Mods and Farkles 4: Multistrada Suspension Upgrade

Multistrada Suspension Upgrade

I purchased the last of the Gen II Multistradas deliberately as I wanted the Ohlin's suspension. For anyone who has not ridden a bike with Ohlins, it's a revelation. I spent a week on the Skyhook equipped 2013 Multistrada in Europe, and to my mind, the Ohlins is better. But not perfect. If you study the suspension settings and options, you will notice a lack of logic:

You would expect the rear preload settings for Rider vs Rider and Luggage vs Ridder and Pillion vs Rider and Pillion and Luggage to reflect the vast differences in load that these configurations represent. Yet they don't. Despite there being 16 levels of rear preload available, the factory rear preload settings for everything but Rider only, are fully maxxed out. So clearly this bike is undersprung. Most of the suspension setting variation is achieved with damping settings only. Strange. I would like to have some real adjustability in the rear preload and not be at the end of the adjustment even when I am only riding with luggage. Some investigation revealed that the suspension is designed for a 75kg rider! What were the Ducati suspension designers smoking? I'm pretty sure that in the countries where the average male weight is 75kg Ducati's aren't even available!

When you first take this bike for a test ride everything feels great. But this fault is clearly manifested when riding with a pillion. The bike's otherwise exemplary handing degrades to an alarming degree. The long-travel suspension pitches up and down quite disconcertingly. Can't have that. Forum posts mainly from 120 plus kilogram riders bemoan this issue at length.

Ohlins does offer stiffer aftermarket springs for front and rear, which I have fitted. Now, for normal rider only configurations in Urban, Touring and Enduro modes, my rear preload is set at 1, and 2 for sport based on the correct sag setting for my weight.. Each of the other configurations has a different rear preload setting in line with the loading. The difference is very noticeable and stability is way better.

While I was busy with the suspension, I fitted the Ohlins replacement suspension ECU. Feedback from the forums on this device is very positive. For me the jury is still out on this. I reckon that a properly set up standard suspension ECU will give a better result. Prior to the fitment of the Ohlins suspension ECU I had taken the time to set my suspension up as best I could and I think it was better. 

It's just another black box.

Mods and Farkles 4: Wired for Sound

Wired For Sound

When I bought my first FJR (I had two) there were mutterings every time I took wifey for a ride. In contemplation of long trips to come, I decided that some on-road entertainment would increase her enjoyment of what was really me doing my thing. So I bought a Starcom1 intercom system with the intent of using it so that we could listen to stuff on my iPod together. Audible provided the books and to my delight, it transformed the missus's disposition to riding. The ability to chat was also a boon. No, she does not jabber away at me, and we have had some of our best and deepest conversations while riding. I guess it helps when I am in control and I don't have to look her in the eye!

As an avid listener of podcasts and audio books, this sound system has become a vital component of my riding enjoyment. Before I go on any long ride I make sure I have plenty on my iPhone to listen to.  It does not distract me and I am very comfortable listening to it even when riding in tricky conditions. I don't get too many phone calls but when I do, most people can't believe that I am riding (often at speed) on the bike. It's pretty good.

I have stuck with Starcom1 (I now have a newer, more sophisticated model) as opposed to the more popular bluetooth products even though there is a cable tethering you to the bike. I tested a Sena  'state of the art' (2012) bluetooth intercom and found it's output too low and battery life too short for me when I was listening to my iPhone all day. The Starcom1 is dead-reliable and the sound output is sufficient for me to listen in comfort with my Earmold earplugs in place, which I always ride with.

My son Matt, is also a keen rider and based on my experience of my Starcom1, bought his own. We have now added 2-way radios so that we can talk to each other while on the move. Really handy.

I have not opted for the bluetooth to mobile phone option available from Starcom1. Long before this device came out, I had wired up a control switch that is the functional equivalent of the button on the iPhone headphone, which I use to stop and start the audio, do a voice activated call etc. Very useful. I would have to forego this functionality and the pillion connection to use the Starcom1 bluetooth interface. Nah.. not worth it. Besides this bluetooth thing is ~$150 and my switch and cabling cost me about $7.

