Ducati Monster Forum

Hi all! I'm planning purchasing a new (well used) monster in the next few weeks. I've had my eyes on these bikes as far back as I can remember, but never got around to pulling the trigger on one. Well, I've finally got the time to commit to it, and I'm ready to go. Now, here comes to noob questions I'm sure you've all heard 1000 times on this. Bear with me here, after this stereotypical first time post, I promise I'll use the search feature as much as humanly possible, and after exhausting all other options, I'll start a new thread.

Here goes nothing;

620 vs 695 ( [popcorn] ), mileage, what I should be looking for, etc. This is just for buzzing around town, twisties, country roads, etc. I recently found a 2007 695 for 3900 with 22k miles on it, and he said the number is flexible (moving way out of the region). It's been down once, gentle, he wasn't sketchy about it, some small scratches, no tank damage. Should I move on? There are 620s floating around this area for well under 3500, but from what little I've read, the 695 is a better bike. Should I just jump on one of those?

Help. This is my first duca, and I want to do it right and not be kicking myself.

Thanks ahead of time! The newbie posts must get annoying.

620 is fine I just would suggest a six speed if you drive on the freeway often.

Noob question (again), did they make a dry clutch version of the 620?

Negative

assuming they have a similarly meticulous maintenance record, similar $ in modifications (and that they are relevant to what you want for the bike and were done properly), I would go with a low mile 620 over a 22k 695. the 695 is better but not that much better.  

if you can muster the ~5k for an EFI 750 or 900 (or for that matter, ~6k for an s2r 800) I would do that in a heartbeat.  the small monsters aren't bad but you will want more very quickly.

That is not always true I have been riding my whole life and I have more fun riding smaller cc bikes. Specially in the mountains. Different bike's for different blokes. I also have a 620 Dark and it is a ton off fun.

The S2R 800 is an awesome alternative. There are tons out there for cheap. I rode the 620 and always felt that it needed another gear. The 800 is the perfect balance and not that much more horses to get you into trouble.

I will say if I were going to get a bigger older Monster it would be a S2R 800 love the swing arm.

I agree to some extent. its always more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow, but with the 620/695/696 its more than just the power defect, they all have some pretty awful parts on them. so if you can drop an extra grand or two and get a bike that will perform better in every aspect, why not?

 the way I look at it, by the time you spend the cash to upgrade a 620 to the level of braking and handling of even an s2r 800 (which has some pretty crap gear in its own right) you could have picked up a much better handling bike for the same money or less and have the extra power as a bonus.

That's a very good point. I do wish I had better brakes and suspension. I paid $1700 for mine so it was to good to pass. I will have about $2500 in it by the time I am done. Not bad for a everyday rider. With said I will get a 796 or a S2R800 this winter for my weekend and touring bike.

Hang on a minute.

At best the 620 and S2R 800 had the same suspension and brake components but this is not necessarily the case.

Comparing my wife's 02 620 to my 05 800:
 - the forks are the same
 - the 620 had the 4 piston calipers (later models had the same 2 piston & smaller discs as the 800)
 - the 620 has a steel tank (later models had the plastic tank of the 800)
 - the 800 has a 6 speed APTC clutch which i believe was only available on the later 620s
 - the 800 has the SSSA and 20mm higher seat

The 695 components should mirror the 800 but in the DSSA configuration of the 620. At least that's how it played out in Australia.

So if I gather this correctly, I'll be just fine with a lower mileage 620 dark? Any years I should avoid? There's a few around here under 5k miles for under 3500.

The 620ie Dark has a 5speed gearbox and one brake. So try to get a 620 with the 6speed gearbox and dual brakes.

What model would that be? A straight 620 dark? Stay away from the i or the ie?

The ie is for fuel injected. The dark is the basic model. look for a 620 or 620s.

yes - IE = FI in eye-tal-yun. All 620s are injected, but the early ones got the IE label as they had transitioned from the 600 with carbs to 620 with injection

Look for a 620 with dual discs. As noted, one disc (from the factory) had a 5 speed. Some folks have dropped to a single disc on their monsters to loose weight - but those are rare.

