Aprilia Shiver + Ducati 696 Monster + Honda CB1000 = Saturday morning fun

[Kendog]

After reading the Shiver review (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=89125&highlight=funday) from Hitcher I was inspired to go try one for myself. I have had my bike for two years and could be inspired to make a change, if I found the right bike to inspire me.

Since I was in the Hutt and had my gear, it seemed only fair to try the new Honda CB1000 as well (being a past owner and current part owner of the 919 Hornet). Riding the Monster was not in the plans, it just kinda happened :msn-wink:

Disclaimer:
I am not a story writer, so this will not be the fantastic words that you see in Hitchers quality reviews.

Aprilia Shiver
First impression
The looks don't really do it for me. It's not ugly but it's not pretty.

Sitting on and ride position
The bike is pretty high, I was almost on tip toes to get both feet on the ground (apparently the demo is as low as it gets in stock form)
Riding off the first thing I notice is how low the foot pegs feel, this may be just the difference from my bike, but my legs felt very straight up and down. The overall feel is very comfortable, when up to 100kph the wind nicely holds the body up.

Riding
I felt I could ride this bike for hours with no problems, very comfortable. Cornering was easy (once I got a little more used to the engine).

Engine and Exhaust
Nice, very responsive and loved the sound. I have not ridden twins very often so it took a bit to get used to it, but I sense an understanding of the 'character' people talk about when they rave about twins.
I was however having problems in the 4000-6000 rev range. 2nd gear (and when I changed to first gear) was a little jerky at 50/60 speed, to the point where I stopped just after leaving the shop looking to see if I need to flick the bike onto reserve. By the end of the test ride I just figured it was what it did and was riding around it.

Gearbox
Like a hot knife in butter. It felt like my boot only needed to make an up/down motion near the gear shit. Loved it.

Brakes
Probably the highlight for me on the Shiver. I was finding excuses to use the brakes cause I loved the feeling :drool:

Overall impressions
Good bike, actually a very good bike. Not for me however.

Thanks TSS for the demo.

Now its off to Motomart to try the CB1000. Walk in the door and there sits Ducati after Ducati, glowing in their red Ducatiness. I am sure they sell Hondas in here, but I just have to look at these red beasts first. 749, 1098, 1098r, Desmocidi :drool::drool: They are all here. Trudes spies the new Monster 696, a very nice looking naked bike I must say (in Ducati red of course). Chris comes over while Trudes is trying it out for size, confirming even she can get her feet almost flat on the ground <_< Chris advises this is a demo bike, only one thing I can do then I guess :innocent:

Ducati 696 Monster
First impression
Looks great. For a small bike it doesn't look that small. It's red.

Sitting on and ride position
It has already passed the feet on the ground test, so no problems there (this is an important consideration when your partner rides and helps finance the next bike purchase) Riding away I think it doesn't feel like a small bike, it feels just right for me. The pegs are up higher than the Shiver, feeling like a more natural position. There is a little more wind protection up top (probably a combination of the small screen and the slightly more lent over body position). I did notice more wind on the legs than the Shiver, with my jeans :oi-grr: flapping in the wind.

Riding
I get a little surprise when I turned right at the Hutt roundabout. The bike tipped in fast, way faster than the Shiver. That was my first hint about the way this bike likes to be ridden. It loved corners, I loved riding corners on it. I don't really know how to describe it, but it was great fun.

Engine and Exhaust
Noticeable less power and noise than the Shiver, but seemed like plenty for this size of bike.

Gear box
Clunk clunk. You certainly knew when you had changed gear.

Brakes
Just like the Shiver, awesome. But I noticed them less on the Monster (see overall impressions)

Overall impressions
Wow, I loved riding this bike. It felt like I was going fast all the time. It felt comfortable and confident at the same time. It made me feel like riding more.
I spent the whole time thinking I want to ride faster, braking seemed unnecessary. It was simply a pleasure to ride.
Would I trade my bike for this? hmmmmmm :scratch:

Honda CB1000
First impressions
Looks different in the pictures, looks different in the flesh. It grew on me a little, but I would not say I am a fan yet.

