Ducati Monster Motorcycle Forum banner

Monster 1200 or Panigale 959?

11K views 14 replies 13 participants last post by  lieu910 
#1 ·
Hi, everyone. I have enjoyed eavesdropping in the forum here for a while and have gotten a bunch of good input.

This post is to hear your experience with Panigale 959 or Monster 1200 as an only bike for riding around town as well as long rides and weekend trips in the country side.

My next bike will be a new Panigale 959 or a new Monster 1200.

I will be testing both before deciding which bike to go with; but with bad weather and salt on the roads, that won't be for at least another month.

Here is what it will be used for:

- I'm 6'1. I am 44. Fairly experienced on the road. No track experience (apart from a few times on a leisure track day).
- I ride in town and around town during the week for meetings.
- Once a week, I go on 3hr highway trips away for a meeting and 3 hrs back. And I need the bike to get me to the meeting without being too worn out.
- On weekends, I take trips to the country side with the GPS on max winding roads.
- 2-3 times a year, I go on longer trips. Some of these with longer autobahn stretches.

It appears that a Monster would be more wise and functional. I just really like the looks of the Panigale and would love it on the highway going fast and on countryside roads - BUT: Is the everyday city traffic going to be too annoying on the Panigale? I imagine that the Monster will excel in traffic for the two.

I appreciate your input.

Thanks
Rex
 
See less See more
#3 · (Edited)
Honestly a 6 hour round trip on my 1200 would absolutely wear me to the core. Where I've yet to ride a 959 I have ridden an 899. Just thinking about 6 hours in one day on a Panigale makes me grumpy and sore. I don't at all think your question is unreasonable but I suspect an hour on each bike would tell you which one is gonna make a better all-arounder (which seems to be the gist of your riding style) and it would tell you fairly convincingly.

I'm gonna go with the 1200 hands down for a bike that covers the most bases. There again you may be in MUCH better shape than me and sittin in an uber aggressive saddle for 6 hours may pay you no never mind.

If you asked me which bike is the most sheer insane fun it's the Panigale by far and I hear it makes a great track day cross-over. The Monster doesn't track particularly well (due to its height) but is FAR less aggressive in seating position and at least "I" find it infinitely more comfortable. I do however understand comfort is not what a Panigale was designed for.

I wonder if the new 1200R might be a good "split the difference" bike for you?
 
#4 ·
For what its worth, I just parted ways with a 749 that I bought new in '03 for a '15 Monster Dark.

While I absolutely loved the 749, it is for reasons causing your debate that drove me to make the change.

I found myself not taking it to work often (short commute, traffic lights, no real space to open it up on the way), not really comfortable for my wife or myself when riding pillion, etc, etc...

Being winter, I haven't logged a ton of miles on the 821 yet, but already enough to know I made the right choice for my scenario.

It will still be plenty of fun in the twisties, great motor, substantially more comfortable 2-up, and much more tolerant of around town riding.

For me, it was the right choice and as much as I adored that bike, I know I'll hop on the Monster much more frequently.

Unfortunately, I never took the 749 to the track, and ironically, I'm now connected with some riders who I'll probably hit the track on with the Monster.. Will it be a SuperBike? no, but it'll still be plenty of fun.

The correct answer is get both, but barring that, it does sound like you'll be happier on the Monster.
 
#5 ·
I have an 1199 and a Monster 796.

I'd probably go with the 1200 just for cruising comfort on those 3 hour go's you mentioned. I did go roughly cross country with my Panigale last summer, but the riding position for long stretches leaves something to be desired.

My Panigale gets the most seat time nowadays though for what it's worth.
 
#6 ·
If I were still in my 20's, the Pani no question. But now that I'm in my 40's, I own a Monster and couldn't be happier. I'm 6'0" and the thought of folding myself onto a Pani for more than a 30min track session has lost most of it's appeal.

I'll take the bigger bore, more comfortable riding position, and outright hooligan attitude of the Monster.

But for $15K I would Get a well cared for S2R1K, & a early 1100 Hyper, then save what's left over for a 749/999 track bike.
 
#7 ·
Do u have the opportunity to ride both? I really enjoy my monster, I got it mid summer and am just getting to outfit it with sw motech luggage for those days I need it. Lovely bike, but then again, I always wanted one. Pani is gorgeous, but wouldn't be super useful for my riding style. Enjoy, shopping for bikes is a hoot!
 
#8 ·
Nice thing about Ducati is that most dealerships offer demo rides, the bikes are so different that it should be apparent very quickley which will suit your needs. If you're comparing the two my guess is that if the the 959 seems like it is bearable for a long ride its going to win...

I came from a sportbike and was looking for something less powerful and more fun under 100 mph. When you test ride consider the gearing and what speeds you think you'll be spending most of your time at. My problem with my sportbike was that it shifted out of first at 90 mph at redline. Anytime I wanted to get on it and row through some gears I was at triple digit speeds, not so much an issue with getting a ticket but the though of anything going wrong at those speeds isn't going to be good. I have a blast on the Monster at just about any speed and I like shifting through gears, wheelies at 4,000 rpm, mid range is really nice.

I actually had intended to purchase a Streetfighter 848, actually walked in ready to buy. Then I saw the Monster in the background and it sparked my interest. The online pictures of it didn't interest me at all. After sitting on both bikes I knew right away I wanted the Monster as I wanted to get away from the Sportbike feel and the SF ergonomics area basically that of a sportbike. FYI, when I had my sportbike I had no problem riding it all day comfortably just stopping for gas so it is very doable. I actually like the sportbike on the freeway better I never felt like I got a lot of wind protection but I think the forward lean off sets the force of the wind better.

Good luck on the big decision, definitely ride both!
 
#9 · (Edited)
That's an awesome question that I have faced. Unlike the respected empirical comments from the experienced crowd on this forum, my answer is purely emotional and may not be worth any of the grains of salt you're wishing to be washed away.

I'm looking at buying two bikes. the 959 Panigale and a Monster 1200. Having always ridden a naked, I yearned for a SuperSport. Consequently, I have just bought the 959 Panigale for fear that if I bought the Monster first, I might never have the chance to own what I've always dreamed of riding. My 2 cents worth.
 
#10 ·
Re: Monster 1200R vs 959 Panigale
Finally got the beast and it has been Opti-Coated today as the black Ducati paint is as soft as the red.
It's a nice complement in style, color and ride to the Panigale 959.
With just short of a 100lb in torque, this thing is aptly named as the front wheel goes light in 4th!!!!
 

Attachments

#13 · (Edited)
The Panigale is a better sportbike. The Monster is a better general-use bike and is much more versatile.
A lot does depend on your personal fitness, physical size and shape, and desires.

Unlike some others here, I have found the Monster to be a fine bike for traveling (one-up; passengers will have a different experience).
I have an older M900, but for me, the Monster is good for 500-600 miles a day traveling pretty easily. 700-900 miles in a day takes some effort; I haven't done more than that.

The Monster is perfectly suitable for commuting/everyday use. The Panigale could do that perfectly well, too, if the rider wanted it enough. So I don't think the traffic will be the factor that decides between the two bikes; it's the longer trips where you'll feel the difference most.

As noted above, the new SuperSport S could be exactly the compromise you want.

PhilB
 
#14 ·
FWIW, have a 696 and I test rode a 959 recently. I found the 959 surprisingly easy to ride at city speeds, but the heat it put on my legs at any speeds below 30 mph was pretty uncomfortable even on a breezy 70 F day. Given my sometimes traffic heavy Chicago commute, I think that the heat alone would be a deal-breaker to a 959 being a commuter bike for me.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top