Ducati Monster Forum

I pride myself on being honest with... myself...  ;)

So, I figured I would ask the group of folks I trust most when it comes to these things, and get your thoughts and opinions.
I've been riding for a good while, a little over 6 years now (I'm only 27), and am relatively confident in my abilities. I've got into some sticky situations, and found my way out using the techniques I've learned from reading, watching, and doing over the past half-decade or so. That being said, I don't have any real track time, or "formal" riding training under my belt, aside from the MSF course I took before I got my license. And really only about 10,000 miles under my belt.
Keep this all in mind...

Now, I absolutely love my S2R800, and this bike isn't going anywhere. It's mine, forever. And I truly enjoy riding it... the fact that I can flog the living shit out it, and ride it balls-to-the-wall as fast as it will go, grabbing fistfuls of throttle and being a general asshat without getting myself dead. Don't get me wrong, I ride very safely, and well within my limits, aside from the occasional push of the envelope in situations that offer me a bit more room for error than riding around town.

Lately, however, I've found myself.... wanting more... but that's not the proper way to state it. I don't want more in the sense of POWER! ARRRRGH! I can honestly say that I just want... some variety in my riding experience. The monster is now essentially an extension of my body. I have that thing set up so perfectly for my short limbs and awkward weight distribution that nobody else can even ride the damn thing... But I want MORE. I want more wind protection for my longer trips with friends that have much much much faster bikes... I want more ability to pass the occasional slow driver in appropriate situations, without stranding a couple friends behind me because I can't get buy fast enough... I want more... MOTORCYCLES.

I won't find ways to justify a 4-cylinder sex-beast for the road, because I know I can't... It's got just as much capability of decapitating me as a ninja 250...
I'm getting a new (read: another) bike in the spring, period. My wife has allotted me this luxury, and I am going to take advantage before she changes her mind.
The problem I am having, is that there just isn't a lot out there that is scratching my ITCH.

The 600 class sporties are, well, just not that much different power-wise from what I'm riding. I know there are subtle nuances, but I would like to step it up a bit from this class, as I feel that my skill level does merit it to some extent. I really like the Triumph Daytona 675-R. Beautiful bike, that I had a lot of fun test riding. I loved the EXTREMELY linear power curve of the triple, and the styling is gorgeous... I love how light it is, how flickable it is, and it has a lot of great features... It's certainly more powerful than my S2R as well... and buckets of torque that made it feel bigger than it is... but that damn PRICE... it's so much for a 600 series bike.

Then there's the middle-weights... and... frankly... the GSXR-750 is pretty much all there is... The 848 just doesn't really do it for me for some reason, and the 899 Panigale is in the same boat. I'm just not attracted to these two bikes for some reason. Honestly, I think one DUC is a enough for me.

I look at the money I'd spend on the one bike that I'm POSITIVELY CONFIDENT that I could ride well and actually like to look at, and I compare it to some other things out there... And I come across the one machine that absolutely melts my soul. The RSV4r... The sound. The look. The everything-about-it. Even the 19mpg makes me drool. And I wonder... can I ride this thing? will I enjoy riding this thing where I would be riding it? or is it just too much?

They always say... it's more fun to ride a slow bike fast, than a fast bike slow... but what happens when you start to ride that slow bike as fast as it will go?

I know that even questioning this is a good sign that I probably shouldn't get the RSV4, but I just wanted to share what's in my head, and maybe see if yinz have any thoughts...

Off for a glass of bourbon.

[thumbsup]

The RSV4 is an awesome motorcycle (I'll admit a little bias  [cheeky])...best literbike made right now IMO, despite it being down on power to the Japanese bikes, and now the 1199. The V4 is a fantastic motor...not sure why more manufacturers don't use them.

With 6 years riding you'd probably be OK. It has a Rain mode which cuts the power waaay back, and the full power delivery is softened a bit in Sport mode as well. Track mode is where it gets good, but I found it too much for the street. 10,000 miles is a little light, but I still think you'd be OK if you're the responsible type.

I can't say you'll enjoy it on the street though. I hated it on the street...after 250 miles I sold all the street stuff and it will be raced next season. That said, I don't like any SBK on the street. The body position is uncomfortable, they all throw a lot of heat off, cars can't see you as well, and having all that glorious power but not really being able to use it is frustrating to no end. I'd get a Tuono V4 instead for the street. Some people like them though, and you might be one of them. You also may have better and closer twisty roads than I do. I have a shit ton of Seattle traffic to contend with before and after every ride, plus highway patrol officers with a hard on for sport bike riders. Ugh.

