Source
r/Ducati•
benbee

A 1500 mile round trip on a monster, Advice?

So I'm starting to plan a trip from north west England to Southern France on my Monster 620 2002, I've never done anything this long before and Advice would be more than welcome. I'll give you guys as much information as I can and I hope you'll be blunt with me.

The Bike:

  • Ducati monster 620 Dark I.E (2002)
  • roughly 120m / tank range
  • 11,500 miles on the clock
  • Tyres near-new <700 milles
  • Electrics in good and working order, as i the engine to my knowledge.
  • I plan on getting it Serviced at Ducati Manchester before the trip to make sure theres no nasty suprises laying in wait, My main concern is Luggage as in my head right now I'll pack a sports bag and bungee it to the pillion seat, as I once Im at my destination I have wash capabilities as well as tool access.

Me:

I'm 20 years old, and have had a bike under me since I was 12, and as soon as I turned 16 I took a cbt and had a (albeit) small bike under my junk, progressing to a 125 at 17 and then a Gs500e at 18, to get my monster february of this year. I ride for the fun I repeat my local roads without a second thought merely enjoying the ride with my longest time on seat being about 5-6 hours. I've crashed twice, and dropped once, all on my L plate bikes (the 50cc and the 125cc) Once was oil on the road, no major damage. and once was being forced into a grass banking by a headstrong car on a narrow road, minor ankle injury.

The trip:

In england its mostly motorway, a steady ish cruise of 70-80 on reasonable well kept roads. hope on a ferry and then into france for main roads but not all highway, once at the destination It'll be a week of small trips (ie to shops) and mainly rest for the bike, with the potential for repair work or maintenance, I'm thinking oil changes chain checks and tyre checks.

My worries:

  • Ducatis are my favorite bikes, but they aren't known for their bullet-proof reliability.
  • Breaking down, I'll be in a foreign country and won't have cover and I don't know what to do if I end up stranded, this is a big concern.
  • Tyres, for the same reason as above.

To a lot of you in the states I'm sure an 11-hour trip might not seem like a long one worthy of this post but I've never done anything like this and the r/motorcycles guys have never been unhelpful and you guys are the specialists when it comes to ducatis, I thought it worthy of consenting you guys, and if you've read this wall of text I can't thank you enough and If I've missed anything out that you think need to be mentioned, let me know as I'm not potentially embarking till the 12 august.

Tl;dr Touring new-guy wants to do a 750 mile trip on Monster 620 2002 worried about factors like breaking down and the capability of the bike.

Posted Jul 14, 2014, 11:10 PM UTC

517
KirigakureSaizo•

Man, sounds like you are going to have some fun! 750 miles? Easy peasy. I put that on my Monster every week (200 mile group rides every Sat and Sun plus 50 mile commute back and forth daily). Oil changed before you go and you should be golden. Have them give the bike a look over, explain your concerns. Any good shop will take the extra effort to look over the bike to make sure it's sound for such a trip. Good Ducati support in France, I wouldn't sweat it. Take lots of pics and share 'em when you get back!

4
benbeeOPMonster 620 2002•

Brilliant, I've put a little over 2 thousand since I got it in february and only had an oil leak because the casing bolts weren't loctited, and I wish I could find a group to do 200 miles a week with, bloody hell that sounds fun!

0
bigjilm123•

You'll be fine. Seriously.

If you can't stop worrying, google for a list of mechanics that can work on Ducs and add them to your route. You can even stop in for a break and look at their bikes or something. While you're googling, find a tow truck company near them that can pick up the bike if something goes wrong, or call the mechanic and get a recommendation.

You won't need any of that, but if it makes you feel better than do it.

3
ocelotpotpie•

Ducatis are my favorite bikes, but they aren't known for their bullet-proof reliability.

This is largely a misconception by the general public. Among the many, many, many Ducatis that I have owned and the many, many, many, many friends and fellow enthusiasts I know who own them - I can count on a single hand how many people have been left stranded by their Duc. You'll be fine. :)

I would hit up the ADVrider forums for some tips and tricks on general long distance riding:

http://advrider.com/forums/

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benbeeOPMonster 620 2002•

I've never had an issue that wasn't my fault either in the 2k miles I've had it, but thank you for the link I'll make sure to linger there the next few weeks!

0
SnarkDeTriomphe•

I've done trips of that length on a monster, although a little larger displacement.

You should be fine on the trip. You'll have to stop for fuel somewhat frequently, but it's often welcome given the seating position of the Monster.

Since the fairing doesn't do much, you'll face a bit of wind blast which can become fatiguing. Definitely have hearing protection, and if you are expecting any sort of weather, warm and waterproof gear.

2
benbeeOPMonster 620 2002•

Hopefully the weather should be good given the time of year, and the wind fatigue isn't too bad for me as long as I keep it below 80, but would a windshield be worth investing in for the trip to make a noticeable difference, do you think?

0
SnarkDeTriomphe•

Hard to say, I've never ridden a monster with a windshield larger than the stock one. It might help, but there's no fairing, so there will probably be a bit of turbulence regardless.

I'm inclined to say it's not worth it for this trip.

2
Ski1215•

What are you bringing it to the shop for? Do you have a manual? Change your oil and adjust your chain- your good to go. Only thing a shop is going to do is a visual inspection and then charge you 100$ for it. Tires are my other concern but you've got that covered.

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ocelotpotpie•

At his year and mileage he's likely due for belts and/or valves.

Doable on his own, but perhaps that's why he has scheduled a service?

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benbeeOPMonster 620 2002•

Its not that I can't do it, it's the fact that Id rather have the professionals have a poke around and see if they notice I can't, no doubt they'll be able to spot a problem a mile away.

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ocelotpotpie•

Nothing wrong with that at all. Having a second set of eyes go over the bike every now and then has saved me from a few maintenance items I wasn't keen on.

People give dealers a bad rap but a good Ducati dealership is worth its weight in gold.

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gotsaab•

Worry about your back more then your bike. I own a 2001 Monster 900ie and my back starts to hurt after a while. Let me know what you do for the back cause it could probably help me out a bit.

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benbeeOPMonster 620 2002•

I've got somewhat of a bad back myself but for sitting nuts-to-tank gives me the most comfortable riding position, but I run flat bars instead if the standard risers.

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_MIDIMonster 620 Dark•

I have the exact same bike!

I love it, but have always been concerned about how comfortable it is on trips longer than a couple hours... My knees start hurting terribly, So I've specifically refrained from long rides.

I'd love to check in and read about your journey. Maybe update us or start a blog if you can!!

Have fun, I'm jealous!

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benbeeOPMonster 620 2002•

I'll definitely check in with a post about the trip -- but a blog for a week isn't really worth it!

I've never had issues with my knees but I'm cautious about my back, All I'm doing to combat it is have a good long break every time I have to fill up every 2 hours or so, and a 2 hour break on the ferry accross where I'll probably get a cheeky nap in!

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_MIDIMonster 620 Dark•

Good idea..

Im totally curious to see how a long ride works out on our bikes..

so i'll be keeping an eye out for your update. Have a blast man!!

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