Hello all I am looking for opinions. I have been trolling around this forum and searching a bit and was curious to what everyone thought of the M900? I am not new to bikes and have grown up with them. I currently have a 06 KLX250s that is street legal but i am now dedicating it to up north off-road only and looking for something more road worthy. Put about 3000 miles on it this summer.
I found a 1995 M900 for $4000 with 12,000 miles on it and thought that it would be a good starter bike. I would assume lower insurance due to its age, not mine (but im 22 so we shall see). I am a hands on guy and have worked on my bikes and most of my cars since i was 16 unless it has MAJOR engine or trans problems. I am curious to the maintenance on the M900? Are these machines known to have alot of problems? I have heard of electrical issues with ducatis in the past, but thats just hear-say. Also if something needs to be replaced will I have a hard time finding parts or being able to do the job myself? I would like to be doing more of this [moto] while I own the bike and not this [bang] haha.
What do you think?
-Nick
The 900s are good bikes. Maintenance is the same as any pre-2007 bike...valve adjustments every 6,000 miles, and various other normal moto stuff. Plenty of parts available as far as I know.
An M900 isn't a bad starter bike...especially a cheap one...so long as you have a good head and keep youself in check with the throttle until you get used to it. Plenty will probably chime in and say it's too much bike, but I know a couple people who had M900s for 1st bikes and they did fine. Especially true since you have moto experience.
seems like a good buy. If you can work on things then you can work on that too. Parts can still be had.
Good to hear.
Alot of my friends have "sport bikes" and I have rode them a bit, 600cc and 1000cc. I have never gone full throttle but im just not a huge fan of the seating position and all the plastic, lol. Now i am making an assumption that the monster seat position is a least a little more comfortable than a super bike, correct?
Yea you kind of just sit there. leaned forward just a little bit. It's more dirtbike like, than track like.
I bought an M900 about 6 weeks ago and it is my first bike ever. It is not too big for a first bike, and it is not intimidating at all. It does have a fair amount of low end torque, but I think it just makes it easy to ride at slower speeds. Power drops off way before redline, so it should keep you out of trouble if you have half a brain.
Since the bike has 12k miles, you should ask if the 12k mile service has been done. If not, you should use that as a bargaining chip to get a better deal. ;)
GET a steering dampner. and pull the forks through some. it will help with the weight distribution of the bike and stiffen up the steering a bit. the early monster are light in the front and tend to be twitchy.
I just bought an 900S. First bike in 12 years. I love it. Very comfortable riding position. More than enough power for me. No wind protection, but I wear plenty of armor, so I stay warm. I have a small cowl above my headlight, and I think it does reduce buffeting from the wind a bit.
Quote from: Raux on October 08, 2008, 06:21:02 PM
GET a steering dampner. and pull the forks through some. it will help with the weight distribution of the bike and stiffen up the steering a bit. the early monster are light in the front and tend to be twitchy.
Just about everyone I know of suggests to have the suspension set up for your weight before getting a steering damper as it is just a band aid to help cover up improperly tuned suspension.
Quote from: mojo on October 08, 2008, 06:31:07 PM
Just about everyone I know of suggests to have the suspension set up for your weight before getting a steering damper as it is just a band aid to help cover up improperly tuned suspension.
setting up your suspension does nothing for the weight distribution of the bike. that compensates for it. pulling your forks through or raising the rear ride height is the only way to change the weight distribution. or you can run with clipons to change the riders positioning more forward to throw more rider weight on the front.
these bikes as setup stock have a light front end that's twitchy and it can lead to tank slappers. look on the board there's at least two people on this board that had the accident and i for certain know someone at the factory that had this.
i dont mean to scare someone off the bike. they are GREAT bikes. lots of torque, and fun. but it's a quirk of the bike that can be a problem.
I've had my '97 M900 for 1+ years and as a first bike, I don't personally see a problem with getting one. You have prior experience...just have to use your noggin when riding. I started on a Harley Dyna Wide Glide, 1340cc, as my first bike with zero experience. Practiced around the home, no heavy traffic. I didn't have problems.
Parts. The only problem I've had with parts (bike was a salvage title) was obtaining a clutch pack. Took over 1.5+ weeks to call and get one, but eventually got one. I've replaced the forks and clutch lever and reservoir. There is a person on here, I believe his name is Chris @ Motoredsports (sp?) that usually has parts also. It will also depend on where you live and the number of Duc's. I'm in Dallas and there is a fair amount around here and a good dealer.
