So the pics are crap - but I figured I'd spend more time riding than taking pics...Today I promise to get some good ones though ;D
(http://lh6.ggpht.com/Shusaim/SDawQU6SSnI/AAAAAAAABIU/eQhfe2HYGxQ/s800/New_monster_696.jpg)
(http://lh6.ggpht.com/Shusaim/SDawTU6SSoI/AAAAAAAABIc/bxhgBWqMBmQ/s800/New_monster_tank.jpg)
Brilliant!
First white one I'm aware of being delivered. Here in the UK all the early ones have been red.
Can I put in a request to see a view of the front fairing in white?
Enjoy the bike!
Looks good how does it ride just want to see if its a improvement over the bikes it is supposed to replace.
-panthro
Looks fun - where are you located?
mitt
Nice! [thumbsup]
That's the color my dealer has as his demo bike... pics do NOT do it justice!
Looks really sharp with the Termi kit too [evil]
Congrats! [thumbsup]
Quote from: Snips on May 23, 2008, 05:17:30 AM
First white one I'm aware of being delivered. Here in the UK all the early ones have been red.
Dealer told me the first ones produced where red only. White and dark would have to wait; I guess the wait is over.
Congrats! I love the color scheme [thumbsup]
Very nice and congratulations..!! [wine]
Quote from: mitt on May 23, 2008, 06:26:30 AM
Looks fun - where are you located?
mitt
Mitt - Wilmington, DE - USA
Unfortunately the Termi's weren't in yet (Parts dude said maybe another 2-3 weeks)....But I did get a chance to hear the demo bike with 'em.... :o :o :o
Although I must admit that this IS the best sounding stock exhaust myself or any of my friends has herd (Even the local [leo] commented on how nice it sounds)
More pics (of the fairing too !) to follow...
-Steve
Congrats! Looks tight.
Still waiting on my 696 Dark...
heres a little taste to whet your appetite... ;)
dealer where i bought my s4rs/ 696 has 6 in line for delivery right now...
3 black, 3 white....
one white was in the delivery line right in front of my s4rs when i picked it up yesterday....
its a good looking bike, no question, but the red is key...
black just loses a lot of visual detail for my taste......
(http://i26.tinypic.com/s100oh.jpg)
The dark with the Termis and barends at Ducati Seattle looks nice. Except for that headlight!! [puke]
Yes. The headlight is [puke]
Somehow i can't see the Monster in Ducati's future being their #1 seller anymore if they go with the 696 layout :'(
Congrats! Nice bike. How are the brakes? I'll bet you can stop on a dime [thumbsup]
Quote from: Ohmic on May 23, 2008, 03:03:35 PM
Yes. The headlight is [puke]
Somehow i can't see the Monster in Ducati's future being their #1 seller anymore if they go with the 696 layout :'(
As others have noted, if it doesn't sell, this won't be the layout of the Monster's future. If it does, better get used to it ;)
Guys,
Here's a photo of the fairing:
(http://lh3.ggpht.com/Shusaim/SDdJuU6SSpI/AAAAAAAABKs/OerqAG2RbcI/s800/monster_696_3.jpg)
Im sure the brakes are awesome - but I still only have about 20mi on it; so Im trying to get the pads seated. Just to confirm what others have already said - the gearing on the bike is way tall; and kinda makes slower speeds kinda 'snatchy'. As I am really trying hard not to lug the engine; but at the same time keep it in the 3000-5500 range, the gearing is a PIA for 'round town.
I did get out into some nice back roads though - and I am VERY impressed as to how this thing handles. Steering is razor sharp, and the transmission is getting smoother.
Break-in is a PIA :P
-Steve
hmmm. i wonder if a pair of s*r rearsets would bolt on to a 696? i would like to see the bike without the crazy passenger peg brackets
Quote from: SteveH on May 23, 2008, 03:57:59 PM
Just to confirm what others have already said - the gearing on the bike is way tall; and kinda makes slower speeds kinda 'snatchy'. As I am really trying hard not to lug the engine; but at the same time keep it in the 3000-5500 range, the gearing is a PIA for 'round town.