In mid/early 05 the 620 saw some important changes. They changed from metal tanks to plastic and got lesser grade front brakes. After the change they are 300 mm rotors with 2 piston calipers. Prior they are 320mm rotors and 4 piston calipers - seen on ALL monsters until that point, 748, 996 998, super sports etc etc.

So it is possible to find an 05 with the metal tank and beefier brakes - but they are small segment of the 05 production.

Dark models didn't come with the headlight/bikini fairing nor a seat cover cowl. They also had top triple with the bar clamp cast into it. Non dark models had all the body work and the bar clamp was a separate piece bolted to the top triple.

Wow good info. I learn something new with every post. :)

Just to clarify (refer to my post above) the Boss' bike was a non-dark, non-S model with dual 320 discs a 5 speed and non-APTC clutch. It came with the seat cowl and she ordered it to be delivered with the bikini fairing from the S model.

What year? Was it purchased new or used?

It's not hard to fit a 2nd caliper to the 5 speeds. But Afaik they all shipped with a single disc. But there's a ton of fragmentation and sub versions of the 620 so who knows

And the S2R has a 6 speed tranny. The only reason I would even consider a 620 would be for the steel tank. The 620s with the dual calipers can be hard to find. The suspesion was shitty on both bikes. If you're looking at bone stock bikes, I also prefer the shotgun exhaust, even with the udder, on the S2R.

Purchased new in 2002 with two discs and the 4 piston calipers. The dark models may have had the single disc though.

True of the 800's but not the 620's. All of the 620's, dark or not, had chrome handlebars and the clamp cast into the top triple.

Okay, I've been contacted by a private seller. It's an '03 620 dark, under 5000 miles, $3850 OBO, clear title, hasn't left the island it's on since it was bought (just for buzzing around a popular vacation island up here).

http://capecod.craigslist.org/mcy/3062010551.html (http://capecod.craigslist.org/mcy/3062010551.html)


What do you guys think? If I did like it, what should I offer, etc etc.  Counting on you guys so I can join the world of the monsters. Getting antsy....

Looks good. Has the better dual brake set up and steel tank. A little overpriced, IMO though. At least in my market area it would be. Not sure about yours.

If you like it, go for it. You won't worry too much about a couple hundred bucks While you're riding it  [Dolph]

Check for service records as well. It's coming up on its 6k service which is valves, belts, etc. if its not done, take $500 off the price.

I would not pay more than 3k if the timing belts have not been done which I would guess have not. If its 100% them maybe 3.2-3.4k would be the most I would pay.

Yeah - the belts if you do the work are $100 in parts. Tack on 30-45 min of labor to have a shop do it. All the normal maintenance questions apply - with the addition of need to get a good look at it for corrosion. Being on the coast like that, salt sea air can contribute to accelerated corrosion. The plating on fork/shock sliders seem especially touchy about that so I'd want a good look to ensure I wasn't buying a bike that needs new suspension right off.

The belts need to be done every 6k miles or two years. If the belt have not been done since the bike is six years old, I would contact your local dealer to get a quote on price. You could use that to get a better price. I would plan on a oil change which is about $50 just so you know it is done and currant.

Panda the cheapest out here I could find a shop to do just the belts was $400.  [thumbsdown] That's why I am doing mine. Lol They wanted $1400 for a full tuneup.  [thumbsdown]

Just the belts for $400? Four - make the beast with two backsing hundred? Just replacing the belts? How do they figure that?

For an older moster - allen key method.
1. Up on rear stand
2. Pull plugs
3. Belt covers
4. Set pullys to marks
5. Loosen the 4 bolts for both tensioners
6. Pull belts.
7. New belts go on
8. Tension belts
9. Check tension
10. Adjust if needed
11. Final torque of tensioners
12. Covers on
13. Plugs in
14. Ride.

A local is shop charge me $300 or a bit less a few years back for a 2v valve check that needed a couple shims. Checking the vlaves involves pulling the belts and a good bit more fussing...

I know it's stupid. The cheapest I could find a oil change was $100 stupid as well. Just saying don't just think its going to be that much. Make sure you call around.

If the oil change included materials, disposal etc that's not wretched if they are using good oil. A bit much, but not epic. Figure $45-60 in materials if they are using good oil.

