| Author | Message | ||
     Brucelee |
I love my XB and am a big fan of the Duc Monster. Question, which one is quicker, an XB9 or a Monster 900? | ||
| Briz31 |
depends... If were talking the Monster 900 or Monster 900S4 S4 Liquid Cooled 916 or 996 Superbike engine.(depends on which year) Very quick. or the Air Cooled M900... They do sound good, quite cheap... but then comes the cost of servicing / part.. BRING YOUR CHEQUE BOOK !! | ||
| Enp83 |
Checking the valves every 6k miles verses never (right?) on a XB, definately gonna spend a little more time/money there...and also on the chain vs belt. I think the Ducatis look REALLY sharp, sound great and the std. Monster seating position felt perfect to me...maybe just a tad more aggressive than the std. Lightning's riding position? SportRider numbers... XB9 78.1hp & 61.8 ft-lbs XB12 99.6hp & 77.5 ft-lbs DS1000 87.6hp & 65.1 ft-lbs ('03+ M1000 and SS1000) No SR numbers for the old 900 motor http://www.motorcycle.com/mo/mccompare/02xb900.motml It seemed only natural to compare the old SS (900 motor, not the 1000 dual spark motor listed above) to the all-new Buell, to us at least. The old Italian L-twin must still have some adherents, obviously, since it makes up a big chunk of Ducati sales. And while we weren't convinced in the beginning that Erik Buell's use of the venerable H-D Sportster was a particularly good idea (not that he had much choice), the old beast has actually reached a high-enough level of refinement in this most recent Buell that I'm beginning to grow all moist and teary-eyed with nostalgia whenever I look at it, and I'm not even a Harley guy. It's been around since 1957. Don't tell me it hasn't earned its place in the pantheon of Cool Motorcycle Engines. And, as it turns out, the Firebolt engine and the old Ducati twin make almost exactly the same power--a fact driven home both on the dyno and at the drag strip: When Calvin got the drop at the light, the Ducati would hold its two or three-foot advantage all the way through the quarter mile, and vice-versa with myself on the Buell. Neither bike is any longer what you'd call blazing fast, but both provide plenty of the kind of midrange thrust that works best on our favorite roads. Need a pay membership to see the whole article, I had one but it expired...definately not renewing it. (Message edited by enp83 on April 28, 2005) | ||
| Tpoppa |
One of my riding buddies has a Monster 900ie. At open throttle, my xb9s will pull away from him (both bikes a basically stock). I have more low end power than his duc. Also, his tires last about 2000 miles longer than mine--low end torque eats tires. | ||
| Buellgirlie |
i debated between buell and ducati last summer. i went with buell because the ducati dealership was really really really snotty (motoprimo in minnesota). the great H-D/buell dealership was st paul harley/buell. esp with a ducati, a good dealer will make a big difference because of the more frequent maintenance. but since last summer, i've bought a buell, traded in a buell, bought another buell, and STILL havent gotten "over" my ducati lust....so, i will probably be the owner of a older red ducati 900 supersport next week  there's an awesome dealer in NH called BCM motorsports where the bike was purchased new, the 2nd owner also had it serviced there, and i met the owner of BCM 2 weeks ago, so i am very comfortable with taking it there and knowing its service history. so, my solution is...you need BOTH! although i cant afford a new ducati, so i'm getting a used one. | ||
| Chris_mackay |
I road with a Monster last summer and either he had a bit too much to drink or the XB is quite competitive. But if your pockets are deep, the Ducati tends to hold a bit more prestige. Image? Performance? Tough call. | ||
| Apex_assasian |
i too like the ducs, both would be cool,but my heart is with the buell. so much for my italian heritage huh??? lol | ||
| Joele |
Before I bought the XB9SX, I looked real hard at the S2R Dark - just couldn't make peace with the service expenses associated with it. | ||
| Deuceman |
