M1100 Spotted

[Raux]

Just because you came late to the party and the 696 was the bike that was offered when you arrived it doesn't make it a good bike. The 695 is a way better bike.

I can't say that i've ridden a 695 but i had a 99 M900 and can tell you the 696 outhandles that bike, has better weight distribution and makes me feel more confident

Styling:

Although it's never easy to try and replace and Icon, Ducati seems to have a habit of screwing it up. First it was the 999, and now the 696. I will admit it took a few months for me to even look at a 999, but I have since owned one and now I love the style. That will never happen with the 696. They completely ruined it.
The vents in the tank cover are the dumbest thing I have ever seen. The horizontal exhaust pipe taking a sharp turn up and across the motor not only looks stupid, I can't think it does much for the performance either.

I remember the 916 was hated.. what were they thinking with that swingarm... it doesnt even come close to the 888 style... etc.
The 999 heavy not as sexy, but based on track performing bikes. so ducati goes back to 916/996 style to appease people and make money. but they improved it, made it lighter so good job
The vents, are awesome, sexy sounding unique and i expect funtional
not sure on the pipe whether or not it affects performance, but that is not the first bike to use it from ducati. MH900E anyone?
We would have to see an engineering paper to determine performance parameters there.

Comfort:

What the hell were they thinking with that seat. It pushes you all the way forward towards the tank (cover) and mashes your balls. You may not have noticed that though..... It also puts too much weight on your wrists. Your's may be strong enough to handle it.....  

the stock seat does push you forward for a more agressive/sbk stance. if you want comfort get the DP seat and you can easily ride with your finger tips and a straight back while holding the tank with your knees.

Handling:

Oh boy, where to start here. The only good thing about it is that it turns in quick. It's twitchy and unstable and grabbing the front brakes at speed completely upsets the chassis. It feels like a wet sponge until you hit a bump and then you just bounce over it rather than soaking it up. Just for laughs, try riding it over a series of bumps mid-corner and let me know how that goes.

The front brakes... hmmm never had a problem but it could be related to you moving your hands so much for the braker lever. two finger braking for me... no problems and it has very linear braking both front and rear trail braking is a breeze. 
The chassis can be dialed in for your weight, so i would suggest turning the damping down. it's set up from factory i've been told for 160lb rider. when i stiffen it up for 2up riding and forget to turn it back down solo, i get that issue too. then i remember to turn it to the proper setting

Brakes:
For starters, the brake lever is way too far away. I almost had to take my hand off the throttle to reach it. Not good if you need to stop fast. The brakes are pretty powerfull though.

see above, two finger braking, four finger braking, no problems for me.

Power:

Here is the only place they didn't drop the ball. Give the throttle a twist and it want's to go. Granted it's not a S2R/S4R buy any stretch but for an entry level bike it has plenty.

wow, stunned, you agree. yes good power smooth and strong pull from low rpms. not a 748 or s2k1000 but enough for street riding

Conclusion:

As an entry level bike one would think that it should be as easy to ride as possible. It's not. All the things I mentioned above contribute to this opinion. It's uncomfortable, unstable, difficult to ride with confidence, and because of the reach to the brake lever, it isn't condusive to stopping quickly. Does that sound like a good beginner bike? the answer is simple. No.

i find it very easy to ride, much easier than my old M900. comfort is adjustable for your riding style, not so much size adjustment for the smaller or larger people. stability... suggest everyone, as they should, read the manual and dial the rear in to give it the right dampning. this bike gives me tons of confidence, probably more than i should have since i find myself getting on it a bit too much on the street and have to back off. the brake lever, if you have tiny hands get the adjustable levers, and the bike stops like a navy fighter jet on a carrier, just ask the safety course guys here when i had to go through the course to ride on base.
This bike is a advanced beginner bike. in that it gives the ability for one to grow with it from start to they grow old. enough power, great handling and customization and adjustability for when you gain the 50 lb beer gut.