Sitting on and ride position
Felt ok, relaxed and everything in the right place (except the digital speedo on the left, that seemed odd)

Engine and Exhaust
Quiet and smooth, just like an IL4. It only had 37km on the clock so I was fairly gentle :msn-wink:

Gearbox
Worked well, no problems. I hit a false neutral on both the other bikes :slap: but not this one.

Brakes
Wooden, only way I can describe them. The low k's is probably a big disadvantage and they did feel better (or I was used to them) by the end of the ride. But compared to the Aprilia and Ducati the Honda brakes were simply adequate.

Overall impressions
A nice bike. It does everything well and feels nice and efficient. What sums it up for me is the feeling I had half way into my usual test ride route, I was ready to take the bike back. It simply wasn't doing it for me.

Thanks Motomart for the test rides.

So there you have it. Three good bikes, but only one bike I really enjoyed.

[testastretta]

Good reviews:niceone:
I sense a Monster 1100s in your future:msn-wink:

[Kendog]

I forgot to say a huge thanks to my darling wife, for standing round in the bike shops waiting for me for three hours. Love you :love:

I had mentioned a larger Monster may be just what he doctor orders.

[piston broke]

i know what you mean,
i only rode my duc less than 5km's,got back to the shop and forked over the coin.

[pritch]

Your comments re the Shiver align fairly closely with BIKE magazine in that they rate the bike as particularly suited to tall riders.

You are kinder to the Ducati than they were, "Tall riders will find the riding position uncomfortable."

I was interested in your comments re the CB1000R but I guess I'll have to try for it myself. Having sat on it and had both feet flat on the ground I was encouraged. The VFR doesn't lend itself to that sort of thing which can lead to anxious moments when parking on unfriendly surfaces.

To provide some perspective for your comments an indication of your height would be helpful. Which also raises the question at to Hitcher's inside leg measurement:eek5:

[Sparky Bills]

All going well ill get to add to your 696 and CB1000 review this week....
Am specially interested in the cb1000rrrrrr! :niceone:

[Hitcher]

Nice comparative review, Mr KD.

The Shiver's footpegs do feel low. However I've taken the back tyre edge to edge on several occasions now and have yet to drag a peg. How do they do that?

[Kendog]

To provide some perspective for your comments an indication of your height would be helpful.

5ft10 for me, Hitcher is considerably taller.

So my weekend of fun riding concluded today riding a couple more bikes.

First up a 749s (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=89333&highlight=749s).

Stunning looking bike with the Ducati sound that makes you just want to start it up to listen to it. I really enjoyed riding this bike, the engine was sooooo sooooo smooth. Corners were effortless and the brakes, why can't all bikes have brakes like this?
Unfortunately I think I would struggle with my day to day needs for a bike. The 749 is more designed for weekend blasting and track days rather than touring and commuting. I am sure it could do the latter, just not very practically.
Thanks for letting me go for a blast on it Vicki :2thumbsup

The final bike I rode was mine. This was to check I am still on the right bike, I needed some convincing especially needed after riding the 749. So I headed off to exactly the same roads I had tried all the other bikes on.

:D

I am sure part of it is the comfort of being on the bike you own and being familiar with it. But that aside I really do enjoy riding the 750. Fuelling issue aside this bike is the complete package for the road. It's got the right amount of power, good brakes, very comfortable (for a sports bike), sticks to the road in corners, inspires confidence, looks good and so on.
It's going to be a big ask to find a bike that makes me want to change.

[Trudes]

Hey what better place to be left to hang around for several hours, loads of scrummy bikes to pick over, especially those Ducatis, except that after about an hour they all started to blend in together and I couldn't tell what I was looking at any more.
I'm hoping to get into Motomart sometime during next week to have a try of the 696.... (as I'm sure any astute salesman should know by now, it's usually the wife who gets the final say on the forking out of dosh!!;)) However first impressions of the 696 for me is that it is very nice looking in the flesh (commented several times that it would look very nice in my garage, helps also that I've long liked the look of the Monster, and this one looks especially modern and sexy) and the fact that I would actually be able to take the bike for a test ride without the shop needing to tamper with the suspension to lower the thing first is a very rare thing that immediately makes me warm to the machine..... Now to ride it!!

