Tips on buying Monster600!

[plutonas]

Hi, Thats my first post in the forum.
I would like to buy a second hand Ducati Monster 600, as my first real bike. What do you think about that, is it a good choice?
Now what I would really like, is advises, where to be carefull, what to look at, where keep my attention when test riding (noises, etc)? Something like a buyers guide. So, I hope people that have this bike will help.
Thanks a lot and sorry for my poor english.

[G]

What riding experience have you got?

Personally I would look at an SV650 instead. It may not have 'ducati' written on the side, but does pretty much what the Monster does and more for the same price, from what I've heard (never ridden the monster but read comparisons, etc).

[froggy128]

i would try and find one with full service history and 1 owner from new if possible.

[paulthewitt]

look for signs of it being looked after (fsh, clean, chain & sprockets in good order, etc...)

klause will no doubt be along shortly giving advice. as i believe he has one.

Paul

[headlamp]

A few years ago (about 6!) I was dead set on a Ducati Monster as my first bike. They looked good and I thought they would be the the ideal commuter bike. I went to try one and was very disappointed. Not enough 'oomph' - the two stroke made it feel 'lumpy', couldn't start the bike with the stand down, and felt the brakes weren't great and riding position uncomfortable. The Ducati dealership happened to have a 6 month old Fazer for sale and I tried that and haven't looked back - getting my third Fazer at the end of the week.

Ultimately it depends on how you are planning to use the bike. As a daily commuting bike, I personally wouldn't recommend it (get the 900) but if it is a 'play thing' for the occasional jaunt - I'm sure its fun.
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Using a mobile phone while driving a car should be made a capital offence!

[mrtEE]

[Klause]

1 owner and serviced all it's life is what to look for. Make sure it hasn't got a big service due. I ride my Monster everyday and no problems so far. The problems come when the bike is not ridden everyday/week and only come out for the summer, the cambelts sit in the same position for ages and this is not good for the rubber etc.

If your getting the 600 try looking for the 750 aswell not alot of difference but some more torque to play with, you get another front disk which could sometimes be usefull on the 600.

Don't expect it to have high top speed either. It was designed to be a street muscle bike not a motorway bike. Even though I use it for 170mile motorway journey a week .

Cambelts are easy to change and need doing every 2 years or 12,000 miles or something. Depends if you handy with spanners or not. Valve clearance and Shims, I don't know about them yet as mine were done in it's last service and won't need doing for another 3k. But I just did valve clearance at my course and looking at the Monsters one's their easier than CBR 400 engine I worked on.

It's a very simple bike to work on, no coolant, no radiator, it's not stuffed with electrics too unlike the jap bikes.

People have shown these bikes will last if you ride it and look after it, some guy is on 58,000 and still going. Another guy on this forum has a sh*t load of miles on his, he put it down to doing the valve clearance's all the time.

The SV650 seems another good choice but heard a few people say the build quality is crap? I've had a few allen keys round off, but I've had that with everybike I've worked on, all makes cut corners to save money.

If your going to be covering long distance's I would say sv650. Saying that I've ended up doing a motorway trip to Greater London every Thursday and Friday.

I like it, it's not a sports bike don't expect it to be. It handles well enough and not had a problem with that, just only in the wet (tyres). R4nger who I ride with alot has a sporty 600, I'll keep up/ahead with him off at the lights but at silly warp speed I might not even bother, and I out do him on the corners .
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Current bikes: 1960 Triumph 5ta x2, TTR600RE, KTM200EXC, Cagiva Elephant 900ie.

[headlamp]

[Kickstart]

Hi

Ridden a couple. Had a go on my fathers one a few weeks ago. Suspect the speedo under reads on that (or is at least dead accurate) as an indicated 30mph seemed rather quicker than that, noticeable compared to other vehicles.

Finish is not bad (although the Darks seem worse), better than the SV from the looks of them. They are pretty cheap to buy 2nd hand (and if you hunted round they were pretty cheap new as well). Servicing should not be that bad as their service intervals are far less often than most Japanese bikes (eg, think the SV has 4000 mile services compared to 6000 on the Monster).

However they are very small bikes. Great for someone who is short but probably not great for someone who is tall.

The brakes are probably best described as adequate. Work well enough but not that good (single disk on the 600).

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Klause]

Kickstart, I agree with the brakes could do with another disk at times! It has alot of engine braking which you can use instead.
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Current bikes: 1960 Triumph 5ta x2, TTR600RE, KTM200EXC, Cagiva Elephant 900ie.

[Ducati750s]

IMO they would make a great 1st bike. Servicing should be reasonable as they are a very simple and well proven engine, esp if its the desmodue. Ducati's have a reputation for expensive servicing, but it's not one of the highly tuned testastratta models, which need more attention.

Personally I'd try to get one that has been ridden regularly, but looked after. £3k should get you something a couple of years old with reasonable milage.

It's certainly got a bit more character than an SV or bandit etc, although the v-twin can indeed be a bit lumpy at low revs, but at least it will sound like a v-twin.

And remember, any ducati twin needs to be seen and HEARD.
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It's all about the torque...

[plutonas]

At first, thanks everybody for your quick replies!

@G: Motorcycling experience- Runner SP 50cc for 3,5 years, and ridden a cbr600F one time (just a ride) and a Virago 250 more often, but this is not a real bike. I dont think it will take me much to learn turning etc.
I don't like very much the sv. If I find one at 3000E which is close to impossible I will seriusly think about it, but at the same money I prefer the monster.

@Headlamp: I plan to use the bike everyday, but I want a monster. Or maybe if I dont get a monster I will get a really chap bros and after 2-3 years a new Monster, but I think I will get directly for a second hand.

@Klause: I don't need a high top speed. At greek roads 170-180 kmph are a lot too much and too dangerous. I don't think I will pass 140-150 very often.

@Kickstart: I am short .

@Ducati750s:Thanks, and: I love the ducati sound too!