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2006 Ducati Monster 620 for a new rider
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January 25, 2009 at 8:43 pm #2493anubis767Participant
Hi, I am new to riding. I am going to take Motorcycle Riding Safety class in April. I am looking at 2006 Ducati Monster 620 as my first bike. The dealer is asking $5000 and the bike has 760 miles on it.
Is this a good buy for a beginer rider (dealer says yes but he needs to make a sale).
Does anyone have experience with this bike. Is it reliable andhow is the ride. I would appreciate as much info as possible.
Thank you and I appreciate your help.January 25, 2009 at 8:54 pm #15997Sangria7ParticipantVery good bike.
Not impossible to learn on but not a beginner friendly bike enough. Look through these article and advice.
Here is my one and same advice I give everyone. Take the MSF then decide on the bike.
Motorcycles are not like cars where you get your license and you can literally drive any car. The weight and power on the bikes in the MSF range the 125cc to 250cc. As you jump to higher CC’s and weight, it becomes more difficult to ride a bike.
Like I said: Take the MSF First. Then come back and really assess how well you will do on your bike choices.
January 25, 2009 at 9:25 pm #16003wbsprudelsParticipantYou may be lucky enough to take the MSF class and test ride the Ducati Monster 696 bikes at the same time. The December issue of Motorcyclist highlighted a MSF course being taught solely using these 696’s. The class in the article was at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut.
January 25, 2009 at 11:55 pm #16006SantaCruzRiderParticipantIf you won’t settle for anything but a 600+cc sportbike, the Duc 620 is not any worse choice that the SV650 — which many folks claim is a fantastic bike for an advanced beginner. The 620 has a V-twin (they call it an L-twin — whatever) and like the SV gives smoother, lower rev power delivery than the more racer-like parallel twins and 4 sport bikes in the 600 class.
But if you’ve spent ANY time on this site, you note that the predominant view is to start smaller. I’ve yet to see any solid case for starting bigger, but everyone is going to make their own decision.One thing you might want to check before buying is the insurance costs. I’ve found that Ducs typically cost more to insure, both because they are targets for theft and because they tend to attract riders looking for flash who probably stunt and then crash (no offense — it’s a statistic that I’m sure is biased by a minority of riders).
BTW: IMHO, dealers can be the WORST source of advice for which bike you should ride. I’ve found that their advice is more biased to how much bike you can afford than toward what bike is best suited for your needs or skills.January 26, 2009 at 12:23 am #16010Sangria7ParticipantHa – SantaCruzRider is dead on the dealers being more interested on a sale rather whats best for a rider.
After all after you leave thier lot, they have no responsibility on what you do with your new shiny bike….
January 26, 2009 at 12:32 am #16012anubis767ParticipantThank you very much for the advise …. I will most likely end up doing just that
January 26, 2009 at 2:15 am #16014wbsprudelsParticipantI actually have not had that experience with the HD dealership where I bought my Blast. It’s a small town, family-owned type of business that is frequently checking in with me. I am on a first-name basis with a number of the employees.
It is the only reason I am hesitant with planning to buy a Suzuki M50 rather than a Sportster.
January 26, 2009 at 1:57 pm #16022Sangria7ParticipantAgreed with Elwood.
Your first bike should be a fun one to learn on. If you are too worried aobut dropping a bike during you learning year, then you will not learn as well. Saying that some people learn really quick and have no problems, so you may have no problems at all.
I bought my 250 but within 2 months I sold @ 90% original value, and moved on to a 650. I do not regret getting the 250 as I was able to guage my skills much better. I am better on the 650 b/f of the 250. I handle the 650 like it was the 250 now as far as leans, turns, U-turns, etc.
Just my experience.
January 29, 2009 at 9:00 pm #16115chaiyaParticipantMy friend’s husband bought her the 620 as her first bike…then signed her up for the class. Needless to say…it was too much for her…she had a low speed drop and won’t go near the thing anymore. It’s been sitting in a garage for over a year now.
Take the class first then shop for a bike. You’ll probably get a better feeling for what you can handle / want after the class. You can always trade up later. The smaller cc bikes are really easy to re-sell if you want to trade up later.
January 29, 2009 at 9:27 pm #16118Sangria7ParticipantAnd there you go….
First time riders tend to buy “what they want” rather than “what they can handle”…without taking the MSF course first knowing your capabilities is near impossible.
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