Second post, purchasing a monster

[michaeljr]

Hi all! I'm planning purchasing a new (well used) monster in the next few weeks. I've had my eyes on these bikes as far back as I can remember, but never got around to pulling the trigger on one. Well, I've finally got the time to commit to it, and I'm ready to go. Now, here comes to noob questions I'm sure you've all heard 1000 times on this. Bear with me here, after this stereotypical first time post, I promise I'll use the search feature as much as humanly possible, and after exhausting all other options, I'll start a new thread.

Here goes nothing;

620 vs 695 ( ), mileage, what I should be looking for, etc. This is just for buzzing around town, twisties, country roads, etc. I recently found a 2007 695 for 3900 with 22k miles on it, and he said the number is flexible (moving way out of the region). It's been down once, gentle, he wasn't sketchy about it, some small scratches, no tank damage. Should I move on? There are 620s floating around this area for well under 3500, but from what little I've read, the 695 is a better bike. Should I just jump on one of those?

Help. This is my first duca, and I want to do it right and not be kicking myself.

Thanks ahead of time! The newbie posts must get annoying.

[BerettaMato]

620 is fine I just would suggest a six speed if you drive on the freeway often.

[michaeljr]

Noob question (again), did they make a dry clutch version of the 620?

[DesmoTull]

Negative

[xcaptainxbloodx]

assuming they have a similarly meticulous maintenance record, similar $ in modifications (and that they are relevant to what you want for the bike and were done properly), I would go with a low mile 620 over a 22k 695. the 695 is better but not that much better.  

if you can muster the ~5k for an EFI 750 or 900 (or for that matter, ~6k for an s2r 800) I would do that in a heartbeat.  the small monsters aren't bad but you will want more very quickly.

[BerettaMato]

That is not always true I have been riding my whole life and I have more fun riding smaller cc bikes. Specially in the mountains. Different bike's for different blokes. I also have a 620 Dark and it is a ton off fun.

[duccarlos]

The S2R 800 is an awesome alternative. There are tons out there for cheap. I rode the 620 and always felt that it needed another gear. The 800 is the perfect balance and not that much more horses to get you into trouble.

[BerettaMato]

I will say if I were going to get a bigger older Monster it would be a S2R 800 love the swing arm.

[xcaptainxbloodx]

That is not always true I have been riding my whole life and I have more fun riding smaller cc bikes. Specially in the mountains. Different bike's for different blokes. I also have a 620 Dark and it is a ton off fun.

I agree to some extent. its always more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow, but with the 620/695/696 its more than just the power defect, they all have some pretty awful parts on them. so if you can drop an extra grand or two and get a bike that will perform better in every aspect, why not?

 the way I look at it, by the time you spend the cash to upgrade a 620 to the level of braking and handling of even an s2r 800 (which has some pretty crap gear in its own right) you could have picked up a much better handling bike for the same money or less and have the extra power as a bonus.

[BerettaMato]

That's a very good point. I do wish I had better brakes and suspension. I paid $1700 for mine so it was to good to pass. I will have about $2500 in it by the time I am done. Not bad for a everyday rider. With said I will get a 796 or a S2R800 this winter for my weekend and touring bike.

[Betty]

Hang on a minute.

At best the 620 and S2R 800 had the same suspension and brake components but this is not necessarily the case.

Comparing my wife's 02 620 to my 05 800:
 - the forks are the same
 - the 620 had the 4 piston calipers (later models had the same 2 piston & smaller discs as the 800)
 - the 620 has a steel tank (later models had the plastic tank of the 800)
 - the 800 has a 6 speed APTC clutch which i believe was only available on the later 620s
 - the 800 has the SSSA and 20mm higher seat

The 695 components should mirror the 800 but in the DSSA configuration of the 620. At least that's how it played out in Australia.

I agree to some extent. its always more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow, but with the 620/695/696 its more than just the power defect, they all have some pretty awful parts on them. so if you can drop an extra grand or two and get a bike that will perform better in every aspect, why not?

 the way I look at it, by the time you spend the cash to upgrade a 620 to the level of braking and handling of even an s2r 800 (which has some pretty crap gear in its own right) you could have picked up a much better handling bike for the same money or less and have the extra power as a bonus.

[michaeljr]

So if I gather this correctly, I'll be just fine with a lower mileage 620 dark? Any years I should avoid? There's a few around here under 5k miles for under 3500.

[BerettaMato]

The 620ie Dark has a 5speed gearbox and one brake. So try to get a 620 with the 6speed gearbox and dual brakes.

[michaeljr]

The 620ie Dark has a 5speed gearbox and one brake. So try to get a 620 with the 6speed gearbox and dual brakes.

What model would that be? A straight 620 dark? Stay away from the i or the ie?

[BerettaMato]

The ie is for fuel injected. The dark is the basic model. look for a 620 or 620s.