Ducati : Strutting In Style With The MultiStrada 1200 S, Here At The Golden Triangle

Looks like 2016 is getting me to take baby steps towards big adventure bikes!

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.

At Changi Airport, waiting to board Thai Airways

Not really a morning person, but for some two wheel fun? I'd be up anytime!

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.

Credits to chiangraibulletin

Perched right on top of a mountain, strategically smack in the middle of The Golden Triangle, the hotel directly overlooks the rolling hills of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos. It offers a breathtaking view from the room too, with a sea bed of clouds forming every other morning.

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

I could go on and on about how enchanting this resort is but THIS is what we're really here for!

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.

Ma big bright red ride for the day!

Now, who needs a buffet breakfast when we have a feast going on here? >:D
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.

Route of the day

Four Different Riding Modes: 4 Bikes In 1

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.

On the road

They are:

1) Urban
2) Touring
3) Sports
4) Enduro

I love the dashboard

All these modes are equipped with a premium set of advanced technologies that include:

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.

credits to autoevolution

D-Air® system: Air Bags

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.

Credits to ducati.com

Taking a leap towards motorcycle safety here, Ducati and Dainese have worked together to produce a high technology system whereby the electronics of the Multistrada 1200 S is constantly processing the bike's dynamic situation.

credits to drive2u

Upon impact of an accident, the integrated sensor between both the bike and Ducati's Apparel D-Air® airbag jackets by Dainese will trigger the airbag to significantly reduce the injury of the biker.

Credits to everybestof

Please do not try this feature on any other jacket, even if the jackets look like they have airbags (like above).

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]

Fly With Me

It's better to see something once, than hear about it a thousand times.

Whether you fly, ride, walk or even sail, travel to a place you've never been before every year and you'll see how much it is out there, waiting for you to discover.

BMW Motorrad: Enduro Dirt Biking Boot Camp With The Majestic GS-Series

Starting the new year with a new challenge - Taking adventure motorcycles weighing 5 times more than myself, through an Enduro training course powered by BMW Motorrad.

For leisure enduro fun, my friends and I would usually cross over to Malaysia where our little dirt biking playgrounds in Ulu Choh, Nusajaya (last time), and Tristan Park in Plentong lays at bay.

But here's taking Enduro dirt biking to the next level.

Special thanks to BMW Asia, me and the guys from Top Gear Singapore & Yahoo!Singapore are treated to an exclusive 1 on 1 Enduro off-road training boot camp on BMW’s all-time favourite adventure bikes here at Bangkok's first ever Enduro Park Thailand.

Ranging from the GS/GSA1200s to the F800/700GS for both men and women of all build, we’re ready to dig some muddd.

Occupying a total area of 13,500 sqm, consisting of 15 different off-road stations, I'm excited but nervous at the same time to find out how the 3 levels of training we'll be going through will help big bike aficionados gain one step closer towards completing the BMW Motorrad's International GS Trophy Enduro Challenge.

I'm actually quite scared because the BMW GS-series just looks so huge to me, how the heck am I gonna ride it off road? Can I even touch the ground after sitting on it? What if the 200KG+ bike fall on me and squash me like a pancake? I don't wanna become a roti prataaa!

But I remembered Anniie from #Bikerchicksthailand handling the BMW F800GS so well the last time we rode up to Chiang Mai together last December, so it shouldn't be that bad uh?  

You know what? There's no point thinking so much. The more you hesitate, the more you won't do it.
So let's just shut up, gear up and get out there.

The different challenging obstacles waiting for us to conquer sure gets our adrenalin pumping, but here's my favourite part in the whole of the Enduro Park - The AIR-CON rest & relax room! Haha best thing after a long day in the sun.

Plus, the park is equipped with full showering facilities for both men and women so you can walk out of this place looking as fresh as Spring even if you're feeling half-dead from the training.

First up, we meet our highly skilled BMW Motorrad instructors, Mr. Patima and Warangyu, both who have tons of adventure riding experience, as they teach us the importance of instilling the right body position when taking on the majestic beast.

It could make Enduro riding a lot easier especially when overcoming obstacles, and it could also cost you some serious injuries if done the wrong way.

When I fell, I was taught the technique on how use the strength from my legs instead of just my arms to properly lift the 215KG bike up without hurting my back, a common mistake that many people make.

But what if my legs also no strength to lift the bike? HOW?
No choice lor, wait for my knight in shining armour to rescue me. Hahaha.

Eye point, shoulders parallel to the handle bar, feet firmly on the foot pegs and keeping a relaxed stand up riding position was what helped me gain confidence on the BMW F700GS as we went round the park on loose gravel.

Roughing it out 8 hours a day in this big bike Enduro training that follows the German Riding Curriculum closely, it is no doubt testing but rewarding when you see yourself slowly being able to handle the bike like you never thought you could.

I was told the record holder for falling the most number of times by a Singaporean in a day here was 25 times. If I'm gonna break anything, let's hope it's the record and not any bones!

We all know handling a bigger bike could give us the power and torque we want. But when that power is not under control, it could get us killed too.

Over my last 8 years of riding, I've seen many Emergency braking attempts by bikers ending up in accidents when things go out of hand. As Intructor Warangyu demonstrated, when you try to put all that leaping power to a complete stop in seconds, a calm state of mind and proper e-braking techniques are necessary.