I had 19K+ miles, salvage title and needed to replace the forks, clutch lever and reservoir. I paid ~ $2,700 for mine. Had Corbin seat, Termi's CF mufflers, braided lines and the tires were fairly new. The speedo/tach was poorly done and am going to replace that.
Quote from: Raux on October 08, 2008, 06:41:26 PM
setting up your suspension does nothing for the weight distribution of the bike. that compensates for it. pulling your forks through or raising the rear ride height is the only way to change the weight distribution.
I don't know about you, but I would consider raising the rear/altering the front fork height to be part of "setting up the suspension." I'm not sure why you separate them here...
Quote from: darylbowden on October 09, 2008, 12:38:40 PM
I don't know about you, but I would consider raising the rear/altering the front fork height to be part of "setting up the suspension." I'm not sure why you separate them here...
true i stand corrected. i though he was talking only shock preload/spring rates.
Sorry, should have been more clear, but I figured the ride height/pitch of the bike would be part of the suspension set up.
This is all great info. Again I just worry about the parts.
Lets say i had an 2003 R6. The clutch goes. It seems like I have 50 options to choose from, many websites/dealers in my area and decent prices.
From what I have seen, Ducati owners seem to pay a Ducati TAX on their parts. Being that it's a 1995 this maybe something I have to deal with. Maybe I should search for a newer 750?
I think all dry clutch Ducs use the same clutches, so availability shouldn't be a problem. Other things like brakes, timing belts, and other maintenance parts should also be available for some time. If you are handy and creative enough, you could probably make just about any Monster part work on another Monster because nobody keeps these things stock anyway. There is always people selling parts on Ebay, or better yet, right here on the DMF in the Parts For Sale section.
Quote from: Masson on October 09, 2008, 04:47:11 PM
This is all great info. Again I just worry about the parts.
Lets say i had an 2003 R6. The clutch goes. It seems like I have 50 options to choose from, many websites/dealers in my area and decent prices.
From what I have seen, Ducati owners seem to pay a Ducati TAX on their parts. Being that it's a 1995 this maybe something I have to deal with. Maybe I should search for a newer 750?
check the prices on the common stuff with the sponsors on the left compared to an R6 for parts.
that would give you a better idea than the perception of a Ducati Tax.
my first dirtbike was a 2001 RM250, not the recommended starter bike for a novice but if I would've went with a 125 I would've gotten bored of it fast. My first street bike was a M900...Go figure [thumbsup]
Quote from: Masson on October 09, 2008, 04:47:11 PM
This is all great info. Again I just worry about the parts.
Lets say i had an 2003 R6. The clutch goes. It seems like I have 50 options to choose from, many websites/dealers in my area and decent prices.
From what I have seen, Ducati owners seem to pay a Ducati TAX on their parts. Being that it's a 1995 this maybe something I have to deal with. Maybe I should search for a newer 750?
Contrary to popular belief, there are no shortage of Ducatis, especially M900s (it's their best-selling model ever I'm pretty sure). Parts are never a problem to find and in fact, since they sold more 900s than 750s, they're probably easier to find parts for.
As for the power, the 900 doesn't really have that much power, so I wouldn't be too worried about that. Sure, a Ninja 250 might be better, but my first street bike was a Japanese 600 (however, it was a '95 CBR, so it wasn't all that powerful by today's standards) and I'm still alive. Compared to an R6 or a GSXR 1k, the M900 is a tame little kitten, so I say buy it and post up some pics for us!
...good on you for being cautious and asking questions. I got an M 800 after not being on a bike for 20 yrs, started by borrowing a friends bike ... and the best advise he gave me was to get a larger bike that you think you need then take it easy and you'll grow into it; if you get something smaller you'll out grow it get impatient then sell and start over ... it took 3 solid months of riding to get comfortable with the bike and I know I've got some to learn; on another tanget its the traffic around us all that will always be the most challenging. Be cautious on the road and ALWAYS expect the unexpected, give yourself a large buffer zone around the bike when your on the road ... sorry not trying to lecture, this is due to a number of expected dangerous things I've seen drivers do. A bike will always come out on the short end.
