2026 Rides

That is excessive.
You think? It snowed more today.

That’s it for me, I’m heading back from Fort Albany on Wednesday than staying in balmy Markham till it hits 25c in the north.

Will have to dust off the FJR for a while, the Vstrom will be snowed in for weeks.
 
I'm working today but I'll be out Sunday and likely Monday too ... enjoy.
 
Is that the mouth of the river? I fished a week a Pym Island several years back and it was an amazing place
Yes, where it meets James Bay. Pym island is due west, fishing is similar, but more pike than walleye. Shore fishing in Attawapiskat is mostly pike and walleye - trophy’s are plentiful.

Once you get north of Temagami, trophy pike and walleye are easily accessible - flyin trips are more about the experience than finding trophy. That said, you do need local knowledge to go where the fish are. Some days I go barbless so I san shake off pike without landing them.

On any given day I’d get 20+ pike, 8lb walleye and 25lb sturgeon downtown Timmins. There’s a hundred places I ran reach by road within 50km for trophy lakers, brook and Aurora trout.

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All 10 minutes from Timmins.
 
Hey @Mad Mike how are the roads up there right now?

I have a work thing that might take me up there for a night in a week or two and debating if I should ride up if I should go.
Clear, I rode from Porcupine-Iroquois Falls-Cochrane then back to Timmins today. Roads are clear of sand, spring repairs on potholes are done.

It’s as good as it’s gonna get!
 
Clear, I rode from Porcupine-Iroquois Falls-Cochrane then back to Timmins today. Roads are clear of sand, spring repairs on potholes are done.

It’s as good as it’s gonna get!
You take that HD for a spin?
 
You take that HD for a spin?
Ya, the fellow that bought it had it trailered up to Timmins sparing me 800km on the apes. I took it for a few miles yesterday.

Fun, but not my thing. I was surprised by the power, it has a stage II kit, and by the handling. A bit agricultural compared to what I’m used to, better than what I expected.
 
The weather forecast showed today was going to be a great day to ride. The morning was a bit foggy around Oshawa and the surrounding areas, and by midday it got hot enough that riding with a thermal layer became uncomfortable. Despite all that, I had a great day riding to Haliburton and back to TO.

Here’s my brief review of the Multi V4: It’s a friggin missile! Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.




Bad jokes aside, this was my first longer trip with it after the break-in period.

The mehs:
  • The base version only gets regular cruise control instead of the radar-enabled adaptive cruise control found on the S model. Still, it gives your right hand a well-deserved break on the long, straight stretches heading in and out of Toronto.
  • The base model also doesn’t get the “Skyhook” electronic suspension, but honestly I found the suspension pretty compliant on rougher roads. Not amazing, not terrible, just plain good.
  • Comfort-wise, it’s years ahead of my previous Monster (as expected) and the Tiger 660. That said, around the one-hour mark I started feeling a bit tired. Not painful like on my previous bikes, just noticeable fatigue. But Ducati already has a solution for that… read the next point.
  • Fuel consumption is rough. This bike is soooo thirsty that you end up making frequent fuel stops. I think my best range between fill-ups was around 250 km. My wallet is crying with current gas prices.
The bads (at least for me):
  • As mentioned earlier, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that a 1200 cc engine derived from Ducati superbikes is stupid fast. But oddly enough, it doesn’t give me the same rush the Monster did when twisting the throttle.
    On the Monster, every hard pull came with an ear-to-ear grin. The Multi feels more muted somehow. Maybe it’s the electronics, maybe it’s because it’s less sporty. Don’t get me wrong, it’s insanely fast, definitely faster than the Monster, but something still isn’t fully clicking for me yet.
  • I also don’t feel fully confident moving around on the bike. My body position feels all over the place, and I miss the suspension feedback from the Monster. I think I need to rewire my brain and trust that this thing is still capable despite being taller and softer.

The goods:
  • The air intake sound above 6k rpm is absolutely insane. Even with earplugs in, I could hear it screaming. That’s also when the bike lights the afterburners and starts pulling hard.
  • It’s my dream bike. Even if not this exact generation, I’ve wanted a Multistrada ever since I got into motorcycles. I’m genuinely happy and grateful to finally own one.
  • The plan is for this bike to do everything: daily rider, grocery getter, touring bike, and even track days. Sure, there are probably better tools for each specific job, but here we are.

    PXL_20260517_145017156_.jpg
 
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The weather forecast showed today was going to be a great day to ride. The morning was a bit foggy around Oshawa and the surrounding areas, and by midday it got hot enough that riding with a thermal layer became uncomfortable. Despite all that, I had a great day riding to Haliburton and back to TO.

Here’s my brief review of the Multi V4: It’s a friggin missile! Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.




Bad jokes aside, this was my first longer trip with it after the break-in period.

