New to forum - introduction - Duchess shopping for first Monster

[Duchess]

Hi, I'm a 50+ year old female rider from Ohio. I'm returning to motor cycling after taking 25 years off to have and raise my children. Now I'm a divorced empty nester, time to return to the fun things in life.

Shopping for my first monster and flip flopping between 696 (it fits me), 796 (it can be made to fit me) and 1100e (just because).

Nice to meet you all ! 

Duchess

[Curmudgeon]

 

What did you ride before?

796 made to fit you how? Lowered suspension and lighter rear spring is maybe OK. A lower seat alone is maybe not so good. You'll miss the padding later. You could always consider a lowered Sargent seat too. See chart. http://www.sargentcycle.com/ducws6961000.htm

Whether you buy a 796 or 696, be sure to fit a 14T front sprocket before you even leave the dealership. Search on the forum for 14T. 

When I rode a demo 696 I was impressed but thought it didn't have quite enough "go". You won't feel that with a 796. For $1K you also get 1100 wheels and tires, and single-sided swing arm and ABS.

How about giving us your dimensions. I'm 5' 8" and with a 29" inseam and didn't need a lower seat but found a Rizoma bar better looking and more upright with less reach vs stock. It has ~ 5/8" more rise and 2" more sweep (back). Mine's silver and looks stock. http://www.motovationusa.com/mvstore/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=562

What flavor? 

[Duchess]

I rode motor bikes for around 11 years from when I was 17 to when I was 28. I started with a Honda "nifty fifty" - 50cc 3 speed scooter that a friend found rusting in a shed. We got it started and I rode it for a while until it fell apart from rust. Then a CB 175 honda twin, a CB250 twin, 500CX longitudial V twin, then a CB750-4 F1 and finally a 750-4 F2, that I transplanted into a Rickman custom frame - reynolds 531 tubing, mig welded, nickle plated, Brembo brakes, full competition fairing, .. LOL wish I had kept it, those things are going for a fortune on the classic bike forums.

But it was time for a family, and in my philosophy: babies and bikes don't mix. Babies are now young men and out in the world, and spouse is an ex-spouse, so I can get a bike again.

I'm 5' 8" , about 150 lbs, 30 inseam. Part of my problem is arthritis in my left hip, which restricts movement.
The arthritis has a few effects:
a) its harder for me to get onto the bike in the first place - so a riding position that is comfortable when I'm on (like the multistrada) is impossible for me to get to without climbing up on something first. I need something low enough to get my leg over without putting too much twist on my hip.
b) a wide saddle and bulging tank push my hip out and it really hurts - I need a narrow seat and tank to keep my hip joint from being strained
c) I don't trust my left leg to take the weight of a bike leaned over - so I feel more comfortable on a lower seat where I can get my foot flat on the ground with my hip unstressed and the bike still perpendicular

at the dealers, the 696 was the bike that fit me best. The next was the Daivel (LOL, it has a very low seat !). I was wanting to compare a Street Triple, but that is a couple inches higher (and ugly too - why did they go away from round headlamps ?)


As far as mods to the 796 - so far my dealer is offering the 20mm lower Duacti seat - thanks for the link to Sargent - I didn't see a price ?
elsewhere on the forum someone told me about the suspension mods to lower a 796 to 696 height - so I'll work that with them also.
Reach was OK (the Rickman CRE was clip on's and "lay on the tank" sportbike, so anything feels more upright than that, but I'll bear the Rizoma bars in mind.

[Curmudgeon]

OK... Lots of information! BTW, unlike most here, I feel your pain. I'm 65 and just before Thanksgiving twisted something in my right side/hip/leg/back which has me hobbling around like a 90-year-old until I can sometimes "walk it off". My local physiotherapist put the right side back into register but the effects don't seem to go away. He called it a pubic dysfunction but it has left my right leg weak. Grrr... Arthritis may also play into this mix too as my old bod is very abused. Anyway..., my left leg is OK, so I can put that one down easily. The 796 doesn't weigh much. Easy to push around compared to my Bonneville T-100!

Had a Rickman as well for a while but mine was Triumph-powered. The Metisse's bring good coin for sure.

Having an inexperienced dealer could be an issue for you as yours won't know all the tricks and eccentricities. Wish I could lend you mine as he knows his stuff and I'm spoiled, having worked in NJ for 40 years, close to the Ducati distributor and the best dealers since the early 70's. I retired to Central VA where I have to drive 140 miles to get to mine. Not exactly convenient.

