Hello! Newbie to the forum and motorbike riding generally, trying to decide on a first bike - I know this comparison has been made several times over but I'm just looking at it again and wanted to have a view on it from a purely safety point of view from the people riding them. Before I start some background, I am a 28 year old, cautious rider just passed test, no previous experience and looking for a first bike - currently the Monster has my attention but I can't decide which one. I know some people will have mixed feelings about these as a first bike and it will be a 696 or 821, I know a lot of people would think it better for a much smaller CC to start but I'll take responsibility for that, the reason I am on here is because I cant decide which Monster is better from a purely safety point of view. The crux of the question is this; Is the 696 safer because it has less power overall, or is the 821 in Urban WITH the DTC function safer because it has the DTC designed to help keep you upright? Both bikes of course have ABS which is a benefit against others I have looked at. The 821 is more expensive of course but I'm prepared to spend some extra dosh for additional safety and wound down to 75bhp electronically - does this bike then equivalent the 696 but with the traction control feature? Thanks for listening Grateful for the more experienced feedback.
Thread moved and welcome Dave. Fact of the matter is every bike is safe. It's things like how you ride it and more importantly how others ride or drive around you that make them unsafe. Hope that helps
Firstly, Congratulations on passing your test There is always many varying views on what is suitable and best for first bikes and people that have just got their license! Mrs M is just going through her Direct Access and we've bought her a 796 Monster for her first big bike Nothing wrong with the M696 or M821 but Mrs M is in the camp that loves the single sided swing arm I think both of your choices above would make a cracking first bike for you and would be careful at how much your decision relies on the points you ask for advice on, as @El Toro has wisely advised... How you ride it, and situational awareness is far mor important when you start your journey and gaining experience. Needless to say, if your looking for something that you can ride to the limit from the get go, a Honda CBF125 is a far better choice for you! It seems your level headed and being sensible in your approach to biking though My advise would be, buy with your heart and buy the bike you like the most, take it steady and enjoy it! You will be amazed how many poor drivers there are on our roads when you get out on a bike but remain vigilant and maintain good spatial awareness and you'll be fine. What ever bike you end up with, it will only go as quick as your right hand commands it Hope that helps.
Another quick post to share some wise words John at Italia Moto shared with Helen when we went to buy her Monster... 'Dropping your first pride and joy is acceptable and understandable but it isn't mandatory' I liked that and thought it summed up entering into to world of bikes quite nicely
congratulations on getting through your test, and welcome to the forum. I'm with Ben (or more accurately, Mrs M), in that the 796 with the single sided swing arm is more aesthetically pleasing in my personal opinion (here's a nice one at Ducati Stoke on ebay for 4750 or offers DUCATI MONSTER 796 VERY CLEAN BIKE WITH LOVELY EXTRAS AND LOW MILES. | eBay , so I'm sure if you test rode it and had a haggle with the dealer you would get it for 4500, or 4750 with some sort of servicing and/or warranty thrown in). obviously, all the points mentioned above are absolutely true, i.e. be aware, and just enjoy the ride. if somebody is driving like a cock, then steer clear (it doesn't matter how right you are, as a 2-wheel road user, you are going to come off worse). only you can judge each situation at its merits how you see it, sometimes easing back is best. sometimes twisting the "get-the-f***-out-of-here" emergency grip is best, it will all come with experience. Pick a bike you like, with service history to trust, and just go enjoy your first summer on two wheels. Pete
Or just buy the 1200, save you changing in 6 months when you want more stomp There is a variable power mapping control device on the right called a throttle Not helpful I know.......
The linked bike looks bang on the money! Same age and mileage as what we've gone for and we paid around the asking price of this too... Added bonus with the one in the link is it has a set of LV ONE's on it too Coincidently a set of Carbon LV ONE's are on Mrs M's shopping list, along with a few other bits... Best looking end cans I've seen for the M796 and sound great with the removable baffles out of them to let it breath properly
Along with a couple of other posters I would suggest the 796 especially if you can get one with ABS. I`m lucky enough to have ridden a 696, 796 and 821 and they are all lovely , I`m sure you will be happy with whatever you get but I know I`d take 796 over a 696 as it has that bit extra to keep you entertained. I think it has a slightly raised seat height too which could make a difference depending on how long your legs are. There is a substantial jump in power to the 821 and a different riding position too. You need to check what fits you best as being comfortable while you ride is more important than traction control or power settings IMO.
Hi all, OP here! Wow thank you for all the advice, hadn't expected such a response, it is genuinely appreciated and nice to find a forum that is so friendly to someone in my position so thanks for that. So a lot of people suggesting the 796 as opposed to the 821 or 696 - if I'm honest I had somewhat written that model off because, even though its a lovely bike, I figured the 821 was only fractionally bigger but had the added benefit that it offered the option to keep it in a toned down almost semi restricted mode until I got used to it and comfortable, something I didn't think the 796 did + traction control, although whether that is actually worth the extra ££ is up for debate I guess? Is the 821 that much more noticeably powerful than the 796? I wouldn't have thought there was much between them? I do hear what your saying about the seating though and I do need to swing a leg over them again to get my head around that aspect but from memory felt pretty comfy on all three. Have got the local dealer taking me out next week weather permitting on the 821, might also ask about 796 then.
