[DRKBC]

Hello I am new to this forum, thanks for having me.
I have owned smaller street bikes over the years, a 400 was the largest which was very easy to manage. I currently ride off road enduro on a KTM300 2 stroke which has plenty of get up and go. Anyway, I am thinking to get a back on a street bike this summer and am looking at specifically a Ducati Monster. My question is, would an 1100 be too much bike? I am respectful of the power these bikes have and I am not about to overshoot my ability on the bike but I have been off a street bike for a good long while. I don't want to by something too small and then have the urge to trade up fairly soon. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Squisher]

My thoughts/experience? I took a long hiatus from street riding with my last previous bike being a gs750. Road a ton of dirt most of my life and when I decided to get back on the street I started on a r3, next year a cbr600f4i, and the following year a fz1. For me it was the smart choice to come back small. I was riding a lot with a friend who when I stopped street riding he continued and had had various gsxr's and r1's. When I came back he was on a gsxr750.

My first year back did 10,000km on the r3 and definitely wanted more at times and espescially by the end but had more than a couple sobering moments where the lack of power helped save me from getting in over my head. Next year put roughly the same mileage(11k) on a cbrf4i and thoroughly enjoyed the jump in power. Those couple of seasons and bikes helped me gain some skills and experience a couple of different bikes all while learning and researching which had me settle on a fz1 that I put 14k on this last year(not bad for the year of covid) and I'm keeping it for this next year atleast.

So for me starting small was smart but my riding is pretty aggressive, if I started on a large horsepower machine I feel almost certain I'd have had a much higher chance of crashing. Everyone's a individual though so it depends on you and what you're going to do with the bike. But just know that the power and acceleration and speeds that that monster could attain will be well beyond the scope of any speeds you've reached on dirt or with a 400cc streetbike.

 

[doser]

DRKBC, if the Monster 1100 ticks your boxes, buy the frikkin' thing! life's too short to NOT do the 'best' for yourself, especially when it comes to 'luxuries' like a motorcycle. you've obviously ridden for multiple years, so the skills exist. and you've obviously got a head on your shoulders, so so does the control. yup, the bike will be frighteningly quick at first, but your 'old' instincts will soon catch up. just ENJOY! you'll have an experience tinged with regret and doubt, otherwise...

 

[K-rod]

Ha ha - thumbs up to Doser, the infinitely wise motorbike guru ...

 

[DRKBC]

Thank you both! great food for thought. As long as I can keep my promise to my self and keep my head on straight it will probably remain on my shoulders.

 

[DRKBC]

My thoughts/experience? I took a long hiatus from street riding with my last previous bike being a gs750. Road a ton of dirt most of my life and when I decided to get back on the street I started on a r3, next year a cbr600f4i, and the following year a fz1. For me it was the smart choice to come back small. I was riding a lot with a friend who when I stopped street riding he continued and had had various gsxr's and r1's. When I came back he was on a gsxr750.

My first year back did 10,000km on the r3 and definitely wanted more at times and espescially by the end but had more than a couple sobering moments where the lack of power helped save me from getting in over my head. Next year put roughly the same mileage(11k) on a cbrf4i and thoroughly enjoyed the jump in power. Those couple of seasons and bikes helped me gain some skills and experience a couple of different bikes all while learning and researching which had me settle on a fz1 that I put 14k on this last year(not bad for the year of covid) and I'm keeping it for this next year atleast.

So for me starting small was smart but my riding is pretty aggressive, if I started on a large horsepower machine I feel almost certain I'd have had a much higher chance of crashing. Everyone's a individual though so it depends on you and what you're going to do with the bike. But just know that the power and acceleration and speeds that that monster could attain will be well beyond the scope of any speeds you've reached on dirt or with a 400cc streetbike.

I think that is sage advise. It is not only keeping a lid on it but also developing the skills and I am sure it is easy to get in over your head quickly. I think I am pretty good about being sensible and respectful of the power, but I still need to put some thought into it.

 

[DRKBC]

DRKBC, if the Monster 1100 ticks your boxes, buy the frikkin' thing! life's too short to NOT do the 'best' for yourself, especially when it comes to 'luxuries' like a motorcycle. you've obviously ridden for multiple years, so the skills exist. and you've obviously got a head on your shoulders, so so does the control. yup, the bike will be frighteningly quick at first, but your 'old' instincts will soon catch up. just ENJOY! you'll have an experience tinged with regret and doubt, otherwise...

