New M600 owner saying hello

sram · 28-12-2015, 05:03 PM

A bit overdue, but I thought I'd post a 'hello' on here.
I wanted a bike when I was 16 but my mum wasn't really having any of it. My dad rode until I was born and he has always been ok with the idea (I wouldn't say encouraging, but ok). With hindsight, it's probably good that I didn't get one when I was 16 and waited 17 years later before embarking on my CBT. I did that in May of this year and have been pootling around on a YBR125 for a few months. I did my mod 2 on 15 Dec in the rain! and fortunately all went well.

The original Monster is in my mind the way a bike should look. I only realised a few days ago when I was going through an old computer archive that I had a desktop background of one about 10 years ago. This Monster seed has been growing for a long time!
My plan was always to buy one before I passed my test as it would be motivation to get my license and also it would give me some time where I could be patient and take care of any small little things that needed doing. I lost quite a few bidding wars on ebay and then a showroom condition one came up but I didn't meet the person's reserve. I then noticed one that was described as needing work and I went to see it in Devon on the way to Cornwall with the girlfriend to see her family. The seller said it needed a fork seal and headlight lens to get through an MOT and I noticed that the bike was absolutely filthy. The battery had leaked in the past and the l/h side of the frame is acid damaged. The bike ran but the idle was very erratic and he said that the carbs had been stripped and cleaned but now needed to be setup properly. I took all of this onboard and went away and watched the auction. By the time we got back to London it was approaching £1000 and I'd set myself a limit not far over that (can't remember how much now!). I put in a bid and managed to secure it. The chap knew someone that delivers bikes for a living and for £100 from Devon to London I couldn't complain. The delivery chap (Carl, I think) was excellent and very friendly and turned up one hot sunny Saturday summer morning. With hindsight I think I probably overpaid by at least £200 given the amount of work I've had to carry out.

I started to clean the bike and slowly take the large components off (seat, tank, mudguards etc) so that I could inspect everything and give it a thorough clean. I can honestly say that I don't think I've ever seen a filthier bike. It was covered in caked on grease and grime absolutely everywhere. I was a bit surprised as most people don't own a Ducati as a sensible everyday bike. In my mind if you have a Ducati then you must really have wanted a Ducati and I would have thought this would mean that you'd have a bit of pride in its appearance and upkeep. We're all different I guess!

(Screen was cracked so it went in the bin and the laser exhausts have been removed and replaced with standard items that I found on the bay)

28-12-2015, 05:03 PM	#1
sram Registered User Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: London Bike: M600 Posts: 72	New M600 owner saying hello A bit overdue, but I thought I'd post a 'hello' on here. I wanted a bike when I was 16 but my mum wasn't really having any of it. My dad rode until I was born and he has always been ok with the idea (I wouldn't say encouraging, but ok). With hindsight, it's probably good that I didn't get one when I was 16 and waited 17 years later before embarking on my CBT. I did that in May of this year and have been pootling around on a YBR125 for a few months. I did my mod 2 on 15 Dec in the rain! and fortunately all went well. The original Monster is in my mind the way a bike should look. I only realised a few days ago when I was going through an old computer archive that I had a desktop background of one about 10 years ago. This Monster seed has been growing for a long time! My plan was always to buy one before I passed my test as it would be motivation to get my license and also it would give me some time where I could be patient and take care of any small little things that needed doing. I lost quite a few bidding wars on ebay and then a showroom condition one came up but I didn't meet the person's reserve. I then noticed one that was described as needing work and I went to see it in Devon on the way to Cornwall with the girlfriend to see her family. The seller said it needed a fork seal and headlight lens to get through an MOT and I noticed that the bike was absolutely filthy. The battery had leaked in the past and the l/h side of the frame is acid damaged. The bike ran but the idle was very erratic and he said that the carbs had been stripped and cleaned but now needed to be setup properly. I took all of this onboard and went away and watched the auction. By the time we got back to London it was approaching £1000 and I'd set myself a limit not far over that (can't remember how much now!). I put in a bid and managed to secure it. The chap knew someone that delivers bikes for a living and for £100 from Devon to London I couldn't complain. The delivery chap (Carl, I think) was excellent and very friendly and turned up one hot sunny Saturday summer morning. With hindsight I think I probably overpaid by at least £200 given the amount of work I've had to carry out. I started to clean the bike and slowly take the large components off (seat, tank, mudguards etc) so that I could inspect everything and give it a thorough clean. I can honestly say that I don't think I've ever seen a filthier bike. It was covered in caked on grease and grime absolutely everywhere. I was a bit surprised as most people don't own a Ducati as a sensible everyday bike. In my mind if you have a Ducati then you must really have wanted a Ducati and I would have thought this would mean that you'd have a bit of pride in its appearance and upkeep. We're all different I guess! (Screen was cracked so it went in the bin and the laser exhausts have been removed and replaced with standard items that I found on the bay) Last edited by sram; 28-12-2015 at 05:08 PM..