DUCATI MONSTER 1000 (2003-2005) Review

I have had a Monster 1000ie for a year now - following ownership of a Monster M600, Honda Blackbird and Kawasaki ZZR. The Monster is great for the daily 10 mile commute. Why? It has upswept remus cans, so everybody knows I am coming - the Duc sound is pretty hard to beat from the 1000 lump! It pulls really well and will go past anything. In black with retro stripes it looks pleanty cool enough, it really digs down when you pull away and it has good road prescence. Having owned crazier bikes this one does it all, handling could be a bit better as it turn in a bit, the 600M was lighter and cornered better, but perhaps some adjustment to suspension will fix. If you are thinking of a Monster 1000 you wont be disappointed!

The title is what showed up on my phone 2 days before I went to collect my mildly customised Monster 1000 SIE (see pic on my profile). Having not been on a bike for a year following a rather large crash in the 3rd lane of the A1 near Darlington, i was a bit apprehensive as this bike is a different style, riding position and is more powerful. Oh, and it was wet and foggy and i didn't know the road (brilliant!) However, i needn't have worried. this is a very comfortable and controllable bike, it took me just 15 minutes to forget that i told everyone that i would be Mr Sensible until i got the feel for riding again! The bike is much lighter than my old Triumph Speedmaster (190kg vs 230kg) and as a still relative novice, this makes a huge difference. The bike is fast but manageable and leans into bends easily, so flattering not very good riders (like me) clear dials and easy to use controls, my only criticism is that the indicator switch does not seem to fall naturally to my thumb so found myself looking for it on occasion and once i hit the horn, that will pass with time. It has a fuel warning light, trip computer and a clock. Given the ease of technology these days they could have put more on, but, ho-hummm. Has an alarm and immobiliser as standard that works well. The modifications on the bike make it look really good (I think) and the exhausts make a fantastic noise! I wouldn’t have bought the bike with the lower pipes on, these MIVV ones tucked under the seat and make it look really sporty. I would guess they have added a bit of power, but the bike could do with more (for top end, not acceleration), something in the summer I will look for advise on. All the Carbon fibre bits look great and no doubt help a bit with power to weight ratio. Over all a very good buy for a bit of fun on, that you can modify and get plenty of nice comments about.

I was originally looking for a Monster 600 or 750 but got such a good deal on this one that I couldn't resist. Have had the bike for 18 months now and loved every single mile. Didn't enjoy the two months it was off the road waiting for parts from Italy after a nasty tankslapper. However, I took this opportunity to replace the standard pipes for high level Termi's - should be compulsory on all Ducatis. The sound is awesome and has improved the already strong mid-range. The Monster is one of those bikes that seems to attract attention from non-bikers as much as bikers. It is certainly a bike which is full of character and ensures that every trip is an experience. However, if you are used to a Jap four cylinder you might think that "experience" is more of an "endurance"! Strengths: Looks to die for, wonderful V-twin engine, great sound (with Termi's fitted), sharp handling. Weaknesses: Ride is a bit firm for my liking. Backup from Ducati in Italy was very poor - ten weeks for a pair of handlebars?