It is a pretty easy bike to get excited about that is for sure. I am positve it would be a bit of an eye opener for me for the first while. Did you make a big jump in bikes fairly quickly or did you move up the ladder gradually?

 

[Squisher]

Everyone is a individual with all sorts of differing variables. Some people buy a bike and ride it for years and years. Others are on different machines constantly. That said while I'm keeping the fz1 for another year I did also add a drz to the stable late last fall to replace a off road only dirtbike. So hard to say if I wouldn't have changed up rides again if the budget was less limited(wife, kid keep things somewhat in check).

If your heart is set on the monster and the means are there then maybe anything else will be disappointing to own? Whatever you do though buy a street bike for certain. Like has been said life's short, to short not to ride a streetbike every chance you can.

 

[doser]

Did you make a big jump in bikes fairly quickly or did you move up the ladder gradually?

I hadn't had a bike since I was a teenager, but seemed to need 'risk' in my life - I climbed seriously for 35 years, on alpine, ice, and rock. I got 'keen' again on the idea of a motorcycle a dozen years ago, and 'came across' an older CB450S thru a friend. That was a good 'returner' bike, altho very 'crude' by present day standards. It survived less than a year until a woman switched lanes into me and wrote it off. I test-rode a fair number of possible replacements, and the naked SV650 absolutely 'gelled' with me. I had that for 4 1/2 years and put 125,000 kms on it. And from the earliest days with the SV, I somehow stumbled into riding with some BCSB guys (the site was VERY active back then), most of whom were ridiculously fast. I therefore kinda 'learned' how to ride quickly too, altho I recall coming home quite a few times having scared myself - but I survived... and after about 2 years, I 'settled in'. I traded up to a CB1000R, which was even more comfy and soooo easy to use as a passing weapon, but - honestly - I rode no faster than on the SV. I put another 113,000 kms on that in the next 4 years, hit a deer and wrote it off, and bought another. I reckon I ride a bit slower now than I did a few years ago, but I'm far too old to ride slowly! So, yah, to jump straight into an 1100 cc bike is 'big'... but it all comes down to 'you', the rider. "Wiser heads' would say go slow, take it step by step. I'm not convinced.

 

[Squisher]

I like your perspective. But..........no one who has known me has ever described me as wise. Which is why my method worked well for me. So possibly the truly wise don't need to start out or back on a smaller bike?

And in all honesty part of my coming back on a smaller bike was how I sold it to the wife. Who immediately got her own bike ninja300 and upgraded now to a 400. She also road when she was younger, had two different ninja500's back in the day.

But as for your new bike, be sure to update with your decision and purchase and two words of advice..........don't wait!

 

[K-rod]

Fuggitt - buy the biggest/bestest bike that you really want, and then gradually work your way deeper and deeper into it's performance envelope.

Simple, really.

 

[bandito]

Unless you are just putt-putting around, I'd say that far more things can go wrong on a KTM 300 2 stroke than will ever on a Ducati Monster 1100.

 

[Squisher]

Things go wrong in a lot different of a way on the street vs dirt. And unless you're putting around on that monster 1100 it's a whole other level of risk IMO. I find dirt and street compliment each other but are very different skill sets the nearer you push either to the edge.

The obvious answer is this fella should buy the monster and I'll break it in for a season and lend him a ninja400.

 

[DRKBC]

I have always wanted a monster but that said, there is a 2016 Yamaha FZ for sale with very low km's in great shape and it is tempting. Price and condition are right, I like the bike and it would be a reasonable re-entry into street bike riding. If I had my druthers I would by an older Monster but there are not a lot of them around where I live and there is no Ducati dealers in our area, although I don't know if that is a huge issue? Sevicing would obviously be easy for the Yamaha. From what I have read, they seem to be a decent bike?

 

[Steve G.]

Hello I am new to this forum, thanks for having me.
I have owned smaller street bikes over the years, a 400 was the largest which was very easy to manage. I currently ride off road enduro on a KTM300 2 stroke which has plenty of get up and go. Anyway, I am thinking to get a back on a street bike this summer and am looking at specifically a Ducati Monster. My question is, would an 1100 be too much bike? I am respectful of the power these bikes have and I am not about to overshoot my ability on the bike but I have been off a street bike for a good long while. I don't want to by something too small and then have the urge to trade up fairly soon. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Generally, the Ducati Monster could be a perfect bike to get back into things again. Really good handling, not top heavy, and not crazy power.

