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New bike time! (Monster 821!)

Started by Watcher, May 05, 2019, 09:55:48 PM

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ShowBizWolf

I'm a bit late to this party lol but I was VERY selective about who I sold my 1975 318 Valiant to. It was beautiful and only had ~50k miles on it. I did NOT want it to go to someone who was going to destroy it.
Superbike bars, '04 GSXR headlight & cowl, DRZ signals, 1/2" fork brace, 'Busa fender, stainless exhaust & brake lines, belly pan, LED dash & brake bulbs, 140/80 rear hoop, F tail lens, SV650 shock, Bandit400 hugger, aluminum heel guards & pegs, fork preload adjusters, .75 SonicSprings, heated grips

IdaSuzi

This is a little late as well but I flip cars on the side for money and usually don't get too attached to the car's, except for a 1974 Chevy Nova that I put a lot of work into and it was in amazing shape but I sold it for college tuition. Still I found someone I knew would take care of it and not hoon it haha I do miss that car still
1998 RM125
1995 RM250
1999 Yamaha Banshee (Kind of a bike???)
1993 DR350
2008 GS500F naked conversion, Kat 600 shock, Yoshi Slip On, Progressive Springs, 20/62.5/140 rejet, Fenderectomy, LED Front and Rear Signals

Watcher

Well, the yellow bike is gone.  No more Monster 750.

Sold it to a "better" buyer and got my asking price.

Now to aquire something new!
"The point of a journey is not to arrive..."

-Neil Peart

qcbaker

Cant wait to see what you end up with!

Watcher

A bike is on order!

It's going to be about a month before I get it, so you'll just have to wait patiently for the reveal.

It'll be worse for me...
"The point of a journey is not to arrive..."

-Neil Peart

Watcher

#45
OK, so it's not officially mine yet, but it IS reserved for me!  The quoted time of a month was a little heavy, and just this week I got a phone call that my bike has arrived!  The downside is, since I was planning on a month out I don't have all my ducks in a row quite yet so I'll need a few more weeks to save up more of a down payment and increase my credit just a little more.  No worries, they know my time frame and are being patient with me.

Anyway, I missed a chance meeting when the tech took the initial test-ride after building it.  He stopped by my shop to try and catch me but I wasn't working, but of course my coworker took a bunch of photos and blew my phone up just to tease me.
So I stopped into the dealership to see it for myself, play with it a little, and put some more money down on it.
So here is a teaser photo!



It's a 2019 Monster 821 "Stealth", and it's the only one in Tucson!

Couple of extra exciting bits I didn't know about the bike I discovered in person, too.
So, the Stealth I thought was just a paint scheme.  It was ~$800 more than the "normal" versions, and I said "what the hell, it's unique and rare", and from my reading Ducati's relatively odd rewording of the specs compared to a "normal" 821 it seemed all identical other than, according to the photos, a factory matching flyscreen which is an almost $400 add-on for the base color versions.

Turns out the Stealth also has adjustable front suspension, which the "normal" ones do not and don't even get the option of.
Also, it has a factory quick shifter!  And it goes up and down!  Which is normally like a $300 add-on!

So yeah, I paid an extra $800 for a unique paint scheme, a major upgrade to the suspension, and what would normally be $700 worth of additional equipment.
Not a bad deal, all in all.

These next few weeks are going to be killer, knowing it's there waiting for me...
"The point of a journey is not to arrive..."

-Neil Peart

IdaSuzi

Congrats on the new bike! I love the Monsters and this one looks great  :thumb: I'm sure it was a pleasant surprise for you to find out your bike is not only a rare paint job but has a lot of useful additions. Enjoy and looking forward to how you like it your daily commuting etc.
1998 RM125
1995 RM250
1999 Yamaha Banshee (Kind of a bike???)
1993 DR350
2008 GS500F naked conversion, Kat 600 shock, Yoshi Slip On, Progressive Springs, 20/62.5/140 rejet, Fenderectomy, LED Front and Rear Signals

qcbaker

Very cool, Watcher! :thumb:

Quote from: qcbaker on June 07, 2019, 07:06:06 AM
All this talk about janky Blasts makes me acutely aware of how much I'm procrastinating fixing and selling my Blast....