My wife has a 98 Monster 750 with D&D megaphone pipes, and I have an 03 XB9R with a Latus. In terms of sound, her bike is outrageously loud, almost painful (nice and deep tone, though). Mine is not nearly as loud, but has much more low end torque. I don't really know how much power difference there is since the Duc revs higher. Peak power is in a much different place on each bike. XBs don't mind puttering around, but that can't be done on the Duc. It wants to have the RPMs up. We have not had to do any maintenance on the valves with over 6,000 miles. My personal opinion is that Ducati parts are not really that great. If you end up getting the Ducati, be prepared to spend money on upgrade parts. I have had to spend at least 500 dollars on the Duc to get it to where I feel like it runs like it should. New coils, ignition system, jet kit, etc. Nice bike, but I would not choose it over my XB. Hope that helps some. | ||
| Brucelee |
Thanks. I should have been clearer. I already have an XB9S and love it. It is not going anywhere. However, from time to time, I think about adding a yellow Monster to the herd. They do look and sound so cool. I was just wondering how the 900 compares to the XB. I assume the 750 is quite a bit slower? However, it looks and sounds just as cool as the 900 and costs less used, so ...... | ||
| Race_pirate |
I have a friend selling his yellow Monster S4 to buy a Buell. Its on ebay right now. | ||
| Norrie |
My wife has a Ducati Monster 600. Although it is down on power than the Buell I would say it handles just as well. Although there isn't as much ground clearance. I think both bikes are similar as in they both lack the power of the Jap fours,they both get slagged off for being unreliable but they both look the biz. | ||
| Spike |
The motorcycle.com article is definitely worth reading. My subscription expired so I can't post direct quotes, but there were some really positive comments for the Buell in that article. The summary of the article was that the two bikes were seemingly identical in a straight line, but the Buell waxed the Duc everywhere else. Somewhere near the end of the article (might have been in the reader feedback section) there was a comment about how this was supposed to be a performance comparison article but it turned into a "we rode these two bikes" article. They actually explained that when they got the two bikes together on a twisty road the Buell was so much faster that they didn't bother with the performance comparison anymore. There was one comment about how the Buell felt like it was carved out of billet and the Ducati felt like a vintage bike. IIRC this is the article that has the XB9R outrunning the '02 R1 up a twisty back road. The Buell is clearly the better performer, but the Monster is just plain cool. If you have the opportunity to own both I'd say go for it. | ||
| Pcmodeler |
<<<<<<esp with a ducati, a good dealer will make a big difference>>>>> I think a lot of folks would have the same thing to say about Buell. Based on the various comments posted throughout the board, I would say there are a large number of folks without a really good dealer to go to for their Buell's. | ||
| Djkaplan |
Buell or Ducati Monster? That's the choice I had to make in 2000. I had always wanted a 900 Monster but I chose an M2 instead because I thought it would be easier to get parts, and , surprisingly, the Cyclone is quicker and faster than the the Duck. | ||
| Court |
>>>>and STILL havent gotten "over" my ducati lust.... Dora: You've nailed it and hit upon one of the common elements of the Buell owner. Anybody who tells you they don't dig the look of the Miguel Galluzzi creation is eitehr not being forthright or is not truly taken with the passion of motorbiking. Galluzzi, a graduate of the Pasadena School of Design, was able to interpet and accurately incarnate the feelings of the "cafe'" set. The Buel (yes, I am quite biased) is arguably superior in every objective measure of performance (except top speed) but the Monster remains one of the sexiest motorcycles ever built. I have a couple friends at Motociclisimo magazine and enjoy keepign tabs on the goings on in Bologna. Ducati, who's inception had more to do with electric sahvers and capacitors, had had a most interesting history that includes being bombed (unfortunately several days after they thought they were going to be bombed and were prepared for it) and beign in financial striaghts (anyone try to get parts for a Monster about 1998?). Half the fun of Ducati wathcing is the wild, typically Italian (trust me, I know....I MARRIED one) excursions and the emotion connected with the company. By the way, not only the motorcycle is sexy, but so is the reason they moved their American HQ to California...yes, folks lost their jobs over that deal. While we're on Ducati, I have the entire collection of MH900e stuff and can tell you that is one bike that is as pretty to look at as it is uncomfortable to ride. Court  | ||