Big difference in BHP, the 796 has 85 ish and the 821 112 I think so something like 30% up, there is a smaller but still noticeable difference in the torque figures too. There is also the new 795 Monster but I cant imagine why anyone would choose that over a 796.
If I remember correctly the M821 is 25% up on power from the M796 (112hp vs 81hp). I wouldn't have thought either will leave you desiring more of anything for a good while to be honest but if you have the opportunity to ride both at you local dealer then that's a no brainer May just be me, but I get just as much pleasure out of sitting back and admiring my bike and cleaning it as I do riding it so the aesthetics of the bike are just as important as anything else for me. With the M696 and M821 I just can't get my head around the fact the back end is spoilt by the swing arm. Everyone likes different things and have different priorities though. We'd all be driving lada's like the Russians if we didn't though Top and bottom of it is, no matter how much people offer you advice and opinions on here, you are the only person who knows where your heart is pulling you and what bike is right for you...
Hi all, Actually the linked bike does look pretty good (thank you Mrs M), I'm seriously tempted. The kit on it is absolutely perfect which helps. The one thing which is holding me back is the issue of traction control - all other things (money, insurance etc) being equal I can't help but feel that the being on an 821 pumping out 75bhp with DTC is a safer bet than being on a 796 putting out 84bhp without it but perhaps I'm putting too much emphasis on the DTC and Urban mode?? Advice on this point really would be appreciated. I do rather like the 796 single swing arm though.....
Left of the field..... Have you considered California Superbike school or Ron Haslam Race school... Knowing what I know now, If I had my time again post passing I'd be booking straight in.
I can understand where your coming from mate. Either bike obviously has enough power to do you some serious damage. You yourself will have a good idea of how you will approach and tackle the learning curve your about to tackle. If the urge to grab a handful of as much throttle as you can out of the stable block is likely to be too much to resist then the importance of DTC becomes high profile in your choice... However, if you can resist that urge to run before you can walk and accept that your not going to be knee down at the first hairpin you come across the issue of not having DTC slowly fades away in to the background. Most important if all is recognising your level of ability at the moment and riding within your capabilities when you get out in the open road. The bike will communicate with you and you'll soon get a feeling for it and build confidence and skills Respecting the capabilities of the bike you end up buying and recognising there are many more dangers to consider when riding will hopefully curb your enthusiasm to ride beyond your capabilities. The 1198 that I ride has no traction control and could spit me off in to a ditch with my hair on fire at any point if I grabbed too much throttle coming out of a bend... But that thought never ever crosses my mind because the bike communicates with you and my attention is normally focused on the real world hazards such as cars pulling out in front of you when your pressing on, pigeons and pheasants testing your reactions by trying to fly in to your helmet and the council putting tar and loose chippings down in the middle of the bike season. DTC will help you in none of those scenarios...
Hi guys, So update, went for the Monster 796 recommended by Mrs M - and missed it by about 20 mins! Gutted - looked like a great bike, all the right kit and just kicking myself for not being more proactive about it. Anyway such is life. So if any of you spot a nice 796 or 821 on the books for the right money do let me know, your collective eyes for this are clearly better than my inexperienced ones!!
Gutted to hear you missed it, every days a school day Lesson learnt: good ones that are well priced will go quickly! Had a quick scan on ebay but none of the others really stood out to me... Keep hanging in there and another good one with the right spec will come up sooner or later Best advice I could give is, buy on condition, don't touch anything that doesn't have a full Ducati or Ducati & well known Independent Specialist and try not to get hung up on a bike already having a set of aftermarket end cans and other mods (you can easily put your stamp on a factory spec bike and get it exactly how you want it)... Paying a few extra quid for a factory spec bike with a full service history vs buying a slightly cheaper bike with the mods your looking for but a patchy service history could end up costing you further down the line... I wouldn't bat an eye lid at buying private either if the service history is as it should be and you can see the bike has been cherished. Good look in the hunt and keep us posted. I'll keep having a look as and when I can and let you know on here if anything that looks good comes up You can always post links to ones you spot and like and I'm sure people will let you know there thoughts too
Ducati Monster 796 2013 FSH 7000 miles | eBay Ducati Monster 796 2013 FSH 7000 miles Ducati Monster 796 2013 FSH 7000 miles | eBay Few M796's that could be worth a call to find out a bit more about. Some look to be priced a little high but everyone likes a good haggle
Evening Team, So believe it or not I am still without a bike, sodding house refirb! The Monster range still has my heart although I am looking a bit wider also. When I first posted this thread I had an excellent recommendation on a 796 which I (stupidly) missed out on. Loads of great feedback and thoughts though but I'm still wrestling with the initial question over whether to go for a shorter term 696 or plump for a longer term 821 with very little idea what I really really want (having only ever really ridden a trainer Suzu SV650 at any length). So just looking to canvas some more thoughts..and see if anyone has seen any nice (good value) 696/796 or 821 monsters. I really want something that looks ace (who doesn't) wont kill me when I accidentally stamp on it, sounds the mutts nuts and fundamentally gives me the fizz in that special part whenever I look at it. Any suggestions or thoughts? Anyone seen anything I should look into or literally jump on?
