What should I pay for a stock 2012 M696?

[Bontchimuz]

Hey all - love the forum and all the superb information.

As I am looking to buy a new 2012 Monster 696, I am curious what I should aim for price-wise.

I have heard people say I will never get any % off MSRP and others say I should be able to get $500-1k off. Other even say while I might not get anything off bike price, I should negotiate % off gear or even free gear etc.

I will be buying the bike in the NH/MA area and this is my first time doing this, so I feel like a total noob.

Any advice or recommendations are much appreciated.

Thanks,
-B

[Zulu]

I bought my 696 almost a year ago. It was 2010. With a ducati dark agv helmet , I paid $9000 with taxes and fees. Try calling few dealerships and compare prices.
Also, look around and see if anyone has any left over 10' or 11' .

[thought]

If you are ok with a used bike, you can easily find a 696 for around 5-6k... if it's your first bike it tends to be a good idea to buy used first in case you wind up dropping it.

[Garland]

I just bought a 2011 696 ABS for about $9500 (including fees and all) in Alaska and got $300 in store credit. There's only two Ducati dealerships and the other one was offering pretty much the same.  They are also kind enough to hold it for me for a couple months until the snow melts and I can drive out to pick it up.

[peppeducati]

Picked up on Tuesday a brand new leftover 2011 M796 ABS for $10,000 out the door! Sold my '06 S2R1000 the week before with the intention of not picking up a new bike. Wife was happy but I was not! Needless to say I stumbled upon this beauty and got a pretty sweet deal. Free Monster tank protector, install of frame sliders, and piggyback for battery also thrown in. Loved my S2R but this bike is so smooth. Of course I wanted an EVO but for this price I couldn't pass up! 800cc's is plenty of motor for me.

[Curmudgeon]

  Congrats!

Left-over in what part of the country? They were scarce as hen's teeth on the East Coast late last summer.

Change the front sprocket yet? That's 803ccs at 11:1+. Makes BIG bangs out of those cylinders.  Mine wasn't particularly smooth out-the-door but was after ~ 1,200 miles. Certainly it's fast enough in the twisties! Every time I pass somebody, I'm doing 80+. 

[peppeducati]

I live in CT but found bike in RI. Got lucky I guess! What should I excpect from changing front sprocket? Def wanna do evotech fender eliminator and get a more comfy seat. Not sure about pipes. Guess by smooth I meant shifting wise. The wet clutch is so much more forgiving than the dry on my previous S2R1000. Looking forward to putting some miles on this bad boy!

[Curmudgeon]

Read all of this thread http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=55641.0 and/or search "14T front sprocket" which should keep you busy for a day or two. 

Agree with YOU that the APTC clutch makes the bike a more "finesse" package but not all here will agree. Suits my smooth, precise riding style. Definitely use that gear box in both directions too! 

From the literature: "The APTC ‘wet’ clutch gives a ‘slipper’ type action that prevents destabilizing of the rear-end under aggressive down-shifting and also gives the extra benefit of a super-light feel at the lever, a great benefit in stop-start city traffic or during longer journeys. The 21-plate oil-bath clutch (11 friction and 10 steel) represents a power-enhancing weight reduction over the ‘dry’ system as well as having a quieter operation and requiring less maintenance."

Having owned an S2R1K, you might want to enlighten the boys here still riding older Monsters about the differences in the new bikes. I expect most think the new bikes are a "styling change". From what I can gather, Ducati re-designed the Monster from a blank sheet of paper whereas the older bikes were mostly "parts bin" assemblies. 

Look at this seat. Works for me at any rate. http://www.sargentcycle.com/ducws6961000.htm You can send it back for credit if you don't like it. Consider my other mods too. They work.

Fender eliminator? You must have a black jacket? 

[peppeducati]

Thanks! Agreed, this bike is completely new from the previous Monster not only aesthetically but technically.

I do have a black jacket! I don't mind the stock license plate fender but the Evotech does clean up the rear end quite nicely. Do you have a suggestion on which 14T to go with and where to get? I may have it put on my 600 mile service. The Termi package is calling my name but so far I'm finding the stock pipes to be fine. I figure they will get a little louder as the bike breaks in. I'm enjoying the closed clutch cover. The open one I had on the S2R1K was getting a little loud for me.

I can't tell you how many instances I had on the S2R1K where my rear tire would sputter or start to slide out when downshifting into a turn. The wet clutch makes me feel more confident. I've been riding for 11 years but I still consider myself to be constantly learning. I really need to ride this bike more to build up my confidence in turns.