| Jon_s |
Court, thats one pretty roundcase. Who's the gentleman on the right? Its not the infamous Tierblanche is it? | ||
| Djkaplan |
The Buel (yes, I am quite biased) is arguably superior in every objective measure of performance (except top speed) I beg to differ. Reports I've read put top speed right at 130 for a 900 Monster. Never actually raced one though! | ||
| Midknyte |
Anybody who tells you they don't dig the look of the Miguel Galluzzi creation is eitehr not being forthright or is not truly taken with the passion of motorbiking. Are you talking about that bubble-ular fairing? I can understand it, and to that end appreciate it, but no sir, I don't like it.  | ||
| Reducati |
owned two ducs, a 95 900 ss air cooled, and a 01 superbike...beautiful bikes...but HIGH maintenace ladies...every 6k on the 4valve was $600 plus...that is what sold me on the buell...some day as a second bike i will purchase the new ducati classic cafe bikes that are comming in 06 and 07  | ||
| Bomber |
comparing the monster to an XB in the twisties is a bit unfair, I'm thinkin . . . the monster platform is a bit long in the tooth (compared to the XB) and, except for the new uber-monster, the entire line is Ducati's admitted loss-leader, so it's definately built to a price (and the first place that generally shows up is suspension) ducks are very very nice, and I'd love one -- like, say, an S4, but that ain't in the fiscal cards for awhile test rode a monster and M2 almost back to back (within 20 mikes of each other) back in the summer of 2000, and I'm here -- for me, the M2 was every the monster was, and more except in the area of price -- Italian anything has an extra cost associated with it (no comment on Court's loverly bride) -- I always love to see any object labeled "fine italian design" you can buy a Hanes T-shirt at the Sears, or you can buy the same t-shirt at Marshal Fields (snooty upscale store in Chicagoland) either way, ya get a garment that comfy, will soak up your sweat, and keep the sun off yer back -- one'll cost ya more | ||
| Enp83 |
"IIRC this is the article that has the XB9R outrunning the '02 R1 up a twisty back road."-Spike I remember that too, pretty wild. I'm sure most people here have seen this article too, as it's on Buell's own webpage... http://a1264.g.akamai.net/7/1264/1354/61c6a5cf78fab2/www.buell.com/en_us/news_ev ents/pdf/PerformanceBikes.pdf | ||
| Rocketman |
From time to time this whole Ducati Buell thing rears its head here and you know what, the same old shite gets repeated. Here's a fact. Valve adjustment on a Ducati is a piece of pi55 as we say in England. If you've been mugged in America for six hundred bucks for someone like Springsteen once wrote to "rip you off with a smile and it don't take a gun" frankly my friend it was your own effing fault for letting them. Hell there's even an American made video I have somewhere that shows a Yank tech shimming a 916 in about 20 minutes from start to finish. Please if you don't know the facts don't post myths. If your facts are based on overpayment for Ducati work you really need to search around. Man I'm amazed Ducati's are so well liked and bought Stateside given the BS that floats around the internet often. Ask yourself one question. DO DUCATI BUILD A CRAP MOTORCYCLE? As for the XB9 beating an 02 R1 I could point you to a Spanish 80cc mini bike that beat every pro racer ridden Japanese 600cc race bike on track when ridden by a 14 year old schoolboy racer. It's all about weight size and which snakes and ladder board you're racing on. BS exists for BS. In the real world one canyon road, just like one early singing swallow, does not a full summer make! Believe what you want but please keep the myths to yourself. Simply put I'm stunned by how fabulous my 916 is in every aspect of its manufacture. I can only imagine the 916 motor in a Monster must be like the Brit mags suggest. Bloody awesome and bloody fast, which I'm sad to say is not my impression of an XB9 in performance comparison. Both are nice bikes but I'm not sure if the Ducati makes the XB9 look over priced from new. At least in the UK we can be satisfied in knowing they're both imports to us Brit's just in case we needed an excuse to ease the financial pain. Rocket | ||
