Which Monster

[Dasee]

Hi

I am a returning biker - yes you know 40 something and a but rusty (and slow) - anyway having spent the last two years breaking myself back in to bikes on a Harley Nightster and then a BMW GS 650, having been acclimatised, my good lady has now permitted to buy what I have wanted for the last 20 years - A Monster!

Now I would like the one that first grabbed me - an original 900 but the 900ie is an option as is the S2 800, Cube and 1100, I defiantly want air cooled and my heart goes toward the original 900. Red if possible but a good one seems to be like hens teeth.

Question for you lot is can you help me (with your Monster Knowledge) to point me in the right direction?

Which one should I choose? And what should I defiantly avoid please?

[LVC]

Avoid red ones and anything air cooled as they're slow as .....

Only joking - I'd hold out for exactly what you want a nice 900 or 900ie. They come along occasionally and don't cost a fortune and are a beautiful classic example of what the Monster was intended to look like.

[Dasee]

Hi

Thanks for the advice, appreciated, yes I will hold out, just hope the summer isn't over before then.........well it hasn't exactly started so no hurry I guess.

[LVC]

A pal of mine has one of these (Red 800) and it's very nice - not sure how the 800 compares to the 900 - maybe worth thinking about though :yoparty:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DUCATI-M800-S-03-RED-monster-/271205545036?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item3f251c344c

[manwithredbike]

red is fastest - obviously. i can vouch for 900 air cooled, but i'd go for a 'V' head with the bigger valves if possible as opposed to the 'W' heads like mine.

[Black Bob]

Which one should I choose? And what should I defiantly avoid please?

Sounds obvious, but try a few and pick the one you like the most. I've ridden loads of different Monsters and it depends what you like in an engine and in a bike's handling. The original 900 is probably the slowest and laziest of all the ones I ever tried, a real "plan-ahead" bike, whereas the 4 valvers have outrageous torque but feel heavier to throw about.

The middleweight original Monsters (750/800) are lower on grunt but fun to thrash, and feel more nimble. The newer generation 1100 combines all that grunt of the bigger motor with ridiculously light weight. Possibly the most nimble bike I've ever ridden.

[Blah blah]

Early 750s have more grunt than 600s and wet clutches so may be worth considering as well. And while the red ones aren't as slow as the yellow ones, they aren't the fastest (cos everyone knows that they are dark grey...)

Oh, and anything with a radiator is not a proper monster, hehehe :mand:

[steeevvvooo]

The 1000ds motor is great. Either in the m1000 (more traditional shape) or the s2r1000 (single sided swingarm with a striped paint job). Aircooled so tidier looking and cheaper to maintain than the 4 valves. Less top end power than a 4 valve motor but lots of torque and fun to ride.

As said before though, ride a few, don't buy the first you see and be patient. All tips I have never managed to master unfortunately!! :)

[Dirty]

I think red is an excellent choice for a starter bike. You can always upgrade to yellow when you are ready :)

Get a test ride on as many bikes as you can before you make a decision. Lots of the bikes on fleabag and other online sites are actually dealer bikes so if they are local enough pop down and get on them.

[gary tompkins]

The 900ie is a great bike - I've got two of them. The M1000ds is also a great package if you can find one, with traditional monster looks and a little more grunt than the 900ie. Keep a look out for something with a relatively low mileage and full service history. Prices range from around £2800 to £3600 on average, depending on year, mileage, specification and condition.

http://sphotos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/562399_633706413321623_850202756_n.jpg

[JuZ]

I've got exactly what you want, a really nice, clean and tidy red '94 M900


But you can't have it :p:biggrin:

[richiebhoy]

M695 - original, classic shape, and when it was introduced it had "the highest output per cc of any Ducati air-cooled V-twin ever"...

... always overlooked..

[utopia]

How do you feel about electronics vs carbs ?
And do you do your own maintenance ?
For me, carbs do the job adequately and avoid the complexity, and the potential expensive repair bills and dealer diagnostics.
But they'll ice up in the colder season, and require fuel additives.
But if you do your own spannering, and given that a monster can easily become a keeper, I'd say that the better long term bet is the carby motor.
Actually, one of the nice things about the 2-valve motors is how easy they are to work on.

And seconded .....a decent 750 is definitely worth trying, if one comes up.
Quick enough for a naked bike, I reckon.
And surprisingly buzzy for a torquey motor.
I'm still happy with mine after 6yrs.

For me, the best deals out there are for late model (say post '97/'98) carby 750s or 900s.
The late model benefits from the many minor upgrades over the years, and you should find a decent example of either in the £1500 to £2500 price range.

[Black Bob]

M695 - original, classic shape, and when it was introduced it had "the highest output per cc of any Ducati air-cooled V-twin ever"...

... always overlooked..

My favourite old shape Monster.

[steeevvvooo]

in all seriousness, I'm sure you will love whatever you get.

Look at the recommendations, then look the box on the left and see what bikes the posters own. Can you see the correlation?! :chuckle:

Try a few shapes and sizes within your budget, and buy the one you like to look at as well as ride

[cactus]

I have a 900ie and it's a great bike, I prefer the injection over the carbs. Which ever Monster you do eventually go for make sure it has a full service history, I don't know if you're aware of the importance of this in regard to Ducatis. When you do buy one continue with the regular servicing at the required intervals. Owning and running a Ducati is more costly than other bikes. Good luck and keep us posted. :ukm:

[Mr Gazza]

Hello Dasee

We have a bit in common, you and me, Both looking for a 900 Monster.

There are a lot of helpful and sensible posts on here which kind of make me want to broaden my outlook.

My first Ducati was a 750SS.Loverly.! She sounded beautiful and was always willing to answer the throttle. But.. I used to get into trouble with it by ending up going faster than I thought I was, and the back tyre would hop about a bit in corners somtimes (Foggy stlye!).
A case of the tail wagging the dog maybe.?
She was hard work below 30mph, if I had to follow a tractor for very long for instance.

The 900 Monster was so different, comfy at any speed, from the sub 30s to whatever.
With this one I was in control of the speed, and both wheels always firmly planted.

I think the difference is not the motors, but the cycle. The CoG is better on the Monster and the wind on the chest provides a much better speedo than the one on the yoke.
I have never had a motorbike that fitted me so well and feel so right.

I also rode a demo "916" motored Monster not long after thier release, and it was just a 900+, with all the knobs going up to 11...Crisper in all departments, Brakes, Handling and urge.

So I think the key word here is MONSTER, the motor is secondary...Still holding out for another 900 though:D

Chers

Gazza