Ducati Monster 600 to Gladius?

[Mrs DJ Fridge]

I am currently riding a Ducati Monster 600 Dark, 2001, today I had a ride on my dad's Gladius, I really liked it. Should I sell the Monster and get a Gladius?

[speedplay]

No.

[andrewsmith]

Nope

Get as a second bike then spend cash on it

[Mrs DJ Fridge]

Why? Just no is not enough of an answer

[speedplay]

Poor suspension and brakes alone should be enough to put anyone off.

[andrewsmith]

Going from the Duc to the Gladdy would be a step back

[speedplay]

I'd say a side step to be honest.
From memory, the gladys has slightly more power but not as well finished as the Ducati.
Like changing a focus lx for a focus.

[Mrs DJ Fridge]

But the Ducati is 11 years old, worth about £1500 and will cost £600 to get serviced. Most non Ducati engineers will not touch it, if I get it serviced by someone non Ducati the value will go further through the floor. I love the Ducati it has real personality, but I have spent all winter with that personality, waiting on the drive for her to warm up and still going down the road like a kangaroo. I just felt it was better to change her before the service comes due in May, also if I choose to travel with her luggage is impossible to fit and I cannot go into France because I would not be able to go into any cities as she is over 10 years old (law is about to change to this over there).

[speedplay]

You can't moan about service costs on a vehicle, it's part of owning one.
You couldn't replace it with anything half decent for the price of the service anyway.
If you are looking to change it, then do but if it's running like a dog, someone will beat you down on the asking price due to it needing a service anyway.
If you are set on the Gladys, then only you will know if it's right for you.
You may find that the lower standard of finish and kit will leave you feeling a little short changed quite soon though.

[Icanopit]

Keep the Monster, put an enquiery on here for "servicing" etc. I have a 2001 600 also and love it. Have just sold the SV k9 ( near as is to a Glady) also a Triumph street triple.
The monster can easily be sorted by those in the know, a combination of timing and carburettor setup/balancing/air filter, equals a bike with real character.
If its fun factor and smiles I could not recommend the Trumpet highly enough.

[Bibio]

contrary to rumours the ducati engine is a piece of pizz to service, yes that includes the belts. there is no 'voodoo' to it. the engine design is ancient and basic so anyone with half a brain can fix them. all the talk of you need a perfect tesnion on the belts is nothing but rubbish satrted by ducati garages to rip you off for a very very simple task.

oil, filters, plugs and belts can all be had for around £100. remember to change the fuel filter as well. add to this setting the lifter gaps and a carb balance and it will run like new.

[Icanopit]

Sorry, senility rules again, forgot to add the following link?? www.ukmonster.co.uk (http://www.ukmonster.co.uk)

[Sid Squid]

There is a surprising antipathy toward the Gladius, most of which is unfair as very few have ever ridden one, and seem mainly to have based their dislike upon the looks of the Gladius, which is ridiculous as there's no more subjective factor.

So, yes, definitely swap - the Suzuki is a better bike then the Ducati in just about every way, the possible exception being braking, even though your Dark has a single disc and the Suzuki has twin discs, not that the Suzuki is poor - when the brakes work properly they're perfectly up to stopping the bike. Suspension wise the Monster didn't inherit the finesse of dearer Ducatis, and the finish of the Gladius is at least as good - Ducati paint, particularly on the less expensive bikes, is not great.
And the Gladius is about 20bhp better too.
The one area where the Ducati wins - and wins by a mile - is in being a Ducati, which is cool, no argument, and thus has a cachet that the Suzuki will never have, but the Gladius is still a better bike, and better by a distance.

Now don't go thinking I'm anti Ducati, I feel quite well disposed toward the Monster having always enjoyed riding them, and having looked after several in years past, but it hasn't blinded me - the Ducati 600 is a nice bike, but it's age is showing.

[Mrs DJ Fridge]

Sid you are totally right. I am also considering the V-Strom 650 or as DJ calls it the wee strom, same engine but a bit taller, better for taking up my longer legs. Test drive Tuesday morning.

