Thinking about upgrading from DM620 to Triumph Street Triple R

[ab]

Wheezer your hands on experience from the dm620 to the STriple is very helpful.  How has the maintenance been so far on your wife's STriple?  Trying to compare the valve work, belts etc ? in terms of frequency and cost ?

[LA]

You owe yourself a good ........ long ....... ride on a deep sump monster.  If you feel wedded to a 620, that ride could prove to be a cathartic Ducati experience. 


LA

[Travman]

Larry, you've convinced me to get a ride on a deep sump monster as soon as possible.  You' have extolled the virtues of your S4RS several times.  It all sounds very satisfiying.

[EvilSteve]

I've ridden: S2R800 (owned), M750, M1000, S4, S4RS (owned) and currently own an '09 Daytona 675.
I've demod: HM1100S, M620, random other stuff
S2R 800 was a great bike lots of fun. Much better ride, more agile and fun than the M750 (closest thing to the M620 which I've only ridden very briefly). Hands down the S2R was better than the M750. The S4 kind of felt like the M750 but heavier and lots more power. I realize that's not entirely fair but that was the impression I was left with. The S4RS was kind of a different animal, it had the race ECU and ExBox, it was kind of a beast.

Compare all those to the Daytona and I can honestly say that the motor on the Daytona is amazing. Because the bike is so light, the motor doesn't feel like a lawn mower next to the S4RS. I'd put the 675 at about the same as the 1000 air cooled twins in terms of go. Yeah, there's a lot less torque but with a light bike it doesn't feel as bad as the numbers suggest. I was very close to buying a Street Triple R when I bought the 675. I ended up getting the 675 because it has monobloc calipers and two way adjustable compression damping front and back. I think I'd have been happier on the STR but the geek factor clouded my mind.

Don't let people convince you that the STR isn't worth considering without riding the bike. The motor is amazing and while it sounds a little underwhelming at low revs, you want that, at high revs I'm still surprised that the exhaust is stock and EPA legal - it sounds amazing.

Try it out & make up your own mind, it's a competitor in the market you're looking at and depending on who you talk to would be classed with the M696 or the M1100. Most of the reviews I've read call the STR awesome and if it had the same suspension as the 675 I would have bought it for sure.

[Statler]

I just don't see triples and twins and fours as competitors at all.   Motorcycle characters are dominated by their motors.   You like thunder or screaming or...triples (which do both and neither at the same time).

[wheezer]

In terms of maintenance, the biggest difference is that the Triumph doesn't require valve adjustments until 12k miles vs.6-7.5k miles for the Ducati - that alone can be a significant savings. The triple uses a cam chain instead of belts and I haven't seen anything in the schedule which indicates when it needs to be checked. Since the cover must be removed to adjust the valves, I assume it is checked during that service.

The service schedules can be found in the manuals here:
Daytona 675/Speed Triple
http://www.triumph.co.uk/media/Daytona_675_OHB_UK%281%29.pdf
Monster 1100
http://www.ducati.com/en/bikes/service/manuals/2009/pdf/M1100_M1100S-09_en.zip

BTW, I agree with EvilSteve about the comparison of the 675cc Triumph to the air-cooled 1000cc Ducati - the overall performance is similar even if the torque and hp curves aren't.

[EvilSteve]

You like thunder or screaming or...triples (which do both and neither at the same time).

I like them all in their own way? I loved the sound of my GSX-R750 with a slip-on screaming down my road, I really loved the sound of the S4RS, it sounded so evil, it was great and my 675 sounds like an old F1 race car at full song. They all sound great in their own way and I appreciate each it its own right. Other people don't have to of course, each to their own.

[zenjim]

AB, don't know where you're at but the guy in the cubicle next to me has a black 2008 Street Triple that he bought for his kid who never rode it. He's a Harley guy so I'm not sure he understands exactly what it is for. 
Has 100 miles and he's come to the realization he needs to unload. Could be a good deal. Located in SoCal. Let me know.

[Autostrada Pilot]

AB, don't know where you're at but the guy in the cubicle next to me has a black 2008 Street Triple that he bought for his kid who never rode it. He's a Harley guy so I'm not sure he understands exactly what it is for. 
Has 100 miles and he's come to the realization he needs to unload. Could be a good deal. Located in SoCal. Let me know.

Where's the kid located? He deserves a good slap. 

[ab]

AB, don't know where you're at but the guy in the cubicle next to me has a black 2008 Street Triple that he bought for his kid who never rode it. He's a Harley guy so I'm not sure he understands exactly what it is for.  
Has 100 miles and he's come to the realization he needs to unload. Could be a good deal. Located in SoCal. Let me know.

What a waste not to ride it    

OH

A former coworkers neighbor would ride his Harley to the local once a week bike hangout about four miles away from him.  Then proceed to ride back home.  That would be it until the next week.  Amazing.   I guess to each their own      Seems desperation to belong I guess   

[Popeye the Sailor]

A former coworkers neighbor would ride his Harley to the local once a week bike hangout about four miles away from him.  Then proceed to ride back home.  That would be it until the next week.  Amazing.   I guess to each their own      Seems desperation to belong I guess   

Yeah, but, how many tickets did he have? 

[ab]

Yeah, but, how many tickets did he have?  

Excellent point  
 

[I am going to have to zap your mind and erase that part of your memory that recalls my tickets     or you are going to force me to create a new alias    ]

[zenjim]

Where's the kid located? He deserves a good slap. 

In all honesty, he was going to commute on it as well. I think he felt bad that I ride to work every day on my little Monster while he had his HARLEY and his CHOPPER in the garage. Nice garage too. I said, Dude, ride the Harley in for a few weeks to see if that's what you want to do. He said no, I need a different bike for commuting. (He currently drives a Prius with a Big Bear Choppers bumper sticker - strange). Anyway, he never tried riding in on the Harley and went straight to I-need-a-commuting-bike and also, maybe my kids will learn on it and ride with me on Sunday. I got caught up in the search and started taking him to bike stores and explaining how bikes that weigh less than 1,000 pounds work. It was like buying a bike vicariously. The way I imagine women get when their girlfriend needs a wedding dress or new shoes. Anyway. it's really funny because every time I bring up the bike he just gives me that look - You dirty bastard, I'd be up $10k if I didn't listen to you!
My girl is buying her first bike and it's looking like a used Monster 620 for her. I can't stand to bring it up because he keeps saying, you know I got a Street Triple gathering dust right?
Harley guys are funny.

[jerryz]

You wont regret it the ST675 is amazing machine , massive torque ,perfect fuelling great handling, I rode on for 30miles at a dealer in UK ,, If i had some spare cash I would buy one .....maybe i should sell one of my 3 Ducatis??