| Reducati |
putting floride in the water system in england would be a lot easier than doing a "20 minute" valve job... | ||
| Johnnyrfast |
And our favorite favorite road, to which we somehow return again and again, is a saucy little two-lane number in the San Gabriel range called Sand Canyon. We took the Buell there a couple of weeks ago only to return with a slightly inconclusive road test; we liked the Buell--some of us more than others--but felt it had some unusual handling characteristics, to wit, it's heavy-(though not slow) steering, and some members of our party felt it particularly so with the brakes on. We also noted that, even though Mini felt that way, he seemed to have no problem not only running with a new `02 Honda RC51, but actually drawing away from it a bit. This not only shocked and amazed us, it elicited several expressions of disbelief from a few MO readers, one of whom conjectured maybe Burns was impaired that day? Looking back upon it through my usual beery fog, I don't recall having had anything stronger that day than my usual Cheerios in Stolichnaya and Kahlua coffee. Was it just a fluke then? This time, we set out upon the Firebolt and the lovely new Ducati Supersport, with an `02 Yamaha R1 as chase vehicle because it was there. Lo and behold, upon reaching our favorite set of curves once again (which we all know by now like the dorsal surfaces of our own John Thomases), not only did the little Buell draw away from the Ducati, it actually gapped the Yamaha as well--a 139-horsepower chariot of the gods that weighs not much more! What the?! We swapped bikes several times, field-sobriety-tested each other repeatedly, and the same scenario kept repeating itself while Mini kept up a steady rant about the Buell STILL being an ill-handling piglet, and how could this be? The old SS is still an enjoyable old bomb and stays pretty much on the pace. But jumping off the Firebolt and onto it is somewhat like hopping onto a vintage bike... though that's not always bad. Well, all I can tell you after all my years of riding motorcycles, is that strange things happen sometimes. For one thing, a bit of familiarization with the Firebolt has taught us how it needs to be ridden. If we found ourselves at first running out of revs (the Buell's done at 7500 rpm), we've since learned that the little dear pulls just as hard in the next lower gear, doing so lets you get back on the gas even sooner--and no bike on the market lets you get the throttle open as early as the Firebolt does. In theory, we've always known that a short wheelbase is a good thing. In practice, the Buell's stubbiness makes clear why that's so: It finishes a given corner while the other bikes are still turning, and by the time the R1 is pointed in the right direction and its pilot feels safe enough to whack open the throttle, the Buell has already scooted halfway down the straight. The Yamaha, of course, closes the gap a bit, but here comes the next corner, the Buell flicks into it quicker--and if there are more corners than straights, you should be getting the picture by now. The Buell's extremely short wheelbase (aided by its superior "mass centralization"  means it gets to full lean almost instantly and needs to spend less time there. It's a matter of gearing, too. Our friend the R1 is geared to do 170 mph, the little Buell maybe 140. Up until 6000 rpm or so, the R1 produces no more than 60 foot-pounds of torque. As low as 3500 rpm, Mr. Buell's already reached the leading edge of its broad, flat torque plateau. There's enough power there to send the bike down the road faster than you think, but not so much that you're afraid to open the throttle wide the instant the straight opens up. Some bikes, particularly really powerful ones ridden on really tight roads with sheer cliffs and rock walls, encourage caution. Others, like the Firebolt, like the KTM Duke, like the old Honda Hawk GT, encourage you to flog the socks off them. Sports, motorcycling included, are games of confidence, aren't they? Adjust to the Buell peccadilloes, and the thing flies. Crack it open (or whack it open) before the apex, and you can fully experience what the bike is about. Nothing can carve such tight arcs. Peccadillo-wise, Minimeat is right; the Buell does steer a bit heavier than you'd expect, and it does have a bit more self-righting tendency than most, ie., you need to "hold it down" in