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MyGSXF
15th August 2012, 21:46
http://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/bikes/7459257/Ducati-set-to-Monster-NZs-new-riding-regs

WRITEUP BELOW IS COPIED & PASTED FROM ARTICLE!!

Smaller corporations can react quicker than larger ones and niche Italian brand Ducati is in the rider's seat to take advantage of the new Learner-Approved Motorcycle Scheme (Lams) which kicks off on October 1.

Under the Lams regime, learner motorcyclists will be able to ride bikes larger than the present limit of 250cc as long as they are less than 660cc and have a power-to-weight ratio of less than 150kW per tonne.

The new $17,490 Ducati Monster 659 Lams ABS might have a model name that does not exactly roll off the tongue but it has been developed especially for Tasman Sea markets to comply with the absolute limits of the Lams rules, which were first introduced in Australia in June last year and provide the template for the change in the New Zealand regulations.

The general manager for Australia and New Zealand Ducati distributor, NFI, Warren Lee, says the Monster 659 became an overnight success in Australia when it was introduced in 2011 to coincide with the roll-out of the new Lams regs.

''It is consistently the No 1 or No 2 best-selling 'naked' streetbike on the Australian market in terms of month-to-month sales, regardless of engine capacity or price.''

In the first 12 months on the Australian market (June 2011 to June 2012), the Monster 659 Lams ABS accounted for 60 per cent of total sales of the popular Monster streetbike range and 20 per cent of all Ducati sales.

Lee is expecting a similar response here come October.

''By introducing new regulations that give riders access to real world/rider-friendly bikes like the M659 ABS, it's only natural that learner riders will choose to ride these new bikes with all the latest technology and safety features.

''Lams offer learner riders a new range of motorcycles that make learning to ride with increasing confidence so much easier than just 250cc bikes. The M659 ABS offers rider-friendly L-twin smooth power delivery and torque, is light in weight for easy and confident manoeuvrability and handling, has a low seat to confidently get your feet on the ground and ABS braking for added safety; all ideal features for a learner rider.''

To create the downsized Monster exclusively for the Australian and New Zealand markets, Ducati shortened the piston strokes of the existing Monster 696 and altered cam timing and engine management to suit.

''The components were altered to generate the maximum allowable power output under the power-to-weight ratio permissible in the Lams rules.''

The maximum power output therefore drops from 60kW (80bhp) of M696 to 38kW (51bhp) in the 161kg Monster 659, the peak arriving 250rpm earlier in the rev range. Those who have sampled the learner-ready model say it performs just like the 696 until 6000rpm - trigger point for the stronger top-end kick of the slightly larger capacity Monster. As for the rolling chassis of the new M659, it is identical to that of the M696, as proven by the identical price-tag. The learner bike therefore shares the same artful sense of style, well-crafted build quality, slightly harsh suspension setup, incisive steering, and booming exhaust note of the full-blooded Monster. Back in a 2010 review of the Monster 696, I wrote that 'there is nothing entry-level about Ducati's cheapest model'.

Lee says the M659 has attracted buyers of all ages and genders in Australia, with the average age of buyers in the mid-30s. The New Zealand motorcycle industry will certainly be hoping that the Lams changes may reduce some of the "embarrassment factor" that is preventing younger people from aspiring to get a motorcycle licence. A full list of approved Lams models is available at nzta.govt.nz/licence/getting/ docs/lams-list.pdf. According to the New Zealand Transport Authority, it will be updated as new models such as the Monster 659 Lams ABS are launched.

The NZTA list does not yet include the Ducati that has been tailored to the coming new regulations, but it does list a lot of older models that are likely to be found on sites such as Trade Me at bargain prices.

The new Lams regs will specifically exclude 250cc two-stroke sportsbikes such as the Honda NSR250, Suzuki RG250, Aprilia RS250, Kawasaki KR250, and Yamaha TZR250, which are all 120kg bikes capable of making 45kW (60bhp). However, bikes such as the Honda VFR400R, with a rev-happy 400cc V4 engine stuffed into a similarly sporty alloy twin-spar frame to that of the NSR represent some of the sportiest choices from the list.

