[Uwiikz]

Hi all,
First of all, I have tried Google search and forum search for my question and nothing gave me the direct clear answer. So apology in advance if this has been discussed to death.

I have been spending the last two days wringing my head about which one to buy. This purchase will be a rather expensive one for a toy due to insanely high tax in my country so this is not a decision that I can take lightly. I am being offered a 2013 1100EVO with 5000km (approx 3000miles) for about US$17.700 OR a 2015 1200S with 8000km (approx 4900miles) for about US$30.000.....(now you can all stop complaining about your tax ???)

I am not rich but I am* doing well and can afford some toys on normal situation. However due to my current ongoing business project my finance situation right now will only allows me to buy the 1100EVO comfortably while needing to sell other toy or get a motor finance to afford the 1200S. I can afford the 1200S in the next 3-6 months from now but I can't wait that long as finding a big Monster here is like finding a needle in a haystack. Buying the one I can easily afford right now with the aim of upgrading later is out of question as selling a big Monster is as hard as it gets here and the population of 1100 or 1200 is also as rare as it gets here as* everyone are riding the smaller much more affordable monster.

If it were for me alone it will be an easy decision, I'll buy the 1100EVO and spend more down the road to make it my dream bike with extensive ECU tuning (I know how to make a good map), Kineo spoke wheels, Ohlins, full carbon panels, the list is unlimited, I'll just go crazy with it. However my wife just recently started to enjoy sitting behind me on a bike, something that she would never do during my Harley days for the extreme heat and vibrations she really hates, off course this is something that I want to embrace and make full use. With this on my mind now I cannot stop thinking about buying the 1200S for the sake of her comfort alone, I don't really care about my comfort, I rode Harley since 1999 until two years ago so I know what agony on a bike is ?.* Almost all hands on review on the 1200 praises about how comfortable it is for both rider and pillion. I have test ridden the 1100EVO for 20 mins with my wife as a pillion and she did not complain, but I just want assurance that she will never complain on longer ride, something that 1200S seems to guarantee and I really want my wife to know how to enjoy a good ride even as a pillion.

Now the big question.
- Will a 1100EVO be as comfortable as a 1200S with extensive modifications done one by one? ECU tuning to fix the low rpm jerkiness (this alone I think is the worse contributor of discomfort on an EVO), better seats with gel insert, proper shocks tuning or change to Ohlins altogether, new riser and handlebar, etc... I don't really care about top end power which obviously something that 1100EVO is lacking.

Please somebody that have an extensive experience with both to chime in about this comfort factor. Is the comfort factor between the two bikes that far apart or it is something that can be matched down the road with determination and money. Please don't tell me to buy something else for comfort, I am set on the Monster. I am 5"8' 200lbs and my wife is petite 5"5' 101lbs if it helps.

Many thanks in advance for the insights folks

Cheers!!

 

[rz33v4]

Hi all,
First of all, I have tried Google search and forum search for my question and nothing gave me the direct clear answer. So apology in advance if this has been discussed to death.

I have been spending the last two days wringing my head about which one to buy. This purchase will be a rather expensive one for a toy due to insanely high tax in my country so this is not a decision that I can take lightly. I am being offered a 2013 1100EVO with 5000km (approx 3000miles) for about US$17.700 OR a 2015 1200S with 8000km (approx 4900miles) for about US$30.000.....(now you can all stop complaining about your tax ???)

I am not rich but I am* doing well and can afford some toys on normal situation. However due to my current ongoing business project my finance situation right now will only allows me to buy the 1100EVO comfortably while needing to sell other toy or get a motor finance to afford the 1200S. I can afford the 1200S in the next 3-6 months from now but I can't wait that long as finding a big Monster here is like finding a needle in a haystack. Buying the one I can easily afford right now with the aim of upgrading later is out of question as selling a big Monster is as hard as it gets here and the population of 1100 or 1200 is also as rare as it gets here as* everyone are riding the smaller much more affordable monster.

If it were for me alone it will be an easy decision, I'll buy the 1100EVO and spend more down the road to make it my dream bike with extensive ECU tuning (I know how to make a good map), Kineo spoke wheels, Ohlins, full carbon panels, the list is unlimited, I'll just go crazy with it. However my wife just recently started to enjoy sitting behind me on a bike, something that she would never do during my Harley days for the extreme heat and vibrations she really hates, off course this is something that I want to embrace and make full use. With this on my mind now I cannot stop thinking about buying the 1200S for the sake of her comfort alone, I don't really care about my comfort, I rode Harley since 1999 until two years ago so I know what agony on a bike is ?.* Almost all hands on review on the 1200 praises about how comfortable it is for both rider and pillion. I have test ridden the 1100EVO for 20 mins with my wife as a pillion and she did not complain, but I just want assurance that she will never complain on longer ride, something that 1200S seems to guarantee and I really want my wife to know how to enjoy a good ride even as a pillion.

Now the big question.
- Will a 1100EVO be as comfortable as a 1200S with extensive modifications done one by one? ECU tuning to fix the low rpm jerkiness (this alone I think is the worse contributor of discomfort on an EVO), better seats with gel insert, proper shocks tuning or change to Ohlins altogether, new riser and handlebar, etc... I don't really care about top end power which obviously something that 1100EVO is lacking.

Please somebody that have an extensive experience with both to chime in about this comfort factor. Is the comfort factor between the two bikes that far apart or it is something that can be matched down the road with determination and money. Please don't tell me to buy something else for comfort, I am set on the Monster. I am 5"8' 200lbs and my wife is petite 5"5' 101lbs if it helps.

Many thanks in advance for the insights folks

Cheers!!

Well, I've never ridden an 1100 EVO , but I did own a 2014 Monster 1200. Couldn't you find a used Monster 1200S where you live, which would not only be less expensive, but may have a larger passenger seat (the 2017 Monster has a revised, smaller rear seat area)?

 

[Uwiikz]

The 1200S I have my eyes on is 2015 used bike

 

[Kirigakure]

As an owner of a 2013 M1100 EVO (20th anniversary, aww shit!), I can tell you that the bike is amazing. But my reasons may not match yours. First up, end of an era. Last of the air-cooled. Less moving parts, and no fugly ass radiator cap grabbing at your eyeball the second you hop on it (for some reason, I have a SERIOUS issue with this on the new Monsters). Switchable TCS and ABS work just fine, Safety Pack for days. Light as hell. Quite a decent aftermarket to make it your own. I have 26k miles on mine, and ride it as much as I can (Multistrada for long trips, Monster for hauling ass around town and stints to the mountains and back). Not a single problem on the bike. Ever. Not once. It's my 8th Duc, can't say that for the previous one's. Quite easy to wrench on as well. I mean seriously easy.

I'm 5'10" and still use the stock seat - I love it. I've taken the bike on 4 trips to Nags Head and back. 5 hours one way. And did just fine. Lots of options in regards to ergos too. For me, my 1100 EVO is plenty comfortable. The only thing that is a niggling issue is the small gas tank, so I just have to be mindful of that as I ride with the tripmeter (and not forgetting to reset it at every fillup!).

My pal owns a Monster 1200 S. We swap from time to time. His has a surge of power that mine lacks, but there's something about it that doesn't fit that "less is more" Monster mindset. I like the new Monsters (totes jelly on the metal tank), but when you ride these two back to back, there's more of that less-refined, raw Ducati feeling on the 1100 EVO. And that's what appeals to me on Ducati - that vicious, raw character. The new Monster is definitely more refined. And you pay for that.

Service intervals are every 7500 miles, but man so much of that you can do yourself too.