Just a month ago back in January, I was bashing through Enduro Park Thailand off road with the almighty BMW GS series here.
Now, all thanks to Ducati Singapore & Thailand, I find myself happily back in The Land of Smiles, facing the husky Ducati MultiStrada 1200 S.
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| At Changi Airport, waiting to board Thai Airways |
Flew from Singapore - Chiang Rai Airport (transiting through Bangkok), before taking an hour coach ride up to the Award-winning Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort Hotel.
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| Credits to chiangraibulletin |
This elephant sanctuary is as luxurious as it can get, and opens a wide window to nature as its best.
See what I mean? Hehe. Huge elephants are seen walking through the hotel premises as I was checking into my room! Maybe I'll take them for a ride before the Multistrada Press Ride tomorrow as a warm up :p
The super sophisticated Ducati Multistrada 1200 S, and I can't wait to test ride it over 320KM worth of mountainous roads tomorrow, here in Chiang Rai!
Strutting With The Strada Today
Woke up to such a beautiful view, geared up and all ready to take on the Strada.
It's a chilly 18°C now, but temperatures can soar up to 36°C in the afternoon, close to 20°C difference. But at least the air here is dry, compared to Singapore's humidity.
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| Ma big bright red ride for the day! |
These majestic beauties all lined up, waiting for their rightful owner of the day to claim.
Adjustable Seat Height: For Tall People & Shorties Like Myself
Thanks to the adjustable seat height (825 - 845mm), I found myself seated comfortably on the Multistrada 1200S and being able to lift its 235KG (wet weight) Tubular steel Trellis frame machine on leveled ground.
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| Route of the day |
Covering slightly more than 320KM today starting from The Golden Triangle, this gives me enough distance and time to take advantage of all four of the Multistrada 1200S's riding modes.
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| On the road |
1) Urban
2) Touring
3) Sports
4) Enduro
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| I love the dashboard |
Ride-by-Wire Power Modes
Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC)
Ducati Traction Control (DTC)
Electronic Ducati Skyhook Suspension (DSS) Evolution system
Ducati Multimedia System (DMS)
Oh and did I mention how much I like its 5" dashboard? Full colour TFT screen, displaying so much useful information in such an organized manner. What's more, it has an in-built Ducati Multimedia system that let's me sync all my music, answer calls etc via Bluetooth.
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| credits to autoevolution |
Now we all know that its a common feature for cars to have air bags in case of an emergency.
But what about bikes?
I don't mean the bikes are installed with airbags (like the 2006 Honda Goldwing) because in a motorcycle accident, the biker almost always separate from the bike upon impact.
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| Credits to ducati.com |
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| credits to drive2u |
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| Credits to everybestof |
The weather is superb, and the mountain roads are calling out to us.
I'm telling you, the roads here in Chiang Rai is smoother than the smoothest bean curd you can find. The curves here are wider which allowed me to glide nicely along the lines.
Electronic Cruise Control
Clear blue skies, flowers are in full bloom, this is therapeutic as I experienced the Multistrada's electronic cruise control for long straight roads to ease wrist fatigue, while switching in between Urban and Touring mode for a gentle gradual torque when passing through small towns.
Pirelli Scorpion Trail II Tyres
Fitted on with Pirelli's dual sport Scorpion Trail II tyres, this allows the bike to carry out mild Enduro terrain activities, yet providing high mileage, performance and efficient water drainage for tourers.
Brembo Brakes
Clipped with Brembo calipers, bringing this horse to a halt is further enhanced with its trusty Bosch-Brembo ABS 9.1ME Cornering braking system.
The braking effect is pretty strong, so I had to remind myself to apply the brakes gently to avoid unintentionally doing a stoppie :p
After covering about 100KM, I stopped by the road to take a breather, only to end up cuddling with this cutie pie! This is why I love riding - You see and feel a lot more, because you're closer to what's happening on the ground.
Q: Why did the chicken cross the road?
A: It was trying to hitch a ride on the keyless Multistrada with me LOL
Ducati Testastretta DVT Engine: Beast Unleashed
It's mid day and under the cloudless sky, the sun is out in full force at 35°C as I experimented on with Sports mode.
Powered by Ducati's new 1198CC Testastretta DVT engine, I could feel the eagerness of 160hp unleashed through its 6 speed gearbox.
I guess this is where the fun kicks in! ;)
And when you know you're in control of all that speed happening because you and the bike are one in sync, you feel like you're on top of the world and you go "YEAHHHH!!!"
Satisfied with all that need-for-speed moment, it's time to slow things down as we approached a short off-road section where I briefly tried out the Enduro mode and observed the suspensions electronically softening in contrast to the previous hyper mode.
Trying not to be fully baked under the scorching sun here, up in the mountains.
After more than 6 hours of riding and making a loop around Chiang Rai, it's time to head back towards The Golden Triangle where all that 1200CC of fun began.
Overall
I started out feeling intimidated by its capacity but wrapped up the ride with a confident smile on my face. The much improved Ducati Multistrada 1200S has indeed earned a place in being one of the cream of the crop in the adventure motorcycle series. Having undergone a major facelift, it exudes much sophistication and it's level of performance and advanced technology stands far from being compromised.
Personally, the Multistrada 1200S felt a little top heavy when stationary but the minute I throttled off, it was a breeze to ride. Its versatile character makes it very adaptable to different riding styles and road conditions which gives itself an edge over other adventure bikes.
Disadvantages I Faced
Weighing 235KG for a 1200CC adventure motorcycle is actually considered pretty light, and I'm able to lift it up on leveled ground. However, when the bike is parked on a slanted ground leaning towards the side stand, I find myself not having enough strength to lift it straight back up.
Thankfully the marshals are always on standby to help.
Maybe I just need to hit the gym more and focus on working my arms. Tsk.
Other than that, the Multistrada 1200S is a great bike and has delivered almost everything it has promised. If you're looking for a good looking ride to wheeze through the city traffic every other day, explore roads less traveled over touring during the holiday season, or even challenge yourself with some hardcore adventure, this is the bike for you.
And ladies, y'all do not need to feel intimidated by it.
Thank you Ducati Singapore and Ducati Thailand for this amazing experience!
P.S. Thailand I love you! :D
[Chiang Rai,Thailand]
[Mileage Clocked: 342KM]
[Weather/Temperature: Cool/18°C/Sunny/35°C]
[Terrain: Tarmac/Mountain Roads]