But $400 for a belt change is extortion. Materials for that are under $100 so that's over $300 for labor. Even at the jacked up rates of Metro DC that's 3 hours. That's valve check labor.

Looks like there may already be a buyer. I've been striking out on these for a few weeks now. Mileage is either way too high, the seller seems desperate to unload it and the history is sketchy, or they just flat out aren't available. Hopefully something comes along soon, the local dealerships are completely devoid of any pre '09 monsters, and buying sight unseen across the country sort of gives me the heeby jeebys.

have you checked our for sale section? Might be something tasty there. Bought both my 620 and 900 from other members here.

Whats your idea of "high mileage?"

14K+.  I have no problem with high mileage, just as long as it's maintained. Honestly, I just don't trust a sight unseen purchase and a "take my word for it" buy in Montana. Sucks though. I've seen people in MA asking 1k over kbb on monsters with 16k on them. I don't know what it is in MA with the absurd numbers, but it seems that the prices are completely different across the rest of the country.

I know mileage is not a huge deal as long as the bike was maintained correctly, unfortunately not everyone is quite as meticulous as I'm sure most of you are. I also get a bit worried about a 2000 with under 4k on it. A duca not ridden is a ticking time bomb from what I'm told.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place I suppose. This isn't turning out to be as easy and painless as I thought it was going to be.

I sold my bike here. The kid was local, so we spoke a lot and didn't feel the need to haggle the price. Once you hang out here long enough, you get the feel for a bargain. I've also heard in quite a few occasion where a member would contact someone local to where the bike is being sold to give it a look. If I were to buy another Monster, I would definitely buy it through here.

Thanks for the info. I'll keep my eyes open!

I agree a 620 is super easy to ride and loads of fun. I'm wary of any bike thats been down. Make sure you buy one with both red and black keys!! Remember you need a Valve job at 6K Miles and that aint cheap.

How's this one look guys?

http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/mcy/3096695838.html (http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/mcy/3096695838.html)

I know the price is way high for what it is, any ideas of where it should be number wise?

22k miles and "Just completed" the 7.5k mait... ehhhh?

That's what I thought too, that means somewhere along the way, an owner skipped something.

I keep striking out, and unfortunately these are the slim pickings and over kbb prices I'm dealing with in the Boston area.

When I'm buying something like this I normally expand my travel range to a few hundred miles.  I often see things available in NYC (I live in Baltimore), have you considered looking there?  Also what is your price range (sorry if you already stated it, I didn't see it when skimming)?

http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/mcd/3102006931.html (http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/mcd/3102006931.html) Looks stock and the only mait they could have skipped would be the 600 miler and almost no one skips that..

Also --

http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=57127.0 (http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=57127.0) ?? This seems like a great option.. maybe haggle a bit...

You're kinda buying at the peak right now as well.. prices will be higher now than in September...

This one really peaked my interest. Number is higher than I wanted to drop on my first duca, but if he came down I'd probably bite.

Yeah it looks pretty nice, maybe haggle a bit and see where it leads you.  Otherwise, patience is a virtue to get exactly what you want.

The bike you posted earlier may be viable option, but you'd better inspect the bike in detail.

Any mods I should take care of right away with the 620 and 695?

Ensure that the belts are fresh. Have suspension set for you. Shorten stock final drive gearing (if not already done)

 [roll]http://boston.craigslist.org/bmw/mcd/3105170717.html (http://boston.craigslist.org/bmw/mcd/3105170717.html)

Blue book at 4400....his price at 4900.

Is there something I'm missing here with monster prices in the northeast?

It's all about supply/demand when it's perfect riding season.

Very. Watch thing long enough and you'll see radical shift in prices. usually the best time to poach stuff on the cheap is Nov/Dec. Dead of winter and possibly folks looking to fund holiday purchases.

^^^This.

And expand your search area.  Use Search Tempest or some other search tool and set the driving radius for the farthest you would be willing to go.

I purchased my bike in the month of October, 400 miles away (full day drive there and back), and got my 900ie with 1,286 miles on it, ducati hard bags, and a ton of accessories for cheaper than some of the prices you're quoting.  There was nothing in my price range in my high demand area, but in "the sticks" no one wanted to touch a Ducati.  There are deals out there if you're willing to work a little for them.