turns. Naturally, I have a theory as to why that is, but we haven't gotten round to investigating it yet. We know one thing that causes that sort of behavior is the difference in width between a motorcycle's rear tire and its front. The Buell rides on a 120mm-wide front tire and a 180mm rear--like many current sportbikes--but could the fact that its contact patches are fully two inches closer together than the next shortest sportbike (Yamaha R6) exacerbate that tendency to stand up? I wouldn't be surprised if a 170 rear alleviated the Buell's heavy steering. (And once again, to me it's not even a problem. It's a thing I can feel which doesn't really bother me. Other riders are off-put by it.) Number two, Mini and Calvin are bothered by the Firebolt's chassis reactions to opening and closing the throttle. "First," Mini says, "it doesn't want to turn in with the brakes on, then, when you release them, it falls into the corner." Young Min is more sensitive than I, but I think what he's feeling is caused by the bike's zero-slack drive belt (which uses an idler wheel to eliminate slack from the final drive). On other chain-drive bikes, closing the throttle makes the bottom chain run go taut and has a mostly neutral effect on the swingarm--which leaves the bike free to transfer weight forward, compress the fork and steepen rake. The Firebolt, conversely, with the big idler wheel in its bottom belt run, looks like closing its throttle will make the rear wheel want to move upward in its travel, which means it's not going to transfer as much weight forward on the brakes--which makes it feel unwilling to turn, maybe especially if you're a big guy accustomed to lots of weight transfer. As the corners open up and speed increases, the Ducati comes more into its own, maintaining that high-speed stability Ducatis are famous for. Then, releasing the brakes (and opening the throttle), again thanks to the zero-slack belt, means you're going instantly from a state where the belt wants to compress the rear, to a state where it wants to extend the rear suspension--suddenly, then, the rake steepens and the bike wants to turn. The cure for this, I think we learn the more we ride the Buell, is to be as smooth as possible, carefully blending brakes and throttle--and when you get used to it, I for one like the fact that the Buell seems to maintain more of a level attitude than most bikes--sort of like a BMW Telelever/Paralever feel. To me it feels very solid, and that's backed up by the fact that you do have to steer the Buell where you want it to go. Or, if you're like me and being really smooth is out of the question, you can just keep the gas on almost constantly. Getting back to the part about how early you can open the Firebolt's throttle: Crack it open (or whack it open) before the apex, and you can fully experience what the bike is about. Nothing I can recall riding can carve such tight arcs, and that's what allows the Buell to scamper away from more powerful bikes. The Ducati features a nice Ohlins shock, working without linkage, and a new, 40-percent stiffer swingarm. We know not if the roads you ride are as tight as Sand Canyon. If you ride big, open Roadrunner-cartoon roads and your group routinely see 100 mph plus, we salute you and advise you to buy something other than a Buell. Wait! Wasn't this a comparison?! Where'd the Ducati go? The old SS is still an enjoyable old bomb and stays pretty much on the pace too, but jumping off the Firebolt and onto it is somewhat like hopping onto a vintage bike. Saaay, the front wheel's way out there and slightly disconnected-feeling, I'm way up in the air in the nose of a B-25, and why are we bouncing up and down so much? Even with the nice Ohlins shock working, without linkage, its new, 40-percent stiffer swingarm, the Ducati doesn't have the Buell's nice snubbed-down wheel control. On the other hand, some of the same attributes the Buell has let the SS hang not far off the R1's tail: low gearing, good midrange power, light weight. The SS engine is revvier than the Buell's, with a better (six-speed) gearbox--but its chassis is archaic next to the Buell's. It feels long and rubbery ridden alongside the Buell, but in fairness, so does the R1 to a lesser extent. A Buell with a Ducati two-valver... that would be the bike... As the corners open up and speed increases, though, the Ducati comes more into its own, maintaining that high-speed