Anyone Owned A Ducati 600SS

dewolf · 10-12-2023, 02:32 PM

Looking at buying a '93 Ducati 600SS. I know they're old and not fast but they look cool and have that Duke sound. Has anybody had one?

911boost · 911boost's Garage

It is like a smaller version of Jeff, Shaun, Hardrives and my 900SS.

Unfortunately that is all I have, not very helpful, sorry.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 10-12-2023, 03:39 PM

^^^ what he said.

I've never heard of a 600, only 750 and 900. Are there 900s in Australia? I would try one and compare it to the 6 before deciding on one.

HardDrive · 10-12-2023, 04:10 PM

I believe they were only made for a few markets due to some regulatory requirement. I can't imagine finding parts would be fun. Its getting harder for the 900s.

LJ851 · 10-12-2023, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HardDrive

I believe they were only made for a few markets due to some regulatory requirement. I can't imagine finding parts would be fun. Its getting harder for the 900s.

Parts availability probably wouldn’t be too bad, we got M600 Ducatis here in the US which should cover the engine and the chassis should be the same as a 750. Ducati was all about using what they had on the shelf in that era.

spuggy · 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

^^^ what he said.

I've never heard of a 600, only 750 and 900.

Sleeved-down 750 with 53HP. They also made a carbie Monster 600 (and why not? Monsters are just SSs without the tupperware and with better looking tank/cycle parts and handlebars) from 1993-2001.

Popular mostly for tax/insurance/licensing reasons. There was also a detune(!) kit available for at least the Monster, which could be dealer-fitted and sealed - for those in places where novice licenses were also HP-limited as well as (or instead of) capacity-limited...

Quote:

Are there 900s in Australia? I would try one and compare it to the 6 before deciding on one.

Plenty of 900s in Oz. Think they sold a lot more Monsters though. Because, well, they sold better.

Most parts interchange, SS models tended to (but not always) get higher-spec parts. Although they shipped SSs with non-adjustable forks/rear shocks and Monsters with adjustables - depending on what they had next to the line on the day...

Jeff Higgins · 10-12-2023, 05:58 PM

The 600's used significantly downgraded components, like brakes, forks, shocks, swingarm, etc. The 900CR was a downgrade form the 900SS, the 750 even more so, and the 600 the bottom. Reportedly fun little bikes, but no lighter than the 900. So you would be giving up a lot of power, with no better (actually worse) handling. Unless forced into one by some regulatory or financial requirements, I just can't see the appeal.

HardDrive · 10-12-2023, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LJ851

Parts availability probably wouldn’t be too bad, we got M600 Ducatis here in the US which should cover the engine and the chassis should be the same as a 750. Ducati was all about using what they had on the shelf in that era.

Ah, right, I do recall a Monster 600, and given the business at the time, it does make sense it would all be the same engine across models.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 10-13-2023, 05:05 AM

Was Ducati in the 90s similar to Porsche in the 70s?

Sidenote, I have to get some cold weather riding gear. Beautiful weather now but pretty chilly.

spuggy · 10-14-2023, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

Was Ducati in the 90s similar to Porsche in the 70s?

Ducati were making bikes that no-one was buying, and were struggling badly. They'd been bought by Cagiva.

According to "The Monster Bible", in 1991 a chap called Galluzi, a designer working at Ducati, had stripped the garbage off his 888 and was riding it to work. Management saw it, and immediately told him to get it Production-ready...

They had originally intended to use SBKs as the platform - but the 900SS (which also used the 888/851 frame) were not selling well. So they had plenty of 2V 904 motors lying around - and went with those instead...

Market at the time was a whole slew of faired bikes with bodywork and impractical riding positions. Yawn. And also "clip-ons? Pah, I fart in your general direction"...

Monster started an entire "naked bike" trend which was aped by the entire industry, produced it in many variants and trim levels. They generally kept the costs down on the spec (non-adjustable forks, thinner disk rotors etc) and priced them low - and they sold very well, saving the company.

