Ducati Monster Forum

Just wanted to say thanks for all the info you guys have given me on things to watch out for on that '07 S2R 800. Unless the guy really drops his price, I think I'm gonna pass on it and keep looking.  Ducati's that are low mileage garage queens, it turns out, ain't necessarily a good buy. Who knew.
Armed with the information you've given me, I've pretty much narrowed my search down to a Monster from early 2000 to 2007, fuel injected,  S2R or M900/1000Sie   either of which will, hopefully, have already been modified with some of the more desirable aftermarket parts, have been ridden regularly, has service records and recent service and, last but not least, be located relatively close [a day's drive?] and in a color i'd like more than all black.  Not to mention being in my price range of $3000 to $4000.   Okay, that's a long-ass wish list but a guy can dream...

2 last questions [yeah sure]: If there's a late-ish 90's Monster that has a Klein [sp?] flat side carburetor and other mods, how does the upgraded carbureted Monster fair vs. fuel injected models with you guys?  I'd hazard a guess that the fuel injected model would still have the upper hand....but I'm not sure? 

Somebody had suggested that the '07 S2R 800 suspension [with 5400K on the odometer] should be resprung and basically refurbished.  It seemed a bit overboard when I thought about it ....unless the bike was being ridden pretty hard at a track or...?  So, is the stock suspension really THAT bad for a 57 old guy who wouldn't be at the track or pushing the bike to it's limits?, well, okay, maybe once and awhile I'd push it....

Thank you.    8)

A carby Monster with Keihin flat slide carbs can be a challenge to start since they don't have a choke, or enrichment device. There's a technique, but cold weather can be tough. That said they generally run good, and have excellent throttle response, if the carbs have been tuned correctly. The early generation fuelie Monsters were mapped extremely lean from the factory and also will benefit by using an aftermarket unit, like a Power Commander, or from a remap.

All Monsters, or bikes for that matter, have suspension that is a compromise for almost every rider. If you're the average American the bike will be over damped and under sprung. That can make the ride pretty harsh if you have roads that are bumpy, like our New England cart paths, and will benefit from modifications like re-valving and re-springing for your weight. The rear suspension will also benefit from upgrades.

 [laugh] [laugh] [laugh]  [thumbsup]

Carby or fuelie - I think you'll be happy with either.

The suspension: S2R800 basic fork, but good enough to have fun. 900, 1000 and S2R1000 a little better, but more importantly they can easily be improved. The shocks are the same and can be replaced. You come from cruisers? If so, I think you won't feel the need to modify for a while.

If what you get is a good bike, but you 'need' to modify at some point anyway - no problem - just ask and we'll spend your money.  ;)

...."just ask and we'll help spend your money."

....funny. It's the same thing they told me on the Aero forum......and they have!  Are you, by any chance,  related to a Capt. Ron?   [laugh]

....actually the vast bulk of my riding experience came from a K100RS for 22 seasons. I had modded that bike a fair amount. Before that I rode a Yamaha FJ1100 that I modded WAAAAY too much. Kiss that stack of money goodbye.  I took a 78 Honda SuperSport F and made a real nice cafe in the mid 80's before the FJ. There were a couple others before that.

What can I say. I got older and thought: cruiser!   It's a beautiful V twin machine and has a total Heritage vibe to it. However, after I got the Aero last fall, I quickly realized that my itch to ride fast and to lean into a curve was going to go unscratched........unless I could find something sporty. I looked at getting a 650-ish 4 cylinder rocket but......I dunno. No character?  A dime a dozen?  The look didn't thrill me?   I thought about the Hawk GT, the VFR or early Interceptor, Suzuki SV650, heck, I even thought about a '83 Honda CB1100F.

....But a DUCATI!!!!   now here's a bike I've always admired but never rode. I've heard that throaty growl and loved it. I've watched them race on the World Superbike circuit and hung out in the paddock area with the crew at B.I.R. . They won that year [as well as a more than few other years].  I thought seriously about the 900ss for a month or so this past spring..... but the Monster?  a freakin thing of beauty!  Quick and light as sin. Uncluttered look. Better seating posture [for me] than the 750/900ss or cr.   I just wanna own one/be the caretaker of a beautiful monster for as long as I can in my life.

sorry. I ramble.

Sounds good - find the right one and just get it  [Dolph]

You won't regret it.

