View Full Version : Would a Monster do the job
Currently running a 916 which I have had for about 18 months.
As a mature rider I need something that will fit my 6ft 4 frame with a bit more comfort.
What I need is a bike I can use all the year round but will still stir my passion for italian flesh.
Do I go the Jap route and become boring on my Onda Ornet.
Is anyone using a Monster like this, what model shall I go for, will it do the job I want.
I will need to get my daughter on the back, shes only 14 and pretty light in weight but will need to pick her up from time to time.
I cant go through the winter on a 916, I will be on the floor all the time as the front washes out.
everton
27-Jul-2006, 08:28
Multistrada!
Multistrada Did it for me !!!!!!
Ugly...I cant live with how they look at the front
They may be good but sorry..no way
clockwork orange
27-Jul-2006, 09:40
You may find the Monster too small for you however. Rob nearly quit riding because of that he's 6'5". got a Multi & he's happy.
Do they handle ok and can you change the end cans
wet or dry clutch on the Multi
Monsters are good all round bikes,I went from a 916 to a monster750 and thence to an S2R and am quite happy with my choice.
Like all things it'll depend firstly on your budget and whether you'll want the water or aircooled engines,and how new or old your bike may be.
They are probably the most modifiable bike out there,easy to work on and bits are easy to come by.
Have a look here:-
http://www.ukmonster.co.uk/monster/index.php
you can get pretty much all you need to know from there.
everton
27-Jul-2006, 10:32
Do they handle ok and can you change the end cans
wet or dry clutch on the Multi
Well for a start, looks aren't everything :D
I quite liked the looks and changed from a S4 Monster to the Multi for the added pillion comfort and safety - my wife loved it - it's a perfect pillion bike.
They handle beautifully if you like upright riding positions and felt much more stable than the Monster. Put some Termi's on it and get rid of the cat - sounds great - there are other end can options
Standard Duc engine layout (air cooled) with standard dry clutch.
Try one - you could well be pleasantly suprised
You can change Cans and lots more properly great fun to ride!
If you don't like the Multistrada you may want to consider an ST. Basically, all modern monsters use the ST frame so an ST is a monster with clothes on. You can get different variants as well depending on what sort of Monster you were considering.
A two valver ST2 (at 944cc) is roughly equivalent to the 900/1000 2 valve monster in performance terms. These will be dirt cheap now, I reckon £1.5-2.5 would get you a reasonable one.
A four valver ST4 uses the 916 engine and will be nearly as quick as a 916 or Monster S4 which shares all the same cycle parts as the ST. These'll go for £2.5-£3.5K
The four valver ST4S uses a 996 engine and will be the equivalent of an S4R or 996 - Probably £3K+
If you look on the ST forum you'll see that their owners rate them as a superb all round bike, Ducati's best kept secret. They tour, they commute, they scratch and they even love trackdays. BDG, who has had loads of different bikes including 996R's and the like reckons that if he could only have one bike it would be the ST4S.
They are good for pillions with a bigger pillion seat than a monster, they'll take panniers if you've a mind to fit them but the biggest advantage for you is that they are fully faired.
With a Monster or a Multi, you've got acres of exposed engine that'll be a nightmare to keep on top of if you're reckoning to ride it through the winter, but the ST will lap it all up. Ride magazine did a test on riding through the winter on a whole bunch of bikes a few years ago and they were staggered to find that the Ducati ST2 won it - it scrubbed up better than all the Jap bikes, triumphs etc... Mine has been through 4 winters and still scrubs up OK.
Oh yeah...will it fit? Well I'm OK on one at 5' 9", but so is Martin Morell and they don't come much taller than him
With a Monster or a Multi, you've got acres of exposed engine that'll be a nightmare to keep on top of if you're reckoning to ride it through the winter, but the ST will lap it all up. Ride magazine did a test on riding through the winter on a whole bunch of bikes a few years ago and they were staggered to find that the Ducati ST2 won it - it scrubbed up better than all the Jap bikes, triumphs etc... Mine has been through 4 winters and still scrubs up OK.
WARNING! Thread hijack...........
I've been considering changing from my Supersport to a Multistrada sometime in the next 12 months. Why? Well, a change is as good as a holiday and I get to keep riding a sexy aircooled 2V engine.
My number one Multistrada concern is how tatty the engine will get after winter riding. I intend to use the bike for commuting and touring in general.
I've owned a half-faired 750ss and after 2 winters I will admit that the engine started looking worse for wear. Yet, my fully fair 900ss also looks pretty tatty underneath the fairings. It's like the fairings are just hiding all the corrosion damage. Maybe what you can't see isn't as bad what you can......