stability Ducatis are famous for. In fact, a little sport-touring on this Ducati, with a tankbag full of socks and toothbrush, wouldn't be a bad idea at all. "That thing between your legs... that's not a Buell is it?" For the rat race, bigger riders prefer the Ducati's slightly more expansive riding position over the Buell's higher-footpegged one. As for 5'7" me, the more I ride the Firebolt, the more in love I grow. In freeway-commuter mode, even, the little XB sops up bumps smoothly in spite of its taut suspension, the seat is fine, and suddenly I'm thinking the bars are not so far forward as I did at first. Now with a couple thousand miles on the clock, the old Sportster motor seems to be running freer, the gearbox is shifting better--and an average of 46 mpg means 3.4 gallon-fuel-capacity isn't such a bad thing. Right, the Firebolt is the best new toy I've gotten in a long time. Say, do we pick a Motorcycle of the Year at MO? Second Opinions Brent "Minime" Avis My sense and sensibilities tell me the Buell is, despite our hard work, still an ill-handling machine. The Ducati, on the other hand, is a terrific bike in that time-honored Ducati fashion. It clanks, shudders a bit, and it still makes that cool clattering sound when you pull in the clutch lever. And, as a throwback to the earlier 900 (and 750 Supersport) that came before it, the front end feels like it's waaaay out there when you peer over it from the saddle. It feels a lot longer than that cigar butt of a Buell, too. The Ducati, you see, fits me nicely. It also looks just beautiful in these Senna edition colors. Yessir, if you were to ask me, I'd say it's just about my favorite air-cooled twin to date. Sure, John can relate tales of how the Buell held off an R1 up our favorite road, then with riders swapped proceeded to deal the same fate to the high-zoot in-line for once again. He can tell you he thinks it steers light, that it shifts well, and I will continue to disagree. Respectfully. As I can only say this: the more I ride the XB9R, the more it confuses me. It's the fastest slow bike I've ever ridden. It's the best-handling, ill-handling bike I've ever ridden. It's uncomfortable yet I ride it nearly every day. It seems that I ride the Ducati only to prove to myself that I don't really like the Buell. And it seems I keep failing. Calvinius "Hackfu-ium" Kim John thinks the Buell is a great little bike. Mini thinks the Buell is confusing. Me, I just like riding it. Yea, it feels bizarre when you tip it in, especially when you're in a pitch adjustment phase, but overall none of us have fallen off the thing (this is good). As for me, I like the Ducati just a bit more than the Buell. The other people at the office are faster than me regardless of which bike I ride, so for me, it comes down to things like; feel, color, design. You know, stupid subjective things. The 900 has enough feel and performance for my sporting needs, I also find the color scheme of our particular model to be particularly striking. I love the motor and the sounds it makes. But its still a pretty hard decision. The reason being? The Buell is Cuell. Okay, that really sucked. But its still neat-o. All the neat techno bits make the XB9R stand on its own. Now, its not, "ew, a Buell, run away!" its more like, "a Buell? You mean the thing with the stuff?" See what I mean? Buell XB9R Firebolt ENGINE Type: 984cc air-cooled 45° V-twin OHV 2v/cyl Bore x stroke: 88.9 x 79.4mm Compression ratio: 10:1 Ignition: electronic, digital Fuel delivery: FI, one 45mm throttle body Valve adjustment: hydraulic, self-adjusting Transmission: wet multiplate clutch, 5-speed Final drive: belt CHASSIS Frame: aluminum alloy w/ Uniplanar engine mount system Wheelbase: 52 in. (1321mm) Rake/trail: 21 degrees/3.3 in. (83mm) Seat height: 32.25 in. Thumb height: 36 in. Thumb-to-thumb: 19.5 in. Wet weight (full tank): 425 lb (193 kg) Fuel capacity: 3.7 gallon SUSPENSION Front: 43mm inverted fork; 4.7-in. travel; adjust for spring preload, rebound and compression damping Rear: single coil-over shock; 5.0-in. travel; adjust for spring preload, rebound and compression damping BRAKES Front: single 375mm disc, six-piston caliper Rear: single 230mm disc, single-piston caliper WHEELS/TIRES Front: 3.50 x 17 cast aluminum/ 120/70ZR-17 Dunlop D207 Rear: 5.50 x 17 cast aluminum/ 180/55ZR-17 Dunlop D207 1/4-mile (corrected): 11.86 sec. @ 114.93 mph Fuel mileage: 45 mpg Colors: blue, white