[Thirdway]

Fuel economy around 50mpg, but of course you don't hold the high speeds of a bike with a fairing. Top speed is probably around 135mph although you would be brave to hold on for long at that speed. I did a 3 hr motorway run in France rarely dropping below 115 mph and it nearly snapped my neck, fuel consumption then drops to around 30mpg.

Handling is great, although different to most bikes due to the riding position. You soon adapt. It doesn't shake or wobble really, it turns fast, holds a line well and is neutral through the turn. The suspension is very firm but pretty good. If you are lighter than 11 stone the rear spring might be a touch hard.

Its dead reliable. The plastic tank apparently cannot take green fuel, although in the UK there is no issue.

The original seat isn't very nice, the alternative DP seat stops nads to tank interfaces. Would have liked a fuel gauge and the instruments can be hard to read in the rain.

You might think about he standard model and buy a good shock and have the forks revolved and sprung if its the Ohlins that's making the S model interesting.


Sent from my iPhone using Motorcycle.com Free App

 

[Thirdway]

No damper. I've never needed one and I do ride reasonably quickly. I've never felt the need for a damper, but then I don't do knee down riding.


Sent from my iPhone using Motorcycle.com Free App

 

[Thirdway]

I have both.

For the street, I cant imagine wanting to ride the 1198. It simply is not suitable to reasonable speeds, imo.

I fitted a Storz side mount damper to my M1100 as well as a Penske shock and fork kit. I think the damper is important on any bike. Again, just my opinion.
The Monster is really fun, reliable, reasonably comfortable, and not too expensive.

Enjoy!

This seems to be a common thing at the moment. When do you find you need a damper ? At what speeds and what roads ? I do like the bars to wiggle as I always consider its just the bike sorting itself out.


Sent from my iPhone using Motorcycle.com Free App

 

[Thirdway]

Ok, so here is my opinion on dampers generally. All of my bikes have them.

That oscillation through the bars is not "the bike sorting itself out". That is the bike trying to disperse energy that the suspension couldnt deal with. It can happen under a bunch of different circumstances, too numerous to contemplate here.

I dont find that I "need" a damper under any specific conditions, at least on this bike, which I only ride on the street.

I find that a damper is a really great insurance policy against the one time that the "bike doesnt sort itself out" properly.

Imagine that you take your left hand off the bars to raise your shield, at exactly the same moment that you hit a small bump in tarmac...and you get a tankslapper. Bound to happen sooner or later, so I figure better to have a damper than not.
It is really meant for those moments, and is not meant to help me ride faster. This is after all, a street bike and I dont ride this bike fast (comparatively).

YMMV, of course.

Still, its sorting itself out as I call it. I've only ever had one and that was on a pedal cycle. I have to say I'm not convinced. You might well hide a problem by fitting one and might well get away with out incident, but if it is going to slap, then one day, I suspect, it will do so regardless of any damper being fitted. Its still just levering against the headstock. I suppose I tend to like to know if its misbehaving and ride at a speed and style that copes with those issues instead of perhaps riding a bit harder thinking I'm secure and then finding out the hard way that I'm not.

I suspect on a track it would be useful. At any rate you are trying to ride fast and safety is sort of secondary. I'm not saying you want to crash, but you certainly aren't riding to just safely negotiate the track when competing. If you can save 99.9 % of wobbles that might never turn serious then it allows for concentrating on the riding.

As for them being insurance, I certainly wouldn't bet on it. I had a friend with an old 750 triple kwack. It was very mean bike and he installed two dampers to try and control the vicious head shake. One day he crashed on a back road. The bike ended up in a tree and he ended up in a field. It was a straight road. The slap was hard enough to break both the dampers and his wrists. Luckily the field he landed in was nice and soft so he walked away from it.


Sent from my iPhone using Motorcycle.com Free App

 

[Thirdway]

For me comparing to a sport bike the one thing that bothers me on my 1100 is getting my arrrss off the seat. I like the narrow seat especially on the Ducs and the 1100's are too wide and fat. I'm vertically challenged at 5'6" so getting my leg over is a personally issue I guess

I think the Monsters are fun from your driveway to your destination. A liter bike or a sport bike for me is fun when your ripping it but in between can be a pita

Get the low performance seat, its brilliant, nice shape, very comfortable and at 5'8" I'm flat footing it.


Sent from my iPhone using Motorcycle.com Free App