M600 performance Q's

[Funnymachine]

I am beginning to wonder if this M600 thing is running right...

There is no smoke, the plugs look the right colour, I admit it sounds a bit rough, but with nothing to compare it to...

Here's the thing...

My last bike was a Z1000 and I got used to thrashing the living daylights out of it in a straight line, so when I got the M600 it seemed quite slow in comparison.

Some 500 miles later, I am getting used to the fact it pulls away very slowly and starting to wonder if maybe something is wrong with it.

If I open the throttle wide and pretty much dump the clutch, it goes forward at quite a rate, but I can't get the front wheel off the deck for love nor money...

It will pull quite well up to about 80MPH then sort of runs out of acceleration, it does get faster, but I have usually run out of road before I can find out what it would top out at...

Experimenting today, I have found that if I hold the front brake, let the clutch bite, then wind on the revs and let out as big a handful of clutch as I can, the wheel will dance off the deck, but not always, I mean if I really wanted to wheelie it, I would have to drop the clutch on full revs!!! Not that I know where that is without a rev counter, and I think it could all get a little unpredictable...

It's almost as if the clutch has a sort of soft let out or lag?

So my question, after this long rambling post...

Is it normal, or should I be able to blip the throttle in first and get the wheel off the deck?

Any M600 owners around I could compare mine with?

Thanks

Tz

[Paranoid Dave]

Sounds like a normal 600 to me, that's just the way they are. Not blessed with oodles of power but do the job kinda thing.
600 can be wheelied but need some effort, something to do with pull away, get some speed in first or second, roll off then roll on throttle. Use the forks to bounce it too.

Coming from a Z1000, thought a 900 would be more your suiting. :confused:

[PaulS]

You are joking aren't you? The M600 only makes 51hp - it's bound to seem slow after a Z1000 which will make around twice that depending on which version it is. I used to have a Z1000 J2 back in the 80's and you need to be looking at an S4 to be in the same league.

[Funnymachine]

But the M600 feels like it is in the same league as my old Yamaha YDS7 (okay it was tuned and didn't have any torque) which topped out at about 110MPH un-faired and 125MPH+ faired...

That was an (old-1973) L Reg 350 !!!

Or how about a CB400 ? Feels similar to that too...

Or a Suzuki GT380 - very like that till you get to a corner :-)

I am genuinely curious to know if mine is running properly, it feels really cumbersome at the lights.

Tz

[Phoenix]

There's sommat wrong with it. Must be. I can beat more or less anything off a standing start including TW's Triumph 955. And it ain't down to the rider either. He races so starts are his thing. My bike is as brisk as most up to 90. The one thing I will say is that they ''feel'' slow compared to 4 but i think you'll find thats a perception thing.
If you're up in Worcestershire come and see me. Have a go and mine and feel what they ''should'' feel like when properly set up.
Please also remember how many bhp they have before comparing them to other bikes.

[A Yerbury]

mine was a bit wimpy the other day... then I remembered unclipping the coil to the top cylinder -very "doh"-

[Funnymachine]

Coming from a Z1000, thought a 900 would be more your suiting. :confused:

I got given it :D

Tz

[Paranoid Dave]

those 600's are bloody fast for freebies don't you think :D

[BoozyBOB]

600's are a bit of trial to get on the back wheel...the 620,750.800 i's are easier.... :twisted:
why would you want to get a Ducati on the back wheel..they handle a lot easier with both an the road.... :burnout:

my old 600..(2001) could get up to 110...and i could nearly catch up with Muttley...or Phoenix...but i am sure they cheat.. :rolleyes:

[NattyBoy]

Nearly flipped my 600 once ! :lol: snapped the throttle open hard in first over a crest off some lights..cue nattyboy running behind it like a complete herbert :lol:

Now my S4R...that DOES wheely (in second of the throttle if you lean back ) :D :D

On a serious note...the 600 should feel like good fun (ie not slow) after your zed..i was used to all sorts of quick bikes before I got mine as a runaround, and if you rode it in the torque, it felt swift enough....well.. swift enough to go in the fast group with the S4's at the monster track day anyway !! ;) :D

Would also recommend (as would phoenix) a dynojet/filter mod...transforms the bike.

Cheers
Nat

[nik_the_brief]

Just a thought - it's not restricted to 33 bHP by any chance?

Mine is and has a similar gutless feel to it (not long before I can legally remove the bugger but since it involves removing the carbs and I like the idea of staying legal I'm being a good lad). Even so it's still fun on the twisties. :twisted:

[Funnymachine]

How would I know if it was restricted to 33BHP?

[nik_the_brief]

I believe there's a washer type affair lurking between the carbs and the engine that restricts the flow of 'mixed fuel and air' (sorry for the lack of technical phraseology) into the cylinders. Apparently it's impossible to see without removing the carbs. I took of the air filter and peered into the carbs but could see nothing out of the ordinary.

I s'pose you could always take it to a nearby dyno testers and get 'em to put it on the machine.

[Bruza]

Funny,

I just had a Z750 as a loaner for a few weeks.... it was QUICK. Much Quicker than my Monnie. So the Thou would seem much more powerfull than the M600... because it is!!

[Phoenix]

.and i could nearly catch up with Muttley...or Phoenix...but i am sure they cheat.. :rolleyes:

Tut tut ...wouldn't dare :D :twisted:

[Phoenix]

Nearly flipped my 600 once ! :lol: snapped the throttle open hard in first over a crest off some lights..cue nattyboy running behind it like a complete herbert :lol:
Nat

You sposed to hold on :rolleyes:
<shakes head>

[Funnymachine]

Would I see this washer thing on a parts list?

[nik_the_brief]

I've had a hell of a job to narrow it down to the fact that it's even a washer in the carb. I got the information from the restriction Certificate from the garage who put it in. Other people have told me that their Monster was restricted by way of a throttle stop rather than a washer in the carb.

I have to keep mine restricted until June(ish) next year but then hope to find another Monnie owner who has taken his carbs apart and who may recognise an alien part in there. (That or pay someone at Ducati Ashford to remove it for me).

If it had been a breeze to find and remove I'm sure I'd have surrendered to temptation by now but since I have to take the tank, airbox and filter and the carbs off I've just put up with the gutless wonder with a top end of 90 (flat out with the wind behind me!!)

[Funnymachine]

I am reluctant to take the carbs off as it works at the mo and I ride it to work, however as it sat for 2 years before I got it, I should really take the carbs apart if just to clean them, then I can look and see if this part is in there...

Thanks for the info - I will have a go at pushing it over 90 at some point - at the mo I am going into London on the A40 and it's a 40MPH speed limit, so I need to find somewhere else to try this :-)

When I do, will let you know

Tz