Suggested price: $9,995 Ducati 900 Supersport ENGINE Type: 904cc air-cooled 90° V-twin SOHC, desmodromic, 2v/cyl Bore x stroke: 92 x 68mm Compression ratio: 9.2:1 Ignition: electronic, digital Fuel delivery: FI, 2x 45mm throttle bodies Valve adjustment: 6000 miles Transmission: dry multiplate clutch, 6-speed Final drive: chain CHASSIS Frame: round-tube steel trellis Wheelbase: 54.9 in. (1395mm) Rake/trail: 24 degrees/3. in. ( mm) Seat height: 32.5 in. Thumb height: 34.5 in. Thumb-to-thumb: 18.5 in. Wet weight (full tank): 440 lb (200 kg) Fuel capacity: 4.2 gallon SUSPENSION Front: 43mm inverted Showa; 4.7-in. travel; adjust for spring preload, rebound and compression damping Rear: single coil-over Ohlins; 5.7-in. travel; adjust for ride height, spring preload, rebound and compression damping BRAKES Front: two 320mm discs, four-piston calipers Rear: single 245mm disc, two-piston caliper WHEELS/TIRES Front: 3.50 x 17 cast aluminum/ 120/70ZR-17 Michelin Hi-Sport Rear: 5.50 x 17 cast aluminum/ 170/60ZR-17 Michelin Hi-Sport 1/4-mile (corrected): 11.94 sec. @ 114.61 mph Fuel mileage: 43 mpg Colors: yellow, red, grey Suggested price: $11,395 | ||
| Court |
Bomber: Might want to steer clear of NYC for a bit....someone wants to "have a chat" with you. I told her you'd inferred that "things Italian were finicky, expensive to maintain and subject to fly-aparts with no advance warning." Sure, I word-warped you a bit, but what a great way to stir her up for the weekend. My goal is to be told "just get out of here" around 11:00AM so I can meet Steve Haynes in the middle of Jersey about Noon.  If you do have to come to Gotham, come with Henrik...he can do no wrong in this household (we idolize those who have demonstrated the ability to deploy power tools to accomplish their intended purposes and not as a TMD (tool of mass destruction)) and I am holding a bottle of very good wine hostage for him. Okay...the Monster thing. First, I'll concede that the top speed advantage may, or may not, have shifted. Frankly, on that measure I could care less. My comments were based on the test I did of a Ducati Monster (you remember the cover pic with the 3 riders in helmets? I was the guy on the Monster at Willow Springs) I had the chance to ride the Monster from Anaheim out to Willow and spend some quality open road top gear WFO time. There are as many iterations of the current Monster as there are the Chevy Tahoe. We get like about half a dozen of them here in America and there are times I wish we got the itsy 400cc version as well. I see the 620cc as having the potential to be a cheap, while stylish looking, city commuter bike. No performance, no brakes, just good looking and cheap. The lure of the Monster to me has darn near nothing to do with performance and I could care less what Ronnie Sportrider on the roads of Angeles Crest says about it's relative performance to a Buell. I just flat enjoy the looks. It is, in my eye, a timeless incarnation of the "naked bike" look. Miguel nailed it with the Monster; Erik Buell with the S-1. By the way, to those who want to chip and chaw about the S-1 being a "copy" of, or based on, the Monster, ask me sometime why the S-1 was named the S-1 and came out a couple (3 technically) years after the S-2. Also remind me to tell you how I first learned of the Buell S-1 Lightning. The Monster's performance varies WIDELY by version. I still just dig the looks. Am I being shallow? Court | ||
| Brucelee |
I had no idea my question would generate so much response. I think the comments above regarding the Duc's looks and feel reflect my interest. I love the XB and it is not going anywhere. However, I see some form of Monster in my future, likely a lightly used 750 or 800. Hey, I think it will look cool on the PCH or in front of the cafe! | ||
| Court |
Be aware, my friend, that the "beater-banger-fixer" urban assault bike is a fixture in NYC. These are from Thursday night on the way home.....just a sampling. I also got passed by a pristine Royal Enfield and an Aerial Square Four.      Catchin' on as to why the CityX is so HOT here?  | ||
| Cluckcluckpush |
Isn't the Buell S1 just a knock off M900? Coincidence Erik Buell raced a Ducati in 80's? Blah, Blah. It's too much of a coincidence for me. | ||
| Midknyte |
sure you wanna Duc? http://stuff.co.nz/otago/0,2106,3260239a3845,00.html http://speedzilla.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=42299 |
