Ducati Monster Forum

look, i hate sport bikes. i had my fill of them when i was a puppy and now i just like to ride. the whole put on matching leathers and put your knee down around the corners to me is well, kindve fast and the furious. I just like to ride.  and i was drawn to the monster because, at the time, I felt that it wasn't a full on sport bike. I find myself constantly telling people that my monster is something all its own. i always say that if you asked a second grade girl to draw a motorcycle, she would draw a monster. just an engine, frame and wheels. my bike, to is definatley not in the sport bike category since it has no chance, performance wise, against any comperable bike. my s2r eighthundred for all of its appeal, doesn't get out of its own way. I don't mind that but i am sick of trying to tell people who don't know anybetter that its not a sportbike. this whole situation reached its zenith on saturday when my friends wife asked my nephew why he got the same bike that i have. I wanted to hurl, he rides a Kawasaki Z-1000. [puke] 
This the reason i hate the 696 soooo much. it just looks like the star of the sequel to torque.  what do you think.  i mean there are plenty of sportbikes out there. cant everyone just realize that my monster isn't a sportbike? please

the  ron[evil]

 ;D I picked sport bike just to irk you!  ;D
[popcorn]

Quote from: the ron on July 01, 2008, 07:49:48 PM
and i was drawn to the monster because, at the time, I felt that it wasn't a full on sport bike.

Same here. Full fairing sport bikes are for power rangers; I have no interest in that aesthetic or that specific subculture. Ride like a hooligan, not like a repli-ricer!  [moto]

-GMP

Well let me tell ya....

Up till a few weeks back American Family Insurance wanted to call it a sport bike.  Last year insurance was less than $125 (multiple bikes), this year they wanted near $700.  Am Fam had her lumped in with the sport bikes.  My FJR is under $300!

Several pictures, pounds per HP comparo for real sport bikes v the M900, and several snotty-grams including a request for contact info for their CEO, and AM FAM reclassified the monster as a standard motorcycle.

I am now figting the good fight on behalf of Ninja 500 owners everywhere.  Yep, 56 HP 500 twin beginner bike is classified as a sport bike!

I'll post up results when I hear back on the EX 500.

Quote from: WannaDucBad on July 01, 2008, 08:10:11 PM
;D I picked sport bike just to irk you!  ;D
[popcorn]

+1  ;D

I just read an article in a mag called "Italian Motorcycles" in which they had a history of the Monster.

The journo described the Monster as a "Naked Sportster"


???

It is a bike unto it's own fame . It's a naked in my book. I don't believe Progressive Insurance thinks of it other than a bike unto it's own. Their premium reflects that. Not a sportbike.

It doesn't really matter what you call it, as long as you call it fun. Except for the insurance company, they call it a sport bike.

Sport bike.  Look at the old 750 Super Sport.  No fairings.  Still a sportbike and it didn't go, stop, or turn as well as your S2R.

The Monster is a sport bike, a naked bike, and a standard.  It is not a Super Bike as that is defined by a specific racing class.

Where's the option for "I love the 696"?

the Rameses  [roll]

There is no voting option for MONSTER ???

According to the Navy it is a sport bike.  I have to take a "sport bike" specific safety course to maintain my privilege to ride.   Their cut off is riding position.  Feet out in front = Not sport bike.  Feet underneath or behind you = sport bike 

Back in 93 Ducati reffered to the Monster as a naked sports bike, so I guess it is.  Clearly lacking in power and lean angle, but, non the less, a sportbike.

I'd say the Monster is THE naked motorcycle - it started the trend. And it's definitely NOT a sports bike. Ducati makes sports bikes with the same engines, sure.. but the monster range tends to carry decidedly tamer power plants: makes them more rideable in the city etc.  And I think that philosophy distinguished the Monster from pretty much every other bike out there - everyone else was going for raw horsepower & top speed bragging rights... and Ducati stepped back and said "hey, let's do something crazy - let's get back to the type of bikes our fathers used to ride."

Welcome back Ron!  [thumbsup]

My Monster seems to be whatever I need it for that particular ride.  I my friends and I are going to the mountains, its a sportbike (though the slowest of the bunch).  If I am heading to work, its a city commuter.  If I leave my house in the rain, its my bad weather bike.  I ride my Monster on all occasions because it is all I have to ride (at the moment).  I would have to say that it is something of its own.

