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It all started with the MH900e being delayed indefinitely.
Then Zina's 900CR was unrideable while waiting for some parts.
Added to the Ducati frustration, Zina took the 916 for a weekend ride and it left her stranded! The 916 regulator failed and the battery fully drained.
Sooooo, off she goes looking at new Monsters.
For more details about different Monster models, please read the ducatitech.com Monster FAQ. To read Zina's impressions and a list of mods on this Monster, please visit Zina's Pogo files. She's name her favorite motorcycle ever (until the 999) after Manuel Poggiali, the 125GP champion. What follows are my initial impressions of the Monster in stock form... |
| The 2000 M900 comes with a front end similar to a 916, albeit with no adjusters. Techno junkies will notice, too, that the forks actually are different from 916 forks. The diameters of the forks where they fit in the triple clamps aren't the same as Superbike forks. The suspension is pretty well damped, the "carburetion" is spot on and the brakes stop hella hard. What the hell kind of Ducati doesn't immediately need to be improved!? If you're a true tinkerer, you may not want this bike. It is that sorted. |
| After riding 200+ miles on the 916 Zina and I swapped bikes on the East Grade of Palomar Mountain. The first thing I noticed was how quiet the Monster was. Then how close the shifter is to the peg. Next the bars were high-ish, but not out of place. The pegs are somewhat wider apart than the 916, so that, too, was apparent. |
| Start rolling and the Monster is a wonderful bike. The suspension works far better than the tired, 5 year old suspenders on the 916! Bumps are well damped, immediately being taken care of by the suspension without drama at all. The turning is very light, yet still supremely solid and confidence inspiring. |
| Power delivery is strong, but smooth. The EFI makes the 2V motor actually usable below 2000 rpm! If you didn't like the abruptness of the CV carbs, you'll love the M900ie. There's great power on tap, but it isn't as easy to wheely as the 900s with FCR carburetors. The fuel injection doesn't deliver sharp and abrupt power like the FCRs do. But the power! Wow, this thing will go. The engine and EFI mapping attain a fun and friendly delivery that I was seeking with my previous 900SS. It builds in a nice linear fashion and actually pulls all the way up. At a comfortable pace, you wouldn't really notice a difference between the 916 and the M900ie - that's how strong it is. |
| Zina has managed to drag footpegs, so some kind of rearsets my be in order. She really loves the bike. Previously, she thought her 900CR was all she needed and now that sweet spot in her heart has been won over by the friendly Monster. |
| Any gripes? Yeah, Z is thinking of a small windscreen and maybe clip-ons, too. We love putting on the miles (over 600 in two weeks) and long trip comfort is an issue. Z likes to lay on the tank of the 900CR but that's not as easy on the Monster. She also wants to do something about the mirrors. We saw a guy that mounted Napolean bar end mirrors to the handlebars, so we'll look into that. |
| Update: we've put a whole bunch of parts on Zina's monster. The Nichols flywheel makes Zina happy. But, the TPS adjustment was a little goofy from the factory and I'm super picky, so it had to be messed with. Well, the idle was too fast, and the factory really doesn't want you messing with the idle. |
| Another thing to pay attention to are the brakes. It seems that Brembo are using very aggressive pads lately. Aggressive enough that they cause temporary heat warpage in the rotors. So if you get rolling early on in your ride and use the brakes aggressively, you may feel the lever pulse. Go easy on the brakes until there's some heat in them and you should be OK. If you're not (like I wasn't with our MH900e) you could cause the heat warpage to go permanent. Still haven't had real issue with Zina's M900ie after 15000 miles. |