The mehs:
  • The base version only gets regular cruise control instead of the radar-enabled adaptive cruise control found on the S model. Still, it gives your right hand a well-deserved break on the long, straight stretches heading in and out of Toronto.
  • The base model also doesn’t get the “Skyhook” electronic suspension, but honestly I found the suspension pretty compliant on rougher roads. Not amazing, not terrible, just plain good.
  • Comfort-wise, it’s years ahead of my previous Monster (as expected) and the Tiger 660. That said, around the one-hour mark I started feeling a bit tired. Not painful like on my previous bikes, just noticeable fatigue. But Ducati already has a solution for that… read the next point.
  • Fuel consumption is rough. This bike is soooo thirsty that you end up making frequent fuel stops. I think my best range between fill-ups was around 250 km. My wallet is crying with current gas prices.
The bads (at least for me):
  • As mentioned earlier, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that a 1200 cc engine derived from Ducati superbikes is stupid fast. But oddly enough, it doesn’t give me the same rush the Monster did when twisting the throttle.
    On the Monster, every hard pull came with an ear-to-ear grin. The Multi feels more muted somehow. Maybe it’s the electronics, maybe it’s because it’s less sporty. Don’t get me wrong, it’s insanely fast, definitely faster than the Monster, but something still isn’t fully clicking for me yet.
  • I also don’t feel fully confident moving around on the bike. My body position feels all over the place, and I miss the suspension feedback from the Monster. I think I need to rewire my brain and trust that this thing is still capable despite being taller and softer.

The goods:
  • The air induction sound above 6k rpm is absolutely insane. Even with earplugs in, I could hear it screaming. That’s also when the bike lights the afterburners and starts pulling hard.
  • It’s my dream bike. Even if not this exact generation, I’ve wanted a Multistrada ever since I got into motorcycles. I’m genuinely happy and grateful to finally own one.
  • The plan is for this bike to do everything: daily rider, grocery getter, touring bike, and even track days. Sure, there are probably better tools for each specific job, but here we are.

    View attachment 78757

Thanks for the detailed write-up! (y)

I've tested the V4 in a Diavel, but now you've got me interested in the Multi's implementation!

It’s my dream bike. Even if not this exact generation, I’ve wanted a Multistrada ever since I got into motorcycles. I’m genuinely happy and grateful to finally own one.

Which gen is your dream bike?
 
The weather forecast showed today was going to be a great day to ride. The morning was a bit foggy around Oshawa and the surrounding areas, and by midday it got hot enough that riding with a thermal layer became uncomfortable. Despite all that, I had a great day riding to Haliburton and back to TO.

Here’s my brief review of the Multi V4: It’s a friggin missile! Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.




Bad jokes aside, this was my first longer trip with it after the break-in period.

The mehs:
  • The base version only gets regular cruise control instead of the radar-enabled adaptive cruise control found on the S model. Still, it gives your right hand a well-deserved break on the long, straight stretches heading in and out of Toronto.
  • The base model also doesn’t get the “Skyhook” electronic suspension, but honestly I found the suspension pretty compliant on rougher roads. Not amazing, not terrible, just plain good.
  • Comfort-wise, it’s years ahead of my previous Monster (as expected) and the Tiger 660. That said, around the one-hour mark I started feeling a bit tired. Not painful like on my previous bikes, just noticeable fatigue. But Ducati already has a solution for that… read the next point.
  • Fuel consumption is rough. This bike is soooo thirsty that you end up making frequent fuel stops. I think my best range between fill-ups was around 250 km. My wallet is crying with current gas prices.
The bads (at least for me):
  • As mentioned earlier, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that a 1200 cc engine derived from Ducati superbikes is stupid fast. But oddly enough, it doesn’t give me the same rush the Monster did when twisting the throttle.
    On the Monster, every hard pull came with an ear-to-ear grin. The Multi feels more muted somehow. Maybe it’s the electronics, maybe it’s because it’s less sporty. Don’t get me wrong, it’s insanely fast, definitely faster than the Monster, but something still isn’t fully clicking for me yet.
  • I also don’t feel fully confident moving around on the bike. My body position feels all over the place, and I miss the suspension feedback from the Monster. I think I need to rewire my brain and trust that this thing is still capable despite being taller and softer.

The goods:
  • The air intake sound above 6k rpm is absolutely insane. Even with earplugs in, I could hear it screaming. That’s also when the bike lights the afterburners and starts pulling hard.
  • It’s my dream bike. Even if not this exact generation, I’ve wanted a Multistrada ever since I got into motorcycles. I’m genuinely happy and grateful to finally own one.
  • The plan is for this bike to do everything: daily rider, grocery getter, touring bike, and even track days. Sure, there are probably better tools for each specific job, but here we are.

    View attachment 78757
The 2016 Multi 1200S is one of my past bikes that I miss the most (I bought a lightly used one in '18 and put ~30,000km on it with zero issues). I ended up replacing it with a '17 BMW S1000XR that was too good of a deal to pass up and although the Beemer had the extra power that I wished the Multi had I still feel the Multi was the better bike and certainly felt more special. I think the Multi 1260S would be my ideal model and if the right deal came up on one I'd likely grab it (especially if it was the white one). Almost bought a 1260 Enduro but the thought of hitting singletrack and jumping whoops on a Ducati made me cringe at the potential repair bill.
 