Quote from: darylbowden on October 09, 2008, 07:45:48 PMAs for the power, the 900 doesn't really have that much power, so I wouldn't be too worried about that. Sure, a Ninja 250 might be better, but my first street bike was a Japanese 600 (however, it was a '95 CBR, so it wasn't all that powerful by today's standards) and I'm still alive. Compared to an R6 or a GSXR 1k, the M900 is a tame little kitten, so I say buy it and post up some pics for us!
I don't know which 900's you've ridden [roll] maybe some W's yes, but the V2's have plenty grunt.
DuciDo3 gives good advice, Take it easy and learn to ride safely on a larger bike. A 900 has plenty of power to get you in trouble. Once you feel comfortable find a straight and let'er rip ;)
whatever monster you decide on,
save some extra cash for proper gear, and wear it :)
Quote from: m9hundo on October 09, 2008, 11:05:32 PM
I don't know which 900's you've ridden [roll] maybe some W's yes, but the V2's have plenty grunt.
Compared to almost every other popular bike available, the 900s are pretty tame. I know it hurts to hear that about your favorite bike, but the truth is the truth.
I'm not saying they're "slow." I'm saying that since they put out roughly the same amount of power as an SV650 (a classic starter bike), they aren't exactly going to rip your arms off when you twist the throttle.
And I've ridden plenty of them. With and without high-comps. They are great bikes, but powerful? Not by today's standards.
I forgot to mention the I rode my friends 2008 Ninja 250 for about 1000 miles this summer. On that note it was a great bike for the city. But on the highway I felt unsafe. It cruised at 80 fine but when I would attempt to get out a cagers blind spot there was no power to move.
I am one of the few of my friends that believes wearing full gear is worth it. I will say i dont wear the leather racing pants but other than that I have a icon leather jacket ($400) I purchased for 70 bucks from a friend that said it was too hott in the summer. And good gloves and boots I wear for every ride. Dress for the crash not for the ride. I am looking for an arai helmet but need to save up a bit.
I did complete my MSF class last summer so i do have an endorsement unlike again some of my friends with bikes [bang]
Im still looking around for bikes (mostly monsters) but i am very pleased with the amount of info I have obtained in two days on this forum. I am going to hopefully look at in in a few days.
Next option is to look into the 696 but thats a much heavier financial obligation that I am not sure I am ready for.
I know I would have been terrified if my M900 had been my first bike. It's my third one, and I rode the previous bike for 10 years, plus I'd ridden a dozen borrowed bikes of various kinds. Even after that, the first few days on the Monster were nerve-wracking for me; there was far more power and torque than I was used to and I felt like my arms were being pulled out of the sockets every time I cracked the throttle.
Quote from: ro-monster on October 10, 2008, 02:48:17 PM
I know I would have been terrified if my M900 had been my first bike. It's my third one, and I rode the previous bike for 10 years, plus I'd ridden a dozen borrowed bikes of various kinds. Even after that, the first few days on the Monster were nerve-wracking for me; there was far more power and torque than I was used to and I felt like my arms were being pulled out of the sockets every time I cracked the throttle.
Don't ever get a SBK. ;)
My first bike was completely modded m900. High comp pistons with 944 kit. More grunt that my current S2R 1k. SBK internals, fox racing rear shock dyna coils, RR tank, carbon bits, etc.
that bike is way more fun than my S2R1k. I miss her. :(
900 is defintely the way to go. Its the classic big engine monster and parts are plenty and cheap. On cycles has M900 triples for $99. modern monster triples? $260. you can use a variety of older shock setups that are just as good as todays for the type of riding an m900 can achieve.
... glad to see you've done your training & have a motorcycle tab (Thats a class 6 licence in BC ...)
Also refer to mrincredables post ... at
Ducati Monster forum Forum Moto Board General Monster Forum New riders on 600s
... good advice ...!!!
I have a M900 as a starter bike. Haven't ever ridden any other bike but a 125 dirt 30 years ago. I love mine and hope I can get rebuilt. It is basically stock and has gobs of power, at least for the roads I ride and I have plenty of room to learn new skills like quick stops. It's getting an insurance appraisal this tuesday or wednesday. Fingers crossed.
On a side note WEAR FULL GEAR or come look at my knee
my very first bike was a '03 M800S ie, and its been great so far. I use it mainly for commuting and been riding for 6 months and I prefer my ride over a other bikes (ie, gsx750). maintainence isn't bad if you do the basic one yourself. i second other's advice to be geared up. have fun!