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.