[oalvarez]

wrong! and i've never been happier. earlier this year i test rode a new Monster 1100s and was beyond impressed with how comfortable "I" felt on the bike, and how easy it was for me to handle it. the experience left an impression obviously. between then and now I had been riding my Hyper and Multistrada most, had a deposit on a MV Agusta Brutale 1078rr, and also owned an '03 999R which was to me more of a prize than anything else. the plan was to sell the 999R to fund the Brutale, as I wanted a motorcycle that was as comfortable as my other two, but somewhat special like the 999R. but believe it or not, and due to much discussion with some very seasoned motorcyclists, I decided that the best bike for this segment of my riding career would be yet another twin, a Ducati Monster 1100s. the answer had been there all along, just took me a bit to realize it. maybe not the prettiest (although it's growing on me), but it has offered me the BEST riding experience so far of all of the motos i've owned. after last Sunday's maiden voyage up Angeles Crest and out to Wrightwood, I knew I had finally picked a winner. not only did I think it was the best thing for the canyons, but a couple of other very skilled Hyper riders thought the same. I can't say enough about the handling characteristics of the motorcycle, and how easy and comfortable it is to ride, and that comfort has inspired a confidence in me that i didn't have before. don't misinterpret me; i'm still slow, but i was a lot less so last week. a great bike now, and should only get better with time....i'm happy with it and my decision. i can't believe i just said that!

on order: full Termi kit, comfort seat, and Sato rearsets, along with a tail tidy and some other carbon bits. rear carbon hugger, clutch cover, crg's, tank carbon on the bike now.

at the moment she looks like this:

 

[MAJ Todd]

Not crazy, on another forum a guy traded his 848 for an 1100.

 

[blazinasian]

I'm jealous. You have a Hyper, Multistrada and now a 1100S. By the way, I absolutely love mine too.

 

[rmm]

Out of curiosity how does the hypermotard compare to the monster?

you seem to have a very complete ducati experience. i'm always semi-considering changing from my S2R to hyper/multi. Care to offer a comparison?

 

[oalvarez]

hi there. i'll start with the most obvious: all of my three current Duc's are 1100's, so the power to weight ratio is all that's really a felt difference amongst them. i'd say that the power is most noticeable on the Monster.

riding position: the Multistrada is the most comfortable, at least to me it is, but it should be as it's purpose is longer distance riding. i did an 8:00am to 6pm ride and was really happy i was on it and not one of my sport bikes. it's my most favorite motorcycle i've ever owned. The Hyper is very much like the Multistrada except that you sit much more forward on the bike, almost on top of the front wheel. it takes some getting used to but it's a lot of fun to ride. it handles amazingly and better than the Multi, but the Multi would impress you too. both the Multi and Hyper's seating positions are much taller/higher than the Monster, and the Monster's more aggressive in both arms to bars and leg position (angles). i personally wouldn't want to sit on the Monster all day if i had the Multi as an option.

as for Hyper/Monster comparison? two of my very experienced (track) riding friends rode it on the Crest last week. they both own and love their Hypers, and both said it was easily the best bike for canyon riding, and i'd concur. it's all about the weight of the bike, and the slightly more agressive seating position (still comfy though); you can really ride it aggressively as it inspires a lot of confidence given it's comfortability. if you love dirt trackers, the Hyper is for you. if you're one who loves superbikes but doesn't want to sit in a committed position, then the Monster is the way to go. just my opinion though.

see ya

 

[rmm]

hi there. i'll start with the most obvious: all of my three current Duc's are 1100's, so the power to weight ratio is all that's really a felt difference amongst them. i'd say that the power is most noticeable on the Monster.

riding position: the Multistrada is the most comfortable, at least to me it is, but it should be as it's purpose is longer distance riding. i did an 8:00am to 6pm ride and was really happy i was on it and not one of my sport bikes. it's my most favorite motorcycle i've ever owned. The Hyper is very much like the Multistrada except that you sit much more forward on the bike, almost on top of the front wheel. it takes some getting used to but it's a lot of fun to ride. it handles amazingly and better than the Multi, but the Multi would impress you too. both the Multi and Hyper's seating positions are much taller/higher than the Monster, and the Monster's more aggressive in both arms to bars and leg position (angles). i personally wouldn't want to sit on the Monster all day if i had the Multi as an option.

as for Hyper/Monster comparison? two of my very experienced (track) riding friends rode it on the Crest last week. they both own and love their Hypers, and both said it was easily the best bike for canyon riding, and i'd concur. it's all about the weight of the bike, and the slightly more agressive seating position (still comfy though); you can really ride it aggressively as it inspires a lot of confidence given it's comfortability. if you love dirt trackers, the Hyper is for you. if you're one who loves superbikes but doesn't want to sit in a committed position, then the Monster is the way to go. just my opinion though.

see ya

Wow thanks this was very useful. So the multi is the best bike you're ever owned!? I have to say that having read the multi forums and a bunch of reviews - people seem to say fantastic things about it. My only main hesitation about the multi is its weight (maybe 60-75lbs more than my S2R) and my hesitation about the hyper is the seat height (3" higher than the S2R... I'm 5'8).

well since I just got the S2R I don't plan to sell it anytime soon. I suppose I'll decide on my next bike depending on where I live at the time and if it looks like I'll have long commutes or be doing mostly weekend day trips.

Out of curiosity.. why did you sell the 848 also?

I was just thinking that paradoxically, my old triumph TT600 (precursor to daytona) was more comfortable for long distances than the monster because of the wind protection. But then the position wasn't as intensely tucked in as I hear the 848 is... is it true that the 848 is as much of a torture rack as the 748?

 

[oalvarez]

i'm not young, but then again, not very old either (42yrs). my clip-on days are over, i simply want comfort over anything else. what i'm finding in MY riding is that the more comfortable i am on the bike, the more aggressively i ride it, and ride them well. i think it's the comfort and bar leverage that gives me the confidence i need, that's just me though.

yes, the Multistrada is the best all around motorcycle in my opinion, you'd be amazed at what that bike can do in the twisties, and what it offers on the longer haul. if long distance touring is all i did, then a BMW or a Concours is what i'd own. the Multistrada feels/rides lighter than it is (430lbs?).

as for the 848, i found it to be more comfortable than my 999R, but it did have a speedymoto triple clamp on it that allowed for the clip-on's to be raised up 5/8th of an inch which really helped.