[Hitcher]

So I headed off to exactly the same roads I had tried all the other bikes on.

So what route did you take?

(Sorry Trudes...)

[piston broke]

Hey what better place to be left to hang around for several hours, loads of scrummy bikes to pick over, especially those Ducatis, except that after about an hour they all started to blend in together and I couldn't tell what I was looking at any more.
I'm hoping to get into Motomart sometime during next week to have a try of the 696.... (as I'm sure any astute salesman should know by now, it's usually the wife who gets the final say on the forking out of dosh!!;)) However first impressions of the 696 for me is that it is very nice looking in the flesh (commented several times that it would look very nice in my garage, helps also that I've long liked the look of the Monster, and this one looks especially modern and sexy) and the fact that I would actually be able to take the bike for a test ride without the shop needing to tamper with the suspension to lower the thing first is a very rare thing that immediately makes me warm to the machine..... Now to ride it!!
have fun.:sunny:

[Kendog]

So what route did you take?

(Sorry Trudes...)

Hutt Motorway, over the Haywards, along the inlet (Whitby side) then back.

Motorway for testing what a bike is like on boring straight roads.
Haywards for quickish uphill passing and corners, plus a good suspension test as some of that road is pretty bumpy.
Inlet for smooth corners, just need to wait for gaps in the traffic, especially now it has end to end double yellow lines :angry:

[James Deuce]

I'm not talking to any of you now.

The Wainuiomata Coast road is a better bet for quick tests, I reckon. Gives a large range of road types, surfaces, and conditions in very short order, and any adventure or trail type bikes can be encouraged to go "off piste" so to speak, at the very end of the road.

I'm still not talking to any of you.

[LardEmbargo]

Hi Mr KD, thanks for writing up your test-riding experiences.


To provide some perspective for your comments an indication of your height would be helpful.

so you're 5'10 and thought the Monster was about right? And Ms Trudes found it not too tall either? Is she considerably diminutiver than thou, or just a bit?

I'm a confirmed short-ar5e so nice bikes I might have a chance of being able to sit on without shelling out for complicated suspension surgery or having to tough it out for a couple of years on the rack sound like the way forward. If it's fairly forgiving for the shorter rider maybe I should go and try sitting on one as well :)

and red ones go faster. I'm given to understand.

[Trudes]

so you're 5'10 and thought the Monster was about right? And Ms Trudes found it not too tall either? Is she considerably diminutiver than thou, or just a bit?

I'm a confirmed short-ar5e so nice bikes I might have a chance of being able to sit on without shelling out for complicated suspension surgery or having to tough it out for a couple of years on the rack sound like the way forward. If it's fairly forgiving for the shorter rider maybe I should go and try sitting on one as well :)

and red ones go faster. I'm given to understand.

With you there. I'm 5'6 and had to shell out thousands to get my Hornet low enough to be able to paddle about. When I sat on the 696 both my feet were almost flat on the floor, I NEVER get that unless I'm sitting on a cruiser or a GN or something I wouldn't want to ride. Plus the bike is very light and the weight of it feels like it's really well balanced, so I can imagine it's even easier to maneuver about for us short-arsed folk!!:eek:

[Kendog]

Hi Mr KD, thanks for writing up your test-riding experiences.



so you're 5'10 and thought the Monster was about right? And Ms Trudes found it not too tall either? Is she considerably diminutiver than thou, or just a bit?

I'm a confirmed short-ar5e so nice bikes I might have a chance of being able to sit on without shelling out for complicated suspension surgery or having to tough it out for a couple of years on the rack sound like the way forward. If it's fairly forgiving for the shorter rider maybe I should go and try sitting on one as well :)

and red ones go faster. I'm given to understand.