I did get out into some nice back roads though - and I am VERY impressed as to how this thing handles. Steering is razor sharp, and the transmission is getting smoother.
Break-in is a PIA :P
-Steve
Thanks for the fairing shot - a long shot for the general impression of a white look would be good ;)
I had exactly your experience, very difficult to ride at in town speeds as it was/is quite snatchy. My theory was that my lower torque 620 had allowed me to develop bad clutch habits at low speed - the extra power of the 696 shows! I reckon I'm now better (after 500 miles), plus the gearbox is more bedded in.
Quote from: SteveH on May 23, 2008, 03:57:59 PM
Guys,
Here's a photo of the fairing:
(http://lh3.ggpht.com/Shusaim/SDdJuU6SSpI/AAAAAAAABKs/OerqAG2RbcI/s800/monster_696_3.jpg)
-Steve
HEY, how did a shiver end up on this site? :o i thought this was the DMF? Oh wait, my bad, thats a kawasaki versys. [puke]
the ron [evil]
Very nice... Congrats, & Welcome! Love the white [thumbsup]
Nice looking bike! Congrats!
Sweet bike, thanks for sharing! [thumbsup] [moto]
Quote from: the ron on May 23, 2008, 06:51:41 PM
HEY, how did a shiver end up on this site? :o i thought this was the DMF? Oh wait, my bad, thats a kawasaki versys. [puke]
the ron [evil]
Getting old dude, I have the same beautiful bike but in red, I'm the kinda guy that would smash your face in if you said such rude things to me in person, getting old.
nice bike! that fairing is pretty small - but the good news is that a carbon instrument cover (from the DP accessories catalog) will not be hidden by it. These things are going to look great once the mods start happening.
Put some Termi's (without stickers) and they are going to be MEAN.
I don't understand why people get grouchy with the new look - just do what I did and buy an older dss 'classic' no one forces you to ride these things - there isn't Ducati police that say "you must buy the new bike".
congratulations, enjoy the ride, do the first 600 miles as quickly as you can so that the first important service is done.
Have a great ride [thumbsup]
Congrats!!
Is the headlight nice and bright at least?
Based on the negative reactions to the look of it, maybe it'd be fun to put one on my 620 just to piss people off and if it's bright I'd think about it. [evil]
Quote from: lethe on May 24, 2008, 04:07:32 AM
Is the headlight nice and bright at least?
Based on the negative reactions to the look of it, maybe it'd be fun to put one on my 620 just to piss people off and if it's bright I'd think about it. [evil]
So I got about an hour of night riding on it yesterday - and I am really starting to like the headlight. The lowbeam
is pretty good - but what is interesting is the high-beam. It is the lower of the two sections; and not only projects light quite a way away; but it SERIOUSLY lights up the space in front of the bike. Kinda reminded me of an old piper-cub landing light.....Pretty interesting. Tonight I will try to get a photo of the beams for ya.
Congrats on that sweet bike.
Quote from: SteveH on May 24, 2008, 04:27:16 AM
So I got about an hour of night riding on it yesterday - and I am really starting to like the headlight. The lowbeam
is pretty good - but what is interesting is the high-beam. It is the lower of the two sections; and not only projects light quite a way away; but it SERIOUSLY lights up the space in front of the bike. Kinda reminded me of an old piper-cub landing light.....Pretty interesting. Tonight I will try to get a photo of the beams for ya.
Thanks, I might entertain this blasphemous thought just for the sake of being different. If any of you 696 riders ditch your light for something different, let me know. Depending on the price, your junk can be my treasure.
Quote from: aaronb on May 23, 2008, 04:23:48 PM
hmmm. i wonder if a pair of s*r rearsets would bolt on to a 696? i would like to see the bike without the crazy passenger peg brackets
+1... didn't like the looks of the 696 at first sight. But after seeing it in person and sitting on it... fell in love with it. Can't wait to see when then mod-ing gets into full swing on these bad boys... ( nix passenger peg, do some with those cans, swing arm, and the ususal mods (pressure plate, cover... etc)... the question is... do i wait and see if they throw the single sided swing arm on the bigger mode before i buy onel?
