low speed surging and high speed lugging - Ducati.ms

meloman · Dec 29th, 2010, 1:38 pm

Newbie here: I'm considering buying an '09 M1100 but have read various different tests and reviews that mention two things that I would like feedback on.

First, I've read that under 4000 rpm the motor vibrates harshly and doesn't like short shifting and using the torque for cruising around town. The tests stated that you would need to be above 4000 in town for it to be smooth enough which seems like a gas eating situation. My Buells could be in 3rd or
4th in town and around 2500 and be smooth and comfortable.

Secondly, I've read that 6th has such high gearing that it's virtually useless under 100 mph as it bucks and shutters under that speed. Here in Colorado the speed limit is 75 and most traffic cruises at 80-85. Does this mean I'll always be riding in 5th gear on the freeway ?

I appreciate any feedback on these issues as well as the other thread I posted on ergonomics issues.

va duc · Dec 29th, 2010, 2:21 pm

Buy it, go down 1 on the front or up 2 or 3 teeth on the rear and problem solved!

I actually ended up going up 1 on the rear and I like the way it performs. Although I don't have a Monster the same holds true for my ST2.

SpeeLaT · Dec 29th, 2010, 4:17 pm

14T on the front and it pulls 6th fine at 70mph+. Never had a problem with using 6th at those speeds. The surging below 4000RPM is a bitch and there is not much you can do about it. What I have found is the cooler the air the less the surging. Once air temps got close to 10 degs C I hardly noticed the surging.

seamanjr · Dec 29th, 2010, 7:08 pm

I have 09 M1100. The surging and lugging problems are overstated as far as I'm concerned. the bike does like higher (4000 RPM and above) revs, but the surging and lugging is easily comepensated with right hand and left foot control adjeutsments. It's not that big a deal (my opinon, of course). I ride with my wife frequently. She has a Harley which is not a good match for the Monster. To stay where she is comfortable (55-65), I do allot of gear changing between 4th and 5th. Again, not a big deal, but something that is easily dealt with. I go about 130 miles max between gas stops and I'm not easy on the throttle.

seamanjr · Dec 29th, 2010, 7:12 pm

Also, the bike is fine in 6th at 70 and above. I live at the base of the Sierras and we have lots of elevation changes (not Colorado, but close). There is no issue with sixth gear. It's smooth all the way up through 135 (ooppss, did I say that)...

book · Dec 30th, 2010, 12:48 am

I too noticed that my 07 Monster S2R likes to stay above 4000rpm. Tried a few times to accelerate hard from 3000rpm and it just vibrate hard until reaching 4000.

meloman · Dec 30th, 2010, 4:20 pm

So it looks like a sprocket change up front will take care of the high speed issues and I guess I have to live with the low speed surging.

You would think that a good technician could work out the low speed fueling issues with some computer massaging but I guess people have tried that without success.

Knowing what you all do about these issues, would it prevent you from buying an M1100 if you were in the market ? Do the pros far outweigh the cons ?

va duc · Dec 30th, 2010, 5:55 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by meloman

So it looks like a sprocket change up front will take care of the high speed issues and I guess I have to live with the low speed surging.

You would think that a good technician could work out the low speed fueling issues with some computer massaging but I guess people have tried that without success.

Knowing what you all do about these issues, would it prevent you from buying an M1100 if you were in the market ? Do the pros far outweigh the cons ?

A ducati is not for everyone, it has a soul, a caricature of its own. If you are looking for a mistress that excites your soul, that makes you look back as you walk away after riding her, that folks will just walk past other machines and ask you about your bike, that makes you want to sneak out to the garage at night just to check on her, then you might want a ducati.

If you want to just walk out and hit the switch, never have to maintain her, never caress her, never have to care for her...then maybe something else is what you seek.

There are many makes of bikes that can offer you the same excitement, passion and loyalty.

Only you can ask yourself why you are here...and asking these questions.

seamanjr · Dec 30th, 2010, 6:14 pm

I have made no adjustments on the front or rear sprockets. The bike does not like to run around in first gear, but you're really not there for very long anyway. The throttle is very sensitive, but once you learn the quirks of the throttle and the clutch, the surging is not that big of a deal and very controllable. I have not experienced the lugging and I'm a heavy guy (220 lbs). I'm sensitive to how the engine is reacting to my inputs and the environmental conditions and don't try and force the bike to go somewhere it can't, or doesn't want to go. The downshift movement is pretty simple.

My wife's 09 fuel injected Harley has to be the smoothest and most reliable bike I've ever ridden. No starting problems and very docile. That Ducati was not designed to be a docile mid-range cruiser. The Harley has a very wide mid-range power band and it really doesn't care what gear it's in. It just pulls. The Ducati wants to run in the upper revs and is happiest there, but the issues with surging and lugging are a little overblown at lower revs. As the pilot of the machine, adjustments to the conditions have to be made.

I would buy the M1100 again today. My next bike will be a 1198, or similar, and the issue I'm having now is I don't want to trade in my Monster.
jim

SpeeLaT · Dec 31st, 2010, 8:35 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by meloman

Knowing what you all do about these issues, would it prevent you from buying an M1100 if you were in the market ? Do the pros far outweigh the cons ?

Depends on how much urban riding you do and if abiding by speed limits. If you ride around 30MPH a lot and spend say 70% of your time commuting in a big city. The answer is a BIG NO! the bike is awful in town. I rode it a couple of times in slow heavy traffic, lots of stop start and it was an absolute pig. My GSXR is way better suited to traffic, and the hotter it gets the worse the Ducati is.
However if you spend most of your time on rural roads and like to ride above 40MPH this is the bike to put a BIG grin on your face. Its as nimble as my GSXR but more fun because I don't have to worry so much about topping three figures, very easily done on the GSXR. This was the main reason for buying the bike in the first place. The authorities have begun confiscating bikes and even imprisoning riders for exceeding the magic 100MPH, 9- 12 months prison time, its just not worth it, so I save that for the track.