Two weeks in, some thoughts on my first Ducati and first bike

[Rambler1982]

As some of you may already know, a couple weeks ago I bought my first Ducati and first motorcycle. It's a pearl white Monster 696. Now that I've gotten some miles under my belt (150), I thought I'd share my initial thoughts.....


*The mirrors are completely useless. I've tried adjusting them 100 times, but all they show is my elbows.

*The seating position is upright, but I still notice some slight pressure on my wrists after about 10 minutes. It's not really THAT bad, and hopefully in time I will get used to it, and not even notice it.

*Carrying a passenger is NOT comfortable. The pressure on my wrists is greatly exacerbated as a result of her leaning into me. Maybe if she would sit more upright it would be better.

*Riding over bumps or potholes can sometimes hurt my man-bits.

*I feel VERY slow off the line. Maybe it's a result of the higher gearing. But to avoid stalling, it seems as though I have to really ease into every start.

* HOLY **** this thing is fun to ride!!

[Statler]

If I may offer up some unsolicited advice... bend your arms and scoot back in the seat.   If you drop your elbows with your arms bent the mirrors will be a little better, and your wrists will be a lot better.  Hold yourself upright with your core.   Sliding back in the seat will fix the nutcrushers a little and give you some room to lean forward over those bent arms.

Smooth starts with more gas and more quickness will come with more practice.

Passenger work is a bit more advanced, and takes a new skillset for her/him too.

glad you're having so much fun!

[moto]

[Rambler1982]

If I may offer up some unsolicited advice...

It's not unsolicited at all. I started this thread assuming other riders here have encountered similar issues and might be able to offer up some suggestions. Thanks for the tips, Statler, I'll certainly give it a try. 

[ducpenguin]

If I may offer up some unsolicited advice... bend your arms and scoot back in the seat.  Hold yourself upright with your core.   
Passenger work is a bit more advanced, and takes a new skillset for her/him too.
[moto]

+1 about using your core to keep you upright, it will also ease tension on your neck on longer rides.
As for the passenger, I wouldn't ride with one yet.  Just my opinion though.
Enjoy and don't try to get to much to soon, build the miles first!  Be safe!

[DCXCV]

+1 about using your core to keep you upright, it will also ease tension on your neck on longer rides.
As for the passenger, I wouldn't ride with one yet.  Just my opinion though.
Enjoy and don't try to get to much to soon, build the miles first!  Be safe!

+2 on the core thing - grip the tank hard with the knees and don't slouch your upper body weight onto your arms and you'll be amazed at the difference.

And as long as you're taking unsolicited opinions...
+1 on maybe riding with the passenger isn't the best idea after your first 150 miles.  Get comfy with your riding position and allthe things your bike can do in ALL situations: surprise braking, tight corners, debris in the road, quick avoidance swerves - before you add an extra variable (and extra life) into the equation. 

[Takster]

As a fellow newb with the exact same bike (I've got about 500 miles on you though...)  I thought I'd chime in...

*The mirrors are completely useless. I've tried adjusting them 100 times, but all they show is my elbows.

Yeah, I had the same experience.  I bought these:
http://www.motowheels.com/italian/mySearchResult.cfm?parentcategoryid=&productID=6190&showDetail=1&categoryID=608|Mirrors&vendoridtodisplay=0&filterFor=mirror&collection=

*The seating position is upright, but I still notice some slight pressure on my wrists after about 10 minutes. It's not really THAT bad, and hopefully in time I will get used to it, and not even notice it.

+1 on supporting your weight with your core.

*Carrying a passenger is NOT comfortable. The pressure on my wrists is greatly exacerbated as a result of her leaning into me. Maybe if she would sit more upright it would be better.

I decided not to take another person's life into my hands for a year.  It's kind of arbitrary, but I've still got a ton of improvement to do as a rider before I feel comfortable taking a passenger.

*Riding over bumps or potholes can sometimes hurt my man-bits.

I lift my ass up off the seat when I think I'm going to hit something like that.  Scooting back helps too.

*I feel VERY slow off the line. Maybe it's a result of the higher gearing. But to avoid stalling, it seems as though I have to really ease into every start.

+1 on "it will come with practice"... I'm still working on it, but I'm way better than I used to be!

* HOLY **** this thing is fun to ride!!

+1,000,000

[Clickjack]

I would say that being slow off the line, is a combination of things.  Experience w/your bike, The motor on the 696, and then the gearing.  

I'm no expert, but I had the exact opposite problem when I got my bike.  I couldn't take off at a reasonable speed, till I really got use to it.  I shot pass my riding buddy every time I accelerated.  On my bike, 1st is jumpy and wants the gas.  

Even the most experienced rider can be thrown into a ditch by an un-experienced passenger.

[R2]

My 696 is my first bike and I'm two months in with 2600 miles.

*Riding over bumps or potholes can sometimes hurt my man-bits.

At first I couldn't help but slide into the tank. After I hit a couple wicked bumps on the road (sometimes you just don't see them coming), I sat back a bit and made a contentious effort to not slide into the tank. I don't know if the seat has broken in now or it's due to muscle training, but I just kinda stay put and don't really slide forward anymore, for the most part.

Isn't the touring seat supposed to be less of an angle? That might help out somewhat.

*I feel VERY slow off the line. Maybe it's a result of the higher gearing. But to avoid stalling, it seems as though I have to really ease into every start.