Ducati definately dropped the ball on this one. They don't seem to be staying true to their roots, they seem to want to be more mainstream now. I can understand wanting to be more competitive and wanting more market share but I don't think watering down what they have been doing for decades is the right thing to do.

same argument will be heard when they make the non-desmo engine. wonder if 3 decades ago, they said the same thing when they went to the desmo.

Dude, you really have no clue. You think that just because it says "Ducati" on the tank it should automatically be revered.

I bet you have a house full of Sony products too. Don't worry though, you're not alone. Alot of people buy things just because of the name even if they are pieces of $hit.

And for the record, I have had the opportunity to ride a 695. BCM was kind enough to lend me one a while back while I was up there. It was a blast. I would recommend one to anyone who was thinking about getting into the sport.

Do you think maybe there is a reason for it? How can so many people be that wrong?

revered, no... i mean the PASO was HATED. not by me but by many. and the classic styled bikes, not my cup of tea. but i dont bash. i didnt like the fact that ducati put the SSS on the monster... not the original style of the bike, if you wanted SBK style then get an SBK. but i didn't bash.
Sony, overrated, i get non-name brand stuff because a tv is a tv for the most part. but a Ducati is not a Kawasaki no matter how alike their specs are.

Again, never ridden the 695 but if it was set up like my M900, glad i haven't
well, guess we'll see in the long run. will Ducati continue to sell the 696-styled bikes or not... but if sales has anything to do with it, which it does... i say they're here to stay.

[ArguZ]

Lets hope not.
I'm out If it does
MH900e , yes please...now we are talking iconic design
I even like the 749/999 but the 696 is fubar.
I put 5000 miles  on my new 695 within three months now..
So i probably need a new one in two years  [moto]
I should get a an SR4s and put it into a vacuum chamber
If that design dies , a lot of Ducati dies with it.

[Raux]

wow, how dramatic. ducati dying because it stops producing the 2nd gen monster... hmmmm dont think so.
it's funny, a lot of the 696 comes from the mh900e, all the 1st/2nd gen monster modifications and the newer SBKs. guess all those are FUBAR?

the S4R monsters are FAR from the original idea of the monster. an aircooled SS with no body and high bars.

to each their own i guess. I bet the 1100 Monster will sell like hot cakes. and if i ever decide to move up, that will be my next bike, and i will keep the 696 as well. (unless they make another SS then i'll be contemplating that hard)

[707soldier]

WOW, this topic had been beaten to death.
I'll join in +1 on the 696

[NAKID]

it's funny, a lot of the 696 comes from the mh900e

Would you mind expanding on that? As far as I see, the only thing that "comes from" the MH is the similar design of the exhaust routing...

[danaid]

Dan,

You may feel a little better but to completely feel better you should go take your medication. And lots of it.

First off, who the hell do you think you are? I didn't ride one for an hour? Yeah ok dude, I guess there isn't one in my garage right now then, right? I guess it's not sitting next to the 748 and the S2R1K either. I must have imagined it.

Just because you came late to the party and the 696 was the bike that was offered when you arrived it doesn't make it a good bike. The 695 is a way better bike.

You may think the 696 is a great bike but I have a news flash for you. It's not. It's not a good beginner bike like you seem to think. I could sit here and go down the list of all the things that are wrong with it but I'll just hit the highlights for you.

Styling:

Although it's never easy to try and replace and Icon, Ducati seems to have a habit of screwing it up. First it was the 999, and now the 696. I will admit it took a few months for me to even look at a 999, but I have since owned one and now I love the style. That will never happen with the 696. They completely ruined it.
The vents in the tank cover are the dumbest thing I have ever seen. The horizontal exhaust pipe taking a sharp turn up and across the motor not only looks stupid, I can't think it does much for the performance either.

Comfort:

What the hell were they thinking with that seat. It pushes you all the way forward towards the tank (cover) and mashes your balls. You may not have noticed that though..... It also puts too much weight on your wrists. Your's may be strong enough to handle it.....  