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If you have no pretension of riding dirt, the Multi is the perfect crossover bike, IMO.

Especially this version:

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Proper Panigale engine. Dry Clutch. SSSA. Beautiful.
 
The weather forecast showed today was going to be a great day to ride. The morning was a bit foggy around Oshawa and the surrounding areas, and by midday it got hot enough that riding with a thermal layer became uncomfortable. Despite all that, I had a great day riding to Haliburton and back to TO.

Here’s my brief review of the Multi V4: It’s a friggin missile! Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.




Bad jokes aside, this was my first longer trip with it after the break-in period.

The mehs:
  • The base version only gets regular cruise control instead of the radar-enabled adaptive cruise control found on the S model. Still, it gives your right hand a well-deserved break on the long, straight stretches heading in and out of Toronto.
  • The base model also doesn’t get the “Skyhook” electronic suspension, but honestly I found the suspension pretty compliant on rougher roads. Not amazing, not terrible, just plain good.
  • Comfort-wise, it’s years ahead of my previous Monster (as expected) and the Tiger 660. That said, around the one-hour mark I started feeling a bit tired. Not painful like on my previous bikes, just noticeable fatigue. But Ducati already has a solution for that… read the next point.
  • Fuel consumption is rough. This bike is soooo thirsty that you end up making frequent fuel stops. I think my best range between fill-ups was around 250 km. My wallet is crying with current gas prices.
The bads (at least for me):
  • As mentioned earlier, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that a 1200 cc engine derived from Ducati superbikes is stupid fast. But oddly enough, it doesn’t give me the same rush the Monster did when twisting the throttle.
    On the Monster, every hard pull came with an ear-to-ear grin. The Multi feels more muted somehow. Maybe it’s the electronics, maybe it’s because it’s less sporty. Don’t get me wrong, it’s insanely fast, definitely faster than the Monster, but something still isn’t fully clicking for me yet.
  • I also don’t feel fully confident moving around on the bike. My body position feels all over the place, and I miss the suspension feedback from the Monster. I think I need to rewire my brain and trust that this thing is still capable despite being taller and softer.

The goods:
  • The air intake sound above 6k rpm is absolutely insane. Even with earplugs in, I could hear it screaming. That’s also when the bike lights the afterburners and starts pulling hard.
  • It’s my dream bike. Even if not this exact generation, I’ve wanted a Multistrada ever since I got into motorcycles. I’m genuinely happy and grateful to finally own one.
  • The plan is for this bike to do everything: daily rider, grocery getter, touring bike, and even track days. Sure, there are probably better tools for each specific job, but here we are.

    View attachment 78757
So you did get a new ride, not sure if I asked already, but anyway congrats enjoy!
 
Which gen is your dream bike?
At first I thought it was the 1260 generation, but now I’m torn between that and the original 1200s. There’s just something about the original Pikes Peak. I love the SSSA and the scream of Ducati’s V2s.

the Multi is the perfect crossover bike, IMO. Especially this version:

Proper Panigale engine. Dry Clutch. SSSA. Beautiful.
Yup, I went through all kinds of mental gymnastics trying to justify getting an RS or even a PP, but realistically, while I love bikes, I also prefer financial stability.

Maybe in 10 years or so I’ll be able to afford a used RS. But honestly, I might go for this one instead of the Multi. That rear wheel looks so menacing. That said, the exhaust looks pretty stupid in my opinion
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So you did get a new ride, not sure if I asked already, but anyway congrats enjoy!
Yes, sir. Thanks!

Sorry, I thought you already knew about the Multi. I got it late last year, around the first days of December, and couldn’t really ride it before winter was in full swing. I was dying inside waiting for this freaking winter to end
 
I got it late last year, around the first days of December, and couldn’t really ride it before winter was in full swing. I was dying inside waiting for this freaking winter to end

You're smart.

You waited for winter to end.

I'm not smart.

Got my DesertX in December. Was itching to get out for a ride on my new motorcycle!

It warmed up a little bit in January and I had just mounted the crash bars, so I thought, "Everything seems to have melted... I'll just hit some of my favorite trails!"

At low elevation, no snow, no ice. No problem!

As the trail ascended, a little bit of snow on the sides. No problem.

Got further, more snow, some ice. No problem.

Trail got a bit steep. Problem:

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Dumbass here, forgot he still lives in Canada and *hello*, it's January.

I'm not smart...
 
I had a great day riding to Haliburton and back to TO.

Very nice!!

Did you have lunch in Haliburton? I just heard that one of my favorite places to eat, Poquito Loco (such a cool location at the Castle Antiques shop) is closing down at the end of this season :( Apparently the rise in the cost of tomatoes was the nail in the coffin :/
 
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