Monster owner in waiting

Hi Dave.

There's never a good time to be hit with that news, but there's always a good time to ride motorcycles. The very best of luck to you. As a new rider too, I went from a from a SV650s to a Monster in a relatively short period of time and I've never looked back. My 696+ love corners and I'm sure you're not short of them in Wales.

Hope to see a bike in your garage soon!
Tom

[Flip]

Originally Posted by Uncle Bob

Hello and welcome. Ditto the comments above, I wish you the very best of luck with your treatment.

Just thought I would add my perspective to this. I had sportsbikes all my riding life, my first bike was a ZX-6R which I bought before I'd even passed my test, and around the time I hit 45 my body decided for me that I needed to change the style of bike I was riding, or just give up riding altogther. The only bike that really 'did it' for me in terms of styling was the Monster, and although I wasn't sure which one I wanted I ended up with a little 696+. My mates thought I was a bit mad going to a bike with 'only' 80 horses, but let me tell you it's such a lot of fun to ride! Anyway, the point to all this is don't think you're missing out on anything if you don't buy the most powerful bike out there.

Personally I think the air cooled bikes look much better, and I would imagine that for a new rider the 696 is forgiving enough, although it'll be quite different to the 4pot CB500 or whatever your riding school gives\gave you . It's definitely not a handful though. Super light controls are a bonus too.

My suggestion would be to ride a few different models (if you can find them!) and I think you'll know pretty quickly which one is for you.

Uncle Bob speaks a lot of sense there- Monsters aren't all about ultimate speed- no naked bike is going to be fun for long into three figure speeds and it's not really what you want as a new rider anyway. Enjoy the experience of Monster ownership and that grin it gives when you open the garage door- you'll be finding excuses just to go and look at it before you know it!!

Originally Posted by Dirty

Hello, good evening, welcome....

All the best for your treatemnt

Here's how good the carbys can look

Oh go on then- if we're showing gratuitous pics of carbys in front of planes

Fellas........the response to my joining has been fantastic and for that I thank you all. The plan is to pass my Direct Access test by July, treatment and health withstanding,then purchase my much lusted after Monster between the end of July and early August. Thereby allowing me time to get use to riding it and to make any changes to the styling......I do love the look with clip one. Of course you all realize that you will all be part of this process as the font of your combined knowledge is huge and I will be plunging head first into it regularly...........thank you all once again....Jennoe.

[utopia]

Welcome along, Dave.
Here's wishing you a clear road ahead in all respects.

I would also echo Bob's comments .. and I speak as an M750 owner for over 10yrs who still hasn't found its mere 63 bhp to be lacking.

You would be more than welcome to pop along to the weekender .. many folks just drop in for the day.
I'm sure we would all be pleased to explain the virtues of our various choices amongst the spectrum of monsters available.

[Jez900ie]

Hi Dave, I hope the nurses looking after you are all cute!

Ducati Monsters are beautiful things - I just bought a 900i.e a few months ago, and plan to have it on the road in few weeks.

As I have spent the last thirty odd years living overseas, I have ridden on US, Mexican and Spanish licences. Now that I will be living here, I had to take my UK bike test, and technically I am a recently passed learner too in terms of UK bike insurance. Some insurers declined to quote me, but there were several others who would and prices for fully comp started at 230. You should be able to find similar prices (maybe even better ones!) as we are almost the same age. Insurance companies may view older bikes as "classic" and the premiums are sometimes lower... If you want anymore info re the insurance or how the test really is, drop me a pm.

Its always good to see people making their dreams come true, so goodluck with the medical stuff, the bike course and finding a great Monster.

Let us now how its all coming along over the next weeks & months. Everyone here is really helpful and there's no shortage of knowledge or friendly advice.

[Blah blah]

Hello and welcome...
*cough* S2r

Hello & welcome Dave good luck with your health and forthcoming Bike training.
Here's my Bike a M1000 in the faster Red colour

image upload

[Darren69]

Happy bike hunting! My tastefully modified '02 S4 Fogarty. sorry for the cr@p photo of a fantastic bike!

https://postimg.org/image/v9x8ym9jv/

[Darren69]

See if this works?

free upload image

So much choice fellas.......I'm in Monster overload.............I would happily take any one of your bikes...they all look magnificent..........but ....Ooooooo....that Foggy special......and thanks for all your good wishes....they go along way on the dark days....

[Darren69]

They all have their faults but all are great bikes and Flips 900 is a flipping ace tasteful example of a modded original M900 if ever there was one, that is the pretty much the benchmark. Naughty number plate aside, lol!

The 1000ie and S2 in both 800 and 1000 versions took the 2 valve motor to the next level with fuel injection which went some way to improve the fueling of the earlier carb bikes which if anything had always suffered from poor fueling (which was both frustrating and annoying) and icing, but can be considered "charm" if that's your thing.

The 1000DS motor from the S2 1000 is considered by most as the best example of the 2 valve air cooled engine but I can't recall if the 1000ie got the DS motor or not. Early 900sie are also worth considering since the early ones are quite high spec and made in small numbers.

Now I can tell you have good taste if you like my S4. The S4, S4R and S4RS are the Monsters with the contemporary SBK 8 valve (Desmoquattro and Testastretta) engines of the day; 916, 996 and 998/999 engines detuned for more midrange torque and general madness. My gently tuned S4 puts out more HP and torque than the 916 sportbike which shares the same engine and the S4RS is somewhere up near to 130bhp and can be made up to 999 SBK power (140 +) fairly easily since they just made the throttle bodies a bit smaller on the monster. That's all irrelevant really since you can't easily ride a monster at that sort of speed anyway, its too much effort to hang on!

It does however make for a relaxed ride at legal speeds, just keeping it ticking over really at close to 80mph!

More torque than a 916..!!!!!!!!......I've a feeling when I get my bike me and you are going go have a serious chat about " gentle tuning "

[Darren69]

Yep, not by much, the stock S4 monster is something like 98/99Hp and the standard 916 is 104hp. not sure what the torque figures are off the top of my head without looking but the tuned or Foggy S4 is 113hp and the S4R with the 996 engine is 115hp standard both make more torque than the 916. Its mental really!

Its mostly in the exhaust system too. my S4 runs a full Termi system that is very similar to the one used on the 888 SBK and that worked really well at the time and probably the most powerful Desmoquattro engine bike they made, so its the best of both really. Guess I'm on the lookout for an S4R motor that I can fit to mine. Will drop straight it too!

Ok......plans have been put back a bit as it seems I can't sit my Theory and Hazard Awareness test until the 4th May......are there really that many people taking this test in my little city.......Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dirty]

Now is always a busy time test wise.