Specifically however, I will add that Ducatis are known and well established attention whores, requiring regular servicing with valve adjustments, belt drive top end regular replacements, which a back yard mechanic probably would not entertain. Plus, any 'post bevel drive' v-twin Ducati does not like to operate below 3000rpm, in fact, ride own lower than that and the engine can become confused about running forwards or backwards. Again be aware that Ducati's mass centralization principle, which makes for lovely handling machines in town or on the backroads, has engineered the completely illogical task of placing the rear suspension swingarm within the back of the engine. Perfect regularly checked torque of engine bolts and swingarm shaft bolt are critical, or you will suffer a catastrophic engine explosion as I did 8 years ago on the south Island New Zealand , 25 miles north of Queenstown. ST4, sport tourer, Oil, chunks of aluminium, gears, all on the road, and only doing 110km/hr in 6th gear. Of course i bought a brand new Ducati in 1988, engine rebuild at 3000kms, and at 6000kms, before trading the POS in on a BMW GS which now has 226,000kms never been apart.

There are certainly other bikes out there with similar 'character' without the grief of mechanical fragility.

 

[Squisher]

I was just looking up some specs on the monster1100 as I don't really know the bike at all 100ish horse and 75ftpds, sounds quite reasonable. I wouldn't be put off by that kind of power like I was suggesting if you are a confident rider.

Motorcycling is so varied and the machines so unique that what works for one person might be completely inappropriate or undesirable for another.

Fz's are great machines by all accounts.

 

[DRKBC]

Generally, the Ducati Monster could be a perfect bike to get back into things again. Really good handling, not top heavy, and not crazy power.

Specifically however, I will add that Ducatis are known and well established attention whores, requiring regular servicing with valve adjustments, belt drive top end regular replacements, which a back yard mechanic probably would not entertain. Plus, any 'post bevel drive' v-twin Ducati does not like to operate below 3000rpm, in fact, ride own lower than that and the engine can become confused about running forwards or backwards. Again be aware that Ducati's mass centralization principle, which makes for lovely handling machines in town or on the backroads, has engineered the completely illogical task of placing the rear suspension swingarm within the back of the engine. Perfect regularly checked torque of engine bolts and swingarm shaft bolt are critical, or you will suffer a catastrophic engine explosion as I did 8 years ago on the south Island New Zealand , 25 miles north of Queenstown. ST4, sport tourer, Oil, chunks of aluminium, gears, all on the road, and only doing 110km/hr in 6th gear. Of course i bought a brand new Ducati in 1988, engine rebuild at 3000kms, and at 6000kms, before trading the POS in on a BMW GS which now has 226,000kms never been apart.

There are certainly other bikes out there with similar 'character' without the grief of mechanical fragility.

Thank you! I hadn't heard that about the suspension that is good information to know. I was inquiring about a bike recently, and I had read about the points you mentioned above related to the top end. I asked the seller if he had adjusted the belts and valves or had them checked recently and it was bit of a mic drop, he didn't even bother to reply I took that as a bad sign. To your point, do you think not having a local Ducati dealer would be an issue? We have dealers for all of all of the Japanese brands in town as well as BMW but unfortunately the triumph Ducati dealer recently shut down.

 

[Steve G.]

Thank you! I hadn't heard that about the suspension that is good information to know. I was inquiring about a bike recently, and I had read about the points you mentioned above related to the top end. I asked the seller if he had adjusted the belts and valves or had them checked recently and it was bit of a mic drop, he didn't even bother to reply I took that as a bad sign. To your point, do you think not having a local Ducati dealer would be an issue? We have dealers for all of all of the Japanese brands in town as well as BMW but unfortunately the triumph Ducati dealer recently shut down.

Are you talking Kelowna?

 

[DRKBC]

Yes I am.

 

[Steve G.]

Yes I am.

Yes I am.

Yeah, that is a shame. I see BMW found a new home at Kelowna Honda Powerhouse dealership. M&M Performance has taken on Triumph. I hate to say it, but it's going to take a shop owner with passion for that brand, and alot of patience, because Ducati dealership is a passion thing, certainly not a financial common sense thing.

I heard that Redline Cycle will do non warranty service on Ducatis. Honestly, when master tech Gord McMartin stepped away from the bike business, while at Bentley, Ducati ownership in the Okanagan became a more difficult situation. He was the service dept. at Bentley.