Flimsy looking button on right is the control switch to start and stop the audio. Button just below the starter button
is the Starcom Push-to-Talk for the 2 Way radio.

Mounting

A key part of making this system work well is the physical installation. Apart from mounting the control switch, there are cables that go from the helmet to the Starcom1 box, so you need to set things up so that you can conveniently plug in when you get on and unplug when you leave the bike. Getting all the wiring for this done on your bike is quite a business if you want to do it properly., On the Multistrada it requires the removal of the fairing and tank shrouds to get the cables neatly into place whilst steering clear of the ignition system. Otherwise you get annoying noise coming through.

The Starcom1 box wrapped in foam with all cables connected......
Each of the cables (other than the power cord) has to be threaded through and secured to the bike, to end up somewhere else.

Stracom1 box  conveniently tucked (jammed in really) away inside the right hand side cover. Quite secure and immobile.

Starcom1 provide panel mount, weather protected sockets which I used to terminate the headphone cables neatly on the bike. I made a little bracket out of 3mm aluminium to mount my Garmin 660 GPS and mounted the Starcom1 socket in this. For the pillion, Ducati provide power sockets on either side of the frame about 9 inches above and behind the footpeg. I used this to mount the plug for the pillion's cable. Easy peasy.

GPS mount bracket showing Starcom1 plug for the headhpone lead

 

Plug for pillion cable attached to power point (apologies for the rubbish exposure)

Radio's

The Starcom1 has the capacity to interconnect to a 2-way radio. The radio needs to be accessible and stand vertical. A simple mount made from ubiquitous 3mm aluminium attached to the clutch lever mount does the job.

Bracket uses the radios belt clip and a strip of velcro to secure it. Very sturdy.

All in all, my sound installation is something I really enjoy. It works reliably and I wouldn't dream of riding without it.

Update 2018

Time to move on. I have decommissioned and sold  the Starcom1 system. There was no problem but there is a specific Sena unit for the new Schuberth helmet that I am using. It integrates with the helmet extremely well. Battery life is 10 hours, sound quality is very good and there is the bonus of bike to bike communication. 

Mods and Farkles 3: Multistrada Airflow Management

Multistrada Airflow Management

The stock 2010-2012 Multistrada windscreen is rubbish. No that's too kind - it is diabolically uncomfortable and induces severe head buffeting for most people, irrespective of the setting using the adjustments provided. A big problem and the cause of much griping on the forums. The default remedy seems to be an aftermarket screen. Nah - too expensive and often no real improvement.

Through my forum readings, some people had noted that certain products that tilted the screen forward made for more comfortable riding. So I tried it. A few bits of plastic tubing and some long screws and I had a set of spacers that worked for under $10. Not perfect but a considerable improvement to the airflow. Buffeting was considerable reduced.

The next piece of the puzzle came from Eagle Screens who make l little piece of plastic commonly called by those schooled in these matters as "hiss flaps". These seem to divert turbulent air and further reduce the head buffeting problem down to negligible levels. I did look into some of the third party aftermarket replacement screens, but most of these are too big. In summer things can get a bit hot and you don't want to have to sit behind a barn door and sweat it out for lack of airstream.

Hiss Flaps divert turbulent air away from your helmet

A few inches of electrical conduit, deftly cut to shape and sprayed black with a rattle can and viola - we have smooth air!

Frankly, this solution is pretty darn good enough. I have absolutely no cause to complain any more and no need to spend ~$200 on a new screen

Mods and Farkles 2: Multistrada Cruise Control

Cruise control for the Multistrada

The Multistrada series 2 was a revolutionary motorcycle when it came out in 2010. But the sophisticated electronics package omitted one of the most convenient rider amenities: cruise control.

When I first test rode the Multistrada back in 2010, I was blown away! It was fabulous in all respects. I was very, very tempted to buy it on the spot. It was the lack of an available cruise control that held the purchase back.

These are my issues:

1. An old shoulder injury results in rapid fatigue to my throttle arm, severely reducing riding enjoyment.
2. The state of Victoria in Australia has a 2kph speed limit grace and the most aggressive policing practises in the free world. Unless you ride with your eyes glued to your speedo, you will run afoul of the hidden speed cameras, or laser equipped, camo-dressed, hidden  traffic police. 