The shock is overspung and overdamped for your weight. I'm 175 plus gear and it was too much. I had a cheap Ohlins and spring built for me by Ohlins in NC and my dealer who is Ohlins-certified set it up to match the sag in the front. The bike leaves the factory set up for a ~ 165 lb. rider and light passenger. Maybe OK for a 225 lb. guy. Backing off the preload might get the rear down for you a bit. Not sure how much because I didn't take the measurements on mine. The stock shock may still be too firm, even if you swap out the spring. My Ohlins was ~ $625.

Getting on the bike is an issue with this hip of mine as the tail is still ~ 39" high, even though the seat is < 32" and less still when I sit on it. I certainly can't "flat foot" my 796 but I can plant the balls of both feet firmly. Women usually have longer legs than men although shorter torsos. Still, even with boots on, I doubt you'll flat foot any Ducati. Agreed about the Multistrada. I'd need a ladder. My physio also advised that I DO NOT extend my leg rearward to get on the bike. It's possible to do without extending the leg rearward.

You haven't ridden the bikes yet. I'm fine when I'm on mine. The 696 I rode jammed me into the faux tank. The Sargent seats are flatter and reduce this tendency. I also installed Tech Spec pads. At low speed you can dig your knees into these and stay off the tank. Also gives back support. See how the 796 seat is for you because it's improved. For me the Sargent was better than the factory seats including the touring seat. (The plain Sargent is $400 and IMO worth it.) The Sargent may be slightly wider in the rear but it's still not all that wide. Women are generally broader (no pun  ) than men. If you hated the Sargent you could send it back within 30 days less freight. This is my cockpit.

No comment about the hideous Street Triple.  The 796 has a lower center of gravity, steers where you think it and has more low end torque anyway. It DOES want to go everywhere at 70 - 80 MPH though, even with the 14T.  Unless you really have a "wild hare" an 1100 evo is overkill IMO.

PS. Try the bike with the stock fairing and mirrors before you let the kids talk you into modding everything. Ducati must have done a lot of wind tunnel work on the new Monsters. The air is surprisingly quiet in my Schuberth helmet.

If you want to discuss this, send me a PM and I'll give you my contact details. I'm retired, so can spare the time.

Which 911? Sold a lot of those but air-cooled and between 1984 and 1996. I'm a baron, BTW.  You might find my intro thread amusing..., or not. http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=50673.msg929505#msg929505

[Raux]

All three of the new Monster can be made to the height you need.
For the 796/1100 buy the 696 rear suspension mount clevis for 20 bucks and it lowers the rear about an 1" or more. Then pull the forks through the same on the front.
For the seat, Don't get the low seat. It's wider. The 796 stock seat i've heard is really good. Also sargeant can make a narrow seat for you if you ask for that change.
The 696 may not have the umph you might remember, but it's very nice with the 14t around town. but if you want the single sided swingarm, which most people do, the 796/1100 are the way to go.
And don't let anyone tell you one is better than the other, 696 has plenty of power for the street, and the 1100 just needs judiscious throttle control for normal riding.

the newer bikes have slightly taller bar mounts and you can even get the taller bar kit to raise it more to get you to a very neutral position.
You will need new springs, for that, the 1100 might be better as the 696 forks are kinda wierd. not sure about the 796 if it has the 1100 style or 696 style forks.

[Duchess]

@curmudgeon : Thanks for the chat - will PM you when I get a chance, but still have to work for a living !

the Porsche is a 2002 C4 - i.e. convertible, 4 wheel drive but with the base engine (not the "S" or the "Turbo") - I rarely use the full performance of the base engine, so why would I need more ? 

LOL - I guess that means I should buy the 696 (base) rather than the 796 (S) or 1100e (Turbo) Ducati

So are you English ?  That looks like a Morgan in your profile pic, and Curmudgeon is an English word, and not many people this side of the pond talk quite so freely about Triumph powered Rickman bikes ...

If so, me too ! I came over here in 1996 .... still learning which side of the road to drive on

Duchess

[Curmudgeon]

English? Yes, but not for 300 years when we came over with three ships and a charter.  Speak the lingo a bit though, have Abbot in the fridge because it's the best I can do in VA, and don't need an AA map in most of the Cotswolds. Does that count?

