Interested in a Monster...some questions

[audihenry]

Hello all,

I currently riding a GSXR 750 which is fun but very impractical and comfortable on commutes, which is really the only time I am able to ride. So, I've turned to naked bikes and the Monster immediately won my attention.

I test rode a 1999 but came away unimpressed, much to my disappointment. I do have some questions for you all!

1) The Monster I rode was bogging in 1st gear. The owner said it was a characteristic shared by all Ducati engines. Is this true? Do you have to keep revs really high to get it to smooth out?

2) What kind of maintenance/service do the Desmo valves require? How much does it run?

3) Which models have FI? (I believe post 2000?) And do these still have a choke-type lever on the left side?

4) What are common problems on these bikes? What go wrong the most?

Thanks in advance!

[Speeddog]

1) Which Monster did you ride?

2) Depends which Monster you're talking about.

3) All carbie up to '99. M900 was FI in '00 onward, rest of 'em were carbie.
'02 onwards all FI.

4)  Depends which Monster you're talking about.

[audihenry]

I don't know what kind it was. It had dual exhausts, one on each side, and was repainted from the original color into a dull black, which the owner indicated was not the original color. Three spoke black wheels, single front disc brake. All I know for certain is the year, a 1999.

Does that indicate what kind it was?

[amcloud]

M620 is my guess.  If you came from a gsrx 750, but a larger monster.  S*R would suit you nicely.

[ROBsS4R]

You can drop the front sprocket down a tooth to help with that bogging in the first gear. Its a cheap fast Mod

comming off a gsrx 750 and if you did test ride a 620 you would feel unimpressed in my opinion.

As a daily driver I have been on my S4R for over 2 years now. It doesn't break my back at all. The S4R doesnt really smooth out till about 4500 to 5000 rpms and then its has tons of power 

[minnesotamonster]

They didn't make the 620 in 1999, and with a single disc up front it was probably a 600 or a 750 (some 750s came with singles up front right?)

A lot of ducs do "bog" in low rpms in first gear. Common fix is dropping a tooth in the front sprocket.

Coming from a gsxr 750 and test riding a 600 or 750 twin, you probably aren't going to be all that impressed with the power. Maybe look for a 900 carbie or a newer s2r 1000, (maybe even a s4r(s)) which are FI.

[krolik]

2) What kind of maintenance/service do the Desmo valves require? How much does it run?


4) What are common problems on these bikes? What go wrong the most?

Thanks in advance!

2) Service interval is 6000 miles, 7500 for the latest models.  On 2 valve/air cooled motors, the valves usually don't need adjustment at every service, the timing belts need to be changed every 12k or two years, the rest of the services are what you'd expect from a motorcycle.  I have a '03 M800 w/ 22K+ miles on it, and the valves have only needed to be adjusted once. 

4)  Other than the above mentioned services, Monsters are pretty durable bikes, no real problems with them.  Some members on this forum have 60k+, one even had 125k+ with no major problems. 

[junior varsity]

The bogging in first comes from carb'ed monsters with weaker ignition coils - easy fix, and the tall gearing (really really easy fix).

The air cooled desmos aren't going to have the kind of power you were used to - no high rpm superheros, but you'll get a lot of low-down power that pulls you through turns, and you still get to ride (mostly) upright.

My 1999 M900 is a blast to ride. Keeps up fairly good with the I4 600's, but when the speeds get high I get left behind thanks to lack of fairings and I'm a large mammal. Its been super reliable. I had a crappy battery at one point, and that's not really a fault of Ducati - the replacement, a much smaller replacement has worked flawlessly ever since.

They make bags (tank, rear, and saddle) for the Monster which is great for commuting, and there are also "city bars" which are higher versions of the stock bars to make the position even more upright and comfortable - great for commuting comfort (bar risers and tall-boy clipons).

Maintenance hasn't been bad at all on my bike. I've got 16k on the clock so far, I consider this super low mileage. The bikes that you'll see listed with 5k or less mileage is a real shame. They can handle high mileage no problem.

[alligator]

1) The Monster I rode was bogging in 1st gear. The owner said it was a characteristic shared by all Ducati engines. Is this true? Do you have to keep revs really high to get it to smooth out?

I just purchased a new M1100 and I don't have any trouble in first gear.  I will be making the 14 tooth gear switch, but it certainly isn't unusable with a 15 tooth gear.

2) What kind of maintenance/service do the Desmo valves require? How much does it run?

The prices seem reasonable to me.  I'm expecting to pay $500-800 per service.  But when you buy the best, you need to maintain it as required.  7500 miles is also reasonable in my book.

3) Which models have FI? (I believe post 2000?) And do these still have a choke-type lever on the left side?

The latest model certainly does.

[junior varsity]

The independent certified ducati mechanics cost significantly less than the dealerships as well. They work at about $75 an hour (that's been my experience in Nashville and Dallas).

Furthermore, valve adjustments etc are actually quite simple. There's no magic in there, no voodoo. If you pick one up, you can learn to do it yourself (I'm told. I am lazy and don't own very many tools. indep. mech. gets a portion of my beer budget). The LT Snyder manual tells all. Even has a "GUIDE TO BUYING A USED DUCATI" section, so you know what to look out for.

All the tools you could need and parts for basic maintenance can be had here, and here:
www.desmotimes.com
www.ca-cycleworks.com