[Bluefish]

For the money a gladius will cost there are lots of bikes second hand you could get, but if that's what you want then get one. Edit, yeah I'd sooner have the wee strom, i looked at the thou but it was quite tall :0(

[suzukigt380paul]

Keep the Monster, put an enquiery on here for "servicing" etc. I have a 2001 600 also and love it. Have just sold the SV k9 ( near as is to a Glady) also a Triumph street triple.
The monster can easily be sorted by those in the know, a combination of timing and carburettor setup/balancing/air filter, equals a bike with real character.
If its fun factor and smiles I could not recommend the Trumpet highly enough.if money is a bit on the short side then however much you like it the ducati aint the bike to own,as they are high maintenance and there italian so they go wrong on a regular occurrence,but if you own one you already know this

[RACEFIT_GLADDY]

Well I say get a gladius, I absolutely love mine. The ride may not be quite so comfortable with the standard suspension. But you can get a gsxr shock for cheap and a gel seat if it was going to be an issue for you. You never hear people who own them slating the bike and most of the bike magazines give them rave reviews. I do get the feeling most of the members on here don't really see the gladius as part of the sv family so probably not the best place to ask your question. The gladius is so easy to ride and great value and personally the only thing I would swap it for now is a GSR 750.

[NTECUK]

At the end of the day ,one man's meat is another's poison
Look at what the practicality of serving , depreciation,What you need out of a bike.

[suzukigt380paul]

At the end of the day ,one man's meat is another's poison
Look at what the practicality of serving , depreciation,What you need out of a bike.
i know you shouldnt base ones veiws on a bike make on only a few examples but i know a friend/acquaintance on a ducati i think he owns more then one and he will only buy/run a ducati and nothing else,and his bike are used well but not high milage and want for nothing,not sure of the model but its fully faired, red and water cooled and has a single sided rear wheel(so that doesn't really narrow it down much) and not that old, anycase he has only had 2 problems that he has told us about the first was the splines on the wheel hub(or however it is connected) and wheel broke up,and not from being loose ,and that cost him a new wheel and hub,and the other problem was the wireing harness flew a light,meaning a new wireing harness,and when ever he is in earshot of what other a saying we quit often say that ducati's are very reliable! apart from rear wheels brakeing up and wireing harness catching on fire,yes he has got a good sense of humour,mind you he needs to he own a ducati LOL

[Small Clanger]

Sid you are totally right. I am also considering the V-Strom 650 or as DJ calls it the wee strom, same engine but a bit taller, better for taking up my longer legs. Test drive Tuesday morning.
Enjoy the test. If you can afford it, keep the M600 as a 2nd bike. If not, get what you can for it as a trade-in and let them worry about the forthcoming service. Getting any kind of new motorcycle is a good feeling and it's going to be a long, hot summer.
A V-Strom + a few Touratech goodies and get yourself off around the World. Have fun.

[Dicky Ticker]

You mention France but how often do you take your bike to France? Its like swapping a classic car for a everyday saloon.My bike is 11 years old and needs servicing like everything else but I don't go to a Triumph main agent because of the prohibitive cost. Find a good local non franchised mechanic and your service costs will be drastically reduced and it probably would not make an iota of difference to the value of your bike just because it doesn't have a Ducati stamp in the service book as long as you keep the service bill as history.

[NTECUK]

i know you shouldnt base ones veiws on a bike make on only a few examples but i know a friend/acquaintance on a ducati i think he owns more then one and he will only buy/run a ducati and nothing else,and his bike are used well but not high milage and want for nothing,and when ever he is in earshot of what other a saying we quit often say that ducati's are very reliable! apart from rear wheels brakeing up and wireing harness catching on fire,yes he has got a good sense of humour,mind you he needs to he own a ducati LOL

Bike owning is an emotional thing allot of the time.
You can fall in love with the legend like Dukes for example.
DJ didn't get on with the RSV, disappointing he said.What was he expecting I wonder. But there are at least 2 on hear that like them.
Would a SV1000 been a more sensible choice for me. Probably yes .
You can always swap it in for something different at the end of the day

[Mrs DJ Fridge]

You mention France but how often do you take your bike to France? Its like swapping a classic car for a everyday saloon.My bike is 11 years old and needs servicing like everything else but I don't go to a Triumph main agent because of the prohibitive cost. Find a good local non franchised mechanic and your service costs will be drastically reduced and it probably would not make an iota of difference to the value of your bike just because it doesn't have a Ducati stamp in the service book as long as you keep the service bill as history.

The best local guy, by a country mile, says he will not touch Monster. I do love her to bits, but it take me 10 mins to warm her up in the morning, I have to travel a minimum of 4 miles or she sulks and won't start properly next time, which would all be fine if I didn't live only one mile from work. It is quicker to walk! Regarding France I would like to take the bike there, we go quite frequently in the car, and I think that the low emission zone will come to more cities, which the French have used as excuse to ban any older vehicles.

[Bibio]

but it take me 10 mins to warm her up in the morning, I have to travel a minimum of 4 miles or she sulks and won't start properly next time,

ahhhhaaa. is it a carbed version?

