M600 Dark 2001

Hi, thought i'd write my piece about my M600 i've owned just over 2 months now. Done nearly 1200 miles so far taking it up to 21,200 miles.

Its my first Ducati after a dozen or more jap motorbikes and i gotta say i wish i'd bought one sooner!
I tend to get attached to my motorbikes and this one more so than any other, its got so much charactor! It really does put a smile on my face every time i ride it. As usual with used bikes there's always stuff to sort out like an oil change, filters, checking belts, valve clearances etc but tbh its been a pleasure to work on such a nice bike.
I've used it mainly for commuting to work, sometimes in torrential downpours, casual rides in the country, trips on the motorways, generally everything and anything. And its been 100% reliable.
I know alot of people are fixed on bhp with bikes, but the ducati monster with its 2-valve engine really is a joy to ride despite its claimed 53 Bhp. Considering i've come from a background of Fireblades and 1200 Bandits where speed and wheelies is what you live for, i seem to have fallen in love with the simple pleasures of motorcycling again.

As a commuter bike its not quite as user friendly as bandits, cbr's, gpz's, sv's, fazers etc because of the cold morning starts, being an old low-tech air-cooled engine and poor basic carbs fitted(prone to icing up come winter!) its not too happy until its off the choke and has a mile or so to warm up a little, but it will do the job none-the-less as i have been these last few months in june/july. In fact i've gone up in size to a #42.5 pilot jet and raised the main needle 1 position in the carbs to richen the mixture and its made the bike much nicer!
One thing worth mentioning is there's ZERO storage on them and no points to fit bungees either. I have fitted Oxford X50 panniers to mine and this has made a world of difference in terms to how useful it is and top speed is still 100+mph with no stability problems at all!
As a bike to own, run, commute on in the week and ride the weekends to bike meets etc, its fantastic! I love the bike, the sound, the looks, the simplicity, and despite what you may have heard from non-ducati owners they ARE reliable and dependable, MPG is always in the 60-72 range, never less.

Odds and ends

Brakes are powerful enough(single disc) and being Brembo are quality and resist corrosion well, they can be prone to a light juddering feel, copper grease the backs of the pads or clean the rotor rivits usually cures it.
Valve clearance rarely need adjusting once milage climbs above 14k.
General parts prices on par with Suzuki/Kawasaki, easy to service yourself.
Low fuel level sensor is prone to failing(£95 to replace sender in tank).
Belts are straight forward to replace and adjust.

Am i glad i bought it? Duh! Thats a BIG YES!!!
It's given me great pleasure to ride, it never misses a beat and always puts a smile on my face , which is what motorcycling is all about.