[hopz]

This is one of those opinion questions and I would like to hear all your thoughts.

I am currently riding a 1999 900SS and it is a great machine. The only issue is the ergonomics. It is just too much forward and low down for me- and yes I have installed the Helibars. Still too much pressure on my tired old wrists and back.

I admit it, I am an old fart.

I am considering this 2001 Monster 750 ie Dark. Seems to be in pretty good shape. 17,000 miles (like my SS) looks ok... nothing obvious as a problem except the dash has been replaced with European gauges. He says he has the Red Key... I assume but do not know if the key he has is keyed to his ECU, but lets just address the ergonomic issue first.

Question is... is the 750 Monster enough of a change ergonomically to be comfortable for an old guy?

The 900SS has more power and speed than I need. I can scare myself really quick on it, and I am an experienced rider. Or maybe I should say- I enjoy the power so much I will surely get myself in trouble one day.

I will be ridingthe 750 in canyons and around town as my city bike. I have a BMW for Touring with my wife. I may want to do short out of town tours solo if its comfortable enough... call it 300-400 mile days. This seem feasible to you Monster guys?

Anything known about the 750's? Trouble? Advantages?

Are all Monsters of this age the same frame, seating, handle bars etc?

What do you think?

 

[YellowDuck]

As a former SS owner and fellow old fart I agree with you that the SSie bikes are racks, and there is only so much you can do to rectify that. If you can't make it work you can't make it work - no shame in that.

Any Monster in stock configuration will be a major change in ergos - more in the back and wrists than in the footpegs, and of course you can raise the bars as much as you like relatively easily, given the lack of interference from a fairing. A big difference in handling charateristics comes along with the change in riding position between SS and Monster, so make sure you like the change in that regard.

My one concern though is that you might not realize how big of a step down it is from the 900ie to the 750ie motor. It is a lot bigger than the difference in displacement would suggest - the 750 just never had the hp/cc of the other ie bikes. It is still a sweet engine, just relatively lacking in juice. So, make sure you are okay with that. If you really do find that the 900 has more snot than you can happily use, it is actually possible that you might enjoy the 750 more. There is a certain pleasure in being able to use *all* of the bike within your comfort envelope.

Good luck with your decision. Having a bike that hurts you really sucks.

 

[hopz]

Maybe I made my question more complicated than it needed to be.

Question: Is the Monster riding position less "sporty" than a Supersport or a Superbike? If so- how much so?

 

[whippersnapper]

I switched from a Yamaha R1 to a Monster S4Rs. Here are my comments on the ergo from my review.

The riding position sees a reasonable hike to the pegs but nothing like an R1 or ZX-10. Similarly there is a reach to the Magura tapered bars which some complain about, but it is much more comfortable than what I am used to and works to put you in a good pose for the wind pressure that freeway speeds bring. Immediately it feels different, since you are sitting more upright looking ahead and only seeing the bike in your peripheral vision. This is quite different from a sports bike where you are canted down. Overall the experience is akin to sitting on a bike game in an arcade, looking up and seeing the world coming at you.

After riding a Monster I would never again consider a sportsbike for the road.

The full report is available here

 

[hopz]

Thank you for the post. I appreciate that.

 

[Filantroop]

For a 400 mile day you might want to upgrade the seat and get a windscreen of some sort on a monster.
I don't know how much highway driving you do on those days, but i found that when i did 140 km/h for 2 hours my upper legs started to hurt some because you have no fairings (and the monster tanks are pretty wide) to direct the air around your legs, so you have to force them against the tank.
The monster has a much more upright position compared to the SS and superbike so it is more comfortable for riding around town etc.
I agree with YellowDuck that the step down in power from a 900 to a 750 might be too much. I'd look for a 900 ie monster or a S2R (either 800 or 1000)
Best of luck

 

[harleyxlc]

Can't speak of the monster, but my speed triple is very similar.

I can easily do four times as many miles on the triumph than the 900ss. I find the upright position is wonderful. And the lack of fairing helps support your body.

 

[silas]

I recently went from a '99 750ss i.e. to a '98 M900 for the same reason. I'm 37 & wanted to be more comfy. My SS had aftermarked bars too, not sure the brand but it was still a rack. The 750 was more fun in that you could or needed to work the motor harder for the same results as the 900. I also had a '95 900ss-sp years ago. The '95 was much more comfy than the '99 750ss. The M900 is the most comfy of the 3 and I have no problem going 2-400 miles in one day (about 1/2 of it hwy) comfortably w/o a windscreen @ 80 mph. Both the 750s and the 900s are just as reliable. I prefer the carb'd bikes, less maint. No throttle positions to reset, no computer EFI tuning needed, etc. You will be happy w/ an M750, so much more comfy. My M900 has the front end dropped 1/4" in its' adj forks, it turns so good. You will def miss the adj forks the SS had- one reason to go w/ an M900 instead of the M750. The M750's forks are not as good.

The pre-'02 monsters have the 851/888 based frame that handles better I'm told than the '02 & later monster bikes that had the later ST based frame. My M900 handles just as great to me as my ole '95. The 750ss handled great too except the non-adjustible forks (most people rightly hate them). If handling is your priority, I'd get a M900 w/ the adj showa forks or upgrade the M750's front end- not very much $. Many people put entire GSX-R front ends on these bikes if they had the non-adj forks.