Hi guys and gals, Been a biker for as long as i can remember but been off for a while, had various bikes in the past Cbr600's mainly, stuck now between a choice of either the Suzuki GS750 or the Monster 696. Which way should i go?? all opinions welcome whatever they are. The monster wins hands down on looks, i'm test riding one on sunday but have heard lots of negative reports about reliability and servicing costs, what's the real scoop?? cheers everyone Darren
hi darren and welcome to the forum. as a ducati fan im obviously going to vote for the duke. would you consider the 750? the twin has an entirely different character to anIL4 which personally i love and i think you'll be seduced by the torque and handling. let us know what you how the test ride goes...fingers crossed for some decent weather and congrats on getting back into bikes!
Hi Darren, I'm with funky on this one, you will find the twin a very different beast from an il4, the torque from a twin is very addictive, and I'm sure will put a big smile on your face! Hope the weather stays fine for your test and you find just what you're looking for. Chris
I only didn't consider the |Duke before because that's the bike my wife wants when she qualifies as a midwife and i thought it would be a bit gay and unfair to get the bike she wants before her. So i looked around and decided i didn't want a full on sports bike again so the naked streetfighter was the way to go, don't like the Fz, The Z800 is ok but liked the Gsr as it was reasonably priced and almost what i wanted, i really wanted the Honda cb1000r in tri colour but decided to go a little smaller for a bit. but as soon as the mrs said she didn't mind me getting the Monster i think my mind is pretty set on it, i love the lines and the white stone is gorgeous. lets just hope i get on with it.
Hi Darren, You should not expect reliability problems as that engine has been around in various guises for over 30 years now and the faults should be all ironed out. Servicing seems to vary depending on who you use, some dealers are ok, some are not. There are some great independents around too so if you say where you are then I`m sure someone will recommend one. The 696 is a great bike but it may be worth trying a 796 too as it just has a little bit more of everything. Good luck
Hello and welcome. No more expensive or unreliable as anything else on the market. Keep it in good shape and it'll will be fine
Well I'm biased as I have just bought a M600 after my SS So I would say the monster you won't be disappointed and a great bike to share with the wife infact you may upgrade once she is riding and pass on the monster or you could look at it that your babysitting the monster for her :-D I only have the ER500 to compare with That was just a bike nothing more The Ducati comes as standard with a massive grin factor is damn sexy with a soundtrack thats music to your ears What's stopping you go on you know you want too
So have you got a dozen Suzuki recommendations as well, from a Suzuki forum? I'm afraid this isn't a great way to do market research!
The Suzuki's faster - much faster - than the 696, so I reckon you should be looking at an 1100 Monster for a closer comparison, and in that vein the Monster would win hands down. My money would be on a Street Triple though...
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