It's a great bike though (that's me, but not my bike in the pic)!!  [thumbsup]

(http://illudiumq36racing.weebly.com/uploads/1/7/0/9/17090124/__4285848_orig.jpg)

Any chance of you bringing it out to the track if you were to purchase it? If so you can't really go wrong, amazing bike at a decent price! If not there may be middle of the road solutions :).

IMO you should put a bikini fairing/screen on your Monster and/or maybe trade up to a 1000 model, but you should back off a little on the street. You should also get a track day bike, maybe an obsolete racer. On the track you are safer at twice the speed.

The extra torque of the M1000 will be satisfying for the street bike without going nuts, and the 600/750/1000 trackbike will let you go nuts in a controlled environment. A 5 year old track bike will exceed your abilities and save you money which you can use to upgrade to a very grunty Monster, like an S2R 1000 or M1000, or even an 1100.

I'm not a cop (no offense to cops) or a safety nazi, but I'm old enough to have survived and know better. The track will at first show you how dog slow you are and how much you have to learn. The track will sharpen you so that you will have more reaction time on the street. On the track every corner is a deliberate crisis and fun at the same time when you're goin' for it! Your wife will be even more generous when you explain that a track bike will help you slow down on the street and make you a safer rider.

Riding a SBK on the street is like dating a lingerie model, but only ever holding hands [bang].

I'd only get one to rip up the track, personally :). Not sure if you've ever done it or if it's even an option for you, but if it's possible to bring your Monster to a RideSmart or similar event I'd highly suggest it.

Then you'd definitely get the RSV4  ;D. Agree with Triple J, best bike out there for the price.

(I'd still prefer the Pani R ;))

If it's a little voice that has an occasional doubt that the bike could be too much then that's normal.  Go ahead and get it.

If it's a constant voice that shares equal time with the other voices then it could be too much for you.

Either way you won't really know until you get it and ride it a while.  If it constantly intimidates you and you keep having to tone it down then it's too much.  If it thrills you and scares you just a bit but keeps asking you to push a bit more then that's just right.

Or you could take the money that would have been spent on a new bike to upgrade the 800. An s4r perhaps...

+1 [thumbsup]

If you want more variety in your riding experience I would suggest a different type of motorcycle. Don't worry, I'm not gonna recommend you to shave your head, grow a beard, and get a harley  [laugh]. Try a motoX like the KTM 690 SMC or even a hypermotard. They're shetloads of fun without even requiring speeds that will land you in jail. Hell, they even make great commuters.

The whole plastic tank thing has kind of turned me off of the RSV4. Dealt enough with the Ducati definitely will not go chasing an RSV4 and have the same issues.

+1

it's hard to get tickets on dirt. 

Subscribing to this thread because part of me is tempted by the Tuono (naked version of RSV4) as well. Seems like the better street choice, and I'm not sure if the RSV has the on-the-fly changeable engine maps the Tuono has or not...

a friend in Germany owns the Tuono and he completely can thrash the back roads on it, in comfort.
It's his favorite bike to ride... oh he owns:  748S, 888, 70's 900ss, ST4, 696, an SL, a Moto Guzzi, and more I think.

Read around @ aprilia forums, before getting an RSV4. Bike had lots of issues.

The pre-2010 rsv4s had trouble with weak gaskets which sometimes resulted in oil leaks. Aprilia seems to have fixed this on the newer motors. I wouldn't call it a deal breaker considering what a gem of an engine it is. If you are thinking aprilia then why not consider the last generation rsv/tuono with the V2 engine? Its plenty fast for the street, handles brilliant, reliable, low maintenance, and cheap! Its got mid range torque second only to the 1098/1198s.

Guys,
Thanks for all the replies, this input its great!
As far as upgrading the monster, or upgrading to ANOTHER monster... that was at one point a consideration...
However I really like my monster the way it is, and don't really want another one... i'm pretty much set on something with a full set of body work... As far as the bikini fairing, that thing didn't do much aside from direct the airflow straight into my face or chest depending on how i was sitting.

i guess for me it's not a lingering voice that is there all the time doubting myself... but more of a voice that tells me... you'll have just as much fun on a 675, and the risk will be mitigated slightly.

i can be honest and say, that while i'd love to ride on the track, it's just one of those things that is logistically difficult for me to make happen. If the consensus is that a bike of this magnitude, at least at my skill level, is better suited for the track... then maybe that's how I should look at it. My riding situation is relatively decent. I live in Pittsburgh, but RARELY ride in the city. I usually head down to the mountains of West Virginia, or over toward the center part of the state to enjoy the curvy Appalachians. It's about as much canyon carving as one can do 'round these parts.

obviously, as some stated, the reliability of this bike is also a big concern for me.
i've been doing some research, and plan on doing much much more before purchasing. i have seen some pretty alarming stuff!
the only dealer around here (where I would likely take it for repairs) has been waiting SIX WEEKS for parts for their TEST BIKE...

