About to pull the trigger on a Monster - Can't Decide Which one!

[jeffreyjames]

Lol.. I do get a little nervous about 'ol Gabor.. He doesn't seem to know too much about the bike.  The 796's are going to be quite above my price range, and I'd like to cap out at 8k..  I've heard the 696's performance and over all handling is superior to the older monsters, I don't really freak out about how it looks, I like the riding experience..

I live in South Florida.. Riding season is starting.. So the money is burning a hole in my pocket, and the sun is shining..   So if I'm trying to pull the trigger on something in the next 30 days, I don't know what better deals I'll find.

[The Bacon Junkie]

Well, if you want to save some bread and still get a good Monster, buy Sac Duc's bike.  Just think of all the mods you could do with the extra $4,200.00 you'd save over Fleabay bikes.

He's taking it to the dealer on Saturday to trade it in. I'm sure he'd rather have it go to a fellow board member than some random schmo...

I've ridden this bike and have had no problems keeping up with riders on bigger bikes. It turns quicker and carries cornerspeed better than the larger bikes due to it's lighter weight. 

Just my two cents... Good luck with whichever choice you make.   

[booger]

I test rode a 796 - and it did not perform as well as my tuned S2R, not even close. Brakes were better but that's about it. Engine performance was way down. I'm sure with a $3500 Termi kit it would rock as it's supposed to but I was underwhelmed and disappointed, as I fully expected to be blown away. Dealer wanted my bike for himself, I said nope ( he took mine for a spin to assess it). But if you have to have another Monster, and it has to be new, wait a lil while till the money burns another hole in your ass and get a 796 or you'll be doing this all over again in three months time.

Also - if you're that indecisive just leave the store empty-handed. That's what my gf does and her wallet thanks her. A better bike will materialize and you'll spare yourself some regret. 696=fail IMO with that skinny little rear tire and big offensive dopey looking double-sided swingarm and no oil cooler OK offensive run-on rant over

[muskrat]

those are slip-ons, no 696 full Termi system. 
I agree with the above, wait for a good one to come your way.

[rlgMcoupe]

I vote '09 with termi slips, assuming it has the ECU and filter to go with it. I have that same combo and it sounds and feels great, also dark btw!

[Raux]

bergdoerfer, i think the critical test would not have been a stock 796 vs your tuned S2R but a stock 796 vs stock S2R or both tuned.

the stock new Monster is out the door a better handling and braking bike than the old Monsters.

Tuning changes everything. I would go so far as to say with one more change on my bike (upgraded shock) and some suspension tuning for your weight, you would be very impressed with the setup of this 696.

engine wise, I may down on power but only slightly--
in the corners with the lighter weight and smaller rear tire... you would love this bike in the twisties.

[Veloce-Fino]

bergdoerfer, i think the critical test would not have been a stock 796 vs your tuned S2R but a stock 796 vs stock S2R or both tuned.

the stock new Monster is out the door a better handling and braking bike than the old Monsters.

Tuning changes everything. I would go so far as to say with one more change on my bike (upgraded shock) and some suspension tuning for your weight, you would be very impressed with the setup of this 696.

engine wise, I may down on power but only slightly--
in the corners with the lighter weight and smaller rear tire... you would love this bike in the twisties.

If only I had the technical knowhow to do a fork swap...

I agree, the 696 is a great bike. You will not regret the purchase. The S2R I have ridden felt sluggish, heavy, and cumbersome in the turns. Anyone who has ridden an S2R and then a 696 will attest to this fact.
(unless they refuse to be honest)
You really can't beat the flick-ability of a 696...It's a hooligan machine.

[The Bacon Junkie]

If only I had the technical knowhow to do a fork swap...

I agree, the 696 is a great bike. You will not regret the purchase. The S2R I have ridden felt sluggish, heavy, and cumbersome in the turns. Anyone who has ridden an S2R and then a 696 will attest to this fact.
(unless they refuse to be honest)
You really can't beat the flick-ability of a 696...It's a hooligan machine.

Fork swap is pretty easy. Duck-Stew showed me how to do it once. Foe me to learn anything mechanical it MUST be simple.