Quote from: roy-nexus-6 on July 02, 2008, 04:59:42 AM
I'd say the Monster is THE naked motorcycle - it started the trend. And it's definitely NOT a sports bike. Ducati makes sports bikes with the same engines, sure.. but the monster range tends to carry decidedly tamer power plants: makes them more rideable in the city etc.  And I think that philosophy distinguished the Monster from pretty much every other bike out there - everyone else was going for raw horsepower & top speed bragging rights... and Ducati stepped back and said "hey, let's do something crazy - let's get back to the type of bikes our fathers used to ride."

Welcome back Ron!  [thumbsup]

The engines are from previous generation sport bikes.  That doesn't make them no longer sport bikes.  Is a 998 no longer a sportbike?

The bikes your fathers used to ride were considered sport bikes back in the day.  The British twins, the Honda CB750, the Ducati 750SS.  All sport bikes.

Quote from: silentbob on July 02, 2008, 07:46:51 AM
The engines are from previous generation sport bikes.  That doesn't make them no longer sport bikes.  Is a 998 no longer a sportbike?

The bikes your fathers used to ride were considered sport bikes back in the day.  The British twins, the Honda CB750, the Ducati 750SS.  All sport bikes.

Ah, I'll elaborate a bit more -

The 916 = sport bike
The S4 = de-tuned 916 engine; naked. More upright riding position.

It shares the same engine.. but the philosophy behind the design of the bikes was different.

lol - mind you, this is my two cents only. And I'm sure if you ask 50 different people, I'm sure you'll get 50 different responses.

[thumbsup]

Quote from: roy-nexus-6 on July 02, 2008, 07:58:15 AM

lol - mind you, this is my two cents only. And I'm sure if you ask 50 different people, I'm sure you'll get 50 different responses.

[thumbsup]

I asked John McLaughlin and he said you're WRONG!

Quote from: the ron on July 01, 2008, 07:49:48 PM
look, i hate sport bikes. i had my fill of them when i was a puppy and now i just like to ride. the whole put on matching leathers and put your knee down around the corners to me is well, kindve fast and the furious. I just like to ride.  and i was drawn to the monster because, at the time, I felt that it wasn't a full on sport bike. I find myself constantly telling people that my monster is something all its own. i always say that if you asked a second grade girl to draw a motorcycle, she would draw a monster. just an engine, frame and wheels. my bike, to is definatley not in the sport bike category since it has no chance, performance wise, against any comperable bike. my s2r eighthundred for all of its appeal, doesn't get out of its own way. I don't mind that but i am sick of trying to tell people who don't know anybetter that its not a sportbike. this whole situation reached its zenith on saturday when my friends wife asked my nephew why he got the same bike that i have. I wanted to hurl, he rides a Kawasaki Z-1000. [puke]  
This the reason i hate the 696 soooo much. it just looks like the star of the sequel to torque.  what do you think.  i mean there are plenty of sportbikes out there. cant everyone just realize that my monster isn't a sportbike? please
the  ron[evil]

I hate to break it to ya but that is the life of a motorcyclist. ya just have to deal with it. Why the hate on the Z1000? It is a great bike, I rode one for 4 years. Spanked everyone on it too! With a little work on the suspension. It had cutting edge lines when it came out (for those who would actually take a min and SEE them). It is "like" your monster in that it is a naked bike. Though, I will side with you that it is NOT the SAME as the Monster. Still no reason to put the hate hat on... just as you "just like to ride" so do others and you as an ambassador of "riding" in general should be beyond the "hate" aspects of other bikes.

<rant off>

Quote from: silentbob on July 02, 2008, 08:03:48 AM
I asked John McLaughlin and he said you're WRONG!

I stand corrected - I'll immediately contact an admin, & see about changing my vote.  ;D

i think the monster is what the dmv handbook calls a "standard" bike.

bc it doesn't fit what the other options are, its not a cruiser like a honda shadow/harley davidson or chopper style bike, its not a sportbike like a ninja zx6, cbr 600rr, r6, its not a trike or sidecar bike bc it only has 2 wheels, its not a dirtbike or dual sport bike because it honestly isn't made to go offroad.

so i would say that leaves "standard" bike, which is what my insurance company calls it, so yes in a way its in teh same category as say a 70s honda cb bike...

Quote from: the ron on July 01, 2008, 07:49:48 PM
my friends wife asked

Well there's your problem.