As was also mentioned before, don't sweat a few hundred dollars one way or the other.  It's really not that much money if you put it into context (length of bike ownership, how much you spent eating out last month, wife's last trip to Macy's or Costco, etc.)   ;)

Counting this one out too. The year went from 07 to 08, "new body style", "my mechanic looked at it and said it's fine, no need to change belts etc, the booklet says you have to but you don't", "I think it's a 69...something, I can't remember, just look at the pictures" "pictures speak for themselves" "vales? yeah yeah he said the valves are good" "someone is coming to look at it sunday, better jump on it if you want it"

Don't they realize that when you say "my mechanic", and when you say "at ducati?" and they say "no my buddy", that red lights start flashing and sirens go off? 
Gotta love the craigslist salesman hahaha

Un huh... oookay your mechanic said that diamonds come out of the exhaust?! Wow and you're still stilling  [roll]

Seems that fellow is fulla crap.

Yep. I've noticed about half the bikes I call about have a similar story. "Oh no I didn't go to ducati, my buddy works on bikes" "Yeah it got serviced, but I have no paperwork  - Can you grab the paperwork from ducati for me? - No, I don't know if they are around anymore" Keep in mind, there's about 5 dealerships in the area, and that hasn't changed for god knows how long. Do they really think people buy their bullsh*t?

The hysterical one was "yeah the bike is mint, I mean, I had to replace the engine because something happened with the timing belt and it was a serious malfunction, but I picked one up at a salvage yard up here. There's a ton of totaled bikes, mainly ducatis. It's no big deal, runs awesome, never had to change the title either, not that it was wrecked, but you know with the engine replacement at all. So when do you want to take a look at it?."  After I asked him if ducati covered it, he said "No it was right after the warranty expired". Keep in mind, the bike has 5K on it  [roll] but it's off warranty  [roll]. What scares me, is that there is some mook out there that WILL actually buy a bike off of that kid.

Well we don't have a Craigs Lit crackheads thread fo no reason.

There's lot of lazy, dumb and or irresponsible folks out there looking for the easy way that think other folks think like they do.

And yeah - I've seen listings like you describe and do think "God I hope no one actually pays for X in *that* condition..."

So I'm waiting for a response from the guy in Brooklyn. Hopefully that works out.

If not, these guys offered to sell me this for 3900 http://www.momsouth.com/new_vehicle_detail.asp?sid=01298029X6K29K2012J9I17I43JAMQ2055R0&veh=14551&pov=2742739 (http://www.momsouth.com/new_vehicle_detail.asp?sid=01298029X6K29K2012J9I17I43JAMQ2055R0&veh=14551&pov=2742739)

Not crazy about the headlights, but it's a duca and it's from a dealership with a warranty.


Still keeping my fingers crossed on the bike in BK.

So if that's a 05, it looks to be an early production run one. Note the gold calipers - later that year they got down graded front calipers in balck, rear was black too. So it's quite likely this one has a steel tank.

The exhaust makes me Hmmm a bit. Personally I don't care for D&D. They tend to be over loud and obnoxious sounding on top of that.

He did say it's the model with the steel tank. 6 speed too. I was nervous about it being the single brake 5 sp model.

How's that price? They dropped from 5K (which I know it wasn't worth it by any means, but as everyone has said, peak season).

I've heard the D&Ds, just never on a duca. Start looking for a replacement immediately if I was to pick it up? I'd rather go with a carbon setup anyways. I will say, that exhaust wrap job looks awful. I love the wrapped look, but that looks like a pretty botched job.