... well, you will, but the again not  8)

A 900 Monster with Keihin FCR carbs is a joy to ride. Finding a carbed 900 in good condition requires finding one owned by an enthusiast who has refurbished the issues you would expect on an older bike. They have a wonderful torquey street motor and if you can find one well loved and upgraded it will create a love affair. The character of this motor in particular is very satifying. My Hyper1100Evo is much faster and more powerful, but everyone that rides both bikes says they have more fun on the ol' M900. I have an option on part ownership of a well restored and upgraded '94 M900 and its going to be hard to resist as I miss the two 95 models I once owned. They are unpolished diamonds but if you look carefully you will find one that has had the work done and will perform better than when new.

The sad truth is that I passed on one very early into my search this spring. At the time, my gal was even less enthusiastic about my getting a 2nd bike [if that's possible], it was 3 hours away, the guy who posted the ad came off as someone who was difficult to deal with, it was newly painted a questionable color......and I just plain didn't know what it was I had been looking at  [bang] . A Ducati guy I know tried to tell me. It had Ohlins rear, Race Tech gold valves in the forks, Sargent seat, new tires, slip-on exhaust, upgraded Keihn carb, quick adjust levers....and lots of cf.  I could go on....10k miles too.  $2800 asking price.

live and learn

THat sounds too good to be true... probably best you didn't get it

I have found the stock carbs on 900 Monsters to be disappointing, even with jet kits installed. The response is somewhat flaccid rather than crisp, but there are other mods that can be done to improve response which have been covered in various threads. FCR carbs are now very expensive so if you find an older M900 with them its a bonus.

You've found CRABS on 900 Monsters  . . .   :o :o :o :o :o :o

And flaccid.. Pretty bad all round.  [laugh]. Bloody auto correct. That's why I wear a full race suit ATGATT. [laugh]

Wait. So is the ballooning gas tank issue considered to be the herpes of motorcycles? Crabs. Flacid?

Should I get a pocket full of trojans, a full round of vaccinations AND some little blue pills before I start riding a Ducati?   

......maybe I'm overthinking this.

 [laugh]

A condom inside the tank might work, see your Vet about vaccinations :P

So .... I took a '04 620ie with termignoni exhaust to see how it sounded. Nothing else done to enhance performance. [but it did have a few other nice bits that came with it] The sound was SO sweet and it DID seem to have a little giddy up to it.   ;D    I was grinnin'     I only had the chance to put 6 or 7 miles on it. I asked him how fast it would go. He figured about 115 but didn't sound at all convincing.

What's the skinny on the 620's?  Could a guy get going around 120 if I found one that already had a few "simple" mods done to it?  ...or is this a case of " I canno' change the laws of physics, Capt., I've got to have bigger displacement" ???

About 120?  Yes.

Unless.......

Bam....140mph [evil]

140?   with a different bike?.....or too many upgrades for my meager budget?    :-[

From a M620 owner, mod to your liking, YOU will top at about 215km/h with very good conditions, to go faster, smaller sprocket at the rear means less torque to ride around town and lower gear in the twisties . . .

I went to 14/48 and had gobbles of torque around the city, loss a lot on the highway and don't regret it . . . Might go back to OEM gearing again or maybe, a tooth more at the rear

Let us know what you get. [thumbsup]

koko64,

Absolutely!   I'm sure to have more questions, like:   a 2004 1000S ie needs the 7500 mile service. Everything else looks good but the current [3rd] owner dropped it 2 years ago, put a small dent in the tank ['doh!] and stopped riding it.    Is there ever any chance that small tank dents can be pulled out without painting? 

What should I expect to shell out for the 7500 mile service?  I'm sure it varies but a ballpark is fine.

......I was talking to my roommate who pointed out: "yeah, the 620 is plenty quick and has a fairly high top end. I mean how fast do you NEED to go?....and how often do you need to go THAT fast.....and for how long?"     It kinda makes sense to me in that, with the type of riding I'll be doing, a 620 might be just great. 115 to 120 is fast enough for me for the shorter sections of back roads I'd be running on. In town is just gettin' on the throttle and braking on a few streets and roads here and there.   Plus it might fit my budget better.  As the temps fall, I'm hoping to see a few bikes I have my eye on get closer to my price range. I'll keep you guys posted.

Only if it's the Capirex...

Dents can be tapped out from inside if you're lucky.  A big rider will overwhelm stock 620 suspension and most Ducati forks so factor in spring changes too. At least the 1000 forks can be adjusted. A bigger bike may have already had the springs changed for a bigger rider.

