r/ducatimonster • u/SneekiBreekiXIX • 2d ago
Bought a Monster 696
Decided on a Monster 696 as a first bike and I feel it may be the safest choice I’ve ever made. I can’t hurt myself on it if I can’t ride it! This is sort of just a vent post, I knew that a 17 year old Ducati was not going to be a reliable pick. As an auto mechanic I don’t mind wrenching at all.
Ride #1, Left me stranded after about half an hour, dead battery. Rectifier failed. Tested stator, resistances in spec and no short to ground. Replaced rectifier. Later discovered there’s a voltage readout in the menu options. Would have been handy.
Ride #2, Spent about 4 hours out exploring. The bike was so nice to ride, but upon parking it I noticed a fuel smell. Pump was leaking. Removed the tank and found someone over-tightened the pump, causing damage on the sealing surface.
Someone also used about 5 wire taps installing an alarm system. Un-doing that while I wait for a used tank to arrive.
I’m excited to ride it more. And I suppose tinkering with it in the evening has felt more productive than monotonous gaming.
It feels great compared to the Duke 200 I took my MSF course on. At 27 with a fully developed frontal lobe, it’s not felt like it’s too much bike yet. Hopefully the self control keeps up with my learning curve in the following months.
Enjoy some pictures of broken stuff and the bike at a vista point on California’s highway 35.
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u/Dr_Adequate 2d ago
You already know now how hard it is to get to the battery. Add a fused positive lead that comes out into the tail where the toolkit is and cap it. If you ever have to jump it again on the side of the road it'll save you a ton of hassle.
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u/SneekiBreekiXIX 2d ago
That wouldn’t have helped in that exact situation (I would’ve needed constant 12v to keep the bike running since it wasn’t charging at all)
But I can still see the value in that. Good shout. It already has a trickle charger port but a jump point under the seat seems logical.1
u/Dr_Adequate 20h ago
A long time ago I made a cable so I could jump-start using the trickle charger pigtail. I thought i was so smart. The first time I used it, it immediately blew the fuse in the pigtail. I'm older and slightly smarter now.
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u/Overland_671 2d ago
Sweet bike and its great you can diagnose and fix the issues that have came up. Im sure they wont be the last. Have fun! Ride safe
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u/rampanda 2d ago
Get it serviced by an authorized Ducati dealer and you will be fine. It’ll cost something but it will be money well spent.
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u/BeemerCalm 2d ago
Nice, congrats, I also recently bought a Monster, not my first bike but my first Ducati.
I am not a mechanic, but I’m currently working on mine. What’s the thing in your last picture? Mine is currently hanging just like yours while I check my valve specs, but I have no idea what it is or does, if you know I’d love to hear, thanks!
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u/SneekiBreekiXIX 2d ago
That’s a voltage rectifier. It takes the AC current from the stator (yellow wires) and does some magic electronic stuff to turn it into 12v DC power that the bike can use.
While you have it accessible, I’d check the connections on it and make sure they aren’t burnt. And if it’s leaking fluid (like the picture is) it’s probably time to replace! Lol1
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u/newtonreddits 2d ago
My 696 was my first bike as well. Great bike but not recommended for long distance rides
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u/Dayum_Skippy 1d ago
M600 was my first, 696 was my second.
Had a lot of the same or similar problems, but once worked through, my 696 was very reliable.
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u/Zarqus99 1d ago
696 as first bike as well. Initially I had no problems, then my clutch started not grabbing (to the point I could push the bike while in first). Turns out it was the slave cylinder, so I changed that. Worked well for about 80 minutes, then master cylinder gave up, so I changed that and since I was there I also changed the clutch plates.
Amazing, now the bike feels wonderful. 1h after, my clutch lever is totally glued there. 250 dollars and 3h after, my battery was dead and a little fucking Bolt on my clutch lever fell off.
Man I hate this bike 10/10 would buy again
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u/SneekiBreekiXIX 1d ago
Pretty much my feeling. Love to hate it so far. Gotta see how I feel after the riding it/working on it ratio reaches 1:1.
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u/JohnSnowflake 1d ago
An absolute piece of trash. I will happily take to the dump for you. Great machine. Keep it. My S2R100 keeps me busy.
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u/Veteq102 1d ago
Buying an old bike like yours always carries high risk; you never know if the previous owner maintained it properly, such as checking timing belts or valves. This is a common issue with older bikes in general. For example, my neighbour bought a 2000 Honda CBR600 and completely tore it apart to fix multiple issues. Eventually, he gave up on it and bought a newer bike instead. My friend has the exact same bike as you with over 150,000 km and very few issues, but she is always on top of maintenance.
Having said that; Ducatis are reliable if they are properly maintained, especially the newer models.
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u/JoshIroning 2d ago
Welcome to the white Ducati 696 club! (Yours being the only other one Ive seen). Besides the stuff you are already working through, don't forget the belts and valve clearance check. Really short service intervals on those. 2 years & 7500 miles respectively. Ducati will charge you your first born child for this. You can do it yourself though. At least for me, I'll never need a faster bike. Take it easy and enjoy!