Currently for my road trip, long haul detail, my steed of choice is a Multi 1200S, loads of power, all the safety features, comfortable and reliable, but I've been thinking about the TV, my concern is, will I be disappointed with the decreased power? Are there any former Multi or KTM 1290GT owners who made the transition without regret?

That is a personal question. IMO the TVL has ample performance for a touring bike. I ride one up with luggage, the bike itself is not grossly overweight. The KTM and Ducati have more giddy up for sure.
Test ride one, after eating a couple donuts and see for yourself.

I have owned the 1200 GS and rented the KTM 1290GT Superduke from AllRound in Frankfurt. I can stay up with my friends GS 1200, but the TVL will not roll with the 1290. The TVL feels like it is going fast and for me, is good enough.

Gassing it from 30 to 90 pulling on to the freeway, or opening it up between corners on a country road is the best.

For years, my boys and I have raced KTM's in hairscrambles and like speed, but beyond lets say ' a hundred and something," on the road is fun for a quick burst, but who needs 170 on the road? I know some will say yes, but I like my freedom from an overnight in the pokie. I know, because it happened to me once and once is a enough.

The track is a different story, but I don't do that as of now.

Is the TVL fast enough? What do you guys think? Do you have the need for MORE speed?

If this is true:

"The Ducati Multistrada 1200 S is powered by the company’s new 1198 cc Testastretta DVT engine that pumps out 160 horsepower and 100.3 pound-feet of torque. Power is then sent through a six-speed gearbox, allowing the bike to hit 0 to 60 mph in under three seconds to go with a top speed of 145 mph."

https://www.topspeed.com/motorcycles...-ar166807.html

It won't be much quicker nor have much top speed difference from the TV. Differences on public curvy mountain roads may be all related to the skill of the man controlling the throttle and tire selection.

Personally I don't think lack of power should be a reason for not going for the TV. If your touring route is concentrated on smaller, twistier roads the TV is fantastic. If you want to sit all day, at high speeds on a German Autobahn, there are better options available.
Re power, I have clocked up approx. 10,000 miles on my TV and the only time when I lacked power was when I was stuck behind a Lamborghini on a small country lane. The Lambo driver insisted on cornering at the pace of an arthritic snail and then flooring it down any straight sections. The TV lacked the power to overtake on the straights but this is hardly a typical scenario !!!

There are two local guys to me that have stuck a one tooth larger counter shaft sprocket (same chain) to lower the r's if you are running consistently up near the 100 + mph range. You could also drop a few teeth on the rear sprocket if desired. Might be an option if sitting on the autobahn is your thing with a TV. Personally, I saddle up on a busa for exclusive autobahn use if that was my main interest.

Best advise is to ride one and see if it puts a grin on your face for the type of riding you like to do.

nothing beats a big V2, however all depending on your expectations as well as mind set I never had a chance to ride a TV, but I would assume you need to rev it higher which makes it less comfortable to ride at the end. I have 3 totally different bikes and change as I feel like, all have their pro's and con's.


the V twin doesnt like anything slower than 50 mph, "she" likes fast corners and I usually ride her on faster mountain roads or if I am in a rush as the engine runs much smother with less vibrations past the 110mph mark.


the 800RR is just the opposite, its fun bike and I like to push her around small corners anything between 30mph to 110. The MV likes the rev's and tight corners which makes it harder for me to stick to a smooth relaxed riding style. If I need to run her past the 110 mark its fun but less comfortable than the V2, it sounds odd as the Ducati is actually a race replica however I can manage to cruise with that thing easily for 50 or 60mils without getting annoyed



I dont think I need to mention the Husky...


so I wouldn't be worried about the power, I would simply sit down and ask myself what I expect from that bike and after go for it or just keep the 1200s



cheers


mjvduc

I have a TV and a Monster 1000. The Monster 1000 is not comparable to a 1200 with 4 valves by cylinders. It's plenty of torque, and the pleasure is really different. The way the power is delivered is different, and for both, I'm simply unable to use the whole power and torque they deliver on open roads...

FWIW, nearly every year I ride with the Multistrada club in various European hotspots (last year it was Pyrenees) and it's mostly the new generation 1200 DVT and 1260s. On my Stradale (admittedly lighter and with some tuning mods - about 110 at the rear wheel) I had no problem keeping up with any of the bikes - even those ridden by the fast guys. Yes you have to continually rev the bike to get most out of it, but nowhere near the redline and the advantage of the lighter weight on lots of those slower twisties is evident.

The only time I was slower was when we were on very long fast straights where the lack of wind protection was a problem.

One of the guys with a 1200 actually moved my bike around once and couldn't believe how comparatively light it was! He said it was like pushing a bicycle.

I've gone the other way; from a TVL to a 1260 Multistrada. The TVL is more of a precision tool, significantly lighter and finer handling than the Muttley (the 1260 is longer than the 1200 though). I did 18,000 miles on my TVL, quite a bit of that with my 996 riding touring buddy on trips into Europe. I never found the MV significantly lacking in the mountains but on the autoroutes it was a bit weaker maybe.

My transition was down to needing more grunt for two-up riding, more rider/pillion space and greater luggage capacity. Plus I was looking to buy the 1200 Multistrada back in 2016 when I got distracted by the alure of the MV (and my localish Ducati dealer pissed me off as a potential buyer), I was a solo rider back then and it worked well in that role.

The Ducati is more of a mass produced bike, the MV is, when you take a close look, a beautifully designed and built bike. If you're a solo rider and have a decent local MV dealer then I would recommend one.