Ducati Monster 821, anything to watch out for?

[philcray]

I am thinking of changing my KTM for a Monster 821, probably a 2016/17 model. My budget is up to c£6,5k so should be able to get a well looked after, low mileage one with fsh, is there anything particular to look out for that I should be aware of?

Also does anyone know if a bike of that vintage will have the fuel gauge and gear indicator on the dash, or did that come later?

Any feedback appreciated.

Thanks

Phil

[TNJ]

I have got a 17 plate 821 which I have owned from new. It does not have a fuel gauge so you do have to keep a note of the mileage - I generally fill up every 100 miles so leave plenty in reserve. There is also no gear indicator - although I have never found that to be a problem

I have not had any problems with it in 6000+ miles of mainly London commuting but with a few run outs at the weekends.

Only real downside is that servicing is not cheap at a main dealer - but you probably know that already

[Krikkit]

Phil whereabouts are you? You'd be welcome to a ride on my Monster 796 (which is very similar to an 821, just a crappier dash) if you want to test it out?

Possibly worth negotiating a belt change/valve clearances if you can, that's the only big-ticket item that needs doing regularly. Otherwise they seem to be really quality bikes - fit and finish on mine is brilliant, and I can only think they improved.

Mine also has no fuel gauge, I just reset the trip every time I fill up, although the warning light gives you loads of time to find a station and fill up too once it's lit.

Edited by Krikkit on Wednesday 25th September 15:43

[dibblecorse]

Cant comment on the Monster but ran an 821 Hyperstrada to 15000 miles and it never missed a beat and was commuted on all year round.

[anonymous-user]

I ran a 17 plate 821 for a year, really enjoyed it. As others have said there will be no fuel gauge (just a fuel light) and no gear indicator.

My recommendation would be to make sure it has the Termi racing exhaust and remap, really transforms the fueling for the better, it was a bit lumpy sub 3k and the map smoothed it out. Sounds mega too.

Traded mine in for the 1200R, but don’t have a bad word to say about it.

[Greenmantle]

Sorry to hijack this thread
I started a separate thread to find me an ideal London Commuting bike 365 days / all weather
30 miles each way
Liked the look of the Honda NC750 but then got pulled towards the naked bikes
Is there a big difference between the 797 and the 821?
I have to admit that the 821 looks far prettier!

[Kawasicki]

I ride a 999, but my friend rides a Monster 821.

We swapped bikes last Saturday.

It was an eye opener... The Monster 821 is a really nice, easy to ride, and pretty damn quick bike. Downsides were few...maybe a little restrictive about where I could place my feet when riding, there wasn't much room behind the footpegs.

I think it would make a really nice bike for everyday riding.

[TommyBuoy]

I've had a 16 plate 1200 and have an 18 plate 1200

One thing is to get a ride and make sure the footpegs (more precisely the rear pegs as they are a cast unit) don't get in the way - my new one is much better in that respect.

Other than that they've been decent bikes.

Would recommend the terminagoni exhaust - my 16 plate had them but no remap, new one has them and came with a remap iirc

[Krikkit]

Greenmantle said:

Is there a big difference between the 797 and the 821?

Yes, well in terms of splitting two Monsters anyway - the 797 is the last of the air-cooled bikes, the 821 is water-cooled. The 821 has ABS, traction etc whereas most 796's don't, but the 796 has the single-sided swingarm which makes it a doddle to do tyre changes and chain tension... The 821 will be a bit faster but it's also quite a bit heavier.

I went for the 796 as I prefer the looks of the single arm and lack of radiator cluttering it up.

TommyBuoy said:

Would recommend the terminagoni exhaust - my 16 plate had them but no remap, new one has them and came with a remap iirc

This all over ^^. The easy way to tell if it's been mapped is when you turn on the ignition if it says "RACE" or "RACING" - if not then it hasn't been done with the OE Termi map, but could've been done otherwise.

Edited by Krikkit on Thursday 26th September 17:27

[MDUBZ]

Really like my 821 with Termi’s and remap (it’s a keeper for me). The only issue I’ve come across in the last 3500 miles is the rear brake cooks itself due to how close the routing is to the exhaust (common complaint) I think... Fluid was upgraded at the last service but it’s too early to tell if the problem will return.

2017 has no gear selection or fuel gauge.

I have size 9.5 feet but i’ve had no issue with space for feet ( another common complaint) can be resolved with an after market rear set if it is a problem apparently, and the design has been changed on the newer bikes.

I rode a 797 ( while bike was in for a service) and found it a bit under powered and dull by comparison tbh.

[TommyBuoy]

Krikkit said:

Greenmantle said:

Is there a big difference between the 797 and the 821?

Yes, well in terms of splitting two Monsters anyway - the 797 is the last of the air-cooled bikes, the 821 is water-cooled. The 821 has ABS, traction etc whereas most 796's don't, but the 796 has the single-sided swingarm which makes it a doddle to do tyre changes and chain tension... The 821 will be a bit faster but it's also quite a bit heavier.