What she said.
The monster is easy to get the feet down due to the low seat height, but when I was riding it I didn't get any "i'm riding a small bike" kind of feeling.
If you are looking at sports bikes try the GSXR 600/750. They have a narrow seat that makes it easy to get the feet on the ground as well.

[SixPackBack]

Probably the best kept secret in naked is this bike. Take one for a ride!

[Hitcher]

Best kept secret? jrandom has been frumiously pimping these for over a year.

[SixPackBack]

Best kept secret? jrandom has been frumiously pimping these for over a year.

No one takes any notice of Dan :laugh:

[Trudes]

Probably the best kept secret in naked is this bike. Take one for a ride!

But it's just so, so, so, um, so..... UGLY!!!!!!!! :lol:
Sorry, the retro "I'm 80 years old and this is what I rode as a boy" bikes just don't do it for me (Yes, I know, "But you ride a Hornet", I do however draw the line there!!)

[SixPackBack]

But it's just so, so, so, um, so..... UGLY!!!!!!!! :lol:
Sorry, the retro "I'm 80 years old and this is what I rode as a boy" bikes just don't do it for me (Yes, I know, "But you ride a Hornet", I do however draw the line there!!)

Much like a fat chick you gotta close your eyes and feel the quality of the ride:done:

[Trudes]

Much like a fat chick you gotta close your eyes and feel the quality of the ride:done:

I guess so. Having never fucked a fat chick, I couldn't possibly comment!:laugh:

[Ocean1]

The Shiver's footpegs do feel low. However I've taken the back tyre edge to edge on several occasions now and have yet to drag a peg. How do they do that?

Something to do with the 810mm seat height?

Peg width might also be a factor, that engine's a fair bit narower than you're used to.

[Number One]

I've long liked the look of the Monster

Which one? Me or Sully :blip: :buggerd:

[Trudes]

Which one? Me or Sully :blip: :buggerd:

You know I love all of the Monsters...... but it's the sweet curvy one that I love the best!:love:

[Number One]

it's the sweet curvy one that I love the best!:love:

You know how to talk to me doncha :Punk: MWAH

[SixPackBack]

I guess so. Having never fucked a fat chick, I couldn't possibly comment!:laugh:
What about Numberone :dodge:

[Number One]

What about Numberone :dodge:
COME HERE YOU BIARCH!!!!! :spanking:

AND to think I just gave you some green - I want it back NOW!

[SixPackBack]

COME HERE YOU BIARCH!!!!! :spanking:

AND to think I just gave you some green - I want it back NOW!

M u s t r e s i s t s a r c a s m

*seriously* Trudes messaged me pointing out the GSX1400 analogy:yes:

Was'nt me:eek5:

[Hitcher]

Ahem. Mr KD's thread appears to be just a little bit off topic.

[Trudes]

What about Numberone :dodge:

*sharp draw in of breath!!* Oh my!! You are going to be in TROUBLE!!!!! :spanking: My Number One is purrrrrrrrrfect!!
Anyway..... we really should get back to the bike talk before we all get our well rounded bottoms infracted!!

[James Deuce]

Probably the best kept secret in naked is this bike. Take one for a ride!

If it wasn't so dreadfully ugly, maybe. Insurance quote was three times that of the Zed too, and revisiting a 20 year old design and deliberately marketing it as "retro" is just a bit cheeky. Hugely better bike that the GS1000/1100 it's mimicking, but just no.

[stevedee]

Saw the new CB Thou and was impressed, went home and checked out my Kawasaki 2004 Z750, no contest, Z wins, lines, shape, colour, feel, ...once in your life you do need to own a Zed. (No matter, any Zed will do).

My opinion, my bike is 4 years old its style is still breathtaking in lines and looks, and even though the "hardware" is no where near as good as the new CB in the end my cicle is worth maybe now $6G and the new CB $19G, and I get a buzz every time I see my Zed.

Go figure gents, find a bike you love, a front tyre you adore and something black and round for the back, (Rossi said this I think).

PS first post in a year or near so.... and perhaps for another year or so........

spd:-)

[limbimtimwim]

If there had been a white 696 at Motomart, I could be the quite happy owner of one.

