New Monster 1100: Initial 600km Impression (PICS)

[Spidey]

I’m in the midst of a week-long loan of a new Monster 1100 and I thought I’d share some initial impressions.  So far, I’ve put about 200 km on the bike, but all at relative slow pace and much of it in the rain.  I had the opportunity today to switch to a s2r1000 right after lunch, which allowed for a good comparison between the bikes.  For additional comparisons, my daily ride is the M1000SS, a highly modified '03 m1000.  I can’t upload pics from here in Spain, so you’ll have to wait a week or so until I’m back in SF for pics.  This is not intended as a comprehensive or a professional review, just some post-ride thoughts from a monster rider.  I just put the bike away about 20 minutes before starting to type.  I plan on adding to this thread as I spend more time with the bike and maybe changing some of my opinions.  (EDIT:  Please this HERE for pictures and final summary of my impressions.)  If there’s something you want to know about the bike, post up and I'll see if I can give you some feedback.



Styling.  The 1100 looks just like those spy photos we saw.  Grey with red frame.  So you know where I’m coming from, I was originally excited about the 696 because it was new and different.  Then I quickly became grossed-out  by it.  But now I’m getting used to it.  I still like the "classic" monsters. 

The 1100 looks a lot better than the 696.  The single sided swingarm works with the upswept tail and it looks like a fun bike (albeit kinda like a Brutale).  There are some quirky styling bits, like the absence of frame plugs at the base of the trellis frame.  I’m sure this is deliberate, but I just don’t know why.   I also don’t know why the rearsets use the swingarm pivot point.  Maybe the big nut on the rearset is just a cover, and there’s a nut inside to get to the swingarm pivot.  I’ll investigate, but it seems pretty stupid.  By the end of the week, the 1100 looks may have grown on me some more, but I’ll take my m1000SS any day of the week.

Ergonomics.   The 1100 feels very different than the s2r1000.  (For reference, I’m 5’7” on a tall day).  You sit in the 1100 rather than on it, like with the s2r.  The seat shape is totally different.  The s2r feels flat and hard, and meets the tank  without forming a V.  You can easily slide back on the s2r100 seat.   The 1100 is completely different.  The seat and the tank form a valley.  You sit with your nuts on the tank.   It puts your weight farther forward, which helps with the handling.  That said, datv found it very uncomfortable, likely because his man bits are mas fuerte than mine.  While the 1100 seat isn't as hard and 2x4-like (hey, look!  New word!) as the s2r seat, I don’t  like the seat material on the 1100.  It’s very grippy--too grippy--and makes it difficult to pivot around the tank during spirited riding.  I was wearing textile and I thought it might be different with leather.  I asked around and others said they were having the same experience.  In fact, it was so grippy that a coupla times, when I slid my leg back from the tank, the seat managed to grab the pant and pinch my inner thigh between the seat and the tank.  Not comfortable.  That said, once you get in position, your leg stays.  A lot of that has to do with the tank and seat design.  It’s not as easy to lock off your leg on the s2r1000 as it is with the 1100.  That’s a valuable improvement.  Me?  I’d change out the seat and put on either clip-ons or risers, depending on what I wanted it to feel like. 

I’m *told* the 1100 is longer than the s2r, but it feels a LOT shorter.  The bars feel wider (they may be exactly the same bars), and a bit farther forward.  The pegs on the 1100 feel  a bit higher, though the s2r feels narrower between your ankles.  Overall, the 1100 feels like a sportier body position.   That said, it didn’t feel right for my 5’7” frame.  I felt like I was leaning just a little too far forward, but not enough that I got the sporty feeling that you get with clipons.  My back started to hurt fairly quickly, which is a sign that the position wasn’t working for me.  Maybe I’ll figure it out as a week went on, but the s2r fit better.  I’m not sure how tall the 1100 is, but it originally felt lower than my M1000SS.  But I don’t think it was any lower than the s2r.  I don’t know.  It just felt lower.  Maybe it had to do with seat shape.     

The electronic display is pretty good.  Ducati finally figured out that the toggle switch should be located on the left side of the bar rather than the gauges.  I also like that the display shows RPM as the main display.  I ride using RPM more than speed, so it works for me.  It appears that there is a screen for traction control or lap times or something.  That seemed kinda silly and gimmicky on a monster. 

Heat.  My right leg feels like it caught on fire.  Ok, I'm just a whiner.  it’s not that bad and certainly not like the SBKs.  But it was not comfortable.  Even on a cold, rainy day, the right side of the bike got hot.

Brakes.  At first, I wasn’t that impressed by the brakes.  I’m used to the 999 master and 4 pad calipers on my M1000SS.  But when I switched from the 1100 to the s2r, it all came into perspective.  The s2r brakes felt wooden and binary.  The 1100 had great feel and a gentle application.  The stopping power was still there, but it was easy to control.  I was much less jerky with the 1100 brakes than with the s2r.  Nice.  That said, they’re not overkill for the street (as some have said about the 1098 brakes).   I haven’t had a chance to test them at speed, but I expect  that they’ll be a lot easy to trail into turns and will work well for accurately setting entry speed.