Update: I did an oil change on my Blast and discovered that it barely had any left in it. It has a minor oil leak on the bottom end and has sat for about a year, so I guess it just leaked out what little oil it had left over the last year. Guess I'm a little lucky I didn't ride it lol. Anyway, got the oil/filter changed, charged the battery, and after many failed attempts, got the bike to start and run. Took a few pics and posted it on craigslist. We'll see if it gets any attention at its current price and if not, I'll repost it for a bit cheaper. Wish me luck, GSfam.

cbrfxr67

Looks sweet watcher,..love me a gigantic looking tank,...!

glws  qcbaker!
"Its something you take apart in 2-3 days and takes 10 years to go back together."
-buddha

Watcher

#49
Quote from: cbrfxr67 on July 01, 2019, 06:51:44 AM
Looks sweet watcher,..love me a gigantic looking tank,...

Actually, the 821 for sure suffers from illusory proportions, just like my Buell did.
They look really big when you see pictures of them. Once you're next to one they're in reality quite small.

Here's a not so great photo of the guy who test rode it on it, to try and illustrate that.

"The point of a journey is not to arrive..."

-Neil Peart

Watcher

#50
Picked it up today!  Almost didn't happen.  I'll spare you the details but I ended up having to put down more cash than anticipated and was worried I'd have to push back the purchase until next month, but after some number crunching and some conceding to PBJ meals for the next couple of weeks I was able to just sneak it into the budget.

Here she is at home!



And here are some better photos from when the tech took his test ride over to my shop.







It's been an interesting experience, juggling bikes around for the past month or so.
I commented when I test rode the 821 that it felt like my Monster, just bigger and in some ways more refined.  I thought that having ridden a Kawasaki Z1000 for the past month it would feel quite alien hopping on the long awaited 821, but no, it felt natural to me, it felt nostalgic, it felt like, well, a Monster.  It was like picking up again with an old friend, changed by time but still the same soul.  It might take a minute to learn the fresh nuances, but at the core it's the same machine I know and love.  It's my M750, just... not...

And it is a very interesting juxtaposition, comparing it to that Z1000.
It got me to think:  The Japanese really are exceptional at making high quality, high performance machines, but it's rare they can encapsulate the whole "motorcycle experience" like the European's can.
If you want to go really really fast, go Japanese.  If you want to get there smoothly and with little effort, go Japanese.
If you want to ride a motorcycle, really ride a motorcycle, you'll be far better entertained by something made with a little less precision and a little more moxie.

One night with this new 821 and I know I made the right call, a CB650 might have been a great bike but ultimately may have been a little disappointing.
I quote RUSH in my signature, and I hold to that statement.
"The point of a journey is not to arrive..."

-Neil Peart

cbrfxr67

great review,...can you go win the latest picture game challenge now so we can do something new :laugh:
"Its something you take apart in 2-3 days and takes 10 years to go back together."
-buddha

qcbaker

Quote from: Watcher on July 11, 2019, 11:12:43 PMIt got me to think:  The Japanese really are exceptional at making high quality, high performance machines, but it's rare they can encapsulate the whole "motorcycle experience" like the European's can.
If you want to go really really fast, go Japanese.  If you want to get there smoothly and with little effort, go Japanese.
If you want to ride a motorcycle, really ride a motorcycle, you'll be far better entertained by something made with a little less precision and a little more moxie.

Break out the Ducati Biscotti, you're a true Ducatista now. You've passed the point of no return lol.

All joking aside, very cool bike dude. Glad to hear you're liking it!


Watcher

Quote from: cbrfxr67 on July 12, 2019, 06:41:59 AM
great review,...can you go win the latest picture game challenge now so we can do something new :laugh:

I'm the one that proposed the current challenge, but I guess I could bend the rules to show off a little more  :laugh:
"The point of a journey is not to arrive..."

-Neil Peart

Watcher

#54
I dialed in the suspension a little bit, all it needed was a few turns more on the preload and it feels just about perfect!

Took it out for the first long leisurely ride to the local mountain to get a feel for it in the curves and ride it for a longer time frame.  I can't fully express how happy I am with it!  It's smooth, it rolls around the curves with grace, it feels planted and consistent at whatever speed I want to go, and the seating position is near perfect.
The seat is very well designed.  It's soft and grippy and contoured well, I didn't notice any seams after hours of sitting.  Not much room to move forward or backward, but that's not a problem in the least.  It holds you where you need to be, no fiddling around, it welcomes you directly to the optimal spot.  You don't slide back under heavy acceleration, you don't slide forward under hard braking, it's great!
It also has a lot more leg-room than my little 750 did, so my knees weren't as achy after the long ride.