Ya take off the front wheel, loosen up the bolts on the triples, and not much more to it... There are a few little tips and hints that make it go easier, but that's pretty much it.

Just make sure you have an accurate torque wrench and know how to use it... I found that out the hard way...   

[booger]

bergdoerfer, i think the critical test would not have been a stock 796 vs your tuned S2R but a stock 796 vs stock S2R or both tuned.

the stock new Monster is out the door a better handling and braking bike than the old Monsters.

Tuning changes everything. I would go so far as to say with one more change on my bike (upgraded shock) and some suspension tuning for your weight, you would be very impressed with the setup of this 696.

engine wise, I may down on power but only slightly--
in the corners with the lighter weight and smaller rear tire... you would love this bike in the twisties.

Raux I don't doubt you one bit. However your bike is a little bit more than slightly modded. And in stock permutation, 3hp UP on the S2R800.
Handling? I did not notice the handling or power to be better, only the braking. The bike never developed any grunt until after 4500 which was disappointing for a bike advertised as having 10 more hp in stock form. I was expecting this bike to whip my bike's ass plain and simple. It did not. And the clutch felt, well, wierd.
Veloce, the S2R you rode probably had squared-off old tires on it. My bike practically falls into the turns.
Bear in mind fellas I wanted to buy a new 796 that day, but after the test ride I just couldn't do it.

[Veloce-Fino]

Raux I don't doubt you one bit. However your bike is a little bit more than slightly modded. And in stock permutation, 3hp UP on the S2R800.
Handling? I did not notice the handling or power to be better, only the braking. The bike never developed any grunt until after 4500 which was disappointing for a bike advertised as having 10 more hp in stock form. I was expecting this bike to whip my bike's ass plain and simple. It did not. And the clutch felt, well, wierd.
Veloce, the S2R you rode probably had squared-off old tires on it. My bike practically falls into the turns.
Bear in mind fellas I wanted to buy a new 796 that day, but after the test ride I just couldn't do it.

Hmm, still difficult to believe. The 696/796 handles and stops better than the older monsters <- fact. Power wise, obviously the numbers are different.
There is no way an S2R with a 180 is more nimble than a 696 with a 160, not gonna happen without some major modification.

Perhaps you are confusing the feeling of a new pair of shoes to your well used pair. They feel different/wrong but are clearly better.

[ungeheuer]

....dunno if those Termis are slipons or a full kit...

I do.  "Full Termi Carbon exhaust"  .  They're slipon cans.  Termi does not make a Full System for M696.  Nothing wrong with a nice set of slipons mounted to your stock headers.... but a "Full" system they aint.

[jvax]

bergdoerfer, what mileage did the 796 have when you test rode it?  My mech test rode mine at 0 miles before I picked her up, and then at 700 miles after first service, and he said she handled and felt much, much better/smoother after I broke her in.  I did notice what he said, but less so than him because I ride everyday, so I had to take his word for it.  He is after all a 10+ years experienced Duc race mech.  I don't doubt for a second that a broken-in, tuned, modded 796 would def out-perform your S2R.

[muskrat]

In the end buy what feels right for you no matter what the specs says 

[booger]

I'd like to add as an aside that my desktop wallpaper is a diamond black M796. So I don't have bias against the new Monsters, I desire one.
Perhaps the demo wasn't set up very well? Who knows- that the 796 wasn't, to me, absolutely superior to the S2R doesn't compute somehow. But that's the impression I got. Maybe I need another test ride.

[stopintime]

I'd like to add as an aside that my desktop wallpaper is a diamond black M796. So I don't have bias against the new Monsters, I desire one.
Perhaps the demo wasn't set up very well? Who knows- that the 796 wasn't, to me, absolutely superior to the S2R doesn't compute somehow. But that's the impression I got. Maybe I need another test ride.

I had the same experience on a Streetfighter. Of course it's faster, but I wasn't impressed. I expected to be scared and thrilled. Same thing with the 848 (under 7k revs). My guess is that it has to do with the torque curve - a bike hitting peak torque at lower revs feels strong. If you're used to another, higher torque curve - it's probably different.