Wanted 696

Hello All, I've just joined....I dont have a Monster as my Avatar here....yet! can anyone here help me with that?

I’m looking for a used Monster 696. I realise that I’m NOT going to get a low mileage model for my budget which is £3500 but I AM a serious buyer. I live on the Devon Cornwall border near Gunnislake so I have to consider van fuel costs in terms of distance to and from a potential purchase on top of my budget. I’m bike-less at the moment after it got smashed up by a junction-jumping pizza delivery van-man. I’ve fallen in love with the 696 and can’t find anything within £100-ish of fuel distance of a van drive, it’s the first time I’ve been bike-less for 12 years and it’s really getting me down!

I’ve previously owned a KTM Duke II 640 (great fun), Kawasaki Ninja 636 (rocket ship), Honda Hornet (I met my husband on the Hornets Nest forum!) and a Honda CRF230 (for Hare & Hounds, could climb anything). The bike I just had was a Kawasaki ER6f. I’ve also ridden loads of other bikes, done a few track days, used to ride H&H and enduros and once….a long time ago, I had a go on a mates yellow Ducati Monster 600. I've been looking on ebay but I always get outbid in the last millisecond. I'm signed up to BikeTrader, Ebay, Gumtree and Preloved alerts (can't figure out how to get an alert from MCN). I'm watching 2 on ebay right now, but they're only 6 thousand-ish miles so I'm sure they'll go for more than I have to spend.

If anyone is about to sell, or knows of one shortly to be sold then would you please let me know? I’d be very grateful.

Thanks,
Maria.

[Dirty]

Hi, and welcome to potential Monster ownership. Good luck with the search, be patient, hard in this weather of course

Yes, very hard in this weather. I have waited FOUR MONTHS for a cheque from the salvage company for my written-off bike.... I will never take insurance out with Bennetts ever again. It's been cock up and heel-dragging from them, from the salvage company, and from two law firms. I am still waiting for a cheque for the compensation bulk payment for my bike and for my smashed-up lid....and that's fully comp with whistles and bells added. Last time I got taken-out by a "I-didn't-see-you" junction jumper, the company I was with took only 2 months to sort it all out. So I have now borrowed the money in anticipation of getting it all, otherwise I won't be back on the road before Christmas at this rate

Keep a very close watch on Fleabay, check daily, I think it will be tough on your budget but you never know if someone doesn't set a high reserve...

This one looks very promising with a girl owner... you could always try making a straight up plea and offer, it does work sometimes as a lot of people will normally prefer to deal with someone serious and cash in hand than suffer the ebay nonsense that often happens

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DUCATI-MON...item35ed34a7f8

[chris.p]

Welcome young lady, you will love the 696, I used to nick my wifes for a hoon round every now and then, loved it so much I sold my 748r and got an 1100 evo :-)


The bike GWLS had found looks a cracker, don't think it has ABS, you would have to ask the owner, Uckfield is near london, so not a million miles away, you could always insure it, take a train and ride it back.

[MrsC_772]

I'm pretty sure if it's a 2009 model it won't have ABS - I've a feeling it was only in 2010 that ABS was introduced as an option on the 696.

My own bike (definitely not for sale!) is officially a 2010 model (though bought in September 2009) and doesn't have ABS - I honestly can't remember if it was even an option when I bought my bike but I remember reading that the ABS ones had a smaller fuel tank to make room for the ABS system, so wouldn't have chosen ABS even if it had been available at the time.

Yes I've seen it already and I've put a bid in now, thanks for letting me know though! I even contacted her (she's in the New Forest, Uckfield is just where the account is registered) but she seems to want to see how much she can get, understandably....and even if it is looking good for me I'll get pipped at T -5 seconds....as usual. I hate ebay. I wont get it for my budget though, I was imagining finding something at 12-16K miles for my budget. I've signed up to all the alerts and as soon as I get them I ring straight away but the bike has already sold days previously. I guess they're advertised elsewhere. As for ABS, I'm not bothered either way, though I'd prefer NOT to have ABS!

[Albie]

Wasn't Alan C mate Nick selling his nice 696. I don't know how much he paid for it but it is a great bike and believe a lady owner prior and he hardly rode it.

I won that bike on ebay!

Because she was hundreds of miles closer to Cornwall than all the others I've drooled over, I was able to spend the van-fuel equivalent on bidding more (plus an extra 100 of borrowing - last chance saloon seeing as it is low mileage).

I'll send you a piccy when I've got it. I'm so excited! And my local mechanic is happy and competant with Ducati Monsters, so alllll good.

I hope she doesn't change her mind now.
Maria

Awesome!!! So pleased for you, glad it all worked out

Gas

[Albie]

Brilliant news