? People don’t always use bikes for there intended purpose. Same goes for Ferrari’s and jacked up Jeeps that never leave the pavement. Why ?

 

[ducorama]

I've ridden my multi on gravel and don't really enjoy it there, too used to a ktm 500exc on gravel and trails i guess. Great on the highway though.

The Multi is definitely a great highway bike. I have plans to do a multi-day run in the next couple of months and shall see how she does. However, still needs some additional sorting (e.g. seat mod and windscreen tweaks) before/if I can say it's better than my Honda ST in the long distance category.

If I ever get the time and opportunity to do the ride to the Arctic Ocean, I'd probably not take the Multi as I'd be upset if I dropped it in the CaCL slush that can develop on the haul road to Deadhorse, from what I hear. Was hoping to do it on the Strom before I sell it, but probably won't happen.

 

[Edge]

Wanting an adventure bike means wanting the time and dedication required to ride the bike like it's meant to be ridden. Riders read the stories about trips to Alaska, or watched the movie Long Way Round with Ewan McGregor, how he experienced different cultures and overcame adversity on an adventure bike.

Well you can buy the bike but you can't buy the time and dedication. A lot of people just can't leave their jobs and family behind to hit the road. So the bike goes up for sale 4-6 years later with no miles on it as they realize what a disappointing mistake they made.

I've always wanted an adventure bike. The reason I never got one is because I'm realistic about it. None of my rides are ever more than a day and they never will be. Adventure bikes are just like Harleys - a lifestyle bike, a wannabe bike, and for 90% of the people who buy them, a stupid waste of money.

Flame suit on.... faces turning red... Don't break your keyboard slamming your response out, you happy low mileage adventure bike owners.

No flaming. Not slamming my keyboard. But man, oh man, do I (respectfully) disagree with this post. Both on it's own, and in the context of answering my question. Your answers assumes all adventure bikes have low miles. They don't. They tend to be higher mileage than cruisers or sportbikes. I'm not asking about why adv bikes have low mileage, I'm asking why Multistradas, compared to other ADV bikes have lower mileage.

If you were correct, no adventure bikes would have high miles. But many do, just not Ducati. In fact, you strengthen my point. Most adv riders don't take their bikes off road, thats true, so the more street oriented Multi should be higher mileage over all than things like the GS. But do a search on cycle trader for say, 2012 Multis, then 2012 GS and average the mileage. The GS will be higher. By, like a lot. I just searched. There are 1007 Multi's on cycle trader right now. 826 have under 5000 miles. Just 35 have over 25,000. That's in the whole country.

If your logic was correct, there would be no reason to own a sportbike unless you race it or do track days. As compared to my old 1098, a Multi makes way more sense for day to day use. Wanna talk about a wannabe, lifestyle bike? How many street riders, even experienced ones, can ride a modern liter bike to it's potential? Literally none.

You don't have to hit the road and leave your family behind to want a bike with good performance, enough suspension to handle crap roads and comfort to allow a day long ride.

Don't get me wrong, I get what you're saying. Most people don't "adventure" on their adventure bike. That's true, but the genre still makes sense for a lot of riders. But your reasoning doesn't answer my question. As a rule, Duc's seem to get ridden less than other brands. I'm still curious as to why.

 

[Edge]

I always have multiple bikes so I never put a ton of miles on one bike. A lot of people buy Ducatis because they always wanted one, not because they intend to ride it around the world. A similar comparison: Why do so many Panigales not get ridden at 180 mph ? People don’t always use bikes for there intended purpose. Same goes for Ferrari’s and jacked up Jeeps that never leave the pavement. Why ?

Based on the responses here, including this one, I'm starting to formulate my own theory, that I'll never be able to prove, but sounds good nonetheless. Seems like Ducati owners (myself included) tend to me a little more... emotional, for lack of a better word, about bikes. We talk about the "soul", and the beauty and of course the sound. We tend to own multiple bikes. Whereas loyalists of other brands like Honda or BMW, seem to speak more practically about bikes. They talk about reliability and cost of ownership. I'm thinking different types of people are drawn to different bikes. (Not better or worse, just different.) So maybe the type of person for whom the appearance or sound of the bike doesn't matter, might be attracted to a VFR1200X or a GS. But the person who wants that look, and that soul, might buy several bikes that deliver it, not keep them as long and not ride them as much. Like the guy who drink 4 cups of gas station coffee a day, because he just wants the buzz and taste doesn't matter as much, vs. the guy who just has one good cup of coffee from a boutique coffee shop because taste is everything.

