696 vs 796

[Raux]

Maybe it's just a comfort thing for me then. The 796 was very comfortable but at my comfort limit for height. I could flat foot it no problem.

797 and 1100 have same seat height as far as I know

[ungeheuer]

A couple of days ago my local Ducati dealer gave me an information pack on the Monsters and I looked up the prices on the 'net.

From that information, the 796 is A$2,000 dearer, front and rear suspension are the same for both, 796 has a SSS, the 796 seat height is 800 mm Vs 770 for the 696 and the 796 is 2 Kg heavier, wheels and tyres are different....

I'm ready to be corrected on this, but I believe you're wrong when you say that 696 and 796 have the same front suspension.  Neither are adjustable, but I'm pretty sure the 796 forks are not the one-lame-leg basic variety as is fitted to 696.

Curmudgeon will probably know.... 

[Ducatamount]

If you are not living in Europe, you need to fit a 14T front sprocket before the bike leaves the showroom or you'll never find 6th gear. 

 Those of us who disagree with you would appreciate if you stopped saying this like it's a fact and start phrasing it like it's your opinion. 

[Howie]

If you guys wander over to ducati.com and look at the parts manuals you will find your question about forks pretty much unanswered.  Different part numbers for 696 and 796 forks, but the spring, plunger tube and preload tube are the same.

[Curmudgeon]

 Those of us who disagree with you would appreciate if you stopped saying this like it's a fact and start phrasing it like it's your opinion. 

Mine is not a generic suggestion. We are discussing 696 and 796 in this thread, (although riders of EVO's have also reported a more pleasant riding experience with a 14T fitted).

If YOU are still on an M900, it may well NOT require shorter gearing. I'm on my 8th Ducati since 1965 and only two of those cried for a 14T out of the box. In fact it was Jimmy Adamo or Reno Leoni who twisted my arm to fit shorter gearing to my 600SL with a better chain, and that involved removing some metal from the case!

We all know the reasons Ducati gear the bikes the way they do, and in the case of the 696 and 796 that has everything to do with drive-by noise and Euro 3/EPA/CARB, and zip to do with pulling redline in 6th. 

Take a demo ride on a 696 and come back and argue with me.  You didn't get anywhere near 6th, did you?! The bike shook your teeth out crawling at 3,000 in 3rd, right? The OP here is near Route 1 on the Monterey Peninsula, not the A8 outside of Stuttgart!

My chipped 851 didn't require shorter gearing. 

[Curmudgeon]

I'm ready to be corrected on this, but I believe you're wrong when you say that 696 and 796 have the same front suspension.  Neither are adjustable, but I'm pretty sure the 796 forks are not the one-lame-leg basic variety as is fitted to 696.

Curmudgeon will probably know.... 

No clue actually. Since 2011 both have upside down Marzocchi rather than the original 696 Showa which most here seem to revile. The Marzocchi behaves well with my Ohlins DU-737 but would probably be better with something like Redline or Spectro in them rather than Shell Advance. The stock Sachs shock was essentially "numb". Skybarney fitted a DU-737 to his EVO and thought he died and went to heaven. 

[ducpainter]

Mine is not a generic suggestion. We are discussing 696 and 796 in this thread, (although riders of EVO's have also reported a more pleasant riding experience with a 14T fitted).

If YOU are still on an M900, it may well NOT require shorter gearing. I'm on my 8th Ducati since 1965 and only two of those cried for a 14T out of the box. In fact it was Jimmy Adamo or Reno Leoni who twisted my arm to fit shorter gearing to my 600SL with a better chain, and that involved removing some metal from the case!

We all know the reasons Ducati gear the bikes the way they do, and in the case of the 696 and 796 that has everything to do with drive-by noise and Euro 3/EPA/CARB, and zip to do with pulling redline in 6th. 

Take a demo ride on a 696 and come back and argue with me.  You didn't get anywhere near 6th, did you?! The bike shook your teeth out crawling at 3,000 in 3rd, right? The OP here is near Route 1 on the Monterey Peninsula, not the A8 outside of Stuttgart!

My chipped 851 didn't require shorter gearing. 

I don't think anyone is disputing that the 14T sprocket makes the bike more fun to ride.

The fact that you categorically state 'you'll never find 6th gear' isn't accurate at all. Maybe you don't, but many do.

[Raux]

I use 6th all the time on the highway at 60mph, it's a lazy cruise. I have done some mods to smooth things out though.

But we are getting off topic.

to address the OP post about geometry and lowering, lowering the front and rear on the 796/1100 equally has no affect of the handling of the bike, it's a neutral change. lowering just the rear slows the steering, lowering just the front quickens the turn in.

the 696 is the ONLY one of the Monsters with the lower rear suspension piece, which literally is a simple part swap that takes 30 min or less. and then pulling the forks through a small amount is about the same.

But if you are sitting on the 796 with no issues, them you can choose from any of the Monster line.

[Curmudgeon]

I don't think anyone is disputing that the 14T sprocket makes the bike more fun to ride.

The fact that you categorically state 'you'll never find 6th gear' isn't accurate at all. Maybe you don't, but many do.

On a 696/796 4,000 RPM is ~ an indicted 80 MPH in 6th which is essentially lugging the engine below that on a stock bike. With different fueling that might be less of an issue. I'm not running a DP ECU. (Won't discuss my terminal velocity here.  )

[Curmudgeon]

 

I use 6th all the time on the highway at 60mph, it's a lazy cruise. I have done some mods to smooth things out though.

[El-Twin]

(although riders of EVO's have also reported a more pleasant riding experience with a 14T fitted).

We all know the reasons Ducati gear the bikes the way they do, and in the case of the 696 and 796 that has everything to do with drive-by noise and Euro 3/EPA/CARB, and zip to do with pulling redline in 6th. 

Granted this is slightly off topic, but....

Agree with Curmudgeon here fellas.

Sure, you can eventually find 6th if you try hard enough. But you'll be deeply into illegal territory when you do.

I think the point is to integrate top gear into your repertoire of useful riding options every time out.

Why throw away a perfectly valuable gear? 

[Ducatamount]

Look, I'm not saying it's a bad idea to lower your gearing, I have done so to get my bike out of the basement (where I store it) and up the grass incline (often wet)... BUT... I do ride deeply into illegal territory (on the highway) and am constantly trying to shift into 7th gear  which I never did before the change and loved it. So in my case it was a trade off. If I had a garage on level ground I would never have done it.
 I definitely respect your guys OPINION on this but it is just that an OPINION, NOT FACT!
 Different strokes.... 

[Curmudgeon]

Look, I'm not saying it's a bad idea to lower your gearing, I have done so to get my bike out of the basement (where I store it) and up the grass incline (often wet)... BUT... I do ride deeply into illegal territory (on the highway) and am constantly trying to shift into 7th gear  which I never did before the change and loved it. So in my case it was a trade off. If I had a garage on level ground I would never have done it.

What bike?

[Ducatamount]

What bike?

Once again (he says patiently), you are missing (or deliberately obfuscating) my point.

[Curmudgeon]

Once again (he says patiently), you are missing my point.

What exactly makes you think that all Ducatis are created equal? Drives me bonkers when advice is offered by someone with zilch familiarity with a specific bike. 

My Paso Limited running 38mm Dellortos didn't need shorter gearing. My stock 796 cries for it.

Next you'll tell us that you hit the rev limiter in 6th with a 14T? Maybe you ought to put that one in the museum...