Is the monster going to be good for me

[froggy_girl128]

Ive heard lots of bad things about monsters about been unreliable so i thought i would ask if its true.

[scrumpster]

Well I've had my problems, but overall the pros far outway the cons and this bunch are fantastic for advice and a social life :D

[S4 MAD]

mostly a right load of banana oil spoken by non monster owners earlier
models had a few elecy probs now just about as reliable as any bike out their.
go ahead spoil youre self and get a little monster :bunny:

[Vincent Jones]

The very next day I purchased my bike (2002 S4) it wouldn't start. After changing the solenoid/starter relay I then discovering it was in fact the starter that was U/S so had a new one put on. One of the radiator fans was also found not to be working so had that changed. Two weeks later found a base gasket leak so half the engine had to be stripped. Basically, I have had more things go wrong in 2 weeks with the Ducati then 3 years with my Japenese Honda. However, if I had to sell one of them, I would sell the Jap bike and keep my Ducati. Whilst I don't buy into the 'unreliability spells character' brigade, I love my Ducati and it's a real buzz to ride. If you want thrill a Ducati will give you that...But I have to admit that it has now, quite inadvertantly, become more of a play thing than say a serious commuter bike.

For me it's still early days and I may have just had a run of bad luck but you asked the forum for advice and this is mine, based on my experience, albeit brief. Buy one and love it, just don't expect the ownership of a Ducati to be totally painless unless you're very lucky. Also, even if you buy second hand, my advice would be to buy from a Ducati dealer with an extended 12 month warranty. Best £200 pounts I have ever spent!

[A Yerbury]

the early ones are prone to electrical problems, howver it is usually the same 3 electrical problems and all easy cheap to fix, the more complex engines are obviously more expensive yadda yadda. the main bugbears are regulator, rectifier, coils and neutral switch, the side stand cut of is a pain but the bloke who had mine before me saw sense and carved it off. the air cooled bikes are a simple nee elegant design and any mechanic with experience of traditional motorcycles will find little to scare him/her. ebay has plenty of bargains and if a club member with a bit of mechanical nous lives near you and your potential ride I am almost sure they would be prepared to have a look at something with you.

[Scotty]

im sure they built some little niggels in on purpose
Mr jones does seem to slightly unlucky with two major problems there but after a bit or ironing out there not bad

maybe instead of 'character' it should be 'involved ownership' ?

[Vincent Jones]

All being said, I have to agree whole heartedly with Scrumpster when she says that the pros far outway the cons and this bunch are fantastic for advice and social life. Also, lets not forget the webmasters. This website is an outstanding interactive website.

[Pugi]

Proper bikes aren't for commuting.
Proper bikes are for fun and I'm having it, lots of it. Bought mine 2nd hand here and haven't had a problem in these months at all. However previous owner really loved her and took good care of her.
Beesides - just look at the number of replies gotten in only an hour. This owners club is great regardless of bikes.

[stef]

They are a bagfull of fun. I wouldnt swap mine for anything else.
they are very simple bikes around a solid engine. i wouldnt say they are unreliable, i'd say they are sensitive so you sometimes have to be patient with them. but very little can go wrong.
if you find one in west yorkshire, i'll have a look with you.
It's a shame, i sold my 600 (for a 900) a couple of months ago.

[spacemonkey]

Their utter piles of dog**** and I wouldn't own one if you paid me. Umm, hang on, I've used it for a long commute around town for 4.5 years... Ah! But shedloads has gone pop on it! Well, mainly due to previous owners ineptitude and general wearing out of components. The Big Issue as far as I'm concerned is the ridiculous parts prices and the even more ridiculous wait for some parts, usually the parts that I need...

Still if i wanted hassle free biking I'd have bought a Honda, but I bought a Ducati. There weren't any Firestorms in my price band at the time...

[eonan]

I've dreamt of owning a monster for years. I stumbled upon this forum as I had many of the same questions. The friendly, enthusiastic and passionate people here confirmed what I had felt about these bikes all along.

Even though I only had my Monster in my hands for less than 12 hours [before my local service centre dropped her - she's currently sitting in some paint shop God knows where!]...I know it's the best thing I've ever done.

You want something to commute on? Catch the bus ;)

[Lost Again]

I've had min for 2 years now and had to replace barrels and pistons last summer. Not cheap but it's an 11 year old bike with almost 40,000 miles on. All I could afford being a pauper of a student and all. Pick up a newer one and your on to a winner. certainly more fun than any jap bikes I've ridden.

[Will]

Ive heard lots of bad things about monsters about been unreliable so i thought i would ask if its true.

I have had my July 2002 M620ie from new - have now completed just over 20,000 miles without a single electrical or mechanical problem - it has never let me down - It has been the most reliable motorcycle that I have owned.

I suggest that you buy a new one, look after it and always get it serviced by a reputable dealer - it should then be at least as reliable as any other bike you care to think off.

[stuartg]

I love my Monster and I will never sell it, its my baby. Cant say any more than that, apart from read the threads and you'll see what a helpful and amiable bunch of people Monster riders are.

Get one, you wont regret it.
Stuart

[gary tompkins]

froggy_girl128,

Get yourself a test ride on something like a 620 or S2R 800, and you'll soon be able to make up your mind if a monster suits you. A lot will depend on what other bikes you've owned/ridden TBH, but I'm sure you will be impressed, and as already mentioned you'll be buying into a fantastic owners club :cool:

I think the real beauty of the monster range is how easy they are to personalise. The huge range of accessories and bling add-ons available, make it a doddle to customise and create your ideal monster.

I would be lying if I said my own 5 years of monstering (M600 & M900ie) had been problem free. However all of the faults have been minor, and nothing that could have be avoided by buying Japanese. Service costs tend to be a lot higher than similar Jap bikes, but it's a small price for the smiles per mile my monster gives me :D

[CK & AK]

you will either love one, or hate one...

as GT says, get a test ride (a long one) - but you WILL find a good difference between a carbie & an 'ie' model, in response & performance etc.

We have had monsters since early 2002 (having had a Ducati in a previous life :lol: ) and the other week we added up the total mileage on them - coming out to just a tad under 63,000 miles.

Unfortunately, monster/Ducati owning is a road to a big hole in the pocket... you either start spending on bling/ updated parts or get another, says she typing with 4 of the bu88ers in the garage now. Neither of us have suffered much probs at all, the only things have been warranty items, or AK's own creativity of the wiring in the monster special - but that was a one off tho!)

As Will says - if you can go for it financially, get a 2002 model onwards (A Y has already covered the probs with earlier carbed models, vis: electrics & carb icing etc).

Even a full SH will not guarantee you a problem free biking 'hedonism' - as it wouldnt with any other bike/car etc. Bits do wear, owners dont (always) do regular maintenance.

Check out in the search facility on the forum for potential problems to be aware of when looking for a bike.

Happy shopping

C:)

[JMo]

Never mind if the Monster is good or not, what is particularly impressive is the fact that Spacemonkey manged to get the word 'Dog****' past the automatic sensorship control - an excellent turn of phrase fella...

xxx

[Lost Again]

Never mind if the Monster is good or not, what is particularly impressive is the fact that Spacemonkey manged to get the word 'Dog****' past the automatic sensorship control - an excellent turn of phrase fella...

xxx

Hmmm, does spunkmonkey work then?

[Lost Again]

Apparently so, oh joy!

[spacemonkey]

Never mind if the Monster is good or not, what is particularly impressive is the fact that Spacemonkey manged to get the word 'Dog****' past the automatic sensorship control - an excellent turn of phrase fella...

xxx

Why thankyou...

Spunkmonkey.. I like that one. Can i change my name?