Hi everybody. I am looking to purchase a bike (would love to own a monster) within the next week. This will be my first bike. My question is are monsters good commute bikes? I've heard stories that ducatis aren't great for commuting. This the only reason why I'm considering a japanese bike. Please advise.
Thanks
i have a 695, and its great in the city. The one thing that you may want to do to make it even better for the city is switch the standard 15T sprocket to a 14T. It is a cheap mod (just did it myself) and it makes a big different- as many people on the board will attest to.
I ride mine everyday to work.....
Quote from: boxer11 on July 09, 2008, 01:27:26 PM
Hi everybody. I am looking to purchase a bike (would love to own a monster) within the next week. This will be my first bike. My question is are monsters good commute bikes? I've heard stories that ducatis aren't great for commuting. This the only reason why I'm considering a japanese bike. Please advise.
Thanks
Try this thread: http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=5041.0 (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=5041.0)
Theres lots of suggestions and stories of people using their monsters as commuters.
Yes, I upgraded to 14t sprocket...made riding traffic a bit better.
Rob
I also ride mine to work everyday it is nice out and I have no problems what so ever.
The 14t front sprocket is a MUST if you are going to drive in traffic often. It makes a world a difference and is so much easier to ride in stop and go traffic.
If this is going to be your first bike I would suggest a 620. They are easy to find and find cheap. Mine does everything I want it to do and I never feel like it is not fast enough. However, the 620 has no oil cooler so it will get hot in traffic. Oil coolers are easy to find and easy to install and will make the bike run much cooler and better in traffic. Just my opinion.
I've ridden mine to work just about every day since getting it. My commute is about 45 mile round trip with some country roads with some nice turns, hills, interstate, and city (Seattle) streets with lots of stop and go traffic and some pretty steep hills. I love it so much that I actually look forward to going to work for a change. [moto]
18,000 miles commuting on me munster and loving every minute of it. Could not be more happy 992 engine at 41 mpg and like I said loving every minute of it.
-panthro
I commute on my monster almost every day. I don't see why it wouldn't be a good commuter.
my monster is my only form of transportation. works great for me
oh and the 14t does make traffic a lot better... well i went up 3 in the rear instead of down on in front. same results though.
monsters are great commuter/urban cycles bc of the position and all around good use of them and powerband.
that being said they do require more frequent maintentance intervals than a japanese bike, so its every 6200-7500 miles for a ducati service compared to say a few more thousand for a japanese bike. so if you are truly commmuting 12000-18000 miles a year, then yes the maintenance cost of valve adjustments of a duc will add up sooner than a japanese bike bc the intervals are shorter, the things like tires/chains/oil changes/brakes will go at the same rate no matter the manufacturer.
but if you can deal with that, then you are good.
At the end of the day you would be riding a jap...day a day..
make the beast with two backs that...
Get a 6xx and be proud and happy every morning you start her, park her, fuel her and get comments from colleges
Quote from: sbrguy on July 09, 2008, 02:47:44 PM
that being said they do require more frequent maintentance intervals than a japanese bike, so its every 6200-7500 miles for a ducati service compared to say a few more thousand for a japanese bike. so if you are truly commmuting 12000-18000 miles a year, then yes the maintenance cost of valve adjustments of a duc will add up sooner than a japanese bike bc the intervals are shorter, the things like tires/chains/oil changes/brakes will go at the same rate no matter the manufacturer.
but if you can deal with that, then you are good.
My wife rides a Suzuki Boluevard (she's a bagger :-X) and her bike requires much more frequent maintenance than my 695. I can't speak to all Japanese bikes, but for at least one of the metric cruisers, the maintenance things is a myth....for the newer (07 and up) Ducati's
I ride my M750 to work on most days (I don't even know what size sprocket it has). It makes going to work and riding home enjoyable. Make sure you wear all the gear though. I only work six miles away and always wear complete gear. Besides it's too easy to go "the long way" to/from work. Too much fun to save on gas.
Several years ago there was a "City" version of the 750 which had slightly higher bars and hard cases. Easy to do the same to a 620 or 695.
I commute on a quite a bit on my S2R. If I need to take a bunch of stuff with me, then it's the GS.
I think the ideal commuter that still has the fun factor is the Multistrudle.
I have been commuting on my S4R for the past 1k miles. I had put 10k miles on my 06 CBR600RR in about 12 months. The upright position of the monster makes it much more comfortable..I also have the 14T front sprocket. I actually found my 600RR more streetable in heavy traffic though and gets better mpg too. The Monster feels more stable, the nice Brembo's have saved my a$$ on a few occasions already, and tons of compliments. In the end, the S4R will get a day of commuting a week, the 600RR gets the rest...unless the weather gets real bad, then I'll be caging it.
