Q: Are the monsters with stock handle bars and stock seats comfortable for doing regular commuting in a city.
A: For me, at 6'1", the stock Monster bar was perfect for commuting and riding around in town. I switched to a flatter Corbin seat, which improved the comfort for such riding.
Q: I mostly travel to and from school and work and I am wondering how long (or if ever) will it take for me to get uncomfortable or to start having back pain while riding a monster.
A: The only parts on me that started to bother me on long rides was my knees and the part of my body in contact with the seat, and that took at least 100 miles. All of the rest of me felt great while riding the Monster. I certainly never had back pain from it.
Q: Is the slightly cafe style a big issue if you are sitting in traffic a lot or going straight alot?
A: The only issue is lack of wind protection.
Q: Also, how is the comfort when going through canyons and highways?
A: I loved the Monster in the canyons. Less so on freeways, mainly because it's not as much fun going straight and dealing with the wind. Below 80 mph, the wind isn't a serious issue either. My ST2 feels a bit better on the freeways.
Q: Do I really need to get new handle bars so it can be non-painful when riding through the city?
A: I don't know where you think the pain will be coming from. I thought the stock bars were close to perfect.
Q: And finally, how smooth is it to shift a ducati monster? Is it smoother then most crappy japanese bikes?
A: I've never owned a crappy Japanese bike, but I've owned many Japanese bikes. The Ducatis I've ridden are not as smooth to shift as the Yamahas I've owned, but smoother than the Harley's I've ridden.
Q: Like, is it so smooth you sometimes don't realize your shifting? That would be awesome.
A: I've always realized I was shifting. On the 1997 M900, I would get a lot of false neutrals if I didn't make a solid shift. I also had a 1996 M900 for a little while and it was much less likely to get a false neutral. My 1998 ST2 hasn't had a false neutral yet, so the transmissions aren't all the same.
Q: Also just one more question. How well does the windshield on the monster help against wind. I think the S4R has it and so does the 1000 or 800. Is it actually worth what it costs?
A: I can only compare the minifairing that came with the 1997 Monster. I tried it on and off multiple times, plus tried a larger plexiglass windshield as well. I finally settled on the stock minifairing. It makes a difference on the road.
Get a Monster. You'll love it. 8)