i hanker for both. what say those who know much more than me about these bad boys?
I sold ducati's for a long time and there is something always wrong with those bikes customers would buy one and be back the next day complaining about something their bike spent more hours in the shop than on the road they have impecable handeling but not there in the speed, the clutch is very difficult the monster has 900cc's while the buel has 1200cc's and not only that the buel has better traction, speed, cheaper and far easier/cheaper to maintain. If you have any mechanical skills a buel is very easy to work on while a ducati is not so if your in the market for a bike go with the buel... this is coming from someone who sold ducati's and have ridden many, I will never own one because their a difficult bike. I personaly ride suzuki Image Unavailable, Please Login
I don't want to disparage the Buell since I've not ridden it- i know it is a sports bike effort based upon a Harley motor, and there were certain design innovations, including the 'wet' frame, that were fascinating. With due respect to FST-VPR, i wonder what vintage the experience was. I had a 750 Monster that i bought new, with nary a problem at least compared to the issues i had to sort out with an expensive Harley (V-Rod) as well as a top of the line Moto Guzzi. I agree that a test ride may be telling, but, unless I am atypical, it always take me a while to get a feel for a vehicle, and i have to live with it for a while to reach meaningful conclusions. Yeah, you can get some first impressions, but i'm not sure those are always accurate. For example, my Guzzi vibrated like hell as a brand new bike, you couldn't see out of the mirrors at idle- some tweaks, and mileage, have made a difference in how smoothly it runs. One of the nice things about the Ducati, in my experience, is that even for a relatively inexpensive bike, you can get good brakes and suspension bits as part of the package. The bikes are infinitely upgradeable, and there is a strong resale market for them. They are also 'cool' - granted, part of that is an image thing, but i've always found the Monsters to be classic looking in a way that many other stripped down, or naked bikes, are not. The other consideration is dealers- the Harley dealers i've had experience with are close to morons. I'm not saying that the Ducati dealers are consistently great, but i've worked with a couple who have serious shops, devoted to racing bikes, and they seem to know their way. Many of the Harley places are order takers for bolt-on accessories.
I've ridden and raced both. Buy an aprilia, find a Tuono or falco. The buell is a very plasticy tonka toy kinda bike. They make great torque and the XB12s can handle ok but ultimately still shake the hell outta you. The Ducatis are a decent bike but they tend to have a few issues with oil seals at the base of the cylinders. Not to mention the anoying sound of the dry clutch. I'd take the Duc over the Buell any day. I have to admit I am biased towards aprilia. Having raced a Mille' for the past 5 years I can attest to their power, suspension, over all performance under the harshest of conditions. They have fantastic engineering, better reliability than either of the other bikes listed and are still have that fantastic italian design. my.02 Scotty
The Monster 900 does not have a dry clutch. Only 748/749's. I had a 2000 Buell Cyclone, with the 1200cc Sportster-derived motor. Great bike, handled well, comfortable fo long rides and tons of torque. Did I mention the tourque? Lots of it. Pulls like an elephant. Wheelies without much effort with my 250lb arse on it. Yes, it vibrated like crazy at idle (it's a Harley, duh!). Not one mechanical problem in 17,000 miles. Loved it. Also had a 2001 Monster 900. Not as comfortable, better top-end than the Hog and a much more refined machine, but I did have a few bugs here and there. Still loved it. Ducati is a bit sportier and well mannered and the Buell is more of a muscle-bike. Good luck
Any modern 900-1000cc Ducati (except the new ST bikes) will have a dry clutch. Only some of the smaller twins (600, 620, 750, 800cc) have had wet clutches. While they might be screechy sometimes, a dry clutch is really nice to work on when you need to.
Go with the Ducati. They are not all that bad, just expensive when it comes time to adjust the valves. I have had 2 problem bikes, one was and S4R which was leaking through the case halfs, and the other was a 999 which was filling the airbox full of oil. Both were covered by the warrenty no questions asked. Ducati has really turned it around in the last few years regarding customer service. I think they are a good bike. Yes the dry clutch sounds like crap..but hey its all part of the Ducati "experiance"..
There is twin vibration. Then there is Buell VIBRATION. When I test rode a 2004 XB12R, it literally blurred my vision sitting on the seat at a stoplight. Magazines and online sites have had pieces like motor mounts crack in the process of their tests. Muffler brackets are another common casualty. The handling was no great revelation either, rather quirky IMO. The funny thing the new long-wheelbase model has been getting good reviews, seems to have toned it down a little and made it less sensitive. Both of my Ducatis will shudder if you lug them, and they do have some "throb" at idle, but nothing like the Harley/Buell. A 90 degree twin has many inherent advantages with dynamic balance. It would be almost impossible to remove all the vibration from the sportster motor, even with counterbalances.
I had the same choice problem a few years ago. The Buell depreciates like a rock drops. The Harley crowd doesn't like em, and the sport bike crowd doesn't either. They are kinda an orphan. I bought a 900 ss, rode it, and enjoyed the bike. I sold it to the first person that looked at it, for more than I paid originally for it. 0 problems, Looked great in the garage. They are works of art, just like a Ferrari.
