Ducati Monster Forum

I was considering my friends "ninjette", but I found a local add for a '96 duc Ss 900, has like 13k mi, and asking $3900, exact by kbb, any thoughts? It's red, relatively low miles, I would put carbons on and new pressure plate and clutch cover and call it good [moto]

Don't do it.  I still owe you photos and you can buy mine  [thumbsup]

I have had a crazy weekend with family reunions, party, and kid hospitalized tonight.  I promise I will send them soon.

same bike as you?... Def send pics! Where u located tho?

Uh, if I recall this is a first bike, no?

I would still go with the ninja before picking up a duc.




Sorry if I'm mucking up your sale, timmer.

Its a safe bet to get the ninja (250 or 500?)

the 96 bikes will start giving you small problems just due to age. wires might start breaking loose,moisture in the air starts tearing things apart etc. time kills no matter what. so be prepared for the small things. Though if its been well cared for, these things shouldnt be a problem. I had a 95 900

as far as a ninja 250 vs a 900SS... opinions vary.... youll learn ALOT more by riding the 250 then moving up to the 900SS.

but the 96 900SS didnt make anymore power then a 695 does today. and people say the 695 is a great starter bike. User discresion, if the ninja is cheap, id go with the ninja hands down. (under $1,000)

GL

+1

The ninja will be an extremely forgiving first bike...very hard to get into trouble with it. [thumbsup]
Doesn't mean you'll be plodding along though!  I had no problem getting into triple digits on the freeway on one. [evil]

You would also have an easier time selling the ninja than the 900 when you want to move onto something else.  Those ninjas are always in high demand.  People sometimes even sell them for more than they bought them for.

Yeah, but you weigh like 85 pounds Paula!

Well, I got one to an indicated 90 and I'm 235 with gear  :)

Sure. [cheeky]

Learn on the small bike.  You need to get to the 'I can ride the shit out of this bike and not get scared' phase as soon as possible which means a small bike to learn on.  When you can ride the snot out of the Ninja, ride it for a spell longer and then look for a larger machine.

Buying used for a first bike is ALWAYS wise BTW...  You *will* have issues with it that may include dropping it.

1st bike?  I don't think a 900SS is a good 1st bike.  They launch forward with some serious authority on even a slightly bobbled clutch release.  Great riding bike, but not a 1st bike at all.  The Ninja 250 or 500 makes a great learning platform & can be held on to for commuting duty once you want a bigger bike.

JM

I bought my wife a two fitty.... and she is learning on it... from what I have seen you can turn around and sell it for the same price you bought it at.... good learner... I got it to about 90 with me on it... and I am not tiny... I love taking it around town... fun to ride with me on it.... wifes dropped it a couple times... no damage... does well.

Hell, even I got that thing slightly north of a hundred once. It just took a long time, a lot of tucking, and a long, smooth, straight, deserted road to get there.

And actually, the speedo is very accurate. It may be the new tires, but after a ~200 mile ride, I found that GPS disagrees with the bike by less than a percent.

Just my .02

My first street bike was my 05 S4R. I didnt need to start out with a Ninja 250. Not saying other people dont, but the bike only goes as fast as you twist the throttle. I didnt want to out grow my bike in a week like I think I would have with a 250. Year and a half later I havent even come close to going down. Not saying I wont, but dont be afraid of a little power. just be smart and dont ride like an idiot.

The speedo and the odo don't have to agree even though they use the same sensor.  Even the R1 which shows some incredibly large non-linear speedo errors is always spot on when it comes to mileage.  The manufacturers intentionally build in the error on the speedo but I think they are required to be accurate when it comes to mileage for warranty purposes.

Oh, and as someone already pointed out in this thread, the 900 is no more dangerous than a 696 and everyone says they are great beginner bikes.

Well, that's sure irritating.

I checked the speedometers themselves a few times, and they seemed to sync up pretty well, but I'll have to look closer.

I maintain the 696 is also a shitty starter bike.  ;)



Last guy I knew who started on one lowsided it. Cost of the lowside? More than a used 250.

I doubt he lowsided because it had too much power.  He probably came in too hot for his skills and grabbed a bunch of brake.  Same result on either bike.

Absolutely, but I'd rather lowside the cheaper bike.

If you really want a monster and are looking for a first bike, you should consider the Monster 600. Bucket loads more torque than your average 250cc bike, so you're never lacking for power in regular riding. But at the same time they have none of the ridiculous top end of the larger bikes - so pulling wheelies in 1st and the other sorts of silly stuff that might bring you unstuck on a first bike aren't a problem.

