Ducati Monster Forum

Dear Friends,

I currently own a 2011 Ducati 796 ABS.  At the time when I went into the dealership to buy a Duc, I had my eyes on the 1100S; however, the deal on the 796 was too good to pass up.  It came with Termi slip ons (airbox and ecu), 14T and CRG levers.  Oh yeah, they also threw in two years of extended warranty.  The difference in the price of entry for the 796 and 1100 was close to 4k, so I bought the 796, thinking the difference in performance would be negligible given rider skill.  I love the handling and the look of the monster, but coming from a Japanese Supersport, the Monster's power was found wanting.  This deficiency wasn't that big of a deal on weekend mountain road rides, but it is devastating on the track.  I constantly find myself pinning the throttle open, wishing the mill would churn out more, and the stock suspension always makes me wonder if I would be able to corner faster and harder had I had something adjustable.  I've been researching the 1100EVO and that bike sounds amazing.  Sure, it doesn't have Ohlins, but with almost 20 more horse powers, adjustable Marzocchi, Traction control, it might be a logical upgrade.  I'm guessing with the trade in, I might need to dump in another 4k or so to get the EVO.  My alternative will be to buy/build a dedicated track bike.  What do you guys think?  Any EVO owners out there?  Thank you for reading.

If your only main issue is at the track you can pick up a trackbike pretty easy for 4k... and they tend to come fully set up for the track already.

Take a look here:

http://weraclassifieds.com/ad-category/motorcycles/ (http://weraclassifieds.com/ad-category/motorcycles/)

So unless you're dead set on riding a monster on the track, I'd get a trackbike.  And even then I would get a used SF over getting a 1100evo.

The Monster is not a race bike.

I agree with this after coming from super sports myself onto the Monster 1100 I would get a dedicated track bike and ride the monster everywhere else! I absolutely adore my bike for weekend twisties and mountain rides and the darn this is just so purdy but a track bike it aint! You would have to at least change rearsets as there pretty low and lowering the bars would be of benefit as well!

If you want to keep one bike then possibly an S4R or S4Rs that someone has already thrown some mods at would be better on the track but not sure what they sell for there as here a good one with low k's would be a few grand less then an evo!

Cheers,

Scott

I know the monster is not a race bike and I have no intention of racing that bike.

Thought:  I feel the power deficiency even on the streets, but I don't push my bike as hard on the streets as I do on the track, so it is not as apparent.  I try not to do too much aggressive riding on public roads, but when I WOT, I wished the bike had more power.  I used to have a track bike, but I sold it because I really wasn't riding it all that much.  Furthermore, I like to track what I ride because I believe it will make me a better rider.  I don't want to hone all of my skills on a japanese 4 and then try to apply track skills on an Italian twin on the road.  I'd rather track the monster so I know where the bike's limits are.  With that said, I have also looked into the SF; however, research shows that the rake on the SF and SFS doesn't allow the bike to track very well.  My instructor, who rides a Panigale advised against the Streetfigher as well for the same reason.  That's why I decided to stick with the monster.  Believe me, I would LOVE to have a SF848 (in yellow, sorry).  My back doesn't agree with sports bike's riding position anymore, so the monster is a good compromise for sportier riding and comfort.  If the 1100Evo really isn't going to be that much of an improvement, I'll just have to suck it up, deal with it and love it unconditionally.

Thanks for your responses.

Scott:  I agree, the bike is not a dedicated track bike.  I find myself scraping the pegs all the time and it's a bit hard on the nerves when you are riding something so pretty and you hear the "hhhaaaaarrqqqqq" when you hit the apex.  Have I reached the limit of what the 796 could offer? Probably not, but I think I can do so much more with the EVO with its beyond marginal improvements.  The SF848 has been on my list before it was even launched.  The reports of people lowsiding due to not enough weight on the front tyres is what's holding me back.  It's nice to go really straight really fast, but I think the fun comes when you're taking a corner hard.  Which 1100 do you have, if you don't mind me asking?

Np man, but also... if you're looking at a sf848, the geometry is the exact same as the 848sbk.  No changes there so if that's a worry then you shouldnt worry about it... and I've tracked my sfs and I didnt run into any problems either.  In fact I'd say that the SF likes the track way more than it likes the street.  It was a very easy bike to ride around the track.