Handling:

Oh boy, where to start here. The only good thing about it is that it turns in quick. It's twitchy and unstable and grabbing the front brakes at speed completely upsets the chassis. It feels like a wet sponge until you hit a bump and then you just bounce over it rather than soaking it up. Just for laughs, try riding it over a series of bumps mid-corner and let me know how that goes.

Brakes:

For starters, the brake lever is way too far away. I almost had to take my hand off the throttle to reach it. Not good if you need to stop fast. The brakes are pretty powerfull though.

Power:

Here is the only place they didn't drop the ball. Give the throttle a twist and it want's to go. Granted it's not a S2R/S4R buy any stretch but for an entry level bike it has plenty.

Conclusion:

As an entry level bike one would think that it should be as easy to ride as possible. It's not. All the things I mentioned above contribute to this opinion. It's uncomfortable, unstable, difficult to ride with confidence, and because of the reach to the brake lever, it isn't condusive to stopping quickly. Does that sound like a good beginner bike? the answer is simple. No.

Ducati definately dropped the ball on this one. They don't seem to be staying true to their roots, they seem to want to be more mainstream now. I can understand wanting to be more competitive and wanting more market share but I don't think watering down what they have been doing for decades is the right thing to do.

 

Dude, you really have no clue. You think that just because it says "Ducati" on the tank it should automatically be revered.

I bet you have a house full of Sony products too. Don't worry though, you're not alone. Alot of people buy things just because of the name even if they are pieces of $hit.

And for the record, I have had the opportunity to ride a 695. BCM was kind enough to lend me one a while back while I was up there. It was a blast. I would recommend one to anyone who was thinking about getting into the sport.

Do you think maybe there is a reason for it? How can so many people be that wrong?

  Sorry to hurt your feelings monstermash,

  but your comments about the bike are your personal opinion and probably because of your physical size. I have not had any of the issues you commented on, except for the seat , which I just re-adjust.
The wrist comment,  I dont think so

I guess I'just keep my comments to myself, it makes no sense bickering back and fourth about a bike design and company direction that has been planned and initiated years ago.

Dan.


   

[Statler]

<flounder>
The limp wrist comment is unacceptable Raux.

</flounder

all of the little shots at people are unacceptable, and this thread and the 696 thread are full of them.

why can't people learn how to express opinions without trying to belittle the person they are debating?   I'd rather talk bikes than continue to read posts where people insult each other like little kids.

[Raux]

just backing up Dan from the shots he was getting thrown at him.

but yes, will back off from personal shots. my bad.

[Raux]

Would you mind expanding on that? As far as I see, the only thing that "comes from" the MH is the similar design of the exhaust routing...

i was saying that there are parts of each of those bikes that show up on the 696. the MH900e exhaust is an example.

[Statler]

just backing up Dan from the shots he was getting thrown at him.

but yes, will back off from personal shots. my bad.

it's the back and forth that's bad.   If someone is taking shots at you or anyone else, then ignore it, call them out on it publicly, call them out on it through pm, or hit the report to mod button.  (I'd rather people get called out for being an ass in public and leave the admins out of it entirely).

I think the new bike design looks like ass.  So what.   Now if I start posting stuff about people who love the looks, then a simple statement of "hey, Man, if you don't like the bike fine but stop being an ass about the owners"   should work just fine.  Or point out how ergonomics are very personal for a bike so some people will have tank/brass interference and some won't, versus implying the person who didn't have the issue was somehow lacking.

It's the pissing contests that draw admin attention.    I'd much rather discuss the designs of the bikes than discuss the behavior of board members.






So....the new 1100...  

[Statler]

I wish the peg casting were seperate front to back so the passenger pegs could be removed without replacing the entire stock pegs.

I like the new instruments but my favorite is still an analog tach with redline at 12 o'clock and a digital mph that is switchable to a big gear indicator (nobody does this how I would like).

after seeing 696 can options, I think the single swinger with diferent cans on the 1100 would be nice.

Don't think the cheesy tank skins have any place on the higher end monsters.  It's like the fake exhaust outlets on the Lexus IS-F.