I agree it does feel slow off the line. I stalled a lot at first and I still do sometimes. If I try to take off kinda fast at all, it stalls. I learned on a HD Sportster and it was a lot easier to take off on. It seems like the "friction zone" on my 696 is way shorter and farther out, if that makes sense to ya.

*The seating position is upright, but I still notice some slight pressure on my wrists after about 10 minutes. It's not really THAT bad, and hopefully in time I will get used to it, and not even notice it.

I remember my wrist would get tired at first, but it went away. I think it may have been form gripping too tightly and having my hands tensed, after I relaxed it seems to have gone away. I rode from LA to SF Bay (8/12 hours: 400+ miles) yesterday, my wrists were fine, it was my shoulders that were killing me.

* HOLY **** this thing is fun to ride!!

You're on point with that one.

[causeofkaos]

Your right the mirrors are useless. I got some inexpensive bar end mirrors cause i didnt want to to spend the money on nice ones when i knew i would set her down on her side which i did  but fortunately i had full set of sliders from motivation usa i think it was best money spent ever. mirror broke haha but 28 dollars delivered to the house = cheap bar end sliders ( love u FLEAbay )
Seat angle is designed to make sure you do not reproduce. I got the Corbin saddle way way over priced but it is VERY comfortable and it gave me room to slide back and forth to adjust on long rides and instantly took the wrist pain away. MAN BITS thank me every time i ride. Had to send saddle back for them to correct some things jumped on the stock seat instantly MAN BITS hated me again, they are still not talking to me..

[TiNi]

congrats on the 696

i agree with what others have said regarding your core, in fact working on these muscle groups can greatly reduce fatigue.

in regards to the passenger, i'll also agree that you should wait on that until you have more experience.
...but when you are ready to have a passenger, have them keep their hands between you and the tank.
they can either hold onto you when you are accelerating, or brace themselves on the tank to keep their weight off you when you brake.

[swampduc]

I agree the stock mirrors aren't the greatest, but they'll be more useful as you relax and learn to ride with your arms down. That said, I've replaced mine with CRG bar-end mirrors and they're great, clean up the look, too.
As far as saving the man-bits, put your weight on your legs and, if needed, get up off the saddle when it comes to the big bumps. DP gel seat has helped with the comfort too.

Enjoy!

[Howie]

Your arms should be loose enough that you can flap them like wings.  If not, you are supporting your weight with your arms.  This not only leads to wrist strain but also bad steering control.  You might also want to check the angle of your brake and clutch levers.  With you and your hands in normal riding position and your fingers on the levers your wrists and fingers should form a straight line.  If gripping the tank with your knees is not enough to keep you from mashing your family jewels and height is not an issue you might want to consider trying a Ducati Performance seat.  The stock seat does seem keep you against the tank.

You might try loosening the mirrors at the base and rotating the arms forward a little.  May help, may not.  If not, IMO, the stock mirrors are a little ugly anyway.

As others said, put some more miles on before carrying passengers.

[Spidey]

I won't repeat what others said, but here are a few tips for your wrists.  (Edit:  Dammit Howie, you just said it all.  Ya bastid.   )

First, make sure your controls are at a proper angle.  You should be able to reach the brake and clutch lever while maintaining a straight line through your forearm and into your hand.  If your wrists are bent backward (like if you were doing a push-up), that's going to make them hurt.  Rotating the controls is easy.

Second, chicken dance.  Flap your arms every once in a while.  It'll remind you not to lock your arms on the bars.  It'll also remind you to loosen your clench on the grips (I bet you're holding them a lot tighter than you need).

Third, lean forward.  I use this all the time.  When I approach a turn, I lean forward.  You can't stay stiff-armed and lean forward at the same.  That lean will remind you to let your arms loose.  It works well.  It'll also force use to use your core to keep yourself up and to clench the tank with your knees.

As for the starts, they'll get better with time.  In the meanwhile, think about getting a 14T front sprocket.  They're pretty cheap, really easy to install, and will make a world of difference for riding your bike around town.  

[Jarvicious]

You're crazy for taking someone out after 150 miles.  I think I was at about the 4000 mile point before I felt comfortable with someone on the back.  Next time you're in the saddle, go out and do a couple of emergency stops.  Then imagine those same stops with 100+ pounds pushing along with you.  Believe me, it makes a difference.

As far as your wrists go, it's probably part lack of muscle developement, part gripping too tightly, and part weight distribution.  It takes a lot of concentration, but do grab your tank with your knees as often as possible and hold yourself up with your core.  I've never tried the chicken thing (for the record, I hate that make the beast with two backsing dance) but it sounds like a really good idea.  Squeezing with your knees also keeps your ass from sliding forward and harming said man bits. 

As for everything else.....practice practice practice.  Oh, and I guess enjoy too.

[Lukey]

More advice: RELAX and don't analyze it so much after so few miles!  In a month or so, you will have this all figured out and the bike will feel much more fun and comfortable, also less intimidating.

I wouldn't be surprised if 98% of your problems are simply because you're too tense since it's all new to you.  First Ducati is one thing but first BIKE? We ALL feel uncomfortable and unnatural on our first bike, or even if we've been away from bikes for a while and start riding again.

My advice is to forget about your issues and keep your thoughts on the traffic which is all out to kill you.

Keep smiling!   [moto]