Well exhaust is personal pref - so you do what you want. Price seems high to me as it's basically stock. But I havn't been in the market for a while

I bought a used all stock 2005 620 Dark for $4500 with 5K miles. First mistake was it only came with the black key and I was unaware. First mods I made were Tail Chop and mirrors as those stock items are hideous. Take off the reflectors on the forks too I hate those and at night they'd see your headlight anyway so I find it kinda superflous. 14T front sprocket is a good mod. I took a Dremel to my front and rear fender and chopped it down as I found the stock ones a bit long. Beyond that its all personal preference I put on Rizoma Handlebars, grips and mirrors. Lots of people complain about the Rizoma grips but I had no problems and love'em. You can rattlecan your cam belt covers as the stock ones are an ugly shade of gray. Also the coffin reservoir lids are pretty damn ugly. I picked up cnc ones from Slingshotracing.com. I also bough some nice ASV Levers in the Refurb section direct from ASV website very cheap very nice but no warranty which I'm okay with.

I bought some D&D carbon's off a member here. I love them they sound so deep and they only cost me $125 great deal for my budget moster build. I also now have power in 3rd, 4th, and 5th gear down to 3000 rpm stock was 3500.

Everyone, thanks for all the help. The bike in Brooklyn that is on this forum has my name on it! If all goes as planned, I'll have some nice scenic riding pictures in a few weeks to add to the ducs in the wild thread.

<---this guy, is about to join the monster club  [evil]

In proper form, I ordered a new helmet for it already. Retiring the old open face, not riding bobbers anymore. Not giving up my old boots, although they scream "cruiser", they are my boots, already broken in, they'll be hard to part with. I'm attached to them. I'm thinking alpinestars textile for the jacket and gloves. Any opinions on that subject? Any other route I should consider.

Again, thanks guys!

sweet cant wait to see pics.

Dainese  [evil] ... pricey but excellent quality and style  [thumbsup]

You may find that your bruiser boots won't work so well on the monster. Sportier bikes are configured to suit the thinner profile seen on sport boots. YOu *may* find that positioning the shifter to be both easy to up and down shift with chunkier boots is difficult. But you'll have to see what works for you.

For gear - check out the gear section and WebBikeWorld.com . Lots of options out there. Look, styles, materials, budget etc etc.

I have and like Dainese - but you'll need to check on fits for yourself. I've found a decent bit of variation across their lines that Size X in one jacket doesn't make it 100% you're that size in another. For example I've got a 'Santa Monica' that's a 56 and about perfect. I've got a Shotgun that is a 54 and perfect due to the stretch materials in it. I had an Air-2 that was a 56 and PASTED on my arms. And I've tried on some others where I've had to go 58 to fit the arms.

Hand wave generalization, euro manufacturers have slimmer cuts. A*, Dianese, Rev'It etc. While the 'muricans are a bit more generous. So depending on your build you might want to look one side of the pond vs another.

If you're interested in something retro/cafe and budget minded I suggest the Tourmaster Coaster II.

As always, trying something on is the only way to be 100% sure. But there's a lot of good info out there.

I highly recommend RS-Taichi. Their perforated leather gear flows air like crazy and fits your body like a glove. However, it also has a slimmer profile so it's for those with a more athletic build.

I have pants and a jacket from Alpinestars (leather not textile though), and I really like them. As Slide Panda said they are slimmer fitting. Check the reviews for any jackets your thinking about. If I remember correctly I bought 1 size bigger than what the size charts suggested to get a perfect fit, and I'm toothpick thin.

I still wear my Harley boots or Vendramini new york boots, both are cruiser boots. Still fit nicely, so I don't have a plan to replace them yet.

As for jacket, how about Draggin jeans? It has kevlar lining but impact protectors, but you can get a separate elbow/shoulder protectors.

Bob

I have Alpinestars gloves/jacket.  I really wanted to join the Dainese crew but their stuff just doesn't fit me the way the Alpinestars does.  I tried everything on and then jumped on ebay and bought it half price, took a bit longer as I waited until the exact jacket I wanted came up and was probably a good dose of luck but it all worked out well.

Managed to snag a dainese jacket and taichi gloves on eBay. Scorpion Exo 700 on closeout. Now I just need to pick up some Kevlar jeans and I'm good to go. I was checking out the dainese ones, any thoughts/personal experience with them?

Although the Dainese Kevlar Jeans are possibly the best looking I've read the Kevlar protection is not all that. Ie theres not very much of it. There's a Dainese store here in Chicago so I've been meaning to go check them out myself. I think Revzilla has a video review of them as well but those are never that objective since they want to sell them.