Which to buy??

[frick1am]

I am looking at 2 monsters, and am having trouble deciding which one is the best.

I am a new rider, and this will be my first bike.  It fits me better than any other bike I have sat on, and my family are ducati people, so this is the bike that I want.

I will be using it for city driving, highway commute, and leisure.

Here are my 2 options:
1. 2001 Ducati Monster 750:  9,000 miles, 2 owners, 1 very small dent in tank.  There is no other damage to the bike, no significant modifications.  It has been well maintained, and serviced as suggested with documentation.  PRICE $3200

2. 2005 Ducati Monster 620:  33,000 miles, 1 owner, no damage whatsoever.  This bike has also been serviced as suggested with all documentation.  $3600

I am having a hard time deciding which is the best option.  My concerns are the carbed engine in the '01 being more costly to maintain and more frustrating to start.  I will NOT be doing my own maintenance.  My other concern is the high mileage on the '05.  I don't know if it is a large hindrance to the purchase.

If you have any opinions, or feedback on either bike, I would greatly appreciate the assistance. 
Thanks for your time!
The newbie   

[sbrguy]

that is a ton of mileage on the 05 bike, that is someone that really actually rode that bike.

my suggestion is keep looking you are bound to find similar style bikes as the 05 620 for around the same year, and same price with probably 1/3 the miles on it.

i hear you when you say you don't want the carbed bike bc of the working on it yourself that is a good thing to consider.

i say keep looking i think you will find plenty of ducati monsters for sale that are in your price range, lower mileage if you so desire.  but then again the higher mileage bike if all the work is done and it doesnt' need anything ti might be a good deal that you could possibly negotiate a lower price on.  but who knows?

[Porsche Monkey]

Well first off, welcome to the forum. This is a great place with a wealth of knowledge and some great people.  Where are you located?  You shouldn't have any problems with the higher mileage bike if it has been maintained properly.  The same thing holds true to the older bike. Timing belts NEED to be changed every 2 years regardless of mileage.  I would tell you to get the 750 so you can have a bike to grow into but there is nothing wrong with a 620.  I have a carbed bike and its not a big deal to start if you know how to do it.  It can be a bit tricky when its cold but not a problem if your familiar with it.  Costs to maintain the bike should be the same.  If either bike has belts or tires that are older than two years old then they should be replaced. The prices sound reasonable to me on both bikes.

[frick1am]

To answer above, I am in Chandler Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix.
Thank you for the welcome.

As an update:
The owner of the 2005 will not negotiate under $3600 on the price.
The owner of the 2001 negotiated to $3000 on the price. 

Additional questions:
How often do the carbs need to be cleaned, and what is the cost?
How much does it cost to change the timing belts?

Thank you all again!

[grandpa nate]

You can find a better cheaper monster someplace else.  But good choice on wanting one of the best bikes on the planet (IMO) 

[cbartlett419]

there is a guy on this forum that has a 620 w/ 30 plus thousand miles, he might have an opinion. IZ is his username

[zooom]

also welcome to the forum...

if it is your 1st bike...I'd go for the dented bike because at some point you will drop it and it already has been christened which means you won't be as pist if something further happens...just my initial .02

both bikes have very promising and troubling points...like others have said, ask for service records/documented history...if it can't be provided, then maybe just walk away as a starting point of this decision...

as a gut reaction between the 2, my choice would be for the 750 as sometimes the older Carbie bikes are somewhat simpler to deal with in diag and repair from an electrics and running point of view, so the "KISS" principle appeals to me....if you are able and capable of wrenching yourself at all ( not talking serious stuff, but basics here)...it would be a good bike to learn and grow with on multiple levels...no immobilizer for keys to deal with, no serious computer reflashing or anything like power commanders needed when doing any modification later on...it just is more appealing to me personally....and it isn't a high milage bike, so there shouldn't be really too much to worry about IF it has been maintained reasonably.

[Porsche Monkey]

To answer above, I am in Chandler Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix.
Thank you for the welcome.

As an update:
The owner of the 2005 will not negotiate under $3600 on the price.
The owner of the 2001 negotiated to $3000 on the price. 

Additional questions:
How often do the carbs need to be cleaned, and what is the cost?
How much does it cost to change the timing belts?

Thank you all again!

The only time you would ever need to clean the carbs is if the bike sat long enough for the fuel to go bad and you didn't add a fuel stabilizer to the tank.  This takes several months and should will not be an issue on a bike that gets ridden.  Fuel can go bad in a bike, car, fuel injected, or carbed.  An injected bike would be more of an issue if fuel went bad because you may have to replace injectors.  As far as belts go I would think a dealer would charge somewhere around 300 - 400 bucks to replace them but I do all my own work so don't quote me on that.  I think $3000 bucks for a 750 is a good deal and would jump on it.  You wont regret it. 
You may want to check the local Arizona board on this forum here http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?board=34.0  good luck and keep us updated. 
Jon

[ScottRNelson]

Carburetors don't ever have to be cleaned in a motorcycle that has been properly taken care of.  Don't think of carburetors as a drawback.

Buy the 750, ride it for a few years, get totally hooked on Ducatis, then start buying other Ducati models.  That's how it worked for me. 

[the_Journeyman]

IMO, the 750 is the better of the two bikes.  I've got a '99 750 and it's got 31,000 miles.  I've cleaned the carbs exactly zero times.  Just ride it regularly and they won't need cleaning.  Starting isn't difficult until temps drop below freezing.  As long as your battery has a good charge it'll start.  As others have said, you can find a 620 for probably around the same price with fewer miles on it.  My 750 also had a tank dent when I bought it.  I tossed a couple bullet-hole stickers on it and now it's a "feature."

JM

[minnesotamonster]

Oh yeah, welcome to the DML; you've come to the right place! 
Tim

Blasphemy! 

I think he means welcome to the DMF   

[BastrdHK]

Go with the carbie......my friend has an '01 m750.  I have a blast on that bike every time I get on it!  Light, nimble, and if anything does go "wrong" it is a very simple design/easy to work on.  I think you will develop a closer bond with the 750.  A carbed bike forces you to pay attention to it a little more, and rewards you for the tweaks you give it.  Almost as if it was alive, and because of that a passion for these machines is created that you will never be able to shake

Now go chew on some  and let us know what you decide.

[Labbedds]

I had a 99 carbed 750, had no problems with it, didn't clean the carbs myself, I'm thinking that when you take it in for service they can do it for you.  I loved that bike, great starter bike, don't worry about the tank dent I had one on mine too and didn't even notice it after awhile, it's just part of the bike.  For $3K you could ride the crap out of it then when you're ready to get a SR series you could at least break even if not make money off selling it.  Good luck.

[ScottRNelson]

I had a 99 carbed 750, had no problems with it, didn't clean the carbs myself, I'm thinking that when you take it in for service they can do it for you.

You guys keep making the assumption that it is necessary to clean carburetors once in a while.

This is not true.

As long as you don't let it sit long enough for the gas to evaporate and gum things up, there is nothing in a carburetor that needs to be cleaned.

[JEFF_H]

I used to have both an older carbed 750 and a newer injected 620 in the garage....
now there's only the 750.

tells ya how i would vote