Ducati Multistrada MTS 1200S 2015-2017 Service Manual

MCN's own review confirms exactly how significant this exact generation represents relative to every Multistrada 1200 that came before it: "the 2015 Multistrada 1200 DVT is a completely new bike and heralds a new engineering milestone for Ducati with the advent of the Desmodromic Variable Timing (DVT) engine. This DVT system a constantly variable valve timing system which aims to give the best of both smoothing off the bottom end of the V-twin's power delivery but also allowing the 160bhp to produce good top end power too." Rider Magazine's own first-ride review confirms the genuine mechanical sophistication behind that system: "rather than reduce valve overlap further and sacrifice top-end performance, Ducati has taken the radical step of adding variable valve timing to the 2015 Multistrada 1200... this Desmodromic Variable Timing, or DVT, uses hydraulic phasers to rotate the camshafts forward or backward independently relative to the crankshaft, adjusting the duration of the valve overlap a total of 90 degrees, from none for 37 degrees of crank rotation to both valves open for a whopping 53 degrees, even more than the 1198's maximum."

Power comes from the Testastretta DVT, a 1,198.4cc liquid-cooled 90-degree L-twin, DOHC with 4 valves per cylinder, an 11.5:1 compression ratio, fed by Bosch electronic fuel injection through elliptical throttle bodies with ride-by-wire and Marelli electronic ignition, delivering a claimed 160 hp at 9,500 rpm and roughly 100 lb-ft (136 Nm) of torque at 7,500 rpm through a 6-speed transmission with chain final drive and a light-action, wet, multiplate hydraulic clutch featuring self-servo action on drive and slipper action on over-run.

MCN's own review confirms exactly what genuine hardware separates the S trim covered here from the standard base Multistrada 1200 sold alongside it: "the difference between the two bikes can be pinned down to the fitment of the semi-active Skyhook suspension, higher specification Brembo brakes, it's available in both red and white, cornering LED headlights and a full colour digital dashboard." Rider Magazine's own detailed breakdown confirms exactly what that upgraded braking and lighting package involves: "it gets an LED headlight system with a total of six 'eyes' for the low and high beams, plus cornering LEDs that light up when the bike leans more than a certain amount at a given speed. Front brake discs grow 10mm and the S-model's calipers are Panigale superbike-spec Brembo Monoblocs. The instrument panel becomes a bright, very legible fully backlit TFT."

That same review confirms the genuinely refined semi-active suspension technology exclusive to the S trim: "perhaps the most important addition with the S model is Ducati Skyhook Suspension Evo, which is enhanced in several ways over the original semi-active suspension offered on the 2013 model. Instead of the Kayaba unit, the S gets a Sachs 48mm low-friction pressurized cartridge fork, which has electrically actuated damping valves like the Sachs single shock in back." Motorcyclespecifications.com's own confirmed 2015 spec sheet lists dual 330mm semi-floating front discs with radially-mounted Brembo Monobloc Evo M50 4-piston calipers and standard cornering ABS, with 170mm of front wheel travel through the fully adjustable Sachs fork.

Autoevolution's own confirmed 2016 model-year account notes genuine colorway options specific to that year: "Ducati Red with black wheels, which was also available on the 1200S D Air version, and Iceberg White with black wheels, which was available only on the 1200S model" — alongside standard equipment including electronic cruise control, the Ducati Multimedia System (DMS), Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC), and Ducati Traction Control (DTC), all managed through the platform's genuinely new five-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). Total Motorcycle's own coverage confirms the IMU's broader significance to this generation: "the introduction of the IMU has reshaped the 4-bikes-in-1 concept that lies at the core of the Multistrada. In addition to allowing implementation of all the electronic strategies already featured on the previous version, the new Multistrada 1200 also introduces Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC) and Cornering ABS." This exact 2015-2017 S-trim generation ran alongside the 1200S D|air variant (adding wireless Dainese airbag-jacket integration) before Ducati's larger-displacement 1260 platform replaced this whole architecture starting in 2018.

This factory service manual covers the procedures, torque specs, and diagrams needed to keep a 2015-2017 Multistrada 1200 S running the way it was built to.