M796 Riders

[FirebatM]

Hey Guys,

I'm planning to buy a 796 in March and after a good amount of reading I have a few questions. My experience is on CBR600F3 and a VFR, it's been a few years since I last rode. I'm not really looking for blistering speed, more interested in a bike that get in the turns that I can ride for a couple hours.

1. A lot of the reading I've done talks about the Monster being a good city bike. Should I take from this that a 2 or 3 hour ride will leave me with my back and shoulders hurting?

2. My previous CBR was very smooth and pedictable at low power settings, however the VFR was a bit tuggy at low rpm. A lot of guys are changing the sprockets to a 14T and some change the rear to a 41T to make low rpm riding more smooth and 6th gear manageable at highway speeds. Is this spocket mod something I am going to want right away with my experience?

3. I've seen a bunch of posts about throttle tamers with a couple of different cams talked about. Is the power at low rpm considerably more touchy than the 600 class bike that I used to ride?

I'm trying to get a good feel for the options I might need right away to make the bike feel more comfortable. Thanks for your input.

[Rentaroo]

I own a M796 and Yamaha FJR 1300. I've owned Japanese sportsbikes in the past, similar to the CBR and VFR that you have owned. So, here are my thoughts.

#1. I've never understood the "good city bike" description. The M796 is not very smooth at lower RPMs, the turning radius is not that great, and the suspension is rather stiff. None of these make for a "good city bike"...at least in my view.

I ride my M796 around the north Georgia mountains...five, six hours...hundreds of miles...on a regular basis. Twisty roads, fast sweepers, long straights. The only thing that gets tired is my arse. I do wear bicycle riding shorts beneath my riding pants and that helps tremendously. Shoulders / back were never an issue, though if you're not in reasonable physical condition your experience will be different.

#2. The M796 is going to be more "tuggy" at low RPM than your VFR...it's the nature of the engine design. The stock gearing is very tall and that makes the issue even worse for some people. I never had an issue with riding at low RPMs or parking-lot speeds...some people do. I kept the gearing stock on my bike for a long time and then decided to give the 14 tooth front sprocket a try...to see what all the talk was about. Good decision...really didn't expect that much of a change...quite pleased with the result. Of course, it did require me to re-learn all the shift points on my favorite roads...

#3. I've never had an issue with power delivery at low RPM due to throttle response or fuel injection settings and I don't believe the power is more "touchy" than your previous bikes.

[FirebatM]

Thanks for your response. I'm really looking forward to getting back on the road. Any other surprises with your 796? Anything you really like or dislike about the machine?

[Rentaroo]

No surprises.

I didn't like the factory hand grips. They were rather hard (I always wear gloves), so I replaced them with a set of Pro-Grips. The mirrors were nearly useless, too many vibrations. I replaced those with smaller bar-end mounted mirrors from CRG. At first I didn't like the bar-end mirror look...I've learned to like them.

I installed a Scotts steering stabilizer to help improve feeling in the front end. The M796 is very light and the front always felt a little "flighty" to me...the stabilizer helped make the front feel more solid during tight corner transitions and fast sweepers. The stabilizer also helps prevent unwanted steering changes if the front wheel clips a piece of unavoidable road debris, which usually happens when you're leaned over in a blind-curve. The increased safety factor alone has made this a worthy addition. I had the same stabilizer mounted to a previous bike, so all that was required for the M796 was a new mount kit.

Hmm, I've changed other items, mostly cosmetic stuff...front fender, tank panels, removed fly-screen, removed fuel-vapor canister, installed Leo Vince exhaust, installed Motovation frame sliders.

Can't say there is anything I really dislike...it's a nice bike with plenty of fun factor.

[SouthFrance]

Rentaroo pretty much sums it up, great bike for days out in the hills or on a track if thats your thing, had mine 2 years, no issues, if I was to be really picky adjustable front forks would have been nice, as Rentaroo says , Monsters are not city bikes, sure you can ride anything anywhere but it's best playground is the twistys, get the revs up , ride off the torque, feather the brakes occasionally, and just let the sublime handling do the rest. I have clip-on style bars on mine form WoodCraft and the bike corners like a fly. have fun

[polivo]

i dont have a 796, i have the 1100. ive riden the 696 several times, In first gear , they seemed amazingly similar to me in terms of torque. What am i saying? Im willing to bet the 796 aint that much different. Im pretty sure, in terms of "tuggy", the 696/796 will seem TWICE , if not THREE times as bad as the vfr. However, some people love that grunt. Its by design, its the monsters character. Ive learned to like it. But be forewarned, coming off an inline 4.. the 796 in stock form will feel almost unbearable.. SMOOTH is no where in the vocabulary. With clipons, I have to admit, it corners as well as my r1. But thats about all it does as well in terms of performance. In terms of attention, sound, character? MY GOD! Ive never owned anything that gets this much attention. Biker owner, non bike rider.. all types literlaly stop and ask me questions about the bike. probably the highest compliment was a dude in a porche eye balling my bike.. while im eye balling his car. Neither of us said anything, but we both were thinking the same thing. "nice".

[jonm796]

I have never had another type of sport bike, just the 696 and now the 796, but have ridden a few friends bikes (gsxr750 and r6). It is a much different riding style and position. Best bet is to test ride one and see what you think. It has great handling and loves the corners. I commute on mine as well, and when you get used to the bike and its qwerks then commuting or "city riding" becomes a non-issue. It is "tuggy" at lower rpm's, I have not done the sprocket conversion as of yet, but after switching to the Termi exhaust with the Ducati dedicated ECU I notice that it is a lot smoother (and the sound is amazing!). For most the Monster is a love it or hate it type machine. I love it, and as polivo pointed out everyone I come in contact with wants to know about her, and I love talking about her, so the attention is welcome!

[SDRider]

To anyone complaining of tugging or lack of smoothness I would suggest checking your valve clearances. My exhaust valves were both too tight on my 1100 EVO and now that they are adjusted correctly the bike is much smoother, doesn't pop on decel, runs much better.