Played around with the modes, got the traction control, ABS, and throttle response all where I like it.
Kept the Urban (rain) mode on full safety but turned off the engine governor in favor of just a smoother throttle curve.  Limiting the engine to 75HP was a jarring change when switching between the modes, I think the drastic difference in bike feel would be more a hindrance than the benefit of the limited power.  I'm experienced enough to handle the full 109HP in slick conditions, but a gentler throttle still makes sense.
Basically for Touring mode I kept that same smoother throttle, and halved the safety modes.  I can have a little more fun before the bike tries to limit me, but it's still a gentle reminder to take it easy, I'll likely make this my standard mode for commuting and what have you.
And for Sport, well, all bets are off!  Full engine power, quick throttle, NO traction control (so it will pick up the front end and allow for some backing it in), and the lowest ABS setting it offers (if I could turn ABS off I would have)!  The bike in this mode is, true to it's namesake, a total Monster!

Still feeling out the Pirelli Rosso III tires, though.  They feel good and grippy on the asphalt and I had full confidence in most conditions, but a few times I pushed the bike into a turn a little too far and crossed a paint-line it felt a little squirrelly.  It almost felt like the paint lines were wet, like just a touch slick, not enough to cause any issues, but enough for me to notice the change in road feel.  I've never had a tire feel like that in the dry before, and talking to my coworker he had the same experience on his Hypermotard with Rosso IIs.
With less than 200 miles on them I still consider them to be in need of proper scrubbing, but as of right now I'm looking forward to putting a set of Michelins on here.
"The point of a journey is not to arrive..."

-Neil Peart

pliskin

Ugly Duckling or Black Swan? Sorry, couldn't help it.
Anyway, I have a set of those Rosso's on my VFR. I get the same feedback sometimes. I think it's because they are hard compound in the middle and soft on on the sides. When you lean over that transition from hard/soft can feel strange. I will say they are wearing very well considering I'm a little hard on the throttle and don't carve much. Mostly straight highway commute miles. After about 2k miles I am seeing a slight flat spot form on the rear. The front still looks new.  Of the 3 sets of tires I've had on the VFR the Rosso's are my overall favorites.
Why are you looking here?

Watcher

#56
Quote from: pliskin on July 30, 2019, 12:50:22 PM
I have a set of those Rosso's on my VFR. I get the same feedback sometimes. I think it's because they are hard compound in the middle and soft on on the sides. When you lean over that transition from hard/soft can feel strange.

Well, by comparison my last set of tires, and thusly the freshest in my experience, were a set of Michelin Road 5s.  They are also dual compound, and I never really felt the transition.  In truth, I don't feel the transition to the sides on the Rossos either, so I don't think it's in the compounding, necessarily.

The Road 5s never sketched me out on paint, though.  In truth, the Road 5s have been the most confidence inspiring tire I've ever ridden on, which is quite a statement.  They felt good going straight, when braking, when accelerating, when turning, when leaned over, when hot, when cold, in rain, in dry, in all conditions I've ridden in.  I've felt them slip, too.  Although it was rare I broke those Road's loose it felt very gradual and linear, giving me plenty of warning and time to react, and they never felt slick.

One thing I will say after mounting a set of the Rosso IIIs on a customer's wheels, the sidewall/carcass is much stiffer on the Pirellis than on the Michelins.  This might be the difference maker right there.  If the Road series has more flex a slight change in road surface might not translate all the way up through the bike to the rider, while a harder carcass will deliver more "feedback".  But how stiff a carcass is best may depend on the rider or the riding conditions.  I've heard that when Pirellis in general start to lose grip they don't translate that well, and tend to just grip until they don't.  It's more up to the rider to know the limit, whereas with the Michelins' softer carcass it seems to be a more gradual feel of it being at the limit, but it doesn't transfer the feeling of the road as much to the rider.
Perhaps for the street a softer carcass is better to absorb and grip onto more imperfections while for the track a harder carcass is better for "feeling" the tarmac.  I haven't explored it enough to say for sure.

