Been toying with buying a monster,found a few online threads ,main problem is there are so many models ! I won't be buying new ,haven't rode any either and can't due to the lockdown ,so this is manly asking for feedback ,never had one before ,budget is about £4500 to £6000 I think.poss a bit more if needed Had almost decided on a 796,then looked at eBay prices and the newer 797 isn't much more ,then read a few threads on here and some said get the 821 ,others said get a 1200, and finally one person said get an original 900! Now I have no idea again I use the bike twice a week for a 30 mile round trip commute ,all year round,although if it's snowing I take the C90 cub !.Also did a Europe trip last year for the 1st time ,borrowed a tiger 800.Was about to buy a touring bike,but rode a Honda CB500x, Tracer 700,,BMW gs310,none of them really did it Plus the finish on the BM and Tracer was no better than this er6,so not great Currently riding a er6n 2015 that I bought as a stop gap as I sold my 900 hornet ,had a varied selection of bikes ,still have a RZ250r and a Harley fatboy ,previous bikes Kawasaki w650,Norton Commando 750,Gsxr750wp, Cb500,plus a handful of 125s ,and various others over the years .Currently finishing a 916 but never ridden it I'm 6ft1 14 1/2 stone in case that helps Sorry to ramble on Regards Matt
I'm 6' 2" and had an original Monster, on long trips I could get cramp in my legs but I did take it all round west coast Scotland and a good bit of Ireland and then NL and Germany with no issues. Depends what yo are looking for from the bike, original has those err, original looks but it is pretty basic (no rev counter) and easy to work on yourself if you are happy to, anything post early 2000's will be filling up with electronic jiggery pokery if that is your bag - and more torque. The original 900 will be fairly forgiving compared with most of what you've had previously but a 1200 will rip your arms off in comparison. Any Monster will put a grin on your face and bring out the inner hooligan, enjoy
Welcome Matt, I think you may find the older bikes a bit small for you although check out https://cycle-ergo.com/ . Pick your bikes and enter your details and see what you think. At your budget you should be able to find anything up to an including an early 1200, I sold mine last year for well below £6k.
My '02 900 Monster is a brilliant bike - to me. With an early model you might need/ want too upgrade the suspension so bear that in mind. They are not big bikes by modern standards though, which again being a six foot guy maybe you should think over? They are cheap to buy, and fun to ride with a total lack of electronic aides -just as they were designed to be.
Big difference between the 797 and 821. The 797 is the air cooled scrambler engine with about 85 bhp, the 821 comes with a colour dash, riding modes, water cooled engine and 110 bhp, no need for the 1200 in my opinion. We have a 2018 821 in the family and were offered only £6000 in part ex against another Supersport so they are not overly expensive. It is a great all round bike and capable of touring, it went round Germany last year, 2500 miles, in the hands of my girlfriend.
Great advice so far ,thank you to everyone I guess 1st thing to to try and get a sit on a couple of early bikes to see how small they are My commute is 1 dual carriageway,with tight filtering ,and B roads through a couple of built up a areas, so a compact bike is good,that's why although the tiger 800 I borrowed last year was offered to me a month ago ,I declined as it's just too wide ,the height was ok as I'm 34in leg Quite like the thought of ABS now I've been riding this Er6n with it fitted ,and fuel injection is nice ,no messing with chokes in the morning,just jump on and go
Classic Monsters from 2000 have fuel injection too. The bikes aren't tiny but they are compact compared to some of the "larger" (carthorse size) bikes! My Monster next to an Aprilla Tuono makes it look like a 500!
This link will give you specs including weight, length, seat height Bhp etc for many bikes. It might give you something to browse (while away time) and compare bikes whilst actual test riding is not an option. https://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/ducati/ducati_monster_900ie 01.htm
You ought to also consider an 1100S, 95bhp, 75ft lbs and only 168Kg (dry). Air cooled desmodue so dead easy to work on (the most tedious bot is getting to the battery which involves removing loads of plastic and lifting the tank), also Ohlins front & rear and dripping carbon fibre as standard. No electronic trickery, good old fashioned old skool. If you want ABS and DTC then look at the 1100Evo which followed around 2011.
34" leg you may feel cramped on the classic Monsters, but if you have a 916 to sit on you will know If the Monster ends up too small (I'm sure you will be ok though) how about a Hyper?
Harry's right there. I have a 34" inside leg and on long runs I did feel some uncomfort in my knees, I used to stretch them out and rest my legs on the frame protector spindles. Since the photo above was taken I've dumped the unsightly footrest hangers (losing the pillion pegs in the process) and replaced them with rear sets which reposition my legs and make life a bit more comfortable. Harry also has a good point about Hypers.
I'm 6 foot and my early Monster 900 is fine for me even with the clip-ons I fitted. They are small though. When I brought it having sold my Z1000H - the 1980s Z1000MkII one, it felt like getting back on my RD350 Nasher
Personally at that money I’d try and demo a KTM 790, some dealers still have 2019 stock at £6800, other than that I’d look at a 1100 Evo. I have a m900 but it’s just so I have at least 1 Ducati slow by today’s standards but just nice to have that v-twin sound. Depends on how you actually ride, like a teenager on a Rd250lc hooning around or just to potter about.
The 1100s or evo looks interesting, maybe I should narrow it down to that or a 821 The exhausts look huge on them Budget of 6k would be max, prefer to spend 5k ,but not many about for that by the look of it Depends on what the px offer is on mine I guess ,and how long I'm quiet at work too Ktm 790 would be too much
Oh has had just about all of them and says 1100 evo was the best of the lot I had the 750 & S4R which was a hoot Good luck with you search - a tidy one won’t loose you much money
Aircooled - 1100S or Evo watercooled - S4R, quick, nimble and look like the original monster plus single side swing arm. Don’t buy an S4 though, make sure it’s the R I borrowed an 821 for a week, fun around town, very light and easy to zoom round on but I felt it a bit lacking in the engine and suspension department, not bad, just ok. 1200’s are epic fun though.
Few comments about seat being uncomfortable and bars either too high or too low ! On the 1100 Few good reviews on the 1200 as being all day comfy Well plenty of useful comments so far ,thank you everyone ,and as I'm quiet work wise I've a bit of time to kill to research ,shame nowhere open to have a look and a sit on a few but never mind
I've had a 796 for three years and really like it . Done about 7k miles on it so far . My dad has a 821, they ride really different . With the 796 it feels a bit old school compared to the 821, a bit chuggy? and you have to be in the right gear for each corner etc . The 821 seems smoother and more modern and isn't so fussy on gearing . It also has more go, especially once it's revving I used dad's bike for a 2500 mile trip and to be honest I really liked it by the end . It was so easy, quick to ride and I found it comfy . The 821 doesn't seem to hold it's value that well, no Idea why as they are a great bike . Where as the aircooled models seem to hold there value better, or people are very optomistic with there pricing . I have a 765RS street triple also, but if I didn't I could be seriously tempted to sell the 796 for an 821 .