Having one myself for my first bike and talking to a lot of first-time riders down here (in Australia, where there are considerable restrictions placed on first-timers' bikes) it certainly seems like the 600 is pretty ideal for a first bike.

Buy the 250. You will feel like you outgrow it, but you can always track-prep it, commute on it or just turn around and sell it for as much as you paid for it. And if you drop it, oh well! You drop a Duc the wrong way and it can cost more than the 250 to just get an exhaust canister...

thank u all for outlook, I know the sensible thing would be the ninjette, but I realllly wanna duc!  [bow_down]

youre going to get bored with a n250 in about a week. The same goes for a powerful car, if you take it easy on the go stick/pedal until you get comfortable on the bike you should be okay. My first street bike was a 620 and it took me a year until i got bored with it. I cant imagine how a 250 would feel. .02

A 250 gets boring after waaaaaay less than a week. 

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2427/3634797260_c8ffd35f40.jpg?v=0)

(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3333/3634797278_6a847c23dd.jpg?v=0)

(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3371/3634797266_fd85e87edf.jpg?v=0)

The others in this shot got bored with their 250s pretty quickly as well.

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2452/3634797256_2208dc857c.jpg?v=0)

So....you don't know how a 250 would feel, but you know he'd get bored with one in a week?


Really, just no. I just sold my S4R. I have a loaner 250 in the garage. I seriously have more fun on that.

+1 on get the smaller bike.
You'll have way more fun on it. You'll learn more.

Big bike, you'll be not learning as much just surviving it for months.

haha, I'm so torn! My mind says 250, but my crazy side and heart say duc! I need another Guinness LOL  [drink]

Heart rules mate forget the head
cant believe all the people here on a Monster forum attempting to talk you out of the Ducati
WTF ?
You know you want one just get it. ;D

I am a HUGE proponent of buying cheap and small, ride it for a year, then get whatever you want. 

BTW, my first street bike was a Kawi Eliminator 250.  Same engine as the 250 Ninja.  It would do 90+, quicker than almost all cars off the line, light weight, and dirt cheap.  I paid $1,500 for it when it was only a few years old.  I still miss the wail of that little bike as you ran it through a set of curves.  As long as you kept it revving high it was an absolute blast.  Also, one of the most fun bike around town.  Light weight is one of the biggest assets any motorcycle can have.

Buy the Ninja, ride it hard for a year.  Take an MSF Course.  Make most of your mistakes on it, then buy WHATEVER you want.  Everything you learn on it will transfer straight to the newer bike. 

Oh yeah, I dropped mine.  Total cost for repair, a couple of bandaids for me.  I sold it for over a thousand dollars even after riding the heck out of it.  You really don't want to find yourself buying the bodywork on a 900ss jsut because of a little tip over in the driveway.

You should probably get the 250...
That being said, my first bike is my S2R800...
I don't think anyone can quite put the power of the 900SS into words... except Hunter S. Thompson...

Song of the Sausage Creature:
http://www.latexnet.org/~csmith/sausage.html (http://www.latexnet.org/~csmith/sausage.html)

(Require Reading Material)

the famous quote: "the Ducati is like the magic bullet in Dallas that went sideways and hit JFK and the Governor of Texas at the same time."

There are 2 camps on this question, as you can see. In the end, all we can do is offer some input and you'll do what you feel is best for you. I'll add my opinion just because it's slightly different than the two polar opposites of get a Ninja 250/500 or buy the SS900 you love.

First (if you haven't already), before you get either (and both sides would likely agree with me on this), take the MSF and read Proficient Motorcycling, Street Strategies, etc.

Second (if you haven't already) get yourself some good gear. It doesn't have to be expensive, but it needs to fit you well and I'd recommend CE protection at the elbows, shoulders, back and knees. Used is OK for everything but helmets as long as the stuff doesn't have rips, tears, etc. Minimally get a good jacket and helmet. Some people are more willing than others to gamble with jeans and boots that aren't motorcycle specific and I won't get into that debate.

OK, I'll get off my training and gear soapbox now and address the bike. The SS900 won't be a good first bike as others have said. The additional power, seating position and relative lack of handlebar leverage aren't beginner friendly.

The Ninja can be a fun bike, but in the end you really want a Duc so you probably won't love it. Starting with it isn't a bad way to go as it's accessible for beginners and the fact that you don't love it will help if (and you likely will) drop it or make some other beginner mistake on it. As others have said you can probably turn around and sell it for about what you paid for it and then move to the Duc more prepared for it.