Anyone have any comments on how well the exposed Multistrade engine holds up to winter and wet riding in general?
On a slightly different tangent, how wide are Multis? I really appreciate how narrow my SS is when commuting.
clockwork orange
27-Jul-2006, 11:46
Yeah, paint peeling off the engine is a problem. That said I'm riding the thing not looking at it.
Filtering is actually remarkably easy on the Multi as it is so steerable. Its a bit wider than the SS but being taller makes you more visible to the car drivers.
The bike is just such a great all round ride that issues like peeling paint are quite minor to me.
Dementor
27-Jul-2006, 12:02
Well for a start, looks aren't everything :D
I quite liked the looks and changed from a S4 Monster to the Multi for the added pillion comfort and safety - my wife loved it - it's a perfect pillion bike.
They handle beautifully if you like upright riding positions and felt much more stable than the Monster. Put some Termi's on it and get rid of the cat - sounds great - there are other end can options
Standard Duc engine layout (air cooled) with standard dry clutch.
Try one - you could well be pleasantly suprised
What Dave said
Brilliant bike, but if you go for a test ride have it out for a few hours and try as many different roads as possible as they are very different to a sports bike.
jeff st4s
27-Jul-2006, 12:22
If you look on the ST forum you'll see that their owners rate them as a superb all round bike, Ducati's best kept secret. They tour, they commute, they scratch and they even love trackdays. BDG, who has had loads of different bikes including 996R's and the like reckons that if he could only have one bike it would be the ST4S.
Jools, thanks for the extra info.
I have to say I love my bike, given the choice after I have clocked up 5000 miles so far this year, I would buy the same one again given the choice of any Ducati in the range.
It may not be the fastest or best looking, but it's not far behind the other models and it's more flexible.
Just don't like the front on a Strada, fantastic side/rear though.
WARNING! Thread hijack...........
I've owned a half-faired 750ss and after 2 winters I will admit that the engine started looking worse for wear. Yet, my fully fair 900ss also looks pretty tatty underneath the fairings. It's like the fairings are just hiding all the corrosion damage. Maybe what you can't see isn't as bad what you can......
That's because the SS is aircooled so it has a gaping great hole at the front of the fairing to let the same amount of rain, spray, road crud and stuff thrown up from the front wheel as you would get with a naked bike along with the cooling air.
All ST's are water cooled (yes, even the ST2 despite the fact that magazines insist they are air cooled) as a result there is no hole at the front of the fairing, it's all blocked off with a radiator and a vee piece, so there is far less opportunity for any cack to get through.
Of course it's not completely sealed so moisture, condensation and the like does seep through. Things like plated bolt heads, jubilee clips and electrical connectors will eventually corrode, but to nowhere near the same extent or as quickly. A once a year fairings off clean and a pre winter spray about with WD40/FS365 or Waxoyl keeps things pretty tidy
Oh yes, and the ST is not appreciably wider than an SS, it's got a more upright riding position (almost multistrada like) so the view in traffic is good and the mirrors are the widest part so you'll know that you can get through a gap if the mirrors go through even with panniers on
moto748
27-Jul-2006, 13:32
I cant go through the winter on a 916, I will be on the floor all the time as the front washes out.
I don't understand this. Can you elaborate?
Fair points by Jools above re the ST's as wqell. You might find one "a bit of a barge" for a while after a 916, but they're stonking bikes.
All ST's are water cooled (yes, even the ST2 despite the fact that magazines insist they are air cooled) as a result there is no hole at the front of the fairing, it's all blocked off with a radiator and a vee piece, so there is far less opportunity for any cack to get through.
That's torn it then. Can't be riding a watercooled bike now.......
Oh yes, and the ST is not appreciably wider than an SS, it's got a more upright riding position (almost multistrada like) so the view in traffic is good and the mirrors are the widest part so you'll know that you can get through a gap if the mirrors go through even with panniers on
Which is actually not strictly true with my 900ss ie. The mirrors are the widest parts, with no luggage fitted. But with a set of Oxford saddle bags, I did accidently give a car's offside mirror a good whack one time. I thought I'd made it through, mirrors having fitted like. Then CRACK! behind me. Oops.
DaveO749R
28-Jul-2006, 09:40
DST1
I have an S4Rs Monster its three months old and is fitted with the full Termi exhaust kit and includes all original parts.
Due to work commitments (a new job starting soon) It will be sitting in the garage so I have decided to let her go and get something just for the odd track day.
If your interested drop me a line, with regards to the bike its an all rounder with sports bike handling and mega poke. For me it feels taller than the 749R and should suite your height.
Interested contact me here or on orfordj@hotmail.com
Regards
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