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2015–2016 · Sport Tourer · Buyer's Guide
Italian Muscle, European Brains
The 1200 S is the version of this Multistrada where the electronics finally match the ambition of the L-twin underneath. The 1198 cc motor makes 160 hp and 100 lb-ft, but the number that matters is how cleanly it delivers the first third of that. Roll on at 3,000 rpm in a tall gear and the twin pulls without the shunting that big V-twins usually make you live with. Add Ducati Skyhook Suspension, cornering ABS, traction and wheelie control, ride modes and a color TFT, and you get a 518 lb (235 kg) machine that reads the road for you instead of arguing with it.
On a real road the S behaves like a fast tourer that never quite forgot it is a Ducati. Skyhook keeps the chassis calm over broken pavement, then firms up enough that you can carry genuine pace through a mountain pass without the bike wallowing. Lean clearance is generous, the 60.2 in wheelbase keeps it steady at speed, and 5.3 gal (20 L) covers a proper day. The caveat is electronic complexity. A CPU or IMU error can drop the bike into limp mode with soft suspension until you cycle the ignition or get a dealer reflash, and the fuel level sender is a known weak point.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 160 hp (118 kW) @ 9,500 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 100 lb-ft (136 Nm) @ 7,500 rpm |
| Displacement | 1198 cc |
| Engine | 90° V-twinMotorcycles With V-Twin Engines → |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front brake | 330 mm |
| Front tire | 120/70-17 |
| Rear tire | 190/55-17 |
| Wheelbase | 60.2 in (1529 mm) |
| Seat height | 32.5 in (825 mm) |
| Wet weight | 518 lb (235 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 5.3 gal (20 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Connectivity
Drivetrain
Lighting
Safety
This picture comes from years of listening: paddock talk, owner conversations on club nights, and the messages riders send me once they've lived with a bike. For the 2015 Multistrada 1200 S the pattern is clear. Owners praise how much ground it covers, and their complaints center on cost and on how it behaves when it's barely moving.
The praise that comes up most is about range. Riders use the same bike to commute, to tour two-up with luggage and to attack a back road, and they say it feels at home doing all three. Owners describe the suspension as two characters in one, plush in Touring mode and taut in Sport. They credit the DVT engine with losing the old low-rev clatter and pulling in one seamless surge to the top end. Many say the rider aids work together so smoothly that they stop noticing them.
The complaints are fewer, but they come up consistently. Small electronic gremlins get mentioned often enough to be part of the bike's reputation. Moving it around a parking lot takes care and good technique. Cost is the other recurring theme: it's expensive to buy, and the desmo service intervals are costly enough to put off riders on a tight budget.
Side stand weld defect – recall 15V637
Improper weld on the side-stand support tube could break, causing the motorcycle to fall over. NHTSA recall 15V637; dealers inspect and replace if needed.
Electronic glitch causing limp mode
Sudden loss of power, warning lights, and suspension defaulting to soft mode due to a CPU/IMU error. Cycling the ignition or a dealer reflash typically resolves it.
Fuel level sender failure
The fuel sender is a common failure point, leading to inaccurate or dead fuel gauge readings. Ducati typically replaces it under warranty.
Where this Ducati Multistrada 1200 S pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Multistrada 1200 S is actually built for.
This is your bike. It carries 200 to 400 mile days without beating you up, the suspension handles whatever the road surface throws at it, and it stays entertaining when the corners arrive.
Made for Black Hills · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
It works on the Dragon and the Cherohala, with real lean clearance and drive off slow corners. Just accept you're steering a tall, 518 lb machine, not a scalpel.
Made for Tail of the Dragon · Back of the Dragon · Blue Ridge Parkway
Fast enough for a canyon road and comfortable enough for the traffic getting there. If you want the last word in precision at the limit, this isn't the sharpest tool in the class.
Made for Angeles Crest Highway · Coronado Trail Scenic Byway · Big Sur Coast Highway
If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.
Previous generation · 2010–2014
Superbike Genes, Long-Haul Composure
Compare to the previous model →If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Ducati Multistrada 1200 S. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
Competitor · 2015–2019
Superbike Engine, All-Day Posture
Roughly $1,700 pricier used than this bike at 10 yr
Competitor · 2016–2018
The Beast Goes the Distance
About the same used price as this bike at 10 yr
Same Platform · 2016–2019
Italian Twin, Built Rough
Roughly $2,800 pricier used than this bike at 10 yr
Compare it with every bike that shares the same spec or equipment.