The middle option is to get a used Monster 600/620/695/696. I learned on this bike and it's not really intimidating coming from the MSF bikes. You need to respect it and take it easy, but it is a good beginner bike. The only caveat is that it will be more expensive to repair damage if you drop it. However, you will love it and you'll grow into it.

You must do what you feel is right, Luke, of course. :)

For reference, I got a new Monster 620 after the MSF. I dropped it backing it off the pickup in my driveway and then on the other side pushing it into the garage. Frame sliders are the only thing that saved a big repair bill for me (but ended up causing the bike to be totaled in a low side a couple of years later- ironic, eh?). I still have a scar on my shin where the foot peg caught me and knocked me off the ramp when the bike went over. However, I don't regret any of it. YMMV.

Good luck!

So if the general consensus is that the 900SS is no more powerful / scary / hard to ride than a 696 Monster and the only reason for not getting it is the possible expense of repairing the bodywork IF you drop it, then get the SS, pull the lower fairings, and install frame sliders and ride it that way until you feel you are ready to ride with the shiny stuff.

The 900SS is very easy to ride and the ergos are no more radical than the 250 Ninja.  It will also stop and turn better which may be an asset when learning how to ride.  Yes the 250 can be fun, especially if you are on the track where you can always keep it in its powerband.  But on the street where you don't always ride at 12K rpm and you have things that are unpredictable like traffic, the 250 can be tiresome and sometimes dangerous.  A new rider may not be ready to drop three gears in a split second to get out of the way of a truck, whereas the Duc will pull you to safety by just twisting the throttle.  On the highway the 250 gets tossed around by passing cars and the engine is screaming and vibrating.  These are not issues on the track but take a toll on the street.

I bought an old Honda Shadow 500 to teach a friend of mine to ride before I let him get on his big bike.  After a few sessions on the old Honda he got on the big bike and said it was so much easier to ride due to the better suspension, brakes, and low end torque.  He never dropped either bike in a couple years of riding.  It wasn't until he was a much better rider that he had his first crash and that was riding his S4R on the track.

Yeah, I have gear and just finished Riders Edge course, like MSF, got license, and we practiced on little buell blasts, I was bored on it just after 2 days!... Maybe I'm a quick learning nut/adrenaline freak, oh well, maybe I'll say no to ninja and ss and start my 620 monster search! Thanks guys [bow_down]

Be careful not to confuse boredom with competency. Not saying that you are as slow of a learner as I am, but I spent 6 months on a "little buell blast" and did manage to low-side it in a turn after getting my Duc.

http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=14468.0 (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=14468.0)

At the end of the day, get what you want. If you want an SS, get one. If you get a bike that you don't like/want you will be kicking yourself until you get on one that you do. If you are considering a 620, you might want to keep a SV650 in mind too. Ride characteristics should be comparable, and the $$ you will spend on upkeep and parts will be much cheaper.

Good recommendation. SV650 is an awesome bike, but it will blow a 620 Monster out of the water.
It probably would run my S2R as well...

lots of nice, low priced suspension mods from Traxxion for them too...

that's just not fair.

;D

I gotta disagree on the 900SS being just as easy to ride as a ninja250, and that they have the same horsepower as a M695. (recent ducati hp numbers are measured at the crank, where they used to be quoted at the rear wheel)
I have owned 2 ninja 500's, and 2 900SS's (currently have a 95 SP)
have also ridden a EX250, and KLR250 quite a bit...
the 900SS is not bad choice compared to current 600 supersports...but i wouldnt consider it an ideal choice for a starter.
mine were both kinda grabby with the clutch and getting started, and dont like to go slow or commute in traffic
also- the side panel is one large piece that is going to be very difficult to find a stock replacement part, and an aftermarket one would need to be painted.
if you have your heart set on a ducati, i would recommend keeping an eye out for an older 97-02 M750, or possibly a 620

I stated that the SS was no harder to ride than the Monster, not the Ninja.  I said the ergos of the SS were no more radical than the Ninja.
The HP comparisons were based on the 696 not the 695, but either one will give the old 900 a run for its money.


That is why I suggested running without the side fairings and adding a set of sliders until he feels comfortable.  But, the bottom line is that you can dump a bike at any time, with any level of experience.  You will never be in a position to say I have reached the point that I will never drop a bike.  So what are you going to do, never ride a bike as pretty as the Ducati? 

Life is short.  Ride exotic motorcycles, use the good silverware at dinner, drink good beer.

Although I wouldn't recommend all 3 in a short span of time if the moto comes at the end.  ;)