I went for the 796 as I prefer the looks of the single arm and lack of radiator cluttering it up.

TommyBuoy said:

Would recommend the terminagoni exhaust - my 16 plate had them but no remap, new one has them and came with a remap iirc

This all over ^^. The easy way to tell if it's been mapped is when you turn on the ignition if it says "RACE" or "RACING" - if not then it hasn't been done with the OE Termi map, but could've been done otherwise.

Edited by Krikkit on Thursday 26th September 17:27

797 is air-cooled, has ABS but not traction control or rider modes. Was released after the 821 bizarrely. No single sided swing arm.

796 is a few years old but has the SSS, if you are looking at the 797 it would be worth looking at the 796.

There is a significant difference between the 821 and 797 - for city riding the 797 is fine, but the 821 has much more power and generally a better speccd bike.

The racing coming up on the dash always makes me cringe a bit.

Oh, and anyone looking at a 797 should look at the larger scramblers too, the introduction of the 797 obviously made financial sense, but always seemed to overlap the scrambler 1100 to me

Edited by TommyBuoy on Friday 27th September 08:34

[Junior Bianno]

They're great. It's my first bike so I really don't have much to compare it to, but love mine. Even with the factory exhaust it sounds amazing. The big Brembo brakes are very effective and give you a lot of confidence, as do all the nanny safety features which are useful if you're not a riding god. Other than that though, it's pretty basic - don't expect quickshifters, heated grips, fuel gauges etc!

Just back from doing the NC500 (sort of) and it never missed a beat. It's a very comfy ride and even with packs on the back it was great for the whole trip. Gratuitous pic on top of Bealach na Ba on the Applecross loop

[sjg]

re: Termi ECU / "map" - IMO a big part of why people like how the bikes ride with them is because they come from the factory running very lean at lower RPM to meet the emissions standards - at higher RPM it doesn't monitor and it's fine. The Termi ECU apparently just doesn't bother with any of this and runs a fixed map which is far more pleasant at slower speeds.

I bought a FatDuc O2 manipulator which fools the regular ECU into thinking it's gone too lean and puts more fuel in to compensate - it achieves much the same thing, way more responsive and pleasant to ride at lower RPMs.

[TommyBuoy]

Also, I'm assuming that as the termi end cans replace the cat that is in the std exhaust the map also helps

[Motorsport3]

Got my 821 for the reasons mentioned already. Gorgeous to look, easy to ride. Get a series 2 in yellow if you can. They have fuel gauge and much nice display.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

I'm struggling to get my head around being able to boast about having a fuel gauge. Am I missing something? Why the hell does any modern decent bike costing proper money not come with a fuel gauge???

[Krikkit]

sjg said:

re: Termi ECU / "map" - IMO a big part of why people like how the bikes ride with them is because they come from the factory running very lean at lower RPM to meet the emissions standards - at higher RPM it doesn't monitor and it's fine. The Termi ECU apparently just doesn't bother with any of this and runs a fixed map which is far more pleasant at slower speeds.

I bought a FatDuc O2 manipulator which fools the regular ECU into thinking it's gone too lean and puts more fuel in to compensate - it achieves much the same thing, way more responsive and pleasant to ride at lower RPMs.

Agree on the map- all out does is rich up the lower end, particularly closed throttle for a bit more fun.

What bike are you running the FatDuc on? I haven't found anyone who's used one, but at £100 it's a hell of a lot cheaper than a remap.

[sjg]

Monster 695. There’s a few others on UKMOC who bought them too and were pleased with the results.

[Carmo99]

I had a 2016 821 and ran it for 2 years and 10'000km. Changed for a 2018 1200 Monster. Fuel gauge and gear indicator was a niggle, but you get used to it. Main issue for me was the low speed running, below 3'500 rpm the bike is unhappy - and while I know people say but it’s a Monster and you shouldn’t be riding like this, it’s a little annoying for city riding. Also foot space is limited . All these issues are solved in the 2018 / series 2 upgrade which also have fuel gauge and gear indicator. Many early bikes also suffered from throttle ride by wire faults. In summary, Great bike. Upgraded model even better, 1200 even crazier.

[philcray]

Carmo99 said:

I had a 2016 821 and ran it for 2 years and 10'000km. Changed for a 2018 1200 Monster. Fuel gauge and gear indicator was a niggle, but you get used to it. Main issue for me was the low speed running, below 3'500 rpm the bike is unhappy - and while I know people say but it’s a Monster and you shouldn’t be riding like this, it’s a little annoying for city riding. Also foot space is limited . All these issues are solved in the 2018 / series 2 upgrade which also have fuel gauge and gear indicator. Many early bikes also suffered from throttle ride by wire faults. In summary, Great bike. Upgraded model even better, 1200 even crazier.

Thanks, so a 2018 bike should be a series 2, the main indicator being the improved dash? Are there any other differences, I may be able to increase my budget using the magic of man maths...