Its your call but I'd say that the SF is a pretty solid balance btwn a sbk and a monster right now and prob a better choice if you're looking to combine a trackbike with a streetbike.

Here's a vid of me on the sf... my 2nd trackday ever so please excuse any obvious flaws in my technique ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dVtVSBaYDA&feature=plcp

Can you elaborate on these reports of people lowsiding due to not enough weight on the front tires? I'm looking at picking up a SF and hadnt heard this so I'd like to be fully informed here.

what he said...  [roll]

I've heard those stories too and I can say that you do get a lot less feedback compared to the 1199.  I rode that and was amazed at how much the suspension was telling me.  I did make a point of keeping my weight on the front as much as possible... but I'd say that any probs that the SF has in terms of weight on the front end the monster will have too.  It's just what you get when you have bars vs clipons.

Good Call, Thought.  I thought the SF848 has the same geometry as the SFS, hence I cut it from the roster.  I'll swing by the shop this week and test ride the SF848.  The SF has a more aggressive riding position than the Monster, so hopefully my back can handle it.  If I do end up getting a SF848, I will dedicate my first SF knee drag in your honor  :)

we went on a ride through Luxembourg led by a German from the Ducati dealer. He was on a SF848 and was killing us. even the fast riders were working hard, and he said he was taking it easy.
He loves the SF848 for the hills he said.

No worries at all, I've got a 2009 M1100 with SC Project slip-ons, DP ECU and K&N filter but have not dyno'd it yet so no idea of any significant gains over stock however it feels stronger and rides a hell of a lot smoother!

Mate I'm with you, one of the reasons for moving up to the monster is riding position as it suits my decrepit state and doesn't put pressure on my various past broken bones and inherited dodgy back! I may however wear out boot sliders on a frequent basis as I don't want to mess with the peg height! I personally found the SF riding position to not suit me even though I love the look of them!

I am interested in an S4Rs in white if one ever comes up in the right condition with the right k's and history but my wife tells me to keep dreaming and to be honest I prefer the look of my 1100 but you know................! [evil]

Cheers,

Scott

 [thumbsup] I love my Evo, but I can touch down on the road, and I'm not a particularly aggresive rider, so track days would, I think, be a problem re: ground clearance. As has been said, the Evo is a terrific road bike, and there are much better, and cheaper, track bikes.

I would find one of these.....
(http://supremebikes.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/ducati-916-2.jpg)
And track the hell out of it....4k-5k for a superbike aint too shabby. I think you could carry over most of the skills you learn from the track. But that's just me and this is want i to do this eventually...... [Dolph]

I own an 1100 EVO and I've ridden the SF848 a couple times and I really liked the SF848.  So much so that I probably would have bought it instead of my 1100 EVO if it had been available at that time.  I have 8600 miles on my 1100 EVO and it does a lot of things well but it really isn't that much more powerful than your 796.  If you're wanting more than the 796 has you will probably be a bit underwhelmed by the 1100.  But hey, don't let me talk you out of one.  Go ride one and post up your impressions.

I love my bike and it is great fun in the canyons but I'm kind of hoping Ducati fixes the SF1098 so I can buy one of those.

What's there to fix? I think the SF1098 gets a bad rap because of the initial reviews... I was pretty hesitant to test it out at first because of them but now that I have one... I really have no idea why everyone says what they said about it.

In terms of front end feel I would say it's better than the monsters due to the better suspension, it doesnt wheelie like everyone says it does... though I agree that it doesnt turn in like the new monsters but those are really light compared to most bikes.  And if you do test one, I highly suggest the SFS not the base model.  I think a lot of people test the base and I think the forged rims do a lot more than people realize in terms of handling.

In fact I've recently heard a lot worse about the SF848 than the SF1098.  It seems that there can be more than a bit of headshake on the bike when pushed due to less weight on the front end and no steering damper.  Its why they put on a damper on the 848evo but they left it out on the SF848 due to price prob.

Scott:  That's a fine machine!  Me thinketh is hath dry clutch?  My back hasn't been the same since I got side swiped in my S2000 by a semi-truck who lost traction in the snow.  The monster is comfortable, but I'm thirsting for more performance.  However, comfort first, then performance.  Sucks being old.

SDRider:  thank you for your input.  I will take what you say into heart and make a clearer assessment when I go test ride one today.  I have a client meeting within two miles from the dealership, so I'll swing by for a test ride before I go back to the office.  I shall report back.

