Speed Triple vs. Monster

• Both bikes are so called naked bikes. 
• Both bikes have defined their motorcycle segment for years. 
• Both bikes are part of a heritage of well known motorcycle manufacturers.

Having driven both the 2010 Ducati Monster 1100 and the 2009 Triumph Speed Triple 1050 15th Anniversary Edition here are some of my observations on these bikes.

  

To bluntly start at my conclusion; although these bikes both belong to the naked bike segment and should have a similar audience they are in fact two completely different beasts.

For instance the character of the engines are so profoundly different that at the turn of the key you know what you are dealing with. The Speed Triples engine is so refined and smooth on the throttle its like French Haute Cuisine. Whereas the Monster is like eating a steak dinner. Coincidentally both of these motorcycles are fitted with aftermarket Arrow slip-on exhausts and similar style mirrors to make a more honest comparison.

On the move you feel right at home on the Speed. All the controls are exactly where you expect them to be and the riding position is relaxed yet has the right amount of support and feedback to keep you alert. The noise of the exhaust is aggressive but does not get tiring after a long drive. The suspension on the Speed is of excellent quality and lets you know exactly what is going on underneath the tires. On poor quality roads however, the suspension can get a little harsh. Perhaps it needs a little adjustment for my bodyweight. Driving through town at low speed you needn't worry about what gear you are in. At the twist of the throttle the engine just picks up and goes. The power delivery is incredible linear and the gearing of the transmission very well matched. On the negative side the fuel consumption is a tad disappointing, especially at stop-and-go circumstances. But to most people this is irrelevant and moreover the Speed Triple is most in its element at the higher motorway speeds. It is what it does best. The ride is stable and thanks to the headlight faring wind is deflected from your upper body. You can get to ridicules speeds in a blink of an eye. All feels natural and the engine doesn't even work up a sweat. Overall the Speed just pleases its driver every way it can. And this Anniversary Edition has all the bells and whistles too. It is indeed a very complete and compelling package. For a similar amount of money as a Ducati Monster 1100 (s) you get a lot of goodies. This particular model has the gel seat, belly pan, headlight faring and seat cover as standard. Aftermarket parts on this bike are the exhaust, alarm, mirrors, the anodized aluminum fluid reservoirs and black brake- and clutch-levers. 

The Monster also has a special appeal to it. There are many aftermarket parts available and consequently almost every Monster is different from the other. But there is a flip side to that appeal. Once you buy a Ducati Monster the urge to modify your bike is almost instant. And everything labeled "Ducati" doesn't come cheap.

On this specimen the list of parts that have been replaced is ever growing longer. It started with a shortened rear fender, Rizoma mirrors, touring seat, Arrow slip-on exhausts and Rizoma rear-sets to name a few. And since this picture was taken a few months ago a lot on the bike changed once again. The riding position has benefitted from the touring seat and Rizoma rear-sets making these modifications a justified purchase. Coming from the Speed Triple the Monster feels a lot narrower. Your upper body is leaned forward which make you feel you're constantly above the front wheel. This body position can be tiring on your wrists at longer journeys although you do get pushed backwards by the wind resistance. Then there is the exhaust note. Combined with the engine characteristic it can be a little unsettling. It's like you are petting what you think is a nice dog but suddenly it starts growling. Driving through town isn't what this Ducati likes to do. It's cranky at low revs and you feel like it wants to throw you off the moment your concentration is lacking. But once the road opens up and you push this bike it really comes alive. And boy, it likes to be driven hard. There is no subtly on the inputs you have to give to get the most out of it. Be rough on the acceleration, push hard on the brakes, flick it into corners and you know this is what the Monster is made for. 

Both these bikes are very desirable machines and I feel very privileged to own one and been able to drive the other. There is no winner here. Just two completely different bikes in the same motorcycle segment. Chose what suits your driving needs best and you won't be disappointed with either one. 

CX500 in parts

It's a relatively straight forward process to modify a CX500 into a cafe-racer. The base model - the Honda CX500 - is a "budget" Guzzi lookalike bike with replacement parts easily available. 
However, it can become very time consuming and eventually end up costing more than you initially had in mind. 

Starting off with the wheels; these were powder coated satin black and wrapped in Battlax tires.

We've also painted the lower front suspension with a matt black paint out of a rattle can. The front brake calipers were overhauled with new seals. Brake lines were replaced by stainless steel items from Hel.

A M-style steering, new grips, new brake cylinder and turn signals were sourced.

The original front fender was shortened quite a bit and one of the leftover pieces was used as rear fender. A LED rear light was mounted atop of this.

We used the original speedometer in a stainless steal casing and mounting bracket.

One of the mayor concerns was to trim down the wiring loom to its bare necessities. Luckily everything seems to be in working order now.

The original housing of the battery and air filter was removed. Some nice cone shaped filters are now mounted on the carburetors. Those carbs also have been provided with new seals and bigger fuel nozzles.

Apart from the seat we are also working on a new battery box. Since the original housing has been removed we need a new place to mount the battery. A Motobatt battery has been sourced and a box has been fabricated from stainless steel.

Project No. II - The Hyper

Since starting on the CX500 from Bart my hands were itching to have a little project bike of my own. So... after some orientation I've decided on a used Ducati. The bike was purchased and in a short amount of time it lay in parts on the garage floor. I was aware of some backlogged maintenance and minor damages that had to be taken care of. 

First up was the bodywork. Luckily only one body panel needed replacement and soon found a local motorcycle breaker which had an original second hand part in stock. All body panels were then sanded down and given a nice new coat of paint. 

A small dent in the frame had to be repaired later on.

Then there was the engine. It was in need of some well deserved attention. The drive belts, tensioning pulleys, spark plugs, oil filter and oil were changed for fresh items. The valve shims were checked and adjusted too. It should be ready for the next 10.000km's.

Some of the paint on the engine was flacking, especially on the cooling fins. I decided on painting the engine. VHT satin black engine enamel paint was used to get the desired result.

Currently I'm waiting for parts to be returned from the powder coater. 

CX500 Project - The Cafe

Some months ago my friend, Bart, bought a Honda CX500 from 1980.

This bike was reasonably well maintained and has a fairly low milage. The main reason of purchasing this particular model being a rebuilt into a cafe-racer. Inspiration comes from Motomucci, Wrench-monkeys and the like.

Eagerly to begin most of the bike was in parts right the next day.

Since then we've modified, painted and replaced parts.

The current state of the bike is something like you see below.

At the moment we are in the process of fabricating a seat. Surprisingly the initial shape is already roughly what we had in mind. It does need some more trimming and shaping.

I will get into some of the details of the bike later on. 

It begins

After years of just consuming content from the internet it's time for me to contribute. On this blog I will share my interests and some of the things I'm active with in my spare time.