[cheeky]

well I guess people like BP and I who have both 1098s and Monsters best go put our names in for the next Torque...   Does this mean we need to ride with our helmets strapped to the ass of our bikes too?   [coffee]

My bike sure keeps up with other sport bikes in the twisty stuff for a bike that's "not a sport bike".

Why would you hate to have your bike called a sportbike anyway?  If you want an un-mistakeably lame bike that will never be confused with a sportbike, then why not ride a Sportster.   [laugh]

Can't categorize all monsters the same.  There is as much difference between the full range of monsters as the full line of Kawasaki Ninjas.   A similar look and the same name does not make the bike the same.    So we have full-on sportbikes all the way to your second-grade girl bike but they don't all fit under the same umbrella.

Call it what you like.......as long as the insurance companies consider it 'standard' we should just keep a low profile while we dish out less $$$$$$ for coverage.

Here in Quebec, tags are ALOT cheaper for a 'standard' vs 'sport'.....soooooo, I'm just gonna shuuuuut-up and  [moto].  (Once it finally gets here, of course) :'(

It's a sport bike, but it isn't a hypersport or superbike.

Sorry to break it to ya The Ron...you own a sport bike.  [moto]  I'd consider the Multistrada a standard (definitely not a dual sport), but not the Monster.

Quote from: monsterista on July 02, 2008, 03:13:16 PM
Call it what you like.......as long as the insurance companies consider it 'standard' we should just keep a low profile while we dish out less $$$$$$ for coverage.

Here in Quebec, tags are ALOT cheaper for a 'standard' vs 'sport'.....soooooo, I'm just gonna shuuuuut-up and  [moto].  (Once it finally gets here, of course) :'(

Amen!  For a cheaper rate, I would call mine a scooter.

The term you may be looking to hate could be "crotch-rocket."  If it's sporty and it's a bike, then it's a sport bike -- fairing or not.  My monster is a sport bike.  It is NOT a crotch rocket.

But I voted for naked bike.

It's a PASTA ROCKET!!!!!! ;D

QuoteCan't categorize all monsters the same.  There is as much difference between the full range of monsters as the full line of Kawasaki Ninjas.   A similar look and the same name does not make the bike the same.    So we have full-on sportbikes all the way to your second-grade girl bike but they don't all fit under the same umbrella.

+1
but my M620 isn't a second grade girl bike... it's the coolest.

Everybody makes their Monster into a different beast. I threw a pair of clipons and a 14t sprocket onto mine and it's definitly a sportbike. [thumbsup]

I'd also be very concerned what people thought of my bike if I spent more time posing on it and less time riding it.

Quote from: Kit on July 02, 2008, 06:58:07 PM
+1
but my M620 isn't a second grade girl bike.

our 620 isn't either.   ;D

I voted for regular .
See, I remember when the CB750 was being sold new at the dealer.
And I remember when the GPZ750 first came out. I consider that to be the genesis of the sportbike, or crotch rocket.
I bought my 620 bc it was one of the only regular(read "naked") motorcycles currently being produced, and I didn't want to deal with a plastic bike, and all of the squidlyness that the crotch rocket label carries with it. I just wanted to ride.

My insurance claimed its a sports bike.
But then I showed them a picture pointing out the missing fairing, the high bar, the low footpegs and of course analog instruments.
So the girl was like : of course, this is just a normal street bike.
And my insurance dropped from 5100 to 3600  [beer]

Quote from: WannaDucBad on July 02, 2008, 06:51:16 PM
It's a PASTA ROCKET!!!!!! ;D

LOL!!!!!!!! [laugh] Love that one!

Quote from: ArguZ on July 03, 2008, 02:59:12 AM
My insurance claimed its a sports bike.
But then I showed them a picture pointing out the missing fairing, the high bar, the low footpegs and of course analog instruments.
So the girl was like : of course, this is just a normal street bike.
And my insurance dropped from 5100 to 3600  [beer]

:o WOW!!!!  That's alot of  $$$$$$$$$$$!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ??? ??? ???

I got a quote for $341 tax in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FULL coverage!

Quote from: ArguZ on July 03, 2008, 02:59:12 AM
My insurance claimed its a sports bike.
But then I showed them a picture pointing out the missing fairing, the high bar, the low footpegs and of course analog instruments.
So the girl was like : of course, this is just a normal street bike.
And my insurance dropped from 5100 to 3600  [beer]

Pet peeve:           SHOWING other people how to do their jobs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  >:(  Why do we always have to prove and explain and what not??  Seems alot of people get ripped off in many situations just because people simply don't give a hoot and are waiting for the 5:00 bell to ring........ [bang]

I voted "something all its own".