RSV4's are pretty reliable. Aprilias are in general. Be careful reading too much into forums...only the bad gets reported. Just like this forum.

However, a good dealer is a must. I'm lucky and Seattle has a great one. Don't bother if you don't like yours IMO. The expanding tank is also a very legitimate issue. I just got a replacement tank. Luckily, there's ethanol free within a few miles of my house.

Good to know about the tanks. I've been lucky with my monster, getting a gratis replacement and having it epoxied internally has been a solid solution thus far.
The dealer is a relatively big name around these parts, but the KTM/APRILIA shop is a small one in general.

Anyone have any insight into doing your own work on these bikes? I'm relatively confident in everything aside from internal engine stuff.

I had the same discussion with my self a few years back.  I as trying to decide on a 675 or a 749 to add in addition to my 620 monster.  When the 848 came out, I fell in love with it & ended up getting it.  I do love the 848, but a SBK on the street 400 miles away from the mountains is a bit of a downer to me, that bike just needs to be ridden hard to get the most out of it, & it is just too expensive for me to take to the track, I do have an RC51 for that, but I have decided that is too much bike for my skill level at the track.
If you can test ride first do that as much as possible, the SBK are a blast on a twisty back road, but I find my self preferring the monster more & more.  A higher end bike will point out the weak spots in the monster suspension very quickly, so if you do keep it be ready to want to upgrade.  But don't be surprised if after a few years of sore wrists & difficult maint work you find a new love for the monster.

It's like asking us what kind of girl you should date  ;D.  I've made a decision matrix when I purchased my last bike.  I ended up buying the bike "that I wanted to f*ck", a S4Rs.  Just go for it, there's nothing rational here  [drink]

My wife has an '06 675 which has been a solid benchmark while I have moved through other sport bikes and now my SF.  It is an excellent choice coming from your s2r800.  You can ride in the lower rev ranges (below 10k)  and carry speed nicely, and then crank up the aggression in the 10-14k range when you want to play moto2 and go fast.  The handling is terrific, if maybe just a bit on the 'not rock silid stable' at high speeds.  It is much more nimble than the 848 I used to have, you can really feel the weight difference.  Dead reliable, just needs oil, batteries, tires etc.  Brakes are it's weak spot compared to the nicer mid and big bore bikes.

I fear the RSV4 might be too much - when I picked up my '07 cbr1000 to test the sportbike waters, it was a quantum power leap compared to the s2r1k and 1100 hyper I had been riding.  The acceleration gets you into situations so much faster than before.  You cannot 'grab handfuls of throttle'  on a litre bike without knowing which timezone you want to land in, smooth is key.  I dialed back to the 848 and was happy for a few years.  I good mid size sport bike is the right step. 

Thanks for the inout webspoke. good to have some solid experiential advice in the mix.
the more i'm looking and listening, the more often the 675 is coming out on top.

"play moto2..." good way to put it ;D

I loved the way mine rode when I had it.

I've taken a standard  675 out for a test spin (non-R model), and really loved it. it felt like riding a laser beam.
we'll see what happens in the spring. going to do a lot of sitting and looking and reading over the winter.

My advice is, go to a track school, like the California superbike school.  Rent a bike for the week, get the power ranger gear, and learn how to ride a high end bike.  That way whatever you get, you'll know how to ride it, whether it is the Aprilia or a decade old CBR600 for track days.  And once you have the training, you'll know better what you want so you can get a bike that works for you rather than trying to mold yourself to fit the bike. 

Disclaimer: I have not yet had a track day or race instruction of any kind. But I really want to.

You have to decide.  I've been on everything from a Jap race replica, a mid 80s 1150cc "sporting" bike to my Monster and a 900SS.  I can only say.  If you enjoy riding it, it's worth having.  However, you also have to balance that with what you know about yourself.  I went to jail on a GSXR-600 but lived through the incident, luckily.  The 900SS and 1150cc bike were after that, with a completely new perspective on riding.  It's all on whether you can pick when to really twist on it and when to behave from both a legal and survival standpoint.

JM