Very observant. That's Peter Morgan's last Plus 8. Mine's a very similar spec. but Royal Ivory. Send that PM and I'll send you a link.

C2 would be more my style for the dynamics but a standard car is fine. Mainly "rich dentists" buy C4S's.  Yours has enough go. Porsche makes "sports cars". Given the torque your C4 has, I'd guess a 796 is about right in that department and an evo might be fun but is probably overkill for what you have in mind. The 696 is frankly less peppy than my old tuned 600 SL.

Takes me a few hours to acclimate to U.K. driving and am fine after that. The sole exception has been occasionally leaving a pub car park late in the evening with sometimes startling results.  Helps to have the steering wheel on the appropriate side for sure...

[Duchess]

LOL - good observation on the "rich dentist" - I had my 6 month checkup last week and my dentist just bought a C4S ... his dental hygenist said "whats the difference between a C4 (mine) and a C4S (his).  He started to say "more horse-power) and I said "about 5 sets of wisdom teeth and a couple of crowns" ... LOL - I'm sure I've bought his Porsche for him with all the work he has done on me over the years. That and put his kids through school !

Curmudgeon - you are more English than I am. Abbot ales, a Morgan and touring the Cotswolds !  I'm more likely to be touring Geordie-land in an old transit, drinking brown ale and eating fish'n'chips out of newspaper. Except I don't drink brown ale, so I guess that falls apart.

Talking about Torque, though, that IS one thing I like about the 3.5L flat 6. Pulls from anywhere in the rev range, cruises nicely at 80 at about 3K, yet you know it has a "wild side" north of 5K ..  Not that I drive at 80, you understand....  That may be the deciding point in favor of the 1100 evo - significant chunks of low end torque - 696 = 50 : 796 = 58 - 16% more than the 696 : 1100e = 76 - 50% more than the 696 .. so if I can get it to run smoothly enough low down so I can get access to that torque, that's what I would like.   

I care much more about torque, cos I like to run at low rpm. Horsepower is just torque x rpm, so anything can generate large bhp if you let is rev high enough (e.g. triumph speed triple ..) - the trick is, what does it do low down, in rev bands that real people use on real roads ?

Anyone got a torque graph of the 1100 evo before and after Termi's / ECU / Air filter ?

Duchess ...

[Curmudgeon]

You are trying to do this in your head without having ridden the bikes. Most European cars with decent engines turn 3K @ 80, mainly for mileage. The Ducatis like to rev higher and are smoothest at 5K to redline. Real torque begins at ~ 4,500 and maxes out ~ 6,250. You'll want to be turning 5K - 6K most of the time, and even with a 14T you'll be moving! 

A 796 will have no difficulty staying with an evo, depending on the rider. IMO the evo is overkill for what you stated you had in mind. It's the "wheelie king".  Ultimately, buy what you like. Not saying you CAN'T manage one. Power delivery CAN be explosive though.

Ducati's are not "pipey" at all, but they don't enjoy plodding along. I have my T-100 for that when my mood dictates. It's a brick but it's quite happy at 3,500. Most Ducatis are never "busy" and are deceptively fast. You are in for a different experience. Once you get the hang of it, you'll find yourself taking all the bends marked 45 at 75 - 80 and will hardly know it. REALLY. 

Seriously, before you decide to mod anything other than the 14T and suspension set-up, ride the bike until the 600 mile service (did mine at 900) and then decide if you need more. They take at least 1,500 miles to run in BTW, and just get smoother and more responsive. I'd like to richen mine at some point to smooth it out more, but I don't need to make more noise than the stock cans, which are already a lot louder than most new bikes.

And yes, I've sold enough 911s to dentists. Mostly they sit in the left lane and do 60...  Just for bragging rights at the club I imagine. At least MY dentist, who was also a client, had a couple of street legal track cars, but just for PCA stuff.

Geordie? Tyneside? Brrr!!! I only get my Barbour from up there and NEVER drink that brown, malty stuff. Sadly, I can't get Old Hooky here which is a serious fave.

Send me a PM if you want to chat about this. Typing is not my thing. Never learned and still use the "Columbus Method", i.e. "pick a key and land on it. 

[Slide Panda]

Anyone got a torque graph of the 1100 evo before and after Termi's / ECU / Air filter ?

That's probably a question best fielded in Tech