-IMHO, the Monster is whatever you want it to be. Or should I say it's there to be made into whatever you want it to be. Some performance mods combined w/a 14T sprocket + clip-ons definitely nudges mine closer to a "sport-bike" type motorcycle, but there are plenty of things you could do to make it more suitable for touring purposes.

-Also, I would venture to say that rake/trail, front/back tire size, and gearing are the main characteristics that make a sportbike a sportbike so i that respect, it would be more sportbike than not.

-Then there's the whole fairing business...  :-\

Quote from: ArguZ on July 03, 2008, 02:59:12 AM

And my insurance dropped from 5100 to 3600  [beer]

:o :o :o  Is that your premium for the entire decade?

Nevermind...just saw you're in Denmark.  What's that in US$?

Quote from: Triple J on July 03, 2008, 07:59:31 AM
Nevermind...just saw you're in Denmark.  What's that in US$?

XE.com (http://www.xe.com/) is my favorite currency conversion site.

5100 Danish Kroners = $1,074.47
3600 DKK = $758.76

Well, if it were considered a sport bike I'm sure the insurance premiums would really be up there.  I only pay $600 a year for full coverage in Los Angeles.  Whereas a quote for a Daytona 675 from the same company was $1800 a year.

Quote from: someguy on July 02, 2008, 07:04:02 PM
I'd also be very concerned what people thought of my bike if I spent more time posing on it and less time riding it.

People would think it's normal.  Do Ducati owners even ride their bikes? 

Quote from: Vindingo on July 03, 2008, 11:11:25 AM
People would think it's normal.  Do Ducati owners even ride their bikes? 

Some of us do!  [evil]

We're all right.  It's like saying is it red or blue.  Well, mine's burgundy, that one's watermelon, that one's candy apple, fire engine red. 

The problem is that we're educated and the rest aren't.  They see all the monsters  as a cruiser or not, and we understand the nuances of why we bought those beautiful rides!

(mine's red like the devil''s cape!!! and just as dangerous!!!)

I voted Something all it's own, Just look at the Forum members Monsters, Everything from Hardcore racers to commuters.
Change a few parts and you change the whole character of the bike. I know of hardcore riders who scrape pegs every weekend on the Mountains and have tweeked there Monsters to that application, and then we have the guys who lift the handle bars, fit softer seats, bigger pegs Etc and go cruising on there Monsters.
And then someone like me who is in between who commutes everyday, but likes to cruise and have a blast in the mountains as well, after all the bikes I tried and have owned, the Monster has been the best bike to do everything I need it to do.

And to walk away from it at the end of a day of riding, with a big stupid grin, and desperate to do it all again!  [thumbsup]

Quote from: CairnsDuc on July 03, 2008, 05:06:04 PM
I voted Something all it's own, Just look at the Forum members Monsters, Everything from Hardcore racers to commuters.
Change a few parts and you change the whole character of the bike. I know of hardcore riders who scrape pegs every weekend on the Mountains and have tweeked there Monsters to that application, and then we have the guys who lift the handle bars, fit softer seats, bigger pegs Etc and go cruising on there Monsters.
And then someone like me who is in between who commutes everyday, but likes to cruise and have a blast in the mountains as well, after all the bikes I tried and have owned, the Monster has been the best bike to do everything I need it to do.

And to walk away from it at the end of a day of riding, with a big stupid grin, and desperate to do it all again!  [thumbsup]

+11tyb

+1


Amen.   The Monster series is such a gorgeous bike so capable of molding.   Where most other bikes stay a predetemined line, the Monster harnesses the owner's mind's eye.   

Mine is cafe'.

Bone stock, I would have to say Naked.   But she is no pretender.   She has spawned a niche all to her own, followed by the likes of the SV, S3, Hornet, TNT, maybe even the Tuono to an extent.   I wouldn't put the Z1 and GS1100 in the same catagory though.  They were more Standards or the current superbikes of the time.

But you have this bike, almost introduced by Ayrton Senna of all ppl , [thumbsup] , and it sets the world on fire.  Taking parts from proven designs and transforming her like some have already said, the simplistic design of a motorcycle.   Pure Beauty.

