Thougts on the Monster 797H

Hi all,
I'm thinking of trading in my 2016 690 Duke for a 2018 Monster 797. I've never owned a Monster so was hoping you good people could help me out with your thoughts. What are the things you like and don't like about these bikes? I can see from the specs that the HP is almost identical so at first glance I would be happy with the power as I know that when you open up the Duke it really shifts. That said though, when I watch the Youtube reviews they all say this is a beginner's bike and it's not particularly well powered. I'd like to get the thoughts of anyone who has owned one. I can have a test ride but I'm a ways from a motorway so won't really be able to open it up to see.

I don't ride that often but I religiously visit the Alps every year for a week or two (van and bike) so for me it has to perform in that environment more than it needs to work as a commuter etc.

Also, what are the costs of servicing and what are the intervals?

Steve

[buzzbomb]

Steve have a look at the 821 monster, I have a scrambler which is a close cousin to the 797 monster and personally if you're going on continental trips it would be the 821 that I'd pick, plus I think at the moment there's quite a good offer on that model.

Thanks Buzz. I like the fact that it has considerably more horsepower but I'm not a fan of its looks, with all the piping associated with the water cooling and those huge bulky exhausts. I didn't see much of a deal on them. Where did you see that?

[Mossleymonster]

There's an immaculate 821 at Bury motorcycle centre £6495 I think.

[slob]

Go and take a test ride 797 & 821 at your local Duc dealer, so you can make your own mind up.
The Duke is a bike that weighs next to nothing, has one of the lightest clutches i’ve tried, and with dirt bike geometry and wide bars turns really easily but being a single runs out of steam quite quickly.
Similarly the 797 pulls well from very low revs, the 821 is more powerful but needs more gas to keep it on the boil.
The 797 is probably more similar in character to the Duke than the 821. Neither are anything like an inline triple or four but both are more than a match on a twisty road and really how they go past a ton are of little relevance in the real world if you want to keep your license.

[jerry]

what about the new KTM duke 790 twin 100hp 163 kg

Mossley - Saw that. Thanks.

Slob - I just saw a review of the 821 and it echoed your comments about it needing to be kept on the boil. After giving it more thought, the torque comments about the 797 seem more in line with what I'm after. And that bike looks fantastic

Jerry - Yes, seen the reviews. Awesome, but no I really like the idea of a Monster ...... though now you've really got me thinking :-(

Cheers all

[Andygbiking]

Hi Steve

I own a 797+ and I’ve had it 10 months now and I absolutely love it I did try a 821 at the same time but found the 797 was ideal for me.i find the bike will cruise at motorway speeds easily and has enough power for me it’s been very reliable and the only warranty I’ve had was a badly painted rear seat cowl which was replaced straight away services are carried out every 7500 miles or yearly which ever comes first

Cheers. Andy

[damien666]

A saw the duke 790 described as a “scalpel”. Light and so easy to flick around.
And it’s now a parallel twin. Wonder when they’ll release the R version?

Edit, maybe prototype was called ‘scalpel’
Still looks fun.

Hi Andy - Thanks for that. Does the bike feel reasonable powerful when you roll on throttle? What experience with other bikes do you have? Cheers.

Hi Damien - Yes, I saw the same review. It does look awesome and the twin aspect will make it much more user-friendly than my 690. It will also be a total blast in the Alps. I might have to wait a year and pick up a 2nd hand one.

[slob]

(...wrong forum for it but) I'm sorely tempted, since I have no space in the garage it's a good thing I'm skint right now ;-)

[jonzi]

Originally Posted by slob

(...wrong forum for it but) I'm sorely tempted, since I have no space in the garage it's a good thing I'm skint right now ;-)

In a few weeks, come over to Hemel Hempsted KTM and we can pick up a couple of demo bikes from them.

I am tempted by the 1290 R

[Darren69]

I was gonna say the 1200R is the one to go for really the Dukes are just glorified motocross bikes IMHO which is fine if you like that kind of thing.

[jerry]

Originally Posted by Darren69

I was gonna say the 1200R is the one to go for really the Dukes are just glorified motocross bikes IMHO which is fine if you like that kind of thing.

RC8 motocross ???!!!!!!!! LOL like to see that