Hey folks.
As some of you know, I sold my 2003 SV1000S in Feb '08 and had planned to stay away from the game for a while. That obviously fell through and the bug bit me again. Oddly enough - it got me in December and during a pretty steep recession. What better time to buy a new bike?
I picked up a 2009 Ducati Monster 696 at Cross Country BMW in Metuchen, NJ - great place, by the way. I've previously owned a 2002 Yamaha YZF600R before the Suzuki SV1000S so I "downgraded" to a 696cc bike from the 1000. I can't even begin to tell you how much fun the M696 is.
Power is strong and accessible but not overwhelming. The bike itself is light (355lbs dry) and the ergos for a 6ft 195lb rider are really comfortable. Some consider this a "beginners" bike and it may as well be - but for someone who rides very casually like myself - it rocks.
It has 16 miles on it right now and I likely won't ride it much during the winter but I'm itching for the spring to come.
Attached are some shots I took today, one of which is altered using HDR.
To see these in high res, go to my
Flickr photosteam.
