Ducati Demo Truck 2017

Cross Country Ducati

First demos of 2017, very excited to try Monster 797 and 821. You could only sign up for 2 bikes, so the Hypermotard would have to wait until another day. Demo route was pretty bad, short blast on the freeway followed by riding around industrial park. Maybe 20 minutes total.

First up was the Monster 797 - here are my notes:

• Gutless
• Motor too quiet
• Comfy enough. Legs ok. Maybe bar risers maybe not
• 75 doable on highway but not relaxing. Did 90. Not so fun
• Neutral easy to find
• A little suspension bounciness but not as bad as I see on the Capo sometimes
• Not a bike I'd spend my money on
• Mirrors useless
• What gear am I in? - I'm spoiled by gear indicator now

After that I got on the Monster 821, and really, really liked it:

• Love the power, motor, exhaust. Love it
• No problem with neutral that some people report in reviews
• Mirrors still crap
• Legs too tight. Really need peg lowering. No issues with right foot hitting heat shield as others have pointed out
• Back hurts a bit, bar risers a good idea
• Fun fun 
• Suspension better than 797, still moves around a little but don't notice it as much as on Capo. Need to pay attention to it to notice it 

Lineup

The bike I was most looking forward to riding, the Monster 821 - and it did not disappoint

Genuine smile

Started the day on the Monster 797

Nothing special

Pre-ride talk about the rules

Next time I'll try out the Hypermotard (wish they had a Hyperstrada in the fleet)

Impressive dealership

Montgomeryville Cycle Center

Same truck, same rules. Sign up for 2 bikes. Route was about 30 minutes of surface streets and country roads. No highways, a couple nice turns. About 30 minutes.

Hypermotard 939

• Motor punchy enough but too quiet
• Glitchy fueling
• Funky riding position and uncomfortable seat even after just the short demo ride
• Definitely not for me

Monster 821 (again)

• Love the motor and the sound
• Let's be honest - is a fun toy. Upper body could be OK after bar risers, but legs are about as tucked as possible. After a few hours would be painful I'm sure. No way the Monster could be turned into a good tourer for a multi-day trip.

Bright and early

Same lineup as Cross Country weekend

Afternoon ride had umbrella girl (same girl who works the checkin)

The Hypermotard 939