Rode the Monster 1200S today. Unfortunately, the dealership is downtown in the middle of a major city, and traffic in that area is frequently bumper to bumper throughout the day. And that's the way it was today, so it wasn't the most ideal conditions for testing a new bike. Still, I was able to ride around some of the streets down there for a little while, enough to at least make an initial impression.
The brakes are excellent. Nothing much I can add to that. I was able to stop with one finger and I didn't find the brakes to be grabby or over-sensitive in any way. This was the S model, so I'm not sure how that compares to the standard 1200 model.
Stiff clutch. The clutch was kind of stiff compared to what I'm used to, but I'm told that will likely loosen up a bit as everything breaks in. I was in stop and go traffic for about 30 minutes (barely moving, but not stopped), and it was really starting to kill my left hand. Riding in those conditions always sucks, so I won't hold that against the bike. However, I did tell the dealer I had a hard time finding neutral at the lights and so I just ended up holding the clutch the whole time, which was not fun in that traffic. And he told me that several people have complained of the exact same problem on many of the new Ducatis they have in stock and that it
should go away after the bike gets a few miles on it.
The seat was fine. The seat was nice and wide and I was reasonably comfortable the whole time, so no problems there.
Balance is superb. I was perhaps a tiny bit unbalanced trying to hunt for those rear pegs every time I started rolling from a complete stop, but remember that's an entirely unfamiliar riding position for me. All things being equal, it was fine and I didn't have any problems riding the bike. If I had one comment here, it's that once you're actually on it and moving, the riding position on the Monster is perhaps a little more pitched forward and aggressive compared to how I thought it would feel just judging from pictures. It wasn't bad or anything, but I kind of did feel like I was looking down at the front tire. Another thing I noticed is that it is most definitely more work to keep your head lifted up and to turn and check traffic in adjacent lanes compared to the cruiser seating position, where everything is relaxed. I didn't dislike it, but there's no question it makes riding a Monster considerably more involved than riding my Dyna. Could I ride it more than an hour or two? That's a damn good question, and I wish I knew the answer. My guess is this bike would start to get pretty cramped and uncomfortable after about two hours. But that may be a wash because I start to feel beat up on my Dyna after two hours. The softail I used to ride was comfortable for longer periods.
The display is hard to read. I found I could barely see it half the time and ended up just ignoring it mostly. It's high tech and cool, especially for demoing it on the showroom floor. However, I didn't find it especially well designed for real world use.
The modes work. There is a tremendous difference between the various modes, and the Urban mode seems invaluable in stop and go traffic. However, I'm baffled by the way the display changed for Urban mode so that it essentially shows, well, nothing of any importance. Touring mode is much better in that respect. Overall, I thought the display detracted from the modes a bit. A gear indicator would have been a welcome addition, even if it was just for Urban mode.
Exhaust note was excellent. Honestly, I generally hate the way many non-Harley bikes sound. They may be powerful and well designed, but they sound like a sewing machine on steroids to me. And personally, I hate not being able to HEAR what gear I'm in. Well, I'm happy to report that's not a problem on the Monster 1200S. This particular example was equipped with a Termi exhaust, and it was loud and powerful. In fact, I would say it was actually a bit louder than my Dyna with V&H Big Radius pipes. THIS is what a sporty-type bike ought to sound like! Very cool.
Bike was very light. In fact, it turns so amazingly well that I was really trying to be careful because it was such an unfamiliar feeling. My Dyna is one of the most maneuverable, best handling bikes in the HD lineup, but it's a truck compared to this. Overall I found it pretty easy to ride, at least for the limited amount of riding I actually got to do.
So will I buy it? Hmmm, good question. My guess is that the R Nine T is a little easier to ride. However, I like some of the advanced options that the Monster offers, like traction control, riding modes, etc. The bike is big, powerful, and reasonably comfortable, but I disliked the instrument display. I just thought the display was fairly underwhelming for such an otherwise high tech bike. But motorcycles aren't about displays, they're about the riding experience.
So...I need to think about it a bit more.
P.S. There is a ton of information and opinion online from guys making the transition from sport bike to cruiser, but hardly anything from the opposite perspective. Hopefully, these observations may be of some benefit to someone considering a Ducati who comes from another type of motorcycle.