Clutch.  I don’t like the 1100 clutch master.  The clutch pull is a lot less effort than the hand-cramping s2r, but it lets out right at the end of the lever travel.  I found it hard to be smooth.  Maybe I’ll get better with time, but my immediate impression was negative.  That said, it's a dry clutch.   I was worried that Ducati would make monsters wet-clutch only.  Cuz then I'd get arrested for making terrorist threats.  We're safe for now.   

Engine & Gearing.   The 1100 rocks.   I just rocks.  It kicks the hell out of the 1000.  The 1000 on my M1000SS is pretty hopped up, so originally I wasn’t that impressed with the 1100 in stock form.  That is, until I compared it to the s2r1000.  Did I mention the 1100 kicks the shit out of the 1000?  In stock form, it is VERY, VERY smooth and spins up really quickly.  Curiously, for a 2V, it got a bit hit of power around 6k.  Not what you’d expect.  This might have something to do with the exhaust or the fueling, but the grunt was impressive.  There is power everywhere, and it doesn’t feel like it runs out of air at the top end as much as most 2 valves engines.  That said, it still felt corked up.  An exhaust is a necessary upgrade, I think.   It got me to 170 kph pretty fast.  Woot!  I haven’t checked redline yet (and shouldn’t  considering it only has 1100k on the odometer).

As much as I like the engine, I’m really struggled with this bike below 4k.  It absolutely sucks.  I’m trying to figure out the culpritâ€"fueling, gearing, loose throttle.   It might be all of the above.   Below 4k, it lurches horrible and the on/off throttle transitions are neck-snapping.   It also surges with a constant throttle application, but that might just be from lugging.  I got really annoyed trying to ride this bike slowly. 
It’s pretty useless below 20mph, as you’re required to slip the clutch constantly.  As is usual with Ducs, this one NEEDS a tooth down in front sprocket (or up a couple in the rear).

Suspension.  I didn’t really get to test it out yet, but it feels good.  The front end feels faster than the s2r1000, and the 1100 is a bit easier to ride.  Maybe it’s the bars (I still think they’re wider).  The front end really wants you to get on the throttle in the turn.  From what I can tell so far, it turns in well and then will hold it’s line If you just stay on the throttle.  It’s more sensitive to inputs than the s2r and likes a smooth roll on through a turn.  Like I said, this is just preliminary.  If I get to open her up, I’ll see if my initial impressions change.

Overall initial impression:  Easy to ride.  Kick ass motor. Smooth with gobs of 2V power.   Absolutely sucks below 4k.   Needs sprocket and exhaust.  Hot right side.  Great brake feel.  So-so clutch lever.   Styling will be a constant debate.  Ergos don’t work for me.

More to follow in the next coupla days.

[MikeZ]

Great write up.  Can't wait to hear how it goes on dry roads.
Thank You for taking the time to do this.

[Goldeneye]

Thanks for the heads up 

I still haven't ridden anything I like better than my S2R1k....

And by the by, the review was great.  I would rather here from a monster rider than some pro who gets paid to write favorable reviews...  Good job!

[ArguZ]

That is the first honest and fair new-Monster review I read so far.
I am sick of all that high class polish stuff you normally read in all the established papers and online.
Thanks a lot for sharing with us 
I just wonder what they will ask for it here in Denmark next spring.
And even more I hope for some people trading in their SRs cheap

[Grampa]

FWIW.... that was the bourbon talking....wait till he sobers up for the real review.

[EvilSteve]

Thanks for the review Spidey.

[OverCaffeinated]

I didn't think the 1100 would have a chance. But I'm glad it has the SSS, and it might be better in the turns. I'm tempted to make a trade.

[remy]

That crappy riding experience you speak of below 4K rpm's seems common in most Monsters the past couple of years. I think the entire thing is FI related.
That's what fixed it on mine, anyhow.

[remy]

Oh, and thanks a ton for putting that write-up together. Like others have said, it is nice to hear a review from someone who is used to Monsters.

[CDawg]

Thanks for the review!

[danaid]

 Good honest review, thanks. I plan on selling my 696 and buying an 1100s.

[Popeye the Sailor]

I'm waiting to hear how well it crashes 

[Howie]

Nice write up, Spidey, thanks.

[J3]

I agree with the below 4k engine operation synopsis, my 1k is really choppy below and smooth and responsive above the magical 3800 rpm barrier.  Makes driving around at 25-35 mph a chore as you either have too low of gearing (makes inadvertent bumps of the throttle much more interesting) or choppy engine running.  I don't have any gearing changes on mine but I've been thinking about it lately with the amount of time I now spend below 80mph.

[Rameses]

Assuming the rearsets are the same as the other Ducs with them mounted on the swingarm pivot, that's not a nut, but rather a big aluminum bolt.

The bolt holds the rearset on.  Once you take the bolt out of each side, the rearsets come off (after taking out a couple more smaller bolts) and the swingarm pivot can then be removed.

I'm waiting to hear how well it crashes