If you have penchant for classic bikes, original Triumph, Norton and BSA parallel twins can be ridden on a learner licence.

Have to have a two-stroke roadbike? An air-cooled Yamaha RD350 or RD400 twin is the only alternative, if you can find one.

However if you want the best Lams bike that money can buy, the nearest Ducati dealer should be your first port of call. Let's hope other brands take note of the Monster 659 and tweak some new models to comply with the new learner-bike rules.

Akzle
16th August 2012, 08:46
sounds like a pain in the arse to "not modify" it back to spec. while still looking like LAMS approved.

spose could just chuck the 69 motor in it ehh... whats a cop gonna know.

f2dz
16th August 2012, 10:55
If only I had a spare $17k..

p.dath
16th August 2012, 11:12
I think it's great manufacturers are adapting to the new learners market. Hopefully we'll see more of it.

GrayWolf
16th August 2012, 13:37
sounds like a pain in the arse to "not modify" it back to spec. while still looking like LAMS approved.

spose could just chuck the 69 motor in it ehh... whats a cop gonna know.

Not gonna be a cheap 'fix' though.. ECU, cams, and likely a few little things they havent mentioned in the article. Gone are the days of a 'washer' in the downpipe, or carb tops that dont allow full 'opening' of the throttle.

p.dath
16th August 2012, 14:31
sounds like a pain in the arse to "not modify" it back to spec. while still looking like LAMS approved.

spose could just chuck the 69 motor in it ehh... whats a cop gonna know.

Why bother "not modifying" it. If you wanted the more powerful version, and you were separating with that much cash, you'd just buy it.

If you were a learner with $18k to spend on a learners bike, you could simply sell it off once you had your full licence, and start looking for your next bike ...


It's kinda like buying an off-road bike, for off-road use, and then deciding you then wanted to use it for on-road use, and wondering about the cost of changing it over. Much easier just to buy a bike designed for what you want to do. Square peg round hole syndrome.

AllanB
16th August 2012, 21:17
$17,500 for a learned bike. Dreaming. Get a 300hp car for that.

haydes55
17th August 2012, 11:53
Hoping the Triumph 675 speed/street triple will follow suit.

Although I'll be going for my full licence a few months after LAMs is launched so wont bother with anything but it would be a great bike to have for more experienced learners.

JMemonic
17th August 2012, 12:55
$17,500 for a learned bike. Dreaming. Get a 300hp car for that.

And that is a huge reason folks are not getting into bikes, plus the fact that riding a bike means you actually need to have your trousers up in a sensible position not hanging around the arse so low any prison rapist has easy access.

HenryDorsetCase
17th August 2012, 14:00
I think it's great manufacturers are adapting to the new learners market. Hopefully we'll see more of it.

The big one to adopt it would have to be Harley Davidson. because there MUST be a market for a LAMS compliant sprotster.

neels
17th August 2012, 17:57
The big one to adopt it would have to be Harley Davidson. because there MUST be a market for a LAMS compliant sprotster.
So really it's only about the cc rating isn't it? They're probably already there on power to weight ratio.

Hitcher
17th August 2012, 21:27
Interestingly, recycling Paul Owen's crap prose hasn't improved the article one jot.

It's hard to know what the point of the article was originally, let alone trying to figure out why it has been reposted.

Reading it I'm none-the-wiser, either about what value can be unlocked from an overpriced learner motorcycle, other than sexual arousal from the name on the tank, or about the LAMS scheme either.

Voltaire
18th August 2012, 15:45
Mi daylie rida is LAMS aprovd itz ; a BMW r 65, dunno 'bout thoz klassic bikz" as dem break's are not verry gud for dai 2 dai ridin'

Lula
10th September 2012, 13:20
Just a heads up Motorcycle Trader magazine will be featuring LAMS in the October issue (on sale 1st October). It'll be a complete guide to all the learner approved motorcycles under the new LAMS scheme plus in depth test and reviews on some of them.

The Ducati 659 Monster LAMS is one of these models featured in the test and reviews.

Also featured will be Financing your Ride - what to look for when considering finance.

SMOKEU
13th September 2012, 19:20
Chances are n00bs are probably going to drop it at some stage. It seems like a bit of a waste really.