What a superb bike. Where the Shiver wobbles, dives and tells you to back off (But in a muted kind of dribble fart type language) the Monster laughs at your feeble attempts to have fun and encourages you ride it like your stole it. The shiver in comparison begs to be given back. I was all amped up to love the Shiver, and was just so let down. I love the way it looks and the way it sounds, but.... meh.

I was amazed at how enthusiastic the 696 engine was, it was begging to be spanked like a naughty naughty girl. 2 valves per cylinder?!? You must be kidding, you don't even find cars with engines like that any more. And yet here it is, not the lumbering breathless pile of crap you were expecting.

Chuck a regular sized pillion and some bags on the bag though, I suspect it might struggle.

I thought the suspension is wonderful, heaps of info without being harsh.

The riding position gives you good leverage on the bars and makes moving around the bike and moving the bike very easy.

The only bad thing about it was that dash. Silly techno-wiz LCD bar graph taco. No THAT'S DUMB. And your present velocity is a small number down the bottom. ALSO DUMB. It's similar (or even the same? Can't remember too good) as the bullshit dash on the 1098 series. At least it's higher up on the 696 where you can actually see it and not right under your chin.

The 749/999 series had much better clocks. They had a very large analogue taco and the biggest digital speedo probably ever put on a bike, and it was in front of you.

Where did I ride it? Miromiro road, onto Normandale road, onto Sweetacres drive and then back down the hill to SH2. And onto SH2 I have to say it managed to generate a surprisingly big number in that tiny little speedo box in a very short amount of time.

I've seen one in white, it looks great. But in the end, I got something else. I have some crazy need to finish something I started.

[Gremlin]

The brakes on the CB1000R are definitely better than the CB919's though, thats for sure. The CB1000R is all round, just that little bit edgier, more sporty, than the hornet, but loses that practical do-all capability the 900 has (imagine givi racks on the cb1000r?

Now, for a real bike, Trudes can juuuust get her toes down, on both sides of my bike... :devil2:

[LBD]

Hi Mr KD, thanks for writing up your test-riding experiences.



so you're 5'10 and thought the Monster was about right? And Ms Trudes found it not too tall either? Is she considerably diminutiver than thou, or just a bit?

I'm a confirmed short-ar5e so nice bikes I might have a chance of being able to sit on without shelling out for complicated suspension surgery or having to tough it out for a couple of years on the rack sound like the way forward. If it's fairly forgiving for the shorter rider maybe I should go and try sitting on one as well :)
.


5'7" the monsters work for me...

[2_SL0]

Super Duke

[mikeey01]

After reading the Shiver review (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=89125&highlight=funday) from Hitcher

Ducati 696 Monster

Riding
It loved corners, I loved riding corners on it. I don't really know how to describe it, but it was great fun.
.

All I can say really........... Welcome to Ducati!

[pritch]

not the lumbering breathless pile of crap you were expecting.
Chuck a regular sized pillion and some bags on the bag though, I suspect it might struggle.


Hmmm hard to know what you were expecting...

The BIKE comparison gives figures thus:

Triumph Speed Triple - 98.2bhp @ 11,900rpm (144.6 mph)

Honda Hornet 600 - 94.2bhp @ 11,800rpm (141.6 mph)

Aprilia Shiver - 82.1 bhp @ 9,400rpm (131.8 mph)

Monster 600 - 68.4 @ 8,200 (131.0 mph)

That's all but a 30 hp gap between the Triumph and the Duc, that's huge.

The torque figures are very uniform. As we'd anticipate the inline four is lowest @ 44.8 'lb but the Ducati has only .2 'lb more at 45. The Triumph develops 46.9 and the Shiver tops the bunch at 48.8.

