My comparison - '99 M750 v. '00 900SS

[the_Journeyman]

I'm no expert, but I thought I would share my experience.  I picked up a 1999 Monster 750 Dark in 2003 after totalling a GSXR600.  That was probably the best thing that ever happened to the motorcyclist in me.  The Monster had been tossed down the road in a moment of indiscretion by the previous owner.  He & the local shop did had put it back together, but also changed a few things as they made the necessary repairs.  They added clip-on handle bars as opposed to the wider stock bars.  The other change they had to make, was the paint.  The shop wasn't equipped to shoot the tank with the “Dark” paint, so it was painted Ducati yellow.  Just as well since yellow is the fastest color!  So, I picked up a unique looking Monster 750.  Metallic black frame, black wheels and yellow body bits make the bike stand out a little bit in a sea of bikes.  Since it started life as a Monster Dark, it was lacking a bit in the suspension department with softly-sprung non adjustable forks and a rear show with only pre-load and damping adjustable.  This was mostly remedied with new fork springs & new rear springs.

Fast forward about six years.  I've got 31,000 miles on the Monster 750, and completely unwilling to part with it for any reason.  However, I want something with a bit of a different feel.  Maybe a different body position, but I also have also started suffering from dry-clutch envy.  I found a 1999 Ducati 900 Supersport at a local non-Ducati dealer.  Pretty bike and it goes “jingle-jingle” too.  Something with a little extra umph might be nice too.  The '99 Supersport sold between me leaving the shop Saturday and coming back in Monday afternoon to make a salesman very happy.  Seeing that 900 Supersport reminded me that I really had wanted a Supersport back before I purchased the GSXR600 I mentioned in the 1st paragraph.  I had passed on a nicely priced 750 Sport from the same dealer the Monster 750 came from.  A mechanic dropped it on the post-assembly shakedown ride, and it was 100% returned to showroom condition, but painted red for the same reason the Monster was painted Yellow.  I've never been a fan of red vehicles for whatever reason.  The “whatever reason” actually being that I'm a bit lead-footed/wristed, and red seems to get a lot of attention by they guys equipped with blue lights and ticket books.  I'm not sure why yellow is any better in that regard.  I finally find a 2000 900 Supersport in yellow on E-bay, and to my surprise it's a three hour drive to go pick it up.  After talking with my fiancée, I establish a cut-off price that I'm not willing to go above for a toy and warm up my bidding finger.  Long(er) story short, I win the auction and go pick up the yellow Supersport, grinning like a kid on Christmas day.

How do the two bikes compare?  Very well, as both fill slightly different riding style.  On paper, they're not far apart.  There is 18 more horsepower, 14 more ft/lbs of torque and about 22lbs more weight, and a just over an inch shorter wheelbase for the 900, which als.  Overall size put the 900 appearing slightly larger with a slightly taller seat.  The frame is different and seems stiffer on the 900.  If I recall correctly the Monsters from the late 90's borrowed a frame from either the Ducati 851 or 888 superbike from the late 80's.  The 750 has a smooth wet clutch, while the 900 has a slightly grabby, quick to engage dry clutch.  The engines have a similar sound, just the 900 being a bit deeper in tone.  Despite the similarities you find on paper, the bikes can't be more different in feel and character.  Sitting atop the Monster, you're feeling like you're ready to do urban battle in the form of lane-splitting, playing dodge-car & dodge-person, flipping around tight 90º corners onto side streets, and using narrow side roads to strafe the over-crowded main roads.  It looks small and nimble, and there is a small and low windshield (or flyscreen if you prefer) giving the pilot an unobstructed view ahead.  Upon throwing a leg over the Supersport, you instantly are begged to tuck in, twist the throttle and toss it into corner after corner.  The riding position pitches you slightly forward against the tank pad that Ducati designers & engineers so kindly included to protect ones midsection from the distinctive shape of the tank.  Your feet are up high, ready for some serious lean angle, your head over the tank so you can hear the distinctive sound of the twin gulping air as you twist the throttle. 

The differences become more apparent once your fingers find the friction point while releasing the clutch lever.  The 750 moves forward with authority, cleanly and smoothly.   The dry clutch on the 900's grabs a bit quicker and launches you forward, educating you on just exactly how much that 14ft/lbs torque difference really is.  Heading through the gears, both pull clean and smooth right to the rev limiter.  The 900 seems to really rev quickly, much quicker than the 750, but probably not as fast as an inline-4 in similar displacement.  The extra gear in the 900's gear box is but, but at highway speeds I found 5th to be more comfortable for the bike.  That just gives a little more room to make a sprocket change for easier handling in a parking lot.  The brakes are oddly similar, despite the Monster having a single rotor up front and the Supersport having a twin-disc up front.  I can't say I was disappointed by the Supersport's brakes, but they're not worlds better than the Monster's single disc.  Either bike has no problem stopping quickly without getting out of line.

Pick and curvy road, any curvy road, the Monster does not disappoint.  Neither does the Supersport.  They couldn't be more different in the feel & thrill they provide.  The Monster is just as sure-footed as the Supersport and really requires less effort to hustle through a series of tight turns quickly.  This is where the different ergonomics and frame differences some to light.  The Monster likes to give a wiggle here and there through the frame.  It makes you wonder if you should really be throwing it around that hard, while at the same time you're grinning from ear to ear giggling like a schoolgirl and throwing it hard into the next corner enticing yet another wiggle.  The Supersport is strictly business.  Pick your line, adjust your body, tip in and rocket through the corner, throttle out  hovering the front wheel for a split second and set up for the next corner.  The whole time you're carving corners, the Supersport is taunting you to go for more lean in the turns and more throttle exiting the turns.

Could I choose one over the other?  No. 

Could I have more fun on the Supersport or Monster?  Yes.

Is one better than the other?  Maybe, depending on where you're riding that day and how you want to ride that day. 

Is the larger motor better?  See previous answer.

Either bike draws looks rolling into town.  Both have a nice distinctive sound that turns people's heads as you rumble by.  As for day-to-day commuting, I'll probably use the Monster a lot, but not all the time.  For canyon carving, I'll be more likely to jump on the Supersport, but not every time.  When I pull into the garage after a long ride, I'm grinning ear-to-ear regardless of which of the two now has less rubber left on the tires.  Either one excites with the roar from the aftermarket carbon mufflers upon startup.

JM

[Goat_Herder]

Need more review like this.  Well said, JM 

[Scottish]

Awesome, thank you for this review. I've been mulling the idea of an older SS and was having a hard time justifying it because I wasn't sure  there would be enough difference between the two(Moster/SS). 

[the_Journeyman]

I will say the difference is broad.  I never thought of my Monster as twitchy until I got on the SS ~

JM

[ducpainter]

I will say the difference is broad.  I never thought of my Monster as twitchy until I got on the SS ~

JM

Nice write up. 

You should try a SBK.

Makes an SS feel twitchy.

[the_Journeyman]

That must be impressive, the SS feels rock solid!

JM

[ducpainter]

That must be impressive, the SS feels rock solid!

JM

When I had my SS the front non adjustable forks had been sprung and valved and it had an Ohlins rear, so suspension wasn't an issue. It would shake its' head on the track in the same spots the Monster did.

Maybe the SBK is doing it too, but if it is you can't feel it...or even sense it.

That said, I miss my little SS. It was a great bike.

[jerryz]

I have to agree with mutch that has been said here for years i have had  a 900 and 750 monster the 750 monster I will never sell , i also have an S4 an entirely different beast but i also now have a1991 belt drive 750ss .