Monstrous
Written: Aug 28 '00 (Updated Aug 29 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Telepathic handling, oozes torque, love that sound
Cons: High price of ownership, impractical for two up or distance
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| Don_Carnage's Full Review: 2000 Ducati Monster |
I recently checked off one item on my list of motorcycles to "ride but not own" when a riding buddy and I swapped bikes. The poor slob ended up on my high mileage 1993 Nighthawk 750, while I took an extended spin on his Ducati M900 Monster.
First impression coming off my bike was jeez...it's a short bike front to back. I barely scrape six feet in height, and I felt like I was looking straight down at the front tire almost, and it felt like a lot of weight was on my wrists. In spite of that, I didn't find it uncomfortable, and actually preferred it to the riding position of my Nighthawk. On my bike, my legs are just a smidge too long for it, and as a result, my riding position has a little bit of the ass-in-a-trashcan feel. On the Duc, it's pure sport, legs tucked up underneath on the pegs, arms slightly bent, though not as drastically as a more sport-focused ride in the Ducati line.
Second impression was, it's a noisy beast. With its dry clutch chatter (had no idea what it was at first...thought it was going to fly apart every time I had the clutch out in neutral) and the staccato booms of its twin exhausts, it definitely makes its presence known. My friend had the carbon cans to improve sound and performance, and as the saying goes, "if you have the means, I highly recommend it."
Riding it was not what I expected. After hearing moto journalists wax poetic about the handling and performance of just about every Ducati to pass through their hands, I expected to jump on and go fast. Not so, not so, at least for me.
I had two problems. First of all, relative to the bikes I'd known well (a Katana 600 and the aforementioned Nighthawk 750), the throttle was very abrupt, and the clutch as well. I didn't kill it, but it was a near thing the first time I got it rolling. Smooth transitions from closed throttle to open, a breeze on a turbine-like 4 cylinder with modest torque, are a little tricky on the Duc. At almost any rpm, the motor is putting out enough torque to snap your neck back if you get careless rolling on the gas.
All of that took a few miles to get used to, but after ten or so minutes, I started to get comfortable on the bike, and that's when it's positive attributes started to shine. This is a bike that rewards concentration and focus. If you blow a transition or let the clutch out too fast, you will find yourself on the binders and your line completely bollocksed for the next three corners till you find your rhythm again. But when you're in synch with the bike and riding smoothly, it's magic.
For example, to steer the thing through a sweeping corner, you just kind of glance in the direction you want to go, slightly weight your inside wrist, and the bike heels over and glides through the sweeper with utter predictability, enabling you to enjoy the roar of the twin cannons aimed at the guy behind you bouncing off the canyon walls. Comparing it to my Nighthawk would be a waste of time. Where the Duc dances through quick changes, the Nighthawk wallows on its softer springs. Where the Monster responds to the throttle at any rpm with a roar and a surge, the Nighthawk's adequate power makes you an expert at momentum conservation.
At the end of the ride, I reluctantly surrendered it to my friend and climbed back aboard mine for the ride home, thankful for its comfort over the superslab.
Riding the Monster was a thrill a minute, and if anyone is looking for a volunteer to give their Ducati a workout, email me. In spite of that, I don't think I'd own one. I put tons and tons of miles on my motorcycles, some of it two up, and that's really not what the Monster is designed for. Think ST if that's your style of riding and you're stuck on the Ducati marque.
Second problem is the cost of maintenance. I'm a capable do-it-yourself mechanic, but the very idea of desmodromic valves makes my skin crawl. Because of that valve layout and the frequency of adjustments, maintenance costs are considerable relative to other bikes of comparable performance. It's easy to get swept off your feet by the romance, but she might suck your wallet dry by the time the honeymoon is over.
In a bizarre way though, that's part of the fun of the sport. Jay Leno said he didn't want a bike that had no soul, and didn't "need" him. The Monster has tons of soul, and it definitely needs you. If anyone has any suggestions for convincing my wife I need a Monster, let me know.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
Don_Carnage
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Location: San Jose, CA
Reviews written: 20
Trusted by: 11 members
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