Sell me on it !!!

[tango59]

Posted the same thing on the Speed Triple forum. Currently own a Suzuki Bandit 1250  great bike but 540lbs wet and looks like evrything else. I've decided I want either a Monster 1100 or a Speed Triple. Give me the pros and cons of the Monster !!!!   PLEASE....I'm soooo confused.  I have not slept for days...............

[Scotzman]

Farther down in the general forum there's a topic about Best/favorite thing someone's said about your Monster?  Here you will find hundreds of compliments that come with owning such a fine italian machine. Specifics, I can't tell you since I've never riden a triple. But Ducati is more unique and monsters are very fun to ride.

[DW]

You can't go wrong with either.  The Monster has less power but also a lot less weight.  The Speed Triple has incredible bang for the buck.  Both companies have pretty good demo programs, take a ride on each!

I imagine that you would get a great deal of attention on either.  Triumph accesories appear to be cheaper and at least as good of quality as Ducati's.  The Speed triple sounds pretty mean with their Akropovic exhuast, but the Duc still has the best sound opened up. 

[RC Fan]

Posted the same thing on the Speed Triple forum. Currently own a Suzuki Bandit 1250  great bike but 540lbs wet and looks like evrything else. I've decided I want either a Monster 1100 or a Speed Triple. Give me the pros and cons of the Monster !!!!   PLEASE....I'm soooo confused.  I have not slept for days...............

Please take both for a test ride as others have suggested.  Keep in mind that the numbers on paper will likely be deceiving.  I had a '07 Bandit 650 which I traded for a 696.  While I don't regret getting rid of the Bandit (I found mine too heavy as well), I didn't realize what a nice bike it was until I got the 696.  The Bandit will likely have quite a bit more power than the 1100.  I can't speak for the Speed Triple, but I'd have to assume it would also have a lot more punch than the Monster.

Hopefully Pompetta will come along.  He has a lot of Bandit experience.

[DucHead]

Hey RC!

tango59 - The Bandit is a different class of bike than the Speed Triple or Monster.  It's a comfy commuter/tourer with much more wind protection than the other two bikes.  However, the motor puts out quite a bit of torque.  My '04 Bandit 1200 is around 71 ft•lbs @ 3400 rpm.  My '04 is air/oil cooled and carbed, and for me it's a keeper: inexpensive, good gas mileage, good looks, TONS of aftermarket parts and EASY maintenance (tappet-style valve adjustment).  The new liquid cooled/FI 1250 is a fantastic bike by all accounts (maximum-suzuki.com is an excellent site from which to gather information).

As for the S3 vs. the 1100, that's more difficult, and as others have said, take each for a demo ride.  I've not ridden the 1100, but I've ridden a Speed Triple and it's tons of fun.  Plus, they look and sound great (a local rider has one, and I ogle it every chance I get!).  

Have you at least seen/sat on each one?  Did either bike "speak" to you?  In the end, it's a matter of taste.  Only expert riders push either of these bikes to their limits, so buying the S3 because is has more power only makes sense if you're taking it to the track and wringing its neck.

P.S. You think the Bandit "looks like everything else?"  I have the Suzuki tank decal covered on my Bandit, and I get almost as many questions about what it is as I do with my Monster.   


P.P.S. Oops, I just re-read your post...you OWN a 1250.  Now it's imperative that you go ride an 1100/S3!!

[RC Fan]

In a perfect world, you could keep the Bandit and get an 1100 as well!

[junior varsity]

Is the streetfighter out of the question?

[Statler]

I'm not going to try to convince anyone to buy a certain bike.    Go ride them.    If you can't decide, flip a coin.   If you're tempted to go two out of three flips with the coin then the first flip was the wrong bike.

oh...and unless you're buying it for other people's opinions and posing (a valid reason), buy what you would ride if you could never be seen on it and couldn't tell people what you bought (as in which one is more fun for you to RIDE).

Bikes personalities for me are dominated by their motors.   AIr cooled Ducs and the Triumph triple are quite different.

Oh..one bit I allways mention in these buying questions.....your Duc dealer will make or break your owning experience.   If you're near one with a not-so-great reputation here, you either hopefully do all your own wrenching or you WILL be back here upset with the whole Ducati thing.

[corey]

what happens if your Duc dealer IS your Triumph dealer? Either way your boned! Hah.

[DRKWNG]

Bikes personalities for me are dominated by their motors.   AIr cooled Ducs and the Triumph triple are quite different.

Oh..one bit I allways mention in these buying questions.....your Duc dealer will make or break your owning experience.   If you're near one with a not-so-great reputation here, you either hopefully do all your own wrenching or you WILL be back here upset with the whole Ducati thing.

Posts like this make Statler's comments worth reading, even though he STILL hasn't sent me my shirt.   

Seriously though, as Chris said, the two motors in these bikes are so entirely different it is amazing.  I started off with an S2R800 and a Daytona 675, and then ended up selling the S2R for a modded out S1000.  Now I know that neither of my bikes have the motors that come in the bikes you are considering, but for me the SC is far more entertaining to ride, even in full on sport mode.  So much so that the Daytona is about to go up for sale.  Now with that said, the Speed Triple would get a seriously hard look if I were in the market for a more commuter/town friendly bike (with a great big set of balls mind you) and I could not find the KTM SM that I like.

[TAftonomos]

I had a 96 bandit modded into a 1250 something CC monster.  Made 155hp and ~100 ft-lbs as well.  Bought it already done with tons of gizmos for $2500.

I wish I had never sold it, but traded it in for the 07 s4r.  Now, the duc is quite a bit better in all but a straight line, but something about the B1200 I really miss.

I'd keep it

[mdriver]

I'm not going to try to convince anyone to buy a certain bike.    Go ride them.    If you can't decide, flip a coin.   If you're tempted to go two out of three flips with the coin then the first flip was the wrong bike.

oh...and unless you're buying it for other people's opinions and posing (a valid reason), buy what you would ride if you could never be seen on it and couldn't tell people what you bought (as in which one is more fun for you to RIDE).

Bikes personalities for me are dominated by their motors.   AIr cooled Ducs and the Triumph triple are quite different.

Oh..one bit I allways mention in these buying questions.....your Duc dealer will make or break your owning experience.   If you're near one with a not-so-great reputation here, you either hopefully do all your own wrenching or you WILL be back here upset with the whole Ducati thing.

+1

Some people like twins some don't. Only way to find out is to try it for yourself.
But if your buying a new bike to impress strangers get a Streetfighter or a Harley.

[junior varsity]

Ya lost me. A streetfighter would be a hell of a lot of fun to ride. I don't see how its 'to impress others'. Have a negative ride experience?

[kingbaby]

^

What he said.

WTF?

[mdriver]

Ya lost me. A streetfighter would be a hell of a lot of fun to ride. I don't see how its 'to impress others'. Have a negative ride experience?

Yeah, didn't mean it like that. Just saying that if a persons reason for buying a bike is to derive stares and positive commentary from passers by, then a Streetfighter or a Harley would get someone allot closer to their goal then a Monster or Speed Triple. 

Looking back at it, my response really had more to do with Scotzman's post then it did with tango's though.

Regarding a negative ride. If you take a close look at my avatar you'll see part of the end result of my Streetfigher experience.