Thanks for your suggestions!

[Curmudgeon]

What are the differences in handling you perceive vs the S2R1K? I find my 796 very light and nimble but still stable and confident.

After riding a demo I had my dealer install a 14T and all the other mods in my signature line prior to delivery as he's 140 miles from me but a real pro. He used a Driven front sprocket for ~ $38.

I'm retired and don't have a loose $2K but would otherwise consider the homologated Ti Termi kit. NOT looking to make more noise! The stock cans get louder with use. The bike is a bit lean under 4,000 for EPA and Euro 3 naturally. Will probably do nothing unless I hit the lottery or possible ad Dynojet O2 optimizers if my dealer thinks that's OK and can do it separately without the Power Commander V. I don't need more power, but smoother down low would be a nice touch.

APTC is good if it suits your style as it does mine..., but match revs when you downshift anyway.  I'm 50 years on European bikes. My intro thread so you know where I'm coming from. http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=50673.msg929505#msg929505

My "cockpit" looks like this.

[peppeducati]

I've only put 150 miles on bike so far but the main difference I can feel is in the handling. The 796 feels lighter and nimbler. I feel like I can push it a little harder into turns with less effort.

I'm seriously considering the 14T. The majority seem to agree that it is a must do mod. Considering it is relatively inexpensive I most likely will have it done. For the type of riding I do I think it will suite my purposes.

I had Arrow slip on's the S2R1K and they were rather loud. Although the open cover dry clutch was more annoying. The exhaust didn't bother me so much. I'm still on the fence as to what I will do. I'd rather spend less on a Leo Vince or some other slip on set up but I want to make sure the bike will be running properly if I do so.

Your bike is beautiful! I love the skins you put on. Very classy! Your seat looks comfy. I'm gonna give the stock seat a try for a while. If I find my butt to be hurting on longer rides then I will consider the Sargent. I rode the bike home from RI (80 or so miles and my butt was fine). My last Monster that was not the case with the stock seat.

[Curmudgeon]

Your impressions are the same as mine. I did have a "cheap" Ohlins (~$600-) built for my weight and riding style prior to delivery because, while not evil, I didn't think the back end of the demo was doing much while I found the forks OK. My ex-racer/Ohlins tech/dealer set it up for me and once he had the sag even on both ends with him on board, only had to back off the damping one click. This was important to me because he's 140 miles from me! Barring failures, I really don't want to see him for two years now as it's a hassle and expensive for a trailer both ways. He removed the evaps canister on the first service at ~ 900 miles and fitted the Euro left side radiator shroud which is cheap. Holes were filled with the proper screws rather than vacuum plugs too.

Do the 14T. It's easy to reverse if you don't like it but I can't imagine you would since we have no Autostradas here! 

Any new cans are a lot of $$$ for not much benefit except that they are lighter. I don't mind the stock cans. Personally I think Ducati did a good job with the design of this scoot from end-to-end. Other's mileage may vary... If you did the Termis, at least you know that it's almost plug-and-play with minor dealer adjustment. Benefit according to "thought" is a bit smoother running and a bit more torque and BHP. Nothing radical.

Three years ago I broke my left shoulder and it still tires easily, so the lighter handling is a great benefit. It still doesn't like a lot of weight on it. With my current setup, I'm fine with the wind pressure lifting me off the bars at 50 MPH+ but still have trouble in town at 30 - 40. The new seat is alledged to be much better but it still forced me onto the tank more than I liked. The Sargent doesn't cure that but is better as it's a flatter platform. I did manage one 300+ mile day on it too when I had my first service without much discomfort. If you try one, you can send it back within 30 days if you don't like it. I doubt you would though. My bar is ~ 5/8" higher with 2" more sweep in case you want to consider it. Looks a bit better than stock IMO too. These are subjective things. The riding position is still more or less aggressive. I find those Tech Spec pads useful as I can dig my knees into them at low speeds in town and get the weight off my wrists and shoulder.

Glad you like the skins. I ordered a red bike for resale but my son and I think that red is for SBKs, not street bikes. I just replaced my Pantah with a Pantah.  My 34-year-old son likes it too. Amusingly, that bike was set up for a week before I could get up there with a trailer to pick it up. This dealership has a floor full of SBKs and other fancy stuff but everybody up there told me that the customers made a bee-line for the bike as soon as they came through the front door.  http://www.ducpond.com/aboutus.asp

Keep up posted and show us some good pix when you can!