I just can't wait until the 1098 powered version comes out.   ;D

No offense, but I pray that she has the same classic headlight and please keep her away from the 696 designers.

Good thread.

I was amazed when my GEICO agent termed it a cruiser and my insurance was something like $350 per year. It would be even less if I could pass the drivers test at the DMV. ;D Fine by me. I grew up on regular bikes we all thought of as cafe racers and the monster really seems like a regular motorcycle to me. I love the way it does everything so well. I can bump around town on a docile little motorbike and draw little attention or curse to work at 45 to 60 mph trying to convince myself I'm saving gas or wick it up on the mountain and leave every other motorcycle for make the beast with two backsing dead - all of em. Even after riding a 1098 up on the parkway I was very impressed at just how very well the Monster handled and the comfort level is so much better it's amazing. I loved it one day when one of my fast and furious "sport bike" friends told me I should "wash that thing" as we were preparing to go up the mountain for the day. I reached down and wiped off the tag with a cloth I was holding and said, "how's that, it's probably the only part of this bike you'll be seeing for the rest of the day" - got a good laugh and sure enough it was.

I really do see the current top level Monster as one of the very best all round motorcycles ever sold to the public. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on a 1098 or better engined Monster some day, but I sure hope Ducati doesn't make the beast with two backs up a good thing in the process.

My little motorcycle has made a name for itself around here. Everybody really likes it almost like it has a personality. I loved the way the mechanics pilled out of the local KTM/Yamaha/Kaw/Victory shop and oooded and ahhed over it. Even all the retired professors at the local bar take note of it as it is so exotic, Italian and fast, but so much more civilized as compared to the loud assed anti-social Harleys.

I love my little Italian motorbike. [moto]

LA

wow, i am suprised at all of the responses! [clap] and it really helps me realize why i ride a monster in the first place...... because its cool. 8) no matter what people think of it ,when i am riding i feel like i have the best bike in the universe. would it be weird to say that my monster just understands me. and i understand it. it would seem  that those outside of the relm of monsterdom are unable to comprenhend what the monster is. not me, not anymore.

the ron [evil]

no

Yes, yes, and yes. The monster checks all the boxes as Naked, Sport and Standard motorcycles. Naked for obvious reasons (it is butt naked). Sport because it's superbike power is suspended in a superbike derived frame all sitting on superbike rubber and the only thing that that's powerful enough to slow it down is it's superbike brakes. Standard because it's an every day rider. A work horse of a bike that can take you back and forth to work day after day in rain or sun. She's an Italian super model that can cook and clean, likes to drink tequila from a dirty glass and arm wrestle GSXR750s.

Quote from: Desmo_Profundis on July 05, 2008, 10:22:31 AM
Yes, yes, and yes. The monster checks all the boxes as Naked, Sport and Standard motorcycles. Naked for obvious reasons (it is butt naked). Sport because it's superbike power is suspended in a superbike derived frame all sitting on superbike rubber and the only thing that that's powerful enough to slow it down is it's superbike brakes. Standard because it's an every day rider. A work horse of a bike that can take you back and forth to work day after day in rain or sun. She's an Italian super model that can cook and clean, likes to drink tequila from a dirty glass and arm wrestle GSXR750s.

lol [laugh]

the ron [evil]

Quote from: the ron on July 05, 2008, 03:00:00 PM
lol [laugh]

the ron [evil]

Whass at mean, The Ron?

LA

Quote from: LA on July 05, 2008, 05:43:26 PM
Whass at mean, The Ron?

LA

the arm wrestle the gsxr part. while i was pondering this thread the other day, i arm wrestled with an 2004 corvette and i gave him a run for his money. he pulled up next to me and said" nice run man !" and i said" not bad for an 800, huh" and he said "not bad, not bad at all".
thats what so cool about the monster, you could just chill all day but when you need it, it is there for you! [thumbsup]

the ron [evil]

Someone on here mentioned that the monster is whatever they need it to be (well.. several people may have said this, I didnt read the whole thing), and I totally agree. My monster doea whatever I need it to do. It can be a canyon carver, a show bike or anyting else. I mean its the perfect bike in my eyes, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. To me its the chameleon of bikes, a DO IT ALLER  ;D

Quote from: Pancake81 on July 05, 2008, 09:55:25 PM
To me its the chameleon of bikes, a DO IT ALLER  ;D

well said my friend, well said.... [moto]
the ron [evil]