BIKE rated the Ducati as "the best looking" "the easiest bike for novices" I'll say no more :devil2:

[Trudes]

So it dawned a beautiful day in Welly today, nothing better to do so rode out to Motomart to take the new 696 Ducati Monster out for a spin.
Met up with our friend James Deuce there and handed over the keys to my Hornet for him to have a play on while I tried out the 696.
Immediately felt comfy on this nice shiny looking beasty, nice low seat height, so straight away the anxiety of "oh shit, I can only just tippy toe on this thing" was not there, (a major thing for most short-arses!) also this bike is light and all the weight feels low and easy to manage.
So finally took off from Motomart, had an issue with the clutch being a long way out, I'm used to the clutch engaging almost instantaniously, so I never really came to terms with the clutch on the 696 and found gear shifts difficult (couldn't get the throttle blip correct :() but this is an easy fix so not really any fault of the bike. Rode up to the roundabout, brake brake brake, Holy God!! Brembo brakes are AWESOME!!!!! (Jim I'm sure was pissing himself as I constantly lurched about playing with the amazing brakes and the lengthy clutch!!). Eased out around the roundabout and immediately the bike tipped into the corner.... woohoo, I think I'm going to like this!! Lets go find some corners!!:banana:
Along the motorway the bike sits comfortably on the road, I noticed very little wind hitting my head, I find not wearing any earplugs painful on my Hornet, however I was quite happy without them on the 696.:niceone: Head up the Haywards hill, pull out to pass a car, Ahhhh, what's wrong with the bike?? It's making a really bad noise at me.... oh shit! I look down and see all these red lights.... oh... rev limiter.... ooppppssss, change gear, much better!!
So yes, it's not a 900, you have to change gears, it doesn't like sitting in second all the time, ok, will remember that!:rolleyes:
Rode around the Pauahatanui inlet road.... this bike LOVES corners, gobbles them up and asks for more, how fun is this!!! It tips in very easily and inspires more lean and more speed, nice!!!:clap: Turned around and headed back, no more interesting things, except that the suspention feels nice and stable on bumpy roads, and I probably should have tried out 4th and 5th and 6th gears, but, oh well....
So, would I trade my Hornet on one? Well, to be honest.... no. Maybe when people start selling them second-hand. There were some really nice things about this bike, corners are just SO much fun on it, it looks nice, I'm sure with some aftermarket exhausts on it it may actually sound like a Ducati (it's way too quiet!!!), the suspention and brakes are great and all round is a very fun bike to ride! However, I've got used to the easy to use power of the Hornet, maybe I'd learn to ride it properly and use all its available power and if I was going from a smaller bike to this I'd be very happy with it, but going down may be harder I think.
So, if you're in the market for something new, fun and are a short-arse, do try the Monster, and find some corners :woohoo:
Thanks Motomart for lending me some fun, if I win Lotto I'll be back to get one. Thanks to Jim for coming for a pootle with us, lovely to see you as always, and always nice to share the road with you!!:hug: And Kendog for encouraging me to try the bike out.

[James Deuce]

That was totally wicked!

I'm sorry I wouldn't give your keys back.

I made a hash of the photos, so I reckon we should try again sometime in the near future. Cool thing about getting photos wrong is you learn what works and what doesn't.

The hardest thing to photograph on a beautiful summer's day (for me anyway) is a black motorcycle. The more light there is the more detail you lose, so I'm going to have to start fiddling with those arcane manual settings.

Your Hornet has to be the best Hornet 900 in existence. Gearing changes, those brilliant levers, the lovely sonorous Cycleworks pipes and a well setup Power Commander make it a truly fun motorcycle. The mirrors are sex on a stick - literally. How much is your old man's one going for? Me on a Hornet after all those things I've said!

I can see why the 696 didn't push any buttons for you.

[Kendog]

How much is your old man's one going for? Me on a Hornet after all those things I've said!

Glad you enjoyed it. Once set up they are pretty damn nice.
I will see what my one is going for. It however does not have the smaller sprocket, power commander or TEKA tune, but it looks nicer ;)

[James Deuce]

Glad you enjoyed it. Once set up they are pretty damn nice.
I will see what my one is going for. It however does not have the smaller sprocket, power commander or TEKA tune, but it looks nicer ;)

I'll take that off the asking price then ;)