Quote from: aaronb on May 23, 2008, 04:23:48 PM
hmmm. i wonder if a pair of s*r rearsets would bolt on to a 696? i would like to see the bike without the crazy passenger peg brackets
Nope. SSS vs DSS.
I rode the 696 with Termis today. I had quite a bit more low end than I expected. I really like the ergos. It is like a smaller Hypermotard. It felt great throwing it around some tight turns. Much less flighty feeling than the older Monster. The clutch pull was non-existent but the engagement was too far out. Definitely needs adjustable levers. I would take one over a M600, M620, M750, M800, M900 (excluding the S), M1000, or S2R800.
Quote from: silentbob on May 24, 2008, 02:06:32 PM
Nope. SSS vs DSS.
Here is a set of s*r rearsets on a dss
http://ducatimonsterworldwide.org/index.php?topic=488.0
that looks more like a dss on an S2R800
Would appreciate additional observations on the handling of the new 696 from Silent Bob, or anyone else. Though I thoroughly enjoy my 2006 S2R1000, I'll bet I'm not the only rider to notice that the existing Monster chasis gets easily unsettled when leaned over and exiting a corner that has less than perfect pavement. I occasionally suck more of my seat material up than I care to when the head of the bike wants to wobble or gets unsteady! And yes, that's even with me "getting ahead" of the bike with my head forward and to the inside of the turn.
I've got 580 miles on mine so far, and it's felt great in the twisties, real test will come after the first service this week and I can begin to open it up properly [thumbsup]
However, on the freeway, I did get wobble a couple of times when I was doing a last-minute lifesaver combined with rolling-on quickly to overtake (at breaking-in revs). That could have been bad riding on my part, but it did this twice, so I'll need to experiment with riding position etc.
Quote from: turnera on May 25, 2008, 12:46:25 PM
Would appreciate additional observations on the handling of the new 696 from Silent Bob, or anyone else. Though I thoroughly enjoy my 2006 S2R1000, I'll bet I'm not the only rider to notice that the existing Monster chasis gets easily unsettled when leaned over and exiting a corner that has less than perfect pavement. I occasionally suck more of my seat material up than I care to when the head of the bike wants to wobble or gets unsteady! And yes, that's even with me "getting ahead" of the bike with my head forward and to the inside of the turn.
I only did a short stint on the bike but it felt much more composed than any other Monster below the 4V bikes and maybe the S2R1K. The natural riding position made it much easier to stay ahead of the bike even compared to the S*R series. However, it does make you catch more wind than an S*R series bike.
Hello Steve - First, let me congratulate you on your new Monster. Looks very nice, especially in white. I've got a question for you. I live just down the road from you in Elkton. I'm new to the area (Seattle transplant), and was hoping you could tell me where you bought the bike. I'm in the market for a white one as well, and would appreciate any feedback you can offer on the dealership, or other Ducati dealers in the area.
Thanks very much. Have fun with the new bike...
Regards,
Bo
Congrats on a sweet looking ride [thumbsup]
SteveH,
How is seating position on your 696? I test rode one on Saturday. Awesome bike. One problem I had was the angle of the seat wedged me against the tank. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it wasn't ideal. I can't imagine Ducati designed the bike to be like this. What's your experience so far?
Owen
Quote from: ducturd on May 26, 2008, 10:47:53 AM
SteveH,
How is seating position on your 696? I test rode one on Saturday. Awesome bike. One problem I had was the angle of the seat wedged me against the tank. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it wasn't ideal. I can't imagine Ducati designed the bike to be like this. What's your experience so far?
Owen
Owen,
Ya - I have found the same problem. I have 201mi on the bike, and to be honest the seating angle makes it rather uncomfortable to say the least. My shoulders are sore from pushing against the bars all the time so that I don't rub up against the tank. The seat has like a stretch cover over the actual foam...So when you are off the bike the seat looks flat. I am hoping that the foam underneath it will form better - but if not I'll be taking the seat cover off and modding the seat accordingly. Its that bad. So far, that is my only gripe about the bike's ergos. One thing that I do like, is that my knees tuck in perfectly right between the bottom of the tank and the top of the frame.