 Belts, battery, fuel filter and valve check can be added to the oil change on that 1000. A big guy will want the easy grunt of the 1000 over the revvy 620 any day imo.
Some 1000 models had bad valve guides but most have been fixed by now I guess.
All these are bargaining points on price. I say get the torque motor over the revvy bike. Get the V8 over the fast 4 if you are used to grunt.

You only need to pay someone to do the valves and maybe the belts if you are handy. EFI fuel filter changes are a pita but not technically difficult.

Depends on how fussy you are wrt paintless dent repair. Bike tanks are considerably thicker than car panels. They might get 'most' of it, but I've never seen one be perfect.



Many moons ago there was a member on the old DML, the place most of us came from, that swore his 620 Capirex, a Monster model named after Loris Capirossi, would do an honest 140. Some things are too funny to let go. ;)

 [laugh] The 1000 might do 130.

I've seen 130 on my 900. Takes a long stretch to get there.

Saw 142 indicated on my S2R1000.

That would be about 120 on the radar I reckon? My modified 900 made 125 on the dyno without me as a wind sock. Mind you it depends on the gearing, head wind, etc. I'd be happy with 140 out of a modified 1000. I think the Capirex 620 had a turbo. [laugh]

Nakid. Maybe 130-135?

I think that's probably generous. I'd be willing to bet 142 indicated is ~128 actual. I think 10% error is pretty standard.

My Hyper manual states 6% error optimistic from the factory for my model and Aussie law is 5% error. ;D
10% on the older clocks wouldnt surprise me at all.

DP, I bet your 900 would gain a few mph with those FCRs. We digress. ;D
If you're a big guy coming off large capacity cruisers, surely big bore torque would be better?

Thanks for the info/opinions.  I'm slowly gathering some data and history on a few of the bikes that look like a good fit to my budget and desires [I'd say NEEDS but, ... well, then again?....]

I've only seen 1 - 900s ie [ no 1000's ]  that was for sale around here so far this season. That one went early in the spring and sold in 3 hours after being posted on CL   It had suffered from a low speed crash and seemed to have had just a few cosmetic issues. It went for $1500   Both me and roommate guy [separate sightings] called and the seller just chuckled. Posted at 9:00, gone by 12:00

If at all possible, I'll go with the larger displacement just because I like knowing the goods are there if needed. I'm about 6 feet - 180 lbs   The guy selling the 620 that I test rode was 3 or 4 inches taller, maybe running 200 lbs.? [ but then again I'm not a carnival guy who can guess the weight of people either:  "Step right up and fool The Guesser!"]  He said he even took it out west for a ride in the Rockies. He said the sliders on it also let him stretch out his legs like highway bars.  Nice to know.

So let me guess....the fuel filter for the S models is located inside the tank?     ....... also, sorry if this sounds dumb, but I'm use to seeing a red line on tachs. I'm not sure I've ever seen one on a Ducati.  What's up with that?   Is it Ducati just sayin'  "come on, we dare ya!" ?  is there an ignition retard feature if a rider hits a RPM limit? [rev limiter?]

A solid 125 to 130 would suite me just fine. I think roommate guy said he never saw more than 110 or so his 620 with just the modified chopped and cored stock exhaust

Dunno... that was with my SPA with the tire circumference measured and input into the gauge. I think it was pretty accurate.

Tire circumference measured at what speed?  ;) ;D

For what it's worth Ducati claims 133 stock on a '04 1000.  I came close on mine, (by GPS) but ran out of space.  A little like pulling teeth over 120.  Anyway, more that enough for a naked bike.

So...

I was going even faster. :-*

Yeah fuel filters are in the efi models tanks.
Worth checking out that 1000. [thumbsup] Service records worth checking too.

Yup!  [beer]

Maybe I'm being too cautious ???  but, I'm a little hesitant to buy from an owner that's had a bike for a few years yet can't tell me much specific detail about the bike or the mods, what the history is and has no service history for it.  I've been told "hey, if it runs fine and gets down the road just fine, buy it and just do what service to it you can and have all the rest done at the dealer"....or wherever.
I dunno...maybe he's right

...I've been known to overthink sh*t once and awhile   :o

Gotta admit, a seller not disclosing concerns me too. You would want to hear it running.

Not disclosing...or hasn't a clue? Doesn't sound like he's lying. :-\

If you're buying a bike with unknown service history it really needs to be heard running.