[Mrs DJ Fridge]

Yes it is carbed

[Bibio]

might need new emulsion tubes and needles in the carbs.

early symptoms are:
slow to warm up
bit sluggish on the throttle then clears

later symptoms are (when the tubes get really oval):
back firing
starts then dies
eats plugs

[Geodude]

I wasn't sure at first as all i ever heard was 'thats a girls bike' (not that it would bother you of course) until i chatted to a bloke at a cafe on his black gladdy with ixil pipes which was nice and changed my opinion on them so why not i now think :) mind you all the guys i know still say my 99sv is a girls bike so im used to it.

[Bluefish]

That's just cos of your pink handlebars GD ;)

[Geodude]

Haha i like my pink bars ;) i forgot you had seen them :)

http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/6281/027800x533.jpg

[andrewsmith]

you stole them off Jayneflakes, Geo?

[Geodude]

you stole them off Jayneflakes, Geo?
Nah mine are a pinker sun bleached purple :D They were on the bike when i got it and ive got used to them now and if im oot and aboot people know its me.

[Sid Squid]

A Gladius is a naked SV with in a different suit - and seeing as the SV is the most wonderful bike in the world, ever*, with no peer both older or newer, this makes the constant rubbishing of the Gladius baffling. The Gladius is excellent and has all the very same positive qualities that make the SV the deservedly popular and great bike it is. Actually it has some, admittedly small - but nonetheless present, improvements over the earlier models.

And please don't anyone say that they don't like the looks - that's the most ridiculous irrelevance.

*No, really it is - just ask on SV650.org and SV owners will tell how much better and torquier than a four cylinder 600 it is**, how much better it is in the twisties, (where they always pass the silly 600 rider), etc etc etc.

**It isn't.

[andrewsmith]

Sid u make me laugh at times.

Anyways; its the reg rec and needs changed for CBR one ;)

[Sid Squid]

Anyways; its the reg rec and needs changed for CBR one ;)
True dat.

[dizzyblonde]

I like the Gladius :scratch:

But then I also like a TL1000S in an Italian suit....which is ever so slightly more reliable than a Ducati, due to it being mostly Suzuki ;)

Go with what you like, or try fixing what you have first(Have you looked at Bibios suggestions?), then decide it you are in need of a change. The symptoms you have can put you off even the most desirable of bikes.

Mine of the Italian variety is stupid, it won't go anywhere until it is at 80 odd degrees, but its since I put new cans on(it be summat and nowt to fix). Once I've got the old fart warmed up its like a bloody rocket, but its tedious to say the least when it konks out as soon as you put it in gear and let out the clutch to go!

You might find a bit o tinkering gives you back the old sparkle :D

[Mrs DJ Fridge]

Well I did it, sort of, today I put my money down on a new Vstrom 650. I took it on a test ride and just loved it. Wow a brand new bike, just got to wait for delivery now.:D

[Sid Squid]

Excellent choice!

Enjoy your new bike :D.

[speedplay]

I like the Gladius :scratch:

But then I ride a bike that's named after a dinosaur and looks like its the love child of Gerry springer and mr burns from the Simpsons. :D

Can't argue with you there dizz...

[andrewsmith]

enjoy!

[NTECUK]

Oh a manly trail bike ;)

[Geodude]

Nice one have fun :)

[Lozzo]

Good choice.

I'm quite looking forward to having a V-Strom demo to have a little play on soon.

(did I mention I'll also have a Suzuki dealership in a couple of weeks time?) :-)

[littleoldman2]

Good choice.

I'm quite looking forward to having a V-Strom demo to have a little play on soon.

(did I mention I'll also have a Suzuki dealership in a couple of weeks time?) :-)

org discount?.;);)

[Mrs DJ Fridge]

Oh a manly trail bike ;)

Not that manly I don't think anyway, the only thing you do need is long legs, my dad couldn't reach the floor enough to actually ride the demonstrator and DJ could ride it, but decided not to (that is what he says anyway). I don't think it really sells itself as a trail bike. I have ordered the black one however because I do love black bikes as you can see from my avatar.

[NTECUK]

You probably be able to lower it,
I used to be in a bike club(BikeAid) were it was 50/50 ish (Manly )trail bikes and (Girly) sport bikes .
Its a lovely Bike{ in Red ;) }

[Mrs DJ Fridge]

You probably be able to lower it,
I used to be in a bike club(BikeAid) were it was 50/50 ish (Manly )trail bikes and (Girly) sport bikes .
Its a lovely Bike{ in Red ;) }

Why would I lower it? This way it is mine, all mine because I am the only one tall enough to ride it!

[NTECUK]

Sorry thought you felt it was a touch high.