What I can say for sure is as soon as I'm done with these Rosso IIIs I'll be putting on a set of Michelin Road 5s.
"The point of a journey is not to arrive..."

-Neil Peart

Watcher

#57
Well, it's been almost two years on the Monster and like clockwork I'm getting that new bike itch.

And my taste may have changed.  I'm looking at a Scrambler again.

It might actually be the same exact one I test rode two years ago, the shop is selling a black and orange 2018 1100 Sport, demo model, with about 1000 miles on it, but it's without the Termi pipe, for only $11k.
Way less than that $17k I was quoted way back.  Hell, with the factory Termi on it that would only raise the price another couple grand, and I could afford that.

The Monster...  Well, I still love it.  It rides great, the power is nice for a giggle but never too much, the suspension is firm and planted, and recently I let some coworkers take it for a spin and the sound that thing produces does strange things to me, lol!
It's just that needs may have changed, or needs have been more realized.

All I ever really do is commute.  I don't really do much sport riding anymore, and even when I ride the mountain for fun it's in a small group with coworkers who all have a mix of bikes and skill levels so we keep to a calm but spirited pace.  Regardless, I'm not really a sport rider anyway.  I like going quick, but I don't like really pushing my limits, and if I were to do that the Monster isn't the best choice for that, a used R6 or something would be better for that.
And there's also the fact that I'd like to dabble in some light off-road rides.  My coworker has an F850GS and rides on this ranch a whole lot, I'd like to join him, but I currently don't have the budget for a second motorcycle.
So, perhaps, trading in the Monster for a Scrambler would be the right move.

It would work just as well (maybe better) as a commuter, insurance would be cheaper, and I could take it on some fire roads here and there.  Not only that, but the style has really grown on me, and a slightly more upright posture wouldn't be a negative.

...

I need help either getting talked into or out of it.
That said, I'm gonna test ride it again tomorrow.  I know I wasn't entirely captivated by it previously but that said, I was looking at it through the lens of someone who wanted a hypernaked, not a scrambler.  If I ride it as a scrambler, perhaps my perception will be different.

...

Ok, so the "can't afford two bikes thing" may have been a bit of a lie.  I can't afford two $10k+ bikes, but I could always get a cheap dual purpose off the used market or a Honda Monkey or something.  That would satisfy my itch for dirt, while keeping my Monster for the street.
I was so enamored with the Monster at first I considered it perfect for me and a good forever bike.  I still do love it, but maybe it's not the best tool for the job.
"The point of a journey is not to arrive..."

-Neil Peart

cbrfxr67

Always enjoy reading your posts!  Honda Monkey would be great!  I ride my little 125 more than any of my other bikes.  It's just easy to ride, great for traffic and I love that chinese turd.  I can't say on your monster vs scrambler vs itch cause I've never dealership bought a bike but I'd really be up for a new gsxr if I did :tongue2:

    Be interesting to see what you do!

this that
"Its something you take apart in 2-3 days and takes 10 years to go back together."
-buddha

mr72

#59
One thing to think about, and BTW this is why I am still hanging onto my ADV-converted GS500 rather than buying a Ducati Scrambler (800) myself, is that if you ride off road, even fire roads or those AZ sandy wash kind of things, eventually the bike is going to wind up laying down from time to time. So you might want to think twice about this being your main commuting/transportation bike, think twice about it being something with Ducati-priced parts to replace or live with scraped up or bent, or something that's as heavy to pick back up as a Scrambler 1100 (or one of those other big ADV type bikes ...).

So maybe the half measure is not something like a Honda Monkey, but more like a DRZ400, or a few years old CB500X if you want something a little more road-manners oriented. Or a V-Strom, if you need 70hp, even a V-Strom 1000. But a <500cc late model Japanese dual sport or adventure bike, or a 10 year old 650+, would probably give you that alternative you might want for fire roads etc. but something you wouldn't get so upset about when it went down and bent the handlebar or broke off a footpeg. Not only that, these ADV/DS bikes are designed to fall, be easily picked up, and not get damaged to the point that you can't ride them home. Heck, even my old & busted converted GS500 has been knocked over three or four times and the only casualties were turn signals and mirrors. If it scraped an engine case, I wouldn't even notice or care.

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