2009 Ducati Monster 696
User Reviews
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Monster is HUGE
By (I am an Owner) on Mar 19, 2010Like a lot of others this is my first bike. I may buy others but I will never get rid of my 696. The weight and agility simply make it the most fun commuting bike around. Its like an SV650 only with better looks, engine, brakes and suspension for a few k more. The upgrade to the Termi exhausts is ... a must and gets you near the Monster 1100 stock performance. My only complaint is the seat height - as I am 6ft 3inch an extra inch or two of adjustability would have gone a long way. And of course the mirrors suck - its a Duc after all.
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Impressive
By (I am an Owner) on Sep 24, 2009I have been very pleased with the 2k miles I have spent with the M696. I came off of a BMW R1100R for something a bit more sporty. After some research and riding the Monster vs. it's Aprilia competitor, (Shiver 750) I chose the Ducati. It has filled the sporty void I had, and has not been as uncomfortable ... as I had read about it. Also, after a primary sprocket change to a 14t and an after market exhaust, eliminating the hot and heavy catylist laden factory cans, it was like a different bike. Performance and fuel economy were boosted. I went with Mivv Gps if interested. Overall I have been very pleased and would recomend the M696 for anyone who is longing to escape the Japenese sea of conformity.
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Great starter
By (I am an Owner) on Jan 12, 2009I bought this bike back in Oct 2009. It's my first bike. It has a nice roar to it and good power to weight ratio. small turning radius. It's a great bike for around the city. avg 120 miles per tank. At 360 lbs it's easy to push around. Would pick up another model Ducati later.
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get the touring seat & change to 14T front sprocket
By (I am an Owner) on Jan 08, 20092,700 miles since september '08.
great bike once i switched out the weird riding position the standard seat dictates to the touring seat. a MASSIVELY better time spent in the saddle.
horrible highly geared 15T standard front sprocket has been replaced with the much more ... reasonable 14T. if you ride in a city, this is a must-have from my riding experience.
got the 696 rear-eliminator kit installed. looks so much better and tidier.
next on my list when it warms up a bit is going to be the addition of an oil cooler.
anyone riding this bike in stop & go traffic in a busy urban environment (i live in the middle of washington, d.c.)will know why. you will roast (air-cooled bike).
great bike, has its issues, but i love it. it makes you feel special.
how much is that worth?
termis & suspension (not cheap) upgrades to come.
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They named it correctly
By (I am an Owner) on Sep 25, 2008Monster is the correct title for this bike. Other acceptable names would have been Rocket Ship, and what the ... did I just get off of.
My other bike is the same weight, but has half the power.
I sat on bikes from all the major brands and this one won. It is has ... a little larger price tag, but the customer service I've gotten from Ducati makes it well justified.
I don't know if you could travel accross the country on this bike, (lack of storage), but for cummuting in traffic is a breeze. A handle bar raiser would make longs trips a little better, but not completlly necessary.
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Great all around bike
By (I am an Owner) on Sep 24, 2008put 5500 miles on mine so far. The powerband is nice and easy to ride/control. There's power from a stop to 9000rpm. The bike is very stable and smooth, even at high speeds. The position is upright and more relaxing, but the bike can still corner very hard. The brakes are phenomenal. The stock ... exhaust has a nice sound and I've received an abnormal amount of compliments about the bike. This is a great bike, and would be a very suitable bike for a beginner as well.
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Glad I made the leap of faith
By (I am an Owner) on Sep 15, 2008I'm a first time rider and decided to take the plunge and invest in Italian art. This is a great bike for me because the clutch is light, the gears engage nicely and the ergonomics are nice and upright for me to see my surroundings. The power is more than adequate for my type of riding and I'd ... rather be the great rider on this bike than a good rider on a more powerful bike. Everything works well, but the seat slopes down a little too much for comfort after an extended period of time. The available accessories are numerous and there seems to be endless possibilities for those with the time and money to upgrade and modify their Monsters. The big plus is the Ducati community that I'm beginning to get more involved with.
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Wow
By (I am an Owner) on Sep 15, 2008What a bike,
In one word I would say "tight"
It is my first bike and it is all I asked for and more.
I have 2000 KM on it now, got it July 1,2008.
The cornering is amazing, brakes, second to none.
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