Ducati Monster Forum

Ok folks. Many of you know way more about bikes then I could hope to pretend to know.  So here is the deal, was talking to my ducati dealer and he told me that he just got in the new street triple and if I like the monster I should check it out since it is the true competitor of the monster.  I would like to know how you think these bikes compare. I am looking at all factors: Initial cost (ie would a dealer be more likely to negotiate on the Triumph), maintenence, ride, reliability, cool factor, and any other things you think you could compare on these two bikes. Look forward to the discussion!! 

And yes, I know this is the ducati boards but I trust you folks have knowledge of bikes outside of Duc's. Thanks!!

Well, I was in the same boat as you not too long ago.  I had ordered the St triple since it seemed to be the only bike for me.  But, I went to a Ducati Demo Day and rode the 696 and absolutely loved the bike.  I had never ridden the 675, but from what I read on other boards that bike is wonderful.

IMO the two bikes are different in their own right.  The 675 is born from a RACE bike.  So, I would expect it to ride quite similarly.  The 696 is no slouch, but not quite the rocket that the 675 is.  Like I said, I never rode the 675.  But, I do own the 696 and can say that it is a nice bike.

Now, my dealer just got the 675 I ordered 5 months ago.  I was at the shop last week when the VP told me that it had arrived and was still crated in the back.  I told him that I would come back to take a look at it in a day or two when it was build up.  I did and I can honestly say that it looks better in pictures.  Up close it looks......well, cheap! :o  The fit and finish on the 696 is night and day better. 

I know, looks are subjective, but this is a bike that you will have to live with.  Both are VERY nice machines, but from a style/finish stand point the 696 is the clear winner.  The 675, IMO, is the racier of the two bike while the 696 makes a nice "fun" bike for all day riding.

+1   When I was making my decision I was not able to see/ride the Striple.  After purchasing the 696 I was finally able to view the 675.  Fit and finish did appear much lower than the Ducati.  That said, the engine on the 675 will out perform the 696. 

My 696 makes me want to ride every time I see it.  Check out both and buy the one that appeals to you. 

When i sold my first duc, i was looking for an S4R's (not RS) and a Speed triple. I found a bunch of S4R for sale but no one wanted to commit to selling theirs. So i wnet to look at a speed triple. too damn tall, couldnt reach the ground. So i went for the street triple. perfect fit. perfect power. didnt get to ride it though. :(, i think its pretty damn well built for what it is. So it was between the street triple and a S2R1000 that i found. I went for the S2R1000.

Am I happy?.....well, lets just say i dont mind thinking about it. Between the 696 and 675...its realy hard to not pick the street triple. But that bike is in a whole other class of its own. Its a straight up hooligan machine. the 696 has a like 8 inches or a foot on the Street triple. That thing is a make the beast with two backsing wheelie MACHINE!!!

Again, what are your intentions with it? i dont think the 3 cylinder engiens sound good at all. but if your gonna wreck the streets up with hooliganism then id go for the 675, if you just want an all around bike thats great at everything, but perfect at none, then 696 is probably better.

1st thing you should do is sit on both! you may make you  decision only based on that. i believe the 675 has more upright seating position and more comfortable. secondly, the 675 engine has more power than the 696. you may consider that too.

i would take the 675 for the more power and amazing sound of the triple but will be missing the looks/style and character of the duc.

Test both for fit.  Yes, they're similar in engine size and maybe in output (don't know the numbers).  Very different feel in having the triple v. the V-twin under you.  Sound is quite a bit different too.  You can get a wonderful rumble & mechanical clatter from the 696.  The 675 is possibly a more refined machine and may have better suspension.  The triple can also with a proper exhaust can make a sound that resembles torturing a banshee.

JM

Not sure where you live or if this matters. Here in SF, I see at least 3-4 Monsters/day and rarely see any Street Triples. So, another possible factor to consider is how much you want to stand out.

For me, it didn't matter so I got the 696 and I don't regret it one bit! ;D

As one of the above already said. Make sure you sit on both. I have the S2R1K and love it from a comfort perspective. I sat on the new 696 and for me it's really uncomfotable therefore I would never buy it. The Street Triple on the other hand was really nice and felt good when I sat on it. A lot also depends on how tall you are because the Street is taller than the 696. If you are taller than about 5'11 the monster will feel like a toy. It seems really small. If you are at least that tall, you should be able to put both feet down flat on the ground.

I think that both bikes are great, but depending on your size one will feel better than the other.

Huh?

I never actually got to look at the street triple, as they were all sold out when I went to buy a bike. Also, the 696 that I bought was the last one at the dealer. I did actually fall in love with the 696 when I saw it in person. haha. One thing I liked about the duc dealership was this priority maintenance package that they offered. $2000 for 2 or 3(can't remember) years all maintenance covered, including oil changes and 1 set of tire changes a year.

My cousin has the Daytona 675 I know it's a much different ride than the street, but it's an awesome bike. The one thing I would complain about is the seat on the daytona, hard as rock! if the street came with the same seat, I'm not sure I'd be too comfortable on it. I think I'd actually need to sit on the street to actually see what's better.

At the same time, I don't know a whole lot about bikes and the 696 is my first bike, so I may just be talking out of my a$$

... just my two cents

I'm guessing that from any prospective that heavily weights performance, the Triple is the winner.  ie., will probably leave the 696 for dead. - and then some.

The Triple has to be cheaper, much cheaper to maintain too.

