Four wheels good, two wheels better?
Discussion
Re Ducati Monster.
The older Ducs had a rep for poor reliability - then the yanks put some money into the company and things improved a hell of a lot.
I have run a Ducati SPS for three years with no problems at all! Oh yes - I cover approx 4,000 weekend miles a season - don't like to ride in the winter as it's not much bloody fun!
The Monster is a good bet if you are not into the super sport side. Go for the 900. Ride fast but ride safe and keep an eagle eye on the tin cans!
>> Edited by sps on Wednesday 16th October 00:56
The older Ducs had a rep for poor reliability - then the yanks put some money into the company and things improved a hell of a lot.
I have run a Ducati SPS for three years with no problems at all! Oh yes - I cover approx 4,000 weekend miles a season - don't like to ride in the winter as it's not much bloody fun!
The Monster is a good bet if you are not into the super sport side. Go for the 900. Ride fast but ride safe and keep an eagle eye on the tin cans!
>> Edited by sps on Wednesday 16th October 00:56
Cheers sps,
Very helpful. I've been digging for a bit more information on the Monster front. Only issues seemed to be lowish ground clearance and not that much steering lock. I'd be using it for commuting, so the steering lock issue made me wonder. Is this really a problem? Also, what's the impact of using a bike all year round?
Cheers,
Steve
Very helpful. I've been digging for a bit more information on the Monster front. Only issues seemed to be lowish ground clearance and not that much steering lock. I'd be using it for commuting, so the steering lock issue made me wonder. Is this really a problem? Also, what's the impact of using a bike all year round?
Cheers,
Steve
Hi SteveT,
The Monster does not have a great turning circle and it would pick up a lot of crap from the roads during the winter. Another option would be to look at the Honda CBR 600 series - great bikes , fast , reliable and will not break the bank. They are a nice balance between super sport and touring , good around town as well.
SPS
The Monster does not have a great turning circle and it would pick up a lot of crap from the roads during the winter. Another option would be to look at the Honda CBR 600 series - great bikes , fast , reliable and will not break the bank. They are a nice balance between super sport and touring , good around town as well.
SPS
Rode a monster once, and it was the only bike ever that I didn't "fit". The seat has a slope that pushes you forward towards the tank. The tank has knee cutout/dent thingys. I had to keep pushing my self back up the seat to keep my knees in the right place, then you'd slide down again and have the edges of the tank sculpture dig into your legs. Seating position seems ideally suited for someone with thighs only 18" long IMHO. Loks nice, sounds nice, goes nice, but try one for size before you decide it's your ideal toy.
WB
WB
You've got an interesting car, so don't go and blow it by buying some 4-cylinder, revs to 20,000 Jap bike! Stick to twins you know it makes sense, and they don't sound like a demented band saw! 
The Monster is a good bet, and it's fine for commuting. Steering lock can be an issue - you'll see couriers on their hacks going square across the traffic - but it won't get in your way most of the time.
As for what size of bike, I commute an Aprilia Mille RSV-R into town these days, but I wouldn't have wanted to start on it. With some of the nuttier 600's that have been mentioned as well as the GayBlades and suchlike, you'll spend too much time concentrating on riding the thing, and not enough on your roadcraft/lifesavers etc..
Get something gentler to begin with where controlling the bike doesn't distract you from the main bit which is making safe, fast progress. A Monster would do fine, or, if you must, a Thunderpussy .. er .. cat, or even, God forbid, an ER-5.
Just ask youself this - would you have bought the TVR as your first car?
The Monster is a good bet, and it's fine for commuting. Steering lock can be an issue - you'll see couriers on their hacks going square across the traffic - but it won't get in your way most of the time.
As for what size of bike, I commute an Aprilia Mille RSV-R into town these days, but I wouldn't have wanted to start on it. With some of the nuttier 600's that have been mentioned as well as the GayBlades and suchlike, you'll spend too much time concentrating on riding the thing, and not enough on your roadcraft/lifesavers etc..
Get something gentler to begin with where controlling the bike doesn't distract you from the main bit which is making safe, fast progress. A Monster would do fine, or, if you must, a Thunderpussy .. er .. cat, or even, God forbid, an ER-5.
Just ask youself this - would you have bought the TVR as your first car?
Rode bikes for 18 years (without falling off...all ways feel I'm tempting fate when I say that) before selling my last one to get the Cerb.
6 months on I'm missing the bike and the Cerbs expensive to use for work each day so I've just bought a BMW bike - reliable, cheap to insure and run and fast enough.
