Hello, another newbie from Colorado

[Saxofoto]

Hi everyone!

I'm new to the board and new to motorcycles in general. I live in Denver, Colorado (born and raised near Chicago, with roots in NY as well) and just got my first bike a week or so ago. It's a '99 Monster 750 Dark. Being Italian and having lived in Italy, I had to see if I could actually afford one and was pleasantly surprised to discover the Monster. I was a late bidder on that $1700 Duc that's been referenced here a few times, but I stumbled upon this gem and got it for $2800, including an Arai helmet that fits perfectly, plus the bike has Termignoni pipes that sound sweet. All it really needs are tank decals, while I need some riding shoes/boots; I'm open to suggestions for both.

I've taken the MSF course for basic riding know-how, but beyond that, I know there's so much more to learn about riding in general and owning/riding a Ducati specifically. So I'm here to learn from those with more experience. And to the locals, I'm definitely looking for some riding buddies at some point once I'm less of a novice. Hope you're all surviving the heat and wildfires. I look forward to usurping all your collective wisdom to be the best rider I can be. Thanks in advance!

Sam

[Slide Panda]

Hey Sam, lots of CO folks popping up recently.. though it is a big state.

If you haven't caught wind of this yet - you need to figure out how old the cam belts are. They are a 2 year or 12k mile replacement item - whichever of those two you hit first. Given that it's a 99, it's quite possible you're running aged belts. As you might figure a broken belt is a bad bad thing.

For gear (catch term for stuff one wears ) there's a whole section devoted to it.  Lots of bot options out there to fit needs, styles and budgets. I like Sidis offerings, as they fit me well, but everyone's different. Regardless, most of the big names offer a wide range of boots.

Got a jacket? Got gloves? Don't say no or you'll get chastised Unlike some forums this one is very pro gear. Not to the crazy degree, but you will get some Tut-tuts.

Like boots there's lots of options for jackets and gloves. One reasonably priced (Just over $200) jacket option I recommend is the Tourmaster/Cortech Coaster II. Comes in perforated or non - good looking in a retro way and crashes well. I'd sold mine to a local buddy who tested it during a 60 mph fall when an inattentive driver pulled out infront of him from a side road to a country highway. Jacket scuffed, but no seams busted or other failures.

If you want more opinions on any subject, posting in the relevant section is a good plan. The intro section doesn't get a large amount of traffic is all.

[Saxofoto]

Thanks for the tips, Slide. The belts are due for replacement the same time as the next 6k tune up, in about 2k miles. But if I don't ride that much between now and next spring, I'll probably have those done separately for next season. 

Indeed I'm taking my safety very seriously. I bought a Dainese Air Frame mesh jacket with armored elbows and shoulders, plus the G2 back protector insert, all at a great discount locally. One revewer on D's website said he took two falls in the jacket and it held up really well (he was unscathed). I do want to get a leather jacket at some point to ride most of the time when it's not 105 degrees outside. I bought some basic Icon leather and mesh gloves to start as well. I'll probably upgrade these to something a bit more robust. I've got my eye now on Dainese's SSC Charlie, a somewhat basic high top riding shoe with medium protection, but I'm debating going a step up into something more reinforced. I'll do some more searching on the gear forum and post there if I can't find the info I'm looking for. Thanks again for the help! Much appreciated.

[Slide Panda]

Due for replacement on milage or age? They have a recommended life of 2 years. If you're not even sure how old they are I'd urge you to replace sooner rather than later.

How many miles on the bike? If it's only about 4k, then those belts are 13 years old. Some folks will roll belts to 3 years on low use bikes. But that's still 10 less years. Long periods of sitting for the belts is actually worse as they will stiffen in that position which will lead to cracks when the are run again.

I've seen the results of a broken belt - you do not want. A local shop keeps a 2v head on display. That head was on a bike that lost a belt - as a result the top of the combustion chamber looks like someone took a framing hammer to it 20-30 times.

For gear reviews and general bike stuff - WebBikeWorld http://www.webbikeworld.com/ is a great site with very detailed reviews.

[Saxofoto]

I checked with the previous owner. The belts were replaced when he did the first 6k tune up last April, which was done late at 7500 miles (I think that's when he got the bike). There are now 11,500 miles on it, and 13,500 would be the next time for a tuning. So next April would be two years, and I hope to ride a lot between now and then, though I'm not sure how many miles that could be given our long, if not year-round, riding season and epic terrain to explore. I appreciate the input. Are there any recommended books on Ducati maintenance? A Monster's Bible, if you will...

[Slide Panda]

Very good.

Try to track down a factory manual. Easier said than done at times. That will have the most individual detail. The DesmoTimes manual is a good catch all book. And tech and tutorials in here is chock full. if you come across troubles a search in those sections may well have what you need, or close to it

[BerettaMato]

Welcome Sam were do you live? I am going to try to put together another ride here very soon. PM me your info and we can keep in touch.

[Randimus Maximus]

Make sure you guys pop in on the MHM or SoCoDOG sections in the local clubs.

- Randimus

[captinRob]

welcome I to was a later bidder on that $1700 ride haha, hopefully we can all meet up soon