[Raux]

I wish the peg casting were seperate front to back so the passenger pegs could be removed without replacing the entire stock pegs.

I like the new instruments but my favorite is still an analog tach with redline at 12 o'clock and a digital mph that is switchable to a big gear indicator (nobody does this how I would like).

after seeing 696 can options, I think the single swinger with diferent cans on the 1100 would be nice.

Don't think the cheesy tank skins have any place on the higher end monsters.  It's like the fake exhaust outlets on the Lexus IS-F.

Agree on the peg casting, plus wish it wasn't so large to take over alot of the lower part of the bike. someone has murdered it and it looks better, but still a large piece. and yes being able to go solo would be cool.

i like the tech thing and found i use a lot of the features while riding... and being late for work  the SHIFT ME NOW light is helpful too.

I want to see someone come up with a single can option for the bike to lighten up the rear more.

tank skins/plastic tanks help costs and add a sense of ownership when you start modding. taking the skins off to send to a airbrush artist sure is easier than draining/removing/praying for no dents metal tank.

how about the fake intakes on ANY car. function is more important and i think the 696 intakes are more than functional. would love to see some comparisons on airbox flow with and without the intakes.

[hbliam]

I'm glad your happy with your purchase but I would dial it down a notch. Insulting guys that have been members of this community for nearly 10 years just makes no sense.

I can't say that i've ridden a 695 but i had a 99 M900 and can tell you the 696 outhandles that bike, has better weight distribution and makes me feel more confident

You owned a 1999 M900 City correct? The City had higher bars (read: worse handling), weighed almost 50 lbs more, held over a half gallon more fuel (read: even more weight), had a carbed 74 HP motor vs. the 696 injected 80 HP motor, rode on 41 mm crap forks compared to 43 mm crap forks ( ), and had crap brakes. So uh, yeah, the 696 should work a bit better. Your really comparing one of the least popular, worst equipped Monsters ever to another bottom of the product line, entry level bike. But like I said, if you like it  .

I remember the 916 was hated.. what were they thinking with that swingarm... it doesnt even come close to the 888 style... etc.

Huh? The release of the 916 was akin to the arrival of Christ for the second coming. Every mag in the world fell all over themselves to tell us it was the greatest thing ever. Not to mention the love at first sight reaction that it had on tens of thousands of motorcyclist's worldwide.

[Raux]

there were aspects of the 916 bike older duc riders didnt like. i knew guys with 851 and 888s. anyway.. it obviously was a great bike and still is. didnt it have problems with cracks in the rear spindle/swingarm assembly also? bet that made some fans.

each bike has its detracters.

thanks for pointing out why the monster city had so many issues, thought it was just me 

it's safe to say we are ALLL happy with our purchases. otherwise we wouldnt be here.

lots of love folks 

[eyeboy]

there were aspects of the 916 bike older duc riders didnt like. i knew guys with 851 and 888s. anyway.. it obviously was a great bike and still is. didnt it have problems with cracks in the rear spindle/swingarm assembly also? bet that made some fans.

each bike has its detracters.

thanks for pointing out why the monster city had so many issues, thought it was just me 

it's safe to say we are ALLL happy with our purchases. otherwise we wouldnt be here.

lots of love folks 

I for one hope ducati keeps sending us lots of new designs, wouldn't want them to be a one-trick-pony. if i had my dream garage it would have ten bikes in it, maybe more. and probably not more than 2 would be ducati's cuz there is so much to choose from. as it is though, for now we have a vespa  (for the girl) and a monster for me, soon to add a cbr125 for the girl and a moto-guzzi 700 classic (as soon as it goes on sale in NA).

my other duc dream might be an old supersport (888?) or maybe even a multi.

i like the 696 more and more... hell i remember way back when i wasn't so sure i liked the monster, but they grew on me just like the 696 and soon bigger brother are. I bet the 1100 will have a bunch of goodies that will win some fans from this group.

the only thing that is constant is change. and i like it.