If you are looking for a commuting bike to save $$$, due to high gas prices, then a monster is probably not the best choice.
If you are looking for a for a commuting bike that you can ride like a hooligan when you are not commuting, then you have found the right place. [thumbsup]
Thank you all for the responses. As of right now I'm leaning towards the monster 696. I thought the monsters get good gas milage....I read that the 696 gets 44mpg. Is that right?
yep.....
My commute is 54 miles each way (108 total).
Better than 2 cups of coffee.
Feel lazy when I take the cage on rainy days.
Davo
Yeah, they get alright gas mileage.
But start adding in the cost of tires, and services.
I figured it out the other day, and I'll save $600 in fuel. But the upkeep on my bike for the miles I commute a year is more than $600. I'll end up loosing money being on the Monster every day.
In a year I'll go through atleast 2 rear tires, 1 front tire, 2 valve adjustments, 1 set of belts, and 4 oil changes. That gets pricey.
And that does not include "pleasure" miles -- just my commute to/from work. Also, this is with a car that gets only 23mpg. If you have an even-more efficant car you are going to loose more money.
Quote from: wbeck257 on July 10, 2008, 04:37:55 AM
In a year I'll go through atleast 2 rear tires, 1 front tire, 2 valve adjustments, 1 set of belts, and 4 oil changes. That gets pricey.
This is what I meant about being difficult to save $$$. But it is so much better than sitting in a cage. And other perks may easily make up for it, HOV lanes etc.
I would expect you could get more than 44 mpg from a 696. I get 43 mpg consitantly while commuting on my 900. I have heard of 50+ on 620's but can not confirm.
MPG is dependant on your style of driving, route you take and so many other variables, I know the 2007 s2r 800 I have gets about 25 mpg in the city commute I do, but my parking is free every day, and it is still cheaper than public transit by about $60 a month. When I have it on the 6-4-2 lane parkways/highways/interstates I get closer to 45-47 mpg (that is imperial gallons not US gallons). Still all in all with all the other costs included it is probably even to driving a car ..... but so much more fun and that is the key. My old 2005 620 did a little better in the city but not much and it was a blast in town, just didn't like it for the 4-5 hour trips I like to take.
All in all any monster will be a blast, but I would guess that in 2 to 4 years you will be looking at something bigger than the 696, so from someone who bought his 620 new, I would recommend a used 6** and save yourself some $$ and depreciation.
Cheers
[drink]
Quote from: wbeck257 on July 10, 2008, 04:37:55 AM
Yeah, they get alright gas mileage.
But start adding in the cost of tires, and services.
I figured it out the other day, and I'll save $600 in fuel. But the upkeep on my bike for the miles I commute a year is more than $600. I'll end up loosing money being on the Monster every day.
In a year I'll go through atleast 2 rear tires, 1 front tire, 2 valve adjustments, 1 set of belts, and 4 oil changes. That gets pricey.
And that does not include "pleasure" miles -- just my commute to/from work. Also, this is with a car that gets only 23mpg. If you have an even-more efficant car you are going to loose more money.
I think this is short sighted...
A brand new 696 with 2 year warranty is way cheaper than a cage... What can you buy for that price?
The other thing you didn't factor into your equation is: fun/mile
Seriously. A LOT of fun.
Quote from: Duc L'Smart on July 10, 2008, 06:30:47 AM
The other thing you didn't factor into your equation is: fun/mile
i've always expressed this as zooms/dollar.
and there is no way to beat a bike
on topic, i commute every day on bike till the snow hits. yes you'll pay more maintenance on your bike, but you'll save a ton on your car; i.e., i only put about 1000 miles on my car over the course of the summer, so i'll have it forever.
i get about 55mpg on my 696.... ymmv
Quote from: Duc L'Smart on July 10, 2008, 06:30:47 AM
I think this is short sighted...
A brand new 696 with 2 year warranty is way cheaper than a cage... What can you buy for that price?
The other thing you didn't factor into your equation is: fun/mile
Seriously. A LOT of fun.
I'm assumeing that the OP already has a cage.
I did my calculations factoring the fact that I already own both cage and bike.
The the fun per mile thing. Okay, on a good day, yes -- the moto is more fun. But however your fun per mile hits the floor on cold, raining, ungodly hot days.
