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Nice bike, if you can afford the cost of ownership, and have the time to deal with the maintenance schedule.

And live close enough to a service center.

I am about midway between Nashville, Chattanooga, and Birmingham. All 3 dealers are on the opposite side of the city which makes riding there not so fun. Since US dealers don't do loaner bikes, that means two trips hauling a bike to get service.

Not bad for those who own a Ducati, but for those who ride a Ducati, it amounts to quite a hassle.

I don't think the maintenance is near as bad as it used to be.
I like the way the bags are molded to it doesn't look like it needs a "Wide Load" marking on it from behind.
Not clear to me why someone would buy it over say a V1k though. Just another sport tourer on stilts.

Service intervals are less frequent indeed, but must still be performed by a Ducati trained tech.

Why choose a 90 degree Ducati twin over an inline 4 Versys 1000?
1. The prestige of the Ducati name.
2. The amazing sound of that engine.
3. The sexy Italian styling.
4. The depth of that beautiful Italian paint.
5. The suspension.

NOT true. My riding-neighbor-buddy back in BC has a Duc 1100 (multistrada...?) and he does his own desmo valve checks....

Checking, and adjusting are not one in the same. What is your neighbors background nd skill level?

I agree that's more than a shadetree guy might want to undertake. When I owned mine, getting a box of shims from Duc was circa $4k dollars to Joe Public. I suppose you could order them as needed from Italy, but probably best to do it in winter if you don't want to chance missing the riding season.
That said, the brand's customer support is something that meant a lot to me. I put over 70k miles on a couple of Ducs and only had valves out of spec once. And that was because the chrome had flaked off the rockers due to a supplier's poor QC. Ducati put new ones in for me a year and many thousands of miles out of warranty.
Japanese have not been as good to me when it comes to warranty things, but Kaw has been an exception. They have fixed everything that's gone wrong with mine. I like the paint on my Kaw better than Ducs colors too...cept maybe the yellow and black scrambler.

Back in 2000's when I had my monster this wasn't a concern. However on the new ones it is. Not sure about elsewhere but the dealers here in DFW will not reset the light for you unless they have done the maintenance. You can buy the tool to reset the maintenance light for about $250.

I loved my monster but I had to put 3 tanks on it in 4 years because of swelling issues. Due to that and a few other issues Ducati will have a hard time ever convincing me to return. Of the group of 6 of us that all had Ducs in 2000's only 2 of us still ride them today.

The tank thing wasn't Duc's fault. They work fine in Italy and anywhere that doesn't put corn in fuel.
I read not long ago that after that debacle, Duc bought a bunch of our ethanol fuel to study. They decided to make tanks from aluminum...
I'm wondering if these wrenches are some sort of EU requirement. My new Triumph has the same thing.

I work for Ford Motor Company. If it has your name on it it is your responsibility... trust me. After the second replacement when the dealer tells me that this one will fail also and I will have to buy the next one then as far as I am concerned our business is done.

We didn't make Firestone tires, brake switches, airbags or the 6.0 but the vehicle it is in has our logo therefore it is our responsibility.

The original Multistrada was a bit pricey and had more power than I really needed or could utilize without severely jeopardizing my license. (50kpm/30mph over the posted limit results in a license suspension for 6 months and DUI insurance rates should you choose to reapply for a drivers license after the suspension period.) This seems about perfect. I also like they have chosen the new tire size standard for adventure bikes, 120/70-19 on the front and 170/60-17 on the back. Hope to test ride one this coming season. I got to test ride a MV Agusta Tourismo Velece this past season which spec wise is very comparable. The level of refinement blew me away, it will be interesting to see how this compares. Ducati reliability is better than either BMW or HD and close to that of the Japanese manufacturers. Parts can be expensive though although Audi/VW's purchase of the company is said to have sorted out the parts problem.

Can't say for sure, however his garage has the Duc and a BMW 650 Dakar which he does his own maintenance on. He DOES adjust his valves - watched him do it last summer, but "do I WANT one...?"

NOT in this lifetime!

Looking forward to test riding the Versys 1000 and Multistrada 950 this season. Not much difference in the list price. The Kawi is $15,300CDN with hard bags, it's not sold without in Canada, and the Duc is $16K CDN.

The Versys seems like the more logical choice with Japanese reliability but the Duc tugs on the heart strings a little more plus it is 50lbs less weight.

Get rid of the heavy exhaust of the V-1000 and eat more fiber and you'll see a drop of 50lbs....

And ditch the centerstand for another 10-15 lbs.

Got to test ride a Multistrada 950 yesterday. Identical bike to a 1200 Multistrada but with the following changes. LED instead of TFT color dash, no electronic suspension, double sided swing arm instead of single sided one, cable instead of hydraulic clutch at $~6000 less.

The Good:
- fantastic handling for an adventure bike, very stable and easy to maneuver at slow speeds
- new standard adventure size rubber - 120/70-19 front with 170/70-17 rear
- amazingly good quality suspension that is separately adjustable for compression, rebound and firmness.
- Brembo brakes
- Ducati surface/exterior finishings are miles ahead of Japanese brands but also makes replacement parts more expensive. This bike exudes quality from red stitching in seat to CNC aluminum machined handle bar clamp. Brembo brakes and steel braided brake lines, etc..
- almost identical ergos and weight to Versys 650
- Ducati LED dash gives info on everything imaginable
- rider adjustable windscreen, can be adjustable underdway
- 950cc engine gives lots of power without any irritating vibration enough for any sane person and has flat torque curve

The bad:
- loose throttle tube has play
- cost ($16000CDN for red and $16200 for white) - most dealers will mark down enough to make delivery and other costs free

The bottom line:
Loved the bike but for the difference in money possibly not worth it to me. MV Agusta Turismo Veloce is slightly better IMO at similar price range(at least when discounted).

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The 950 is still as heavy as the 1200. Better off finding a new 2015/16 1200.
I bought a 2013 Ducati MS 1200 in 2014 and it was 17k out the door with side bags.

Nice bike, some electronic issues with the keyless ride antenna, and expanding gas tank issue in the 1200's. Even thou the fuel lid/top of tank was bulging up, until you break the side panels Duc won't warranty the work and replace the tank. Several friends had multiple tanks replaced. Not to say this is an issue with 950, just be aware they are not perfect and other models had expanding tanks also.

Not bought another since, because those things are important to me.
If you're in a hot area, that front cyclinder will cook your nuts on a warm day.

I'd buy the 1000V if it was me.

I'd buy the Yamaha Super Tenere ES over either offering talked about here. Came close, but the one they had advertised as an ES wasn't. Ended up with a M8 Road King instead. One day I will get old enough for the Yamaha.

I took a test ride on the 950 Multistrada today. Absolutely loved it. Will keep my eye open for a slightly used one that's kitted with bags. Not now but sometime in the future, maybe in a year or two.

The 950 is 50lb lighter than the 1200. Acceleration numbers are similar below 80mph. I can't think of a good reason to buy a 1200 except the skyhook suspension that comes on the 1200S.