Has anyone bought one of these? If so, is it a good bike. Was thinking about getting one to ride on a sunny day!
I was thinking of one of these as well. However, I'm a big guy (6'/225) and think I'd be disappointed with the low power/torque. Now I'm leaning more towards the '05 Monster S2R. 15 more HP and 20 more Nm, plus all the looks of the S4R,but without the 996 "I'd kill myself" engine. Dave
Monsters are awesome, I am thinking of one as my next/last motorcycle. The 999 almost killed me on the test ride, odd to buy something you are afraid of but oh well. The 620 is a little too small power-wise for most people, but then again, I don't think this is the kinda bike you are gonna be redlight racing anyway.
The Monster 620 would be a decent entry level bike, If you have any riding experience at all you will quickly become bored with the bike. The 620 is lucky if it is putting down 50HP at the rear wheel. I would at the very least go with the Monster 800DS. It has better power, a 6spd gear box, and dual rotors up front. Plus I believe the suspension on the 800 is fully adjustable. If you are looking for a great entry level twin for not a lot of money and plenty of HP and handling then you should seriously consider the Suzuki SV650. They are great bikes with tons of aftermarket mods available. While not as exotic as a Ducati they are still a terrific bang for the buck ride.
You'll be hard pressed to find many bikes in the us with ABS.. The Honda VFR800 Interceptor comes with it as an option but I know the Suzuki does not have ABS. I am fairly confident that the Ducati Monster Does not either. Is there a specific reason you are looking for a bike with ABS? I have found very limited applications for ABS on a bike. The only time I have ever truly apreciated it, is when riding in the rain. When threshold braking on the race track the front rotors CAN NOT lock up. They will chatter and pulse (almost like ABS). If you are looking for the same effect from the rear simply open the bleeder valve and let a little air in. It will still brake hard but not hard enough to lock up.. Realistically you can brake 100% of the time with front brakes only. I very rarely use my rear brake if at all on the race track.
Bubba is right. I was trying to steer a friend to the Monster S4r, but he insisted on ABS and a fairing, thus the ST4 w/ abs. I have a Monster 750 Sie and its a great all around bike, terrific starter bike because its light and manageable, and is easy to lean; part of the power issue has to do with how big and heavy you are, if you are a little squirt, a small Monster might be fine, but if you are a Super Sized American, you'll find the small one a tad underpowered. (Even so, Bruce at BCM, where i bought mine, is probably 6'6'', and rides and races anything Ducati- he claims he enjoys the small displacement bikes alot on the track cause he can run them flat out). Part of the magic of the bike is in the revs, just like a small ferrari. It has little torque, but crack the throttle and its suprisingly quick. It also comes with decent Brembos, and even kitted out new, its relatively cheap. I would buy from a good dealer, though, cause parts can be a pain, and you don't want to suffer from somebody who is merely a parts-changer. Also, dump the ****ty dunlop tires that come with the bike and buy some sticky rubber. makes a world of difference in the handling of the bike. I started on the Duc 3 or so years ago, and this past year, also bought a V-rod. The v-rod is far more comfortable for high speed hi-way cruising, but its a big, long, heavy mofo compared to the Duc. Its nice to have the choice.
Bruce is a great guy and a fellow granite stater.. I would dare say that he is the foremost Ducati expert in the country. I was going to buy a 996S from him before I test rode and then bought my Aprilia. The Monsters are great bikes. I guess it all depends on what type of riding you want to do and who and where you ride to / with. If it is a beginning bike I would reccommend you look at repair costs associated with some of the Ducati stuff. Granted being a naked bike the monster does not have all of the plastic to worry about should it get dropped. But, being italian the repair bills can quickly start to climb. Not to mention the Desmodromic valve acuation requires constant attention. Depending on how hard you ride will dictate how often they will need to be adjusted. And its not something any ol' mechanic can do. For the money, if you want a great naked sport twin with out all of the overhead associated with the Ducatis the SV650 is the way to go.
The two-valvers aren't bad for maintenance. A major portion of the expense of the valve adjustment every 6000 miles is the labor to pull the bodywork off. On the monster most of that does not apply. Anyone who quotes you a days labor to adjust the valves on a 2V monster is ripping you off. You can do a desmoquattro superbike in 8 hours easy, with the bodywork and double the number of valves. Four hours labor to adjust the valves and change belts on a 2V monster would be more than enough. For just a little more money than the 620 you could get an S2R next year, they look quite a bit better, IMO. A used 900 Monster would also be economical as well.
If you are looking at other bikes than Ducati, check out the Speed Four from Triumph. That little thing will be faster than an SV650 or Honda 599. Cheap too.
Another bike to consider is the Moto Guzzi Breva.. Lil bit on the pricey side for what you get but it is a ton of fun and a very exotic looking naked bike.
If you spend a little time, you can find almost any part you need, at a greatly discounted price, from a variety of ducati only vendors. Some that come to mind are : section8superbike, motowheels, ca-cycleworks, etc. This includes wheels, gas tanks, clipons, mirrors, fairings, etc etc etc. If you're more adventurous, there's alwasy ebay, but I prefer to buy from proven vendors. The valves need checking every 6000 miles, and, again, if you take some time to find a competent shop (which also happens to be honest) then you wont get gouged; moreover, if you decide to do some of the peripheral work yourself, it saves you a considerable amount of money on the 6k and 12k services. The valves don't need "constant" attention; once the valves are adj. they stay set for 12000 miles; making the 6000 mile service a simple check up, which, again, if you have all your fluids done yourself, will be a simple checkup. The 12k / 2 year belt replacement interval can't be passed up, but you can buy belts of internet vendors for less than what a reg dealer would charge you. Owning a motorcycle requires that you're involved and active in your hobby; it's not a : gas it and go affair. The people who'll enjoy these bikes the most, are the sorts that enjoy tinkering with them, or spending a saturday or sunday taking all the body work off, and checking out how everything goes together. Or, you just pony up the cash when it comes time; but, with a little initiative, you can save a lot of money. Again, you're going off assumption, not fact.