Just get some post test training and ride defensively within your limits and you'll be fine.
Weird how things go around, it's now the car that's the performance toy and the bike is the transport.
6 months on I'm missing the bike and the Cerbs expensive to use for work each day so I've just bought a BMW bike - reliable, cheap to insure and run and fast enough.
Just get some post test training and ride defensively within your limits and you'll be fine.
Weird how things go around, it's now the car that's the performance toy and the bike is the transport.
Mate of mine bought an Aprilia RSV a few weeks back. Four days later, someone knocked him off. So insurance details were swapped, and he looked forward to getting it repaired.
Three days later, someone knocked him off. Guy claimed it was equally my mate's fault, and as there were no witnesses he agreed to differ and forget the matter (the car needed a bit doing as well). So when the insurance assessor turned up he simply claimed all the bike damage was from the original shunt, and all was well.
Friday night my mate was on his way home from work and dropped in on a friend. Locked the bike, put the alarm on, ten paces from the house window. Came out 30 mins later and it had gone. Nobody saw anything, nobody heard anything. As usual.
Looks like the bad old days are returning to Middlesbrough (if they ever left!).
Ian
Three days later, someone knocked him off. Guy claimed it was equally my mate's fault, and as there were no witnesses he agreed to differ and forget the matter (the car needed a bit doing as well). So when the insurance assessor turned up he simply claimed all the bike damage was from the original shunt, and all was well.
Friday night my mate was on his way home from work and dropped in on a friend. Locked the bike, put the alarm on, ten paces from the house window. Came out 30 mins later and it had gone. Nobody saw anything, nobody heard anything. As usual.
Looks like the bad old days are returning to Middlesbrough (if they ever left!).
Ian
I bought a Yamaha 600 Fazer new about 3 years ago on advice from the chaps that I did my direct access with. Although this in not exactly a rip your head off quick bike it was plenty for me and was happy with its performance right up to when I sold it for my Chimaera. Would recommend this for a great first bike and you can pick em up for really cheap now too.
As to the "you will die instantly" thing I got all this too but this in my opinion is completly down to you. I know you can have an accident and be completely blameless but this dont count for much if your not around to argue about it. Its up to you to compensate for others bad driving and try as best you can to anticipate how they are going to try and knock you off!!
All in all I think its quite healthy to keep the scary remarks that people give you in mind, just dont let it spoil your fun
P.S. Everyone told me I would bin at least one bike. I had bikes for 6 years and never so much as scratched one. (Did ride around like a Fairy though!!!!!!!!)
As to the "you will die instantly" thing I got all this too but this in my opinion is completly down to you. I know you can have an accident and be completely blameless but this dont count for much if your not around to argue about it. Its up to you to compensate for others bad driving and try as best you can to anticipate how they are going to try and knock you off!!
All in all I think its quite healthy to keep the scary remarks that people give you in mind, just dont let it spoil your fun
P.S. Everyone told me I would bin at least one bike. I had bikes for 6 years and never so much as scratched one. (Did ride around like a Fairy though!!!!!!!!)
rahlea said: Cajun,
How bizarre - we have very similar tastes.
The 600 I had was also a Thundercat (in blue and Silver). It was such a good bike compared to the 500 (smile factor of 9 versus 5).
I was worried about dropping the first bike too. In the 5 years I had the 3 bikes, I dropped one three times (all at a standstill - beware wet moss covered paving stones, gravel and trying to do silly manouvers in the garage). Neither was with the first bike, and 2 were with the last bike. I guess the points I'm making are:
- Dropping a bike normally happens at 0-2 mph and so the damage isn't serious and,
- It happens even when you've been riding for years (you get complacent (until a near miss wakes you up again and makes you realise you're not immortal)
Its all about confidence, and it does take a while to build up, but with a good 600 you get better handling and grip, and can take it easy if you don't rev it too high. I wouldn't recommend a 900 to start with as they are overpowered and the extra low down torque could get you into trouble in the bends.
Let me know what you choose to do and enjoy !!
Perhaps we have the same critreria. I'm looking for something understated and something that feels powerful to me as a non-biking Chim 4.5 driver. Bikes that shout 'I'm a sportsbike' do not appeal, and the Marlon Brando jobs do, but it's just too S&M for me (what next: the leather captains hat and a walrus moustache!) I don't know that any of the British bikes have the novice in mind, so I keep coming back to Honda. They know how to make a good engine...
This bit is half the fun isn't it?
C
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