 

[DaveNZ]

80 thousand on my Multi, and in the 7 years of ownership, I've had multiple other bikes at the sametime I've had the multi, V4 ape=18,000, 1290R=19,000 MotoGuzzi Griso=16,000, 1290GT=30,000, KTM640=3000, MV Rivale=4,500 and now a 790=3600 so far. So as you see i exercise multiple bikes. Still in my man cave i have the Multi the 1290GT and the 790, so the Multi will inch along to the 100,000 mark......Just maybe some Ducati owners are just posers and some are riders like me:grin2:

 

[DaveK]

The Multi is definitely a great highway bike. I have plans to do a multi-day run in the next couple of months and shall see how she does. However, still needs some additional sorting (e.g. seat mod and windscreen tweaks) before/if I can say it's better than my Honda ST in the long distance category.

If I ever get the time and opportunity to do the ride to the Arctic Ocean, I'd probably not take the Multi as I'd be upset if I dropped it in the CaCL slush that can develop on the haul road to Deadhorse, from what I hear. Was hoping to do it on the Strom before I sell it, but probably won't happen.

I did 11,000 miles in one month on the multi and it was fantastic... only touring alteration was an Air Hawk seat pad (which imo is better than any custom aftermarket seat for long distance touring).

I do agree with Piscatory_6 that the Multi is not great on the soft stuff, and it's really an issue with tire diameter... that small front tire is killer on soft ground. It doesn't really mean enduro mode is pointless thought, on firmer dirt the Multi handles great (I've ridden the multi on many thousands of miles of dirt roads).

 

[MTScott2]

Arthritis...mine came with the optional Rheumatoid package. Road it twice last year and had a buddy put some miles on it. Still love it and it is therapy...

 

[Piscatory_6]

Based on the responses here, including this one, I'm starting to formulate my own theory, that I'll never be able to prove, but sounds good nonetheless. Seems like Ducati owners (myself included) tend to me a little more... emotional, for lack of a better word, about bikes. We talk about the "soul", and the beauty and of course the sound. We tend to own multiple bikes. Whereas loyalists of other brands like Honda or BMW, seem to speak more practically about bikes. They talk about reliability and cost of ownership. I'm thinking different types of people are drawn to different bikes. (Not better or worse, just different.) So maybe the type of person for whom the appearance or sound of the bike doesn't matter, might be attracted to a VFR1200X or a GS. But the person who wants that look, and that soul, might buy several bikes that deliver it, not keep them as long and not ride them as much. Like the guy who drink 4 cups of gas station coffee a day, because he just wants the buzz and taste doesn't matter as much, vs. the guy who just has one good cup of coffee from a boutique coffee shop because taste is everything.

And that coffee is all the better if served by a bikini clad young lass.

 

[Piscatory_6]

I think it will be difficult to pinpoint one reason why Multis have fewer miles than other adventure bikes, as mentioned already there are several possible reasons. Lack of free time, or maybe just that high mileage ones don't sell well or they are just not on the market because they are liked so well by the owners.

 

[Stewart5533]

I bought a 2011 Multi last year (2018) from an older gentleman with 2,750km on it, when i first seen the add for it i thought it was a scam, before going and looking at the bike i talked to the owner several times to make sure it wasn't a scam. It wasn't until i went to look at the bike I found the truth the gentleman kept telling me he really just liked the look of the bike and that was one of the reasons he bought it. i knew when i arrived at this mans house he certainly has some wealth behind him, when he invited me down to the garage the bike was kept, there was several bikes, more like a museum, this man turned out to be a motorcycle enthusiast, but liked so many bikes he fortunately was able to buy what he wanted.

He told me he tries to ride each bike at least a 200k per year, but each year he keeps running out of space so he has to off load a couple to renew with others, fortunately for me I managed to see the add for the multi at the right time, unusual find, but another rare example of how some Multis are out there with low milage, since buying the bike i have put 7,000k on it in 8 months.