The solution (for me anyway) = cruise control.

My first electronic cruise control was an MCCruise on the FJR; a magnificent improvement over the crude throttle lock alternatives I had used before. (Read more about it here) This was an old-style vacuum operated unit that interfaced mechanically with the throttle linkage. It was reliable and quite effective and a great enhancement to my riding pleasure.

The Multistrada has a ride by wire system so the MCCRuise was just too inelegant a solution. Besides the componentry required (throttle interface unit and vacuum unit) could not be concealed in the Multistrada Sport with its ABS pump and other black boxes taking up every bit of space. The solution had to be digital. So as soon as I discovered that a little Aussie company called Tuneboy had developed a cruise control product that worked, I put the FJR on the market and bought the Multi. 

The Tuneboy works a treat. In the end I opted for the more expensive version that uses an aftermarket set of buttons to provide set/resume and increment/decrement speed functions, just like a car. With this, I use my GPS to give me an accurate 100kph (or whatever); set the cruise control and kill both issues above.  

Once the speed is set, it tracks to within ~2kph. Each nudge of this increment(up) or decrement (down) adjusts the speed by 1 kph. I use this all the time - even if I have a short distance to go, in the city. 
 

Accessory buttons for a dirt-bike doing sterling service for the Tuneboy cruise control
(Supplied as a kit by Tuneboy)

How Ducati let the 2013 Multistrada updated model with twin spark plugs on to the market without this feature mystifies me. A basic but quite functional cruise control function would have been literally some lines of code in the ECU and zero additional hardware. Go figure! 

The Tuneboy does more than just cruise control. It provides a complete EFI tuning system if you are that way inclined (as well as provision for a quickshifter). I used one of Tuneboy's stock tunes for my model Multistrada which cleaned up the stocker's awful cold-blooded low rpm throttle response beautifully; giving me strong, creamy power from ~2,500 rpm - at least 1,500 rpm lower than before. This is a bigger deal than you think on a large capacity twin.

Update 2016: 

I updated the map I was using, a handy feature of the Tuneboy and WOW! It pulls more powerfully than ever before. As a matter of fact, I recently have ridden the 2016 Multistrada DVT and the Multistrada Enduro. There is no doubt that the DVT engine is a lot smoother, but my bike pulls a lot harder from 2,500 - 6,000 rpm. The DVT has a better top end, no question, but you get to use the low end of the rev range much more often.

Mods and Farkles 1: Multistrada Seat

The Multistrada seat, like almost all OEM seats is the bare minimum they can get away with to sell the bike.  For me the farkle journey usually starts here.

I admit it. I love a good farkle. Every bike I buy goes through a customisation process over a period of a few years as I make improvement after improvement until the bike is an extension of me. Sounds a bit egotistical, but that's it.

The Multistrada Seat

What is it with bike manufacturers and seats?  Previous to the Multistrada, I owned a 2006 Yamaha FJR 1300. It was smooth, powerful, somewhat sporty and except for the seat, comfortable. 1.5 hours on that thing and I was in severe discomfort.  Even after a stop, my endurance was limited.

Your typical OEM seat pays no mind to comfort. Generally they tend to convex in shape, thereby reducing the contact area and the breadth of support that makes for a comfortable ride.

For maximum comfort one needs to minimise pressure points and spread support across the broadest area, so a concave shape is the ticket.  And while sheepskin covers and Airhawk's do improve most stock seats, they just don't come close to the comfort of a custom seat. I've tried them both. The Rick Mayer seat I got for the FJR was a revelation, so when I got the Multi, I wangled a Ducati "comfort seat" into the deal and sent the stock seat off to Rick for him to do his stuff.

Rick Mayer seat on the FJR....

The result was just as good. You know that 'numb bum' feeling you get after an hour or two of riding? Well, that is completed eliminated with one of these. I have found this to be good for a 600-700km day when necessary. But more importantly, my regular 300km Sunday morning ride is always a pleasure from a comfort point of view.

...and on the Multi. Aaahh.

Another good seat is the Sergeant. I have spoken to a few people who have these and they swear by them.

Postcript: Whilst I personally had no problems dealing with Rick Mayer, I note that he is no longer in business.