Thought:  I can't afford the SFS.  Let me stop lying.  I can afford it, but it's hard to hide the disappearance of 10K from the wife.  Wife owns guns and is a damn fine shot.  What you said in the last post about the SF848 is a bit disheartening.  I thought the new SF848 "fixed" the problems people were having with the "light front end."  Anyway, I'm going to go test ride and report back. 

Thanks everyone. 

I was actually in your exact situation... had a 796 and I was going to trade it in for a sf848 but then had a '10 sfs come up around me that made it actually cheaper to get the sfs than the sf848.  If I were you, I'd ride both and then check to see if there is anything around used that looks good.

But yeah... I think with any of the choices listed in this thread you cant go wrong ;)

True, I haven't actually ridden the SF so I'm just going by what I've read.

I have ridden the SF848 though and pushed it a bit and really liked the way it felt.  I certainly wouldn't discount it just because it doesn't have a steering damper.  You could always buy one of those for it later on.

Well, I have ridden the 796 now and I have to admit... I was underwhelmed by it.  The clutch is a lot lighter and it is easy to toss around in traffic but the power is lacking especially on the freeway.

The reason I rode a 796 is that as I left work tonight I was riding along for a couple minutes when I made a turn and the bike just wouldn't go.  I'd give it throttle and the rev limiter lights would flash and it felt like it was going to stall.  No power at all.  Then it stalled.  So I started it back up and all this is happening while I'm coasting along in the bike lane, slightly downhill so I was picking up a little bit of speed.  As I'm coasting along I decide to turn it off completely for a few seconds so I do that, turn the ignition back on and it starts up and runs fine.  I gas up and head toward home.  

Fortunately, the Ducati dealer I bought my bike from is right off the freeway and I go by it every day so I swung in there to log my problem.  They plug the diagnostic into my bike and no fault codes but he noticed that the battery is not charging while the bike is running and it's down to 11.6 volts.  They are going to keep it overnight and call me tomorrow.  In the meantime, they gave me their 796 demo to putt around on.

So, I take back my statement that you will be underwhelmed by the power of the 1100 EVO.  It feels a lot more powerful than this bike.  I want my bike back.  The 796 would make a fine commuter but there's no way I'd ever have this as my only bike.

so, I went to the dealership and ended up not even test riding anything. I first asked them what they would give me for my bike. They were only willing to offer 7000 for my bike, which has 2300 miles on it, Termi slip on, DP edu and filter and 14T, and CRG levers.  With that, I would have to pay an entry fee of 6K for the 1100EVO and 8k for SF848 and over 10K for the SFS.  If the dealer had offered me more, I would have test ridden the EVO, but given that it doesn't make financial sense to do that, its time to shop for a damn track bike.  Make the beast with two backs! I'm going to find me a used 749.. Please be gentle with all the "I told you so."

side note... Dealer has a demo 796 with upgraded suspensions. I think they messed with the internals. I wasn't paying attention because I was pissed about the trade in price. Sounds like it costs about 1500 to do and it really firms up the bike.. I'm going to learn some more about it.  Sounds like it can make my soon to be just commuter bike ride better.

SDRider, sorry to hear about your EVO.  I hope they fix her up for you soon.

They offered me the same for my 796 but I had 5800 miles on mine.  I sold it privately instead, it's really not worth it to trade in a newish bike.  The only time I traded in was my SV for the 796... the difference btwn private sale or trade in for that bike was around 500 and it was worth it to me to not have to deal with the hassle of selling it.

I had an '08 SV650 N with almost 17,000 miles on it and the dealer said they would give me $3000 for it.  I sold it myself for just under $4000.  It sold almost immediately and they had cash.

The SV is an easy bike to sell.

/Threadjack (sorry)

Side stand sensor? This might be worth it's own thread....

Inquiring EVO owners want to know.

/End threadjack

Done.  Thread has been moved here:  http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=59364.0 (http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=59364.0)

By the way, I'm kind of enjoying the 796.  It feels lighter and easier to ride than the 1100 and it feels a bit softer sprung.  It's a great bike for commuting.  I was whipping through traffic this morning with ease.  I don't think I'd change a thing with this bike if I owned it.  Not even the front sprocket.  It is geared perfectly.  Feels a tad underpowered but it makes up for it in ease of riding.  The clutch is a lot lighter than my bike and it is much smoother.