On my '09 696 with 1400 miles, I am having an issue starting off in first from a stop. In order to not have the bike jerk around/fumble I feather the clutch quite a bit more than I would have to my 07 600RR from a dead stop in first.
After feathering, and after a rough engagement it seems to finally "catch" and then its smooth sailing from there.
I understand Monster's are a little unwieldy in first with the 15T sprocket however I think this symptom is abnormal. I don't think starting off in first should be this difficult.
The bike was just serviced with it's first scheduled service and had its belts replaced due to age. I'm thinking the clutch needs to be adjusted and or I need to adjust the CRG levers.
I am taking it back on Monday to have them look into an unrelated issue and will have them look at the clutch again. I just want to see if I can get some clarity before then.
There is no clutch cable on a Ducati, They use a hydraulic actuated clutch.
How many rpms is your bike turning as you begin to engage the clutch?
Ah right, no cable.
Not sure. Couldn't be more than a few hundred RPMs from idle. Ill have to check the next time I ride (tomorrow morning).
Proper bleeding will make a big difference to the 696 (it did to mine)
It also has a slipper clutch so the clutch feel is weird at the best of times but especially when taking off in first - it is as you've described - it feels like it is slipping and then all of a sudden it engages.
That's normal [Dolph] I'm not saying yours isn't more normal than it could be, but it's still normal.
Aftermarket levers should be adjusted professionally anyway. The plunger screw has to be at just the right position to fully engage and disengage. Rear wheel lifted off the ground and bike in gear, almost not spinning + a couple of mm free play at the lever. This isn't going to help much with the grabbiness, but do it anyway.
I'm wondering about how long this bike was sitting without use.... The clutch plates must have become dry and rusty on a few occasions - maybe the friction material was damaged...