Yeah, if it's from a state or 2 [or 3] away, I'd need to see/hear some video of it getting a cold start and being driven before making the trip to get it. Some sellers don't want to deal with a buyer like me and won't want to do it. That's ok with me.  There's about 4 or 5 bikes I'm looking at from varying distances away. I'm pretty sure one of them will work out. Somebody will take the time to work with a buyer like me, even from a distance. The sellers are selling the bikes for a reason!  The beautiful thing is, for me, some of the fun in buying this next bike is the looking around and seeing what's all out there and being schooled in Ducati-speak by you guys. Besides, there's ALWAYS another deal to be had. Patience and perseverance pays off.

Last fall when I sold my BMW, the guy that bought it did it unseen. He pulled the trigger based on some great photos my roomie took and posted on CL. Then I took some close ups of the one damaged spot that I was gonna fix and then took some video of me doing a cold start of the bike.   I also think he must have talked to my mechanic guy to confirm the bike was being truthfully advertised.  Mechanic Charlie had been seeing that bike off and on for 22 seasons and knew it well.
The buyer came and picked it up in the spring. Everybody was happy!  The funny thing is, he was only 2.5 hours away. If it would've been me, I would just come by to see it/buy it in the fall.  That's just me....

How far away was that 1000?

You could see that 1000 and post some pics for us to check out, or even a vid of it running.

koko64,  it's near Grand Rapids, MI.    It's posted on CL    I talked to the seller briefly.  I THINK he may have gotten a nice looking red M1000s ie Ducati that was a bit too much for him?.....but who really knows.  He started making noises about his friend being interested in it and weather I was REALLY interested in buying it, better hurry, etc.   

I'll see about posting the link .... but sad to say these computer doo-hickeys and their magical properties are a might mysterious to me    [roll]     I usually end up screwin' something up.

Is that close to you? I'm in Australia. ;D

HA!.....just a couple of states over, cobber!

Aww sh*t. I need a f*ckin tutorial on basic computer skills......where's my 13 year old when I need her!

I can't cut/paste the CL link but there's another one on CL that's in Detroit. It's an '03 1000S ie   It's been dropped at low speed and painted a grey color. Looks pretty nice too, less than 11,000 miles on it. The price is real close to my high end too.

[laugh]
Sounds promising.
One thing I would recommend now days is an injected bike where there are fuel issues with additives. The detergents designed to clean injectors at 45psi appear to clog crabs at gravity to 3-4psi. Thats an issue down here with our fuels. The best thing to keep carbs clean is fresh pure fuel, but that sounds like its becoming a rare thing. If you use fuel stabilizer in the off season it helps.

There's a guide on how to do picks in the Faqs section. I needed someone to show me too. You need to use a host site. I use photobucket .

https://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/mcy/5793113029.html

https://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/mcy/5749585353.html

https://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/mcy/5799542752.html

 [thumbsup]

Thank you, kopfjager.    [clap]   [ you kids with yer hip-hop computer skills and yer rock-n-roll...]   ......  I gotta find a Monster seller [like the 900ss guy] who is MOTIVATED

koko64 - thanks for the heads up on the fuel issue. I use non-oxygenated premium in my Aero and would do the same with whatever Monster I end up with. I wouldn't store it over winter with anything but the same non-oxy fuel in the tank.....and a little stabilizer. I/we pretty much shut down the riding season here in late October - early November until spring. Usually around 5 months of storage.

That yellow ss/cr would be a great project bike. Id try and get it for 1000-1500 and get pipes, hi comp pistons , light flywheel, light clutch, ignition kit with carb kit. Or just pipes and jet kit and full service.

I like the Monsters too. The red one has a better quality exhaust than the black one and performance ecu kit.

Black Monster has carbon and Ohlins shock plus other goodies. Had a crash but discloses it with the repairs. The pipes are possibly cheap and very loud if they are Danmotos.

Kopf? Kid?  [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh]

 ;D

A 98 M900 with FCR41s on the forum for sale . Tasteful mods.

He is. ;D

That black M1000 is gone.

Yes.  I asked via. email about calling him later today or this weekend to discuss it in more detail and was told no problem. Yeah, maybe it sold. I'll call him tomorrow and see if it's sold or he's just re-posting the ad.

The good news is, there's always something else coming down the pike if yer patient

Sold. The search goes on.