Most modern bikes like the 2015 GS-series we're using now are equipped with ABS, but we're taught how to brake efficiently even without applying that safety feature. 

If you can master it off road, on road wouldn't be a problem and it could save your life.

Learning how to shift my weight adequately when negotiating tight bends enabled me to gain better control of the F700GS, despite it weighing almost a quarter ton.

Standing up to ride allows me to move my body around easier too, although my natural instinct sits me down down the minute I feel uncertain.. which is another mistake I always make because when the bike falls, I go down with it.

Now, do you like dancing?
How about dancing on soft sand?

I have a few fears in Enduro riding and soft sand is one of them because it's riding on a loose surface that feels like the bike is out of my control. When the front wheel dips, left and right I go, until I fall down. I normally paddle through while fanning the clutch like mad, and getting arm-pump in the end haha which obviously isn't right.

This is where "Mastering the art of being in control while losing control" applies. 

When you move your body weight to the rear, keeping the front weight light and focus your eyes on the exit point, you'll be dancing away on the sand! Sounds easy right? Go try it.

One thing I enjoy about Enduro is watching my friends fall. The more epic it is, the more hilarious it is. Chuckle if you agree. HEHE. Of course, not to the extent of them getting badly injured. Slow motion falls are one of the best.

Ditch that bikini and trunks. Ever tried swimming with an big adventure bike instead? It's a lot more fun, especially when it's muddy!

River crossings and mud streams are exciting because in the real jungle trail, you never know what's beneath the waters. How deep is it, are there loose rocks or algae below etc. So we're advised that it's safer to find a way and do a rough gauge of the condition underwater before going in.. although most of the time in reality, I'd just "ah fuck it", throttle slowly through it and pray I don't fall haha.

Our instructors have also cautioned us when we're out in the open, be careful not to let water get into the air box to avoid screwing up the carburetor (if it's a carb bike) or sometimes certain mud can be corrosive if it gets into the bike and stay for too long.

In this dirt bike playground, there are obstacles like huge rock crossings which I'd shun away from, but uphill climbs are one of my favourites! I love that feeling of keeping the momentum with slight twists of the throttle and trusting your bike will safely get you all the way to the top....

Until you screw it up hahaha.

But not all's lost! We can U-turn on a slope, pick up the bike if we drop it and continue the ride, things which I never thought I'd be able to do until Instructor Warangyu showed us how.

Pretty amazing tricks! Though I still doubt I can pick up the bike on a slope cuz my arm just no strength la.

Downhill gets my heart beating real fast because the bottom just seem so far away when you're all the way on top of a hill and being on a big bike makes it even feel higher!

For me, it's a love-hate thing. I hate it when all that thoughts of how I might fall while making my way down flood in, but I absolutely love that feeling of achievement when I nail it :D

The training ground is built according to high BMW-standard design and the main aim is to help riders develop proper Enduro motorcycling skills with the full range of BMW GS-series. That way, riders would be able to maximize the potential of these hard-core adventure bikes.

Power sliding, effective braking, logs/muddy stream/loose pebble crossings, uphill climbs/downhill rolls, mini whoops, U-turning on slopes, picking up the weighty machine, tackling through soft sand and chunky rocks are part of this curriculum on top of understanding the almighty BMW GS-series.

If this is the sort of thrill you're looking for even if you've never tried big bike Enduro before, THIS is the place to go! Whether you're a beginner or an experienced dirt biker, BMW Motorrad instructors would tailor the training course accordingly without compromising on the most important fun element. 

Through this Enduro training with BMW Motorrad, I'm starting to appreciate the F800/700GS that features a robust Enduro frame and lowered suspension options. Being one of BMW's most popular highway and off road motorcycles, it encompasses a comfortable balance between power, weight and agility sufficient to conquer different varied terrains.

Thank you BMW Asia for this exclusive invite to this amazing Enduro training at Enduro Park Thailand, it was an eye-opening learning experience.

Special thanks to Hodaka Motoworld for the very lightweight Scorpion gears that help me stay comfortable despite 8 hours straight of enduro ride a day. 

Here's How You Can Sign Up For This Boot Camp!

If you have a group of 5 pax, you can have your very own group training.
If come solo, you can join the existing programs.

Location
Enduro Park Thailand
50/486 ถนน บางบอน 3 Bang Bon, Bangkok 10150, Thailand
It's about 30km from Bangkok City. Taking a cab during non-peak hours should take you about 20minutes.

There are 3 Different Levels of Courses
Level 1
Level 2
Level Enduro
Every level of training is one full day.

Price
BMW Customers 8,000 THB

General Customers 8,500 THB
Price per level

What It Includes

BMW F800GS rental
Covers unintentional damages to the bike if you fall during training. 
If you damage is intentionally by riding recklessly, you're asking for it.  

BMW GS/GSA1200 rental additional 1,000 THB

What It Excludes 
Personal insurance
All riders have to sign an indemnity form before the training commence. 

Helmet, Gloves, Guards
Riders are advised to bring their own gears but if you don't have, they are available for loan.

For Bookings, Contact Below Directly

BMW Motorrad (Thailand)
Tel: +66 82-441-0777
Website: http://www.bmw-motorrad.co.th/
Facebook: Enduro Park Thailand
 

Credits to bmw

Enduro Park Thailand by BMW Motorrad
Address: 50/486 ถนน บางบอน 3 Bang Bon, Bangkok 10150, Thailand