LA

I have a 696, my pastor recently picked up a Street Triple.  I had looked at both when I was deciding.  I couldn't get past the bug-eye look.  The finish of the 696 is better than the Triumph but as said already the Triple has a stronger engine.  It will come down to your personal preference on looks and comfort.  As far as performance, there's not a huge difference in power.  Yes the Triple is stronger but it's not a night and day difference.  Listening to the triple is kind of disappointing.  It sounds like it's wheezing and underpowered at lower speeds.  The exhaust on the 696 is much more interesting and sexy.  When you get on the throttle, it sounds like your going to run people over and take their lunch money, even more so with a set of Termis on it.  The triple more or less asks you if he can borrow a couple bucks and he'll pay you back tomorrow.  Check them both out if you can, you won't be really disappointed by either one.  It's just a matter of personality.

Wait.....I can get free lunch money just by runnig people over....?

On the maintenance topic:

 I had my dealer lay out all the costs for the scheduled maint for both the 696 and St Trip.  I was interested in what I was seeing.  The "book" dollar figures for scheduled maint were quite similar.  The 7500 mile check for the 696 was slightly more expensive (less than 100 dollars) than the 6000 mile check on the Triple.  I also had them compare part prices for the 696 v. the 675 and they were close, but the 675 was slightly cheaper.  So, yes, you will spend a little more on the Ducati than the Triumph, but the difference is not THAT drastic as some lead you to believe.  

I, like everyone else, wants the best bike for the lowest price.  So, when I saw these price comparisons I knew that the Ducati would be a very viable option.  Then I bit the bait and bought it.


Another consideration that I had when making my decision was that this was my first street bike.  The 107 bhp on the Triple concerned me a little.  Not that the 80 for the 696 is much better, but better.  Many people say how the throttle on the St Triple is very snatchy meaning when hitting bumps in the pavement that it tends to lurch.  IMO that "trait" combined with poor pavement and a newer rider could be disasterous.  I looked at is as the 675 could be a second bike for me at some time, but for now I am LOVING the 696 (with Termis/db killers out) too much to consider something else seriously.  Maybe in a few years.

What dont you get? Found people looking to sell on CL. Called, set up a time to see. called later to verify they are there, they said maybe later. Happened 3 times. This one particular blue 05 S4R i REALLY wanted, the guy said later, 4 times citing company over the house.

I'll sell you mine any day of the week.

Here is my 2cents on 696 vs 675.  I like both bikes but have never ridden either.  I have read all the reviews I can find on them.  I don't think you could go wrong with either and they are so close I'd say either would be a fine choice.  The 675 has a much more power, but you'll still not have as much
as any Jap 600 sportbike or the Daytona 675.  The 675 has cheaper suspension and brake components.  The brakes are 2 pot sliding calipers vs the radial 4 pot brakes of the Ducati.  The rear shock of the duc is more adjustable.  This is a difference that even a novice rider may notice.  The Ducs slipper clutch is also a plus for the novice rider.  It may save your ass if you drop a gear mid corner. 

Most of this comparison goes away if you consider the Street Triple R.  It has the brakes and suspension of the Daytona. 

I've been jonesing about getting an R for the wife (it is easier to justify getting a gift for her than buying another bike for me).   [moto]

The R version of the St Triple is a whole diff ball game.  But, the price tag is there too.

Now for the record I have the Daytona 675, not the St. Triple, a Sport 1000 and used to have an S2R800.  Maybe I can throw a little insight into this.


First off, the above statement is incorrect.  Triumph had no intentions of racing when they initially developed the 675 engine.  They already knew that it would not be allowed to compete in any class, not even in the UK, at the time of its inception.  Yes it was initially designed to go into a Super-Sport sort of bike, but race bike it is not.  Granted that this has changed since the bike/engine was first designed...

 
This is very true.  The Striple, much like its big brother, is a complete hooligan!  The motor was "detuned" from the Daytona, and while it did lose some of the top end power it increased the mid range punch, and if you have ridden the Daytona you will know that is saying a lot.


Not when ridden in full tilt mode.  The triple is a very different sounding powerplant, with its gear driven counterbalancer, but it really screams when you get the revs up.


Keep in mind that while the 696 has the Termi kit to make it sound its best, Triumph has the same sort of thing with Arrow.  They are MUCH cheaper (you can get a full Ti system for the Triumph for the cost of the 696's slip ons) and you get better performance gains as well.


The 675s do not really have anywhere near as much engine braking as you might think, and because of this a slipper clutch isn't as critical as it is on the Ducati.  I have banged my way through the gears around many turns on the Daytona and the only time I ever came close to having a wheel hop problem was when I put it into first in a right-handed bend at high revs.  My old S2R had a much bigger problem with wheel hop, even with it's "slipper" clutch.

One other thing to keep in mind; while many people have had issues with the fuel mapping/ecu set up on their 696s, and have almost always had to put either an O2 emulator or the DP chip in to rectify, the Triumph comes factory loaded with three maps store in it's ecu.  One map for the stock system, one for slip ons and the third for the full (cat-less) exhaust.  All it takes is the dealers laptop (with Triumph diagnostic software) to change between the three.  And if you have a good relationship with your dealer you can probably get that done at little or no cost.

Okay, lets say that the St Triple was  born from a supersport race esque type version of a race style bike.  Better?

Get the Triumph. 

Unless you have the $$$ for a S2R1000 - with the termi kit (at a good discount when you buy).

You can thank me later.

LA