My point is, from a strictly financial standpoint a Ducati Monster is not an economical solution to commute with to save money. I agree with you that it is more fun to commute on the monster -- but it isn't cheaper.
agreed, if you're just trying to save some cash, ducati is not where to start looking... the world's full of $1000 runners that get 60+ mpg.
that said, i've repeatedly described my bike as "practical basic transportation"
My husband used the Monster as his commuter for nine years. It finally was just taking too much time in the shop so he bought a new bike (Kawa Z1000) and now the monster is mine but it's in the shop again. [roll] (waiting for bearings) The clutch was giving us the trouble this year. Other than that it was pretty dependable and we did our own oil changes and chain maintenence. It gets about 46 mpg and he could use the HOV lane to commute 30 miles or so each way(all highway).
Even with repairs I think we saved money(since he'd have to use the F350 to commute when the bike was in the shop) and it definately saved a lot of time on his commute. That's worth a fair bit, I'm thinking.
And of course initial purchase price is way lower than buying a new, oh, say a Prius or something.
So we have 61,000 miles on this bike and just this year we started having problems, but it's more to do with shipping time for parts than the actual repairs. So you just have to figure out what you have to do if the bike happens to be in the shop for four weeks!
Celeste
The 696 is probably pretty close to 695 numbers: 50-55mpg, approx $36/wk for gas.....the fun of riding every day = priceless. [thumbsup]
I have ridden my 696 every day to work over the beemer. Once break-in you can put around or even cruise on the freeway as fast/slow as you want. Plus the bike is very forgiving so stop light traffic is no big deal. GET ONE!!!
I commute on my S4 sometimes, but most of the time I commute on my cheap-o Korean made Hyosung GT250. It's easier to split lanes in stopped traffic on the 250, and I don't mind putting all that commuting wear and tear on it. Also, I don't have indoor parking at work, and I'd rather leave the 250 outside in the city all day than leave the S4 out there.
My commute is 40 miles round trip, mostly highway. I get about 80 mpg on the 250! I think I get about 40 mpg on the S4 (with full Termi setup)...
I love commuting on my monster. It's a 620 and if I keep it under or at 80mph on my all highway commute I get 45-47mpg. However like other people have said, you won't save money. Every 10kish miles you need 1.5 services, 1 front tire, 2 rear, and a chain. I worked it out and gas prices here in the Bay Area at $4.50+ a gallon I just about break even vs. my MINI cooper that gets 27mpg. If I owned a honda civic like my brother that gets like 33mpg I'd be losing money. But I would still ride. It's awesome, even on the hot/rainy/bad days. I would still rather be riding (so far over 30k on my bike). If you want a monster get one, just know what your getting into. I love it!
Thank you all for the great response. I don't plan to use the bike to commute to work everyday. I work three to four days a week and would probably use the bike for 2 to 3 of those days, just simply because of the work I need to lug around. Plus my commute is 40 round trip. My car probably on gets 25 mpg. So I think I would save a little money. But you guys are right. The fun factor added to my commute would be priceless. Thanks.
If you need to carry things to work and back, might I recommend a Chrome Messenger bag. I commute from home, to school, to work, to the gyn, and back home again 4 days a week and have to carry a bunch of stuff. These bicycle messenger bags work great. Single handed adjustments, waterproof, laptop sleeve, and is very comfortable. I carry school books, laptop, stuff for work, and gym clothes without any issues and they have yet to get wet if I get caught in the rain. Just a suggestion from a diehard commuter.
www.chromebags.com
I think the main thing you need to determine when considering a motorcycle for a commute is how you define 'commute', is it a 5 mile jaunt or a 55 mile combination of freeway, back roads and heavy traffic? That will determine what kind of bike you decide to purchase.
If you're strictly inner city commuting, trying to save gas money, I would say you'd be fine with a 250cc gas sipper, put some bags on it, take your stuff around with you.
If you're serious about motorcycles and you are riding out of 'choice' and not because you have to, that kind of bike won't do it for you at all.
I can't see my Duc costing me more than my car in gas and maintenance. I don't really do any work on my car but I try to do everything (so far) on my bike myself, that's going to save me a lot in parts and labor. I get about 120 miles out of a tank which costs about 10 bucks to fill (gas is about 4.50 average here now) so it's WAY cheaper than my car. Somebody mentioned valve adjustments twice a year, that seems crazy to me, unless maybe you're putting touring amounts of miles on it.
My 2 cents is that it's not going to cost you more to own a motorcycle, not even a ducati, especially the newer ones that have way more time/ miles between service intervals than the older models. My advice is if you love the bike, get it, look after it, it will serve you well and you'll find that it probably holds it's value a little better than a japanese bike when/ if you sell it.
You can ride the monster in the city no problem,14t would be a great upgrade to get though.It's nice to commute with those babys!def an attention getter!