Eventually (after 2001 or so), they would just re-package the current SBK in parallel as a higher-end Monster model, (offered in parallel with the budget, lower-spec models) - eg the 2001 S4, which was a detuned 916 SBK motor/frame with (adapted) M900 cycle parts. Later S4s got the 996 and 998 SBK motors/frames as production switched over to those.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

Sidenote, I have to get some cold weather riding gear. Beautiful weather now but pretty chilly.

Waxed cotton is a wonderful thing - still pretty good for abrasion resistance, modern designs have provisions for armor, waterproof membrane if you want. And very waterproof. Size generously large so you can fit as many high-tech clothing layers underneath as it takes...

Silk is the best base layer for warmth with minimal bulk, IMO. Still. Silk glove liners, socks, balaclava, long johns.

flatbutt · 10-14-2023, 09:32 AM

For cold weather I use Gerbings...but I mean COLD.

spuggy · 10-14-2023, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spuggy

Monster started an entire "naked bike" trend

I should clarify that: the "streetfighter" (naked, superbike bars minimum) was a popular style for years before the Monster came out. Guys wanted performance, brakes, handling of sport bikes - but didn't want the impractical riding position or all the freakin' plastic (damaged very easily, impeded working on it or getting through gaps - and expensive to replace).

So they modified their own bikes and there were quite a few running around. Especially in cities. Plenty used for motorcycle courier work.

But the manufacturers were studiously ignoring what people actually wanted. When Ducati started building Monsters and they sold in large numbers, it was just "oh, duh, people want/will buy these".

creaturecat · 10-14-2023, 10:18 AM

Keis is the Cadillac of heated gear.

greglepore · 10-14-2023, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flatbutt

For cold weather I use Gerbings...but I mean COLD.

I used a Gerbings liner and gloves on a 3 day brp trip this week. Only high 40s /low 50s in am, so non "necessary" but still nice to be warm and loose.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 10-14-2023, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spuggy

Ducati were making bikes that no-one was buying, and were struggling badly. They'd been bought by Cagiva.

According to "The Monster Bible", in 1991 a chap called Galluzi, a designer working at Ducati, had stripped the garbage off his 888 and was riding it to work. Management saw it, and immediately told him to get it Production-ready...

They had originally intended to use SBKs as the platform - but the 900SS (which also used the 888/851 frame) were not selling well. So they had plenty of 2V 904 motors lying around - and went with those instead...

Market at the time was a whole slew of faired bikes with bodywork and impractical riding positions. Yawn. And also "clip-ons? Pah, I fart in your general direction"...

Monster started an entire "naked bike" trend which was aped by the entire industry, produced it in many variants and trim levels. They generally kept the costs down on the spec (non-adjustable forks, thinner disk rotors etc) and priced them low - and they sold very well, saving the company.

Eventually (after 2001 or so), they would just re-package the current SBK in parallel as a higher-end Monster model, (offered in parallel with the budget, lower-spec models) - eg the 2001 S4, which was a detuned 916 SBK motor/frame with (adapted) M900 cycle parts. Later S4s got the 996 and 998 SBK motors/frames as production switched over to those.

Waxed cotton is a wonderful thing - still pretty good for abrasion resistance, modern designs have provisions for armor, waterproof membrane if you want. And very waterproof. Size generously large so you can fit as many high-tech clothing layers underneath as it takes...

Silk is the best base layer for warmth with minimal bulk, IMO. Still. Silk glove liners, socks, balaclava, long johns.

You're a proverbial google for all things Ducati, thanks for the interesting story.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 10-14-2023, 01:02 PM

Good links on what to get for colder weather. My sense is cold weather riding for me is a 50ºF floor. Below that I wouldn't trust my riding on the summer sport/track Dunlops on the bike now. I don't have enough seat time to know what I shouldn't be doing on summer tires in colder weather.

Or am I being overly cautious? Ingrained in my memory 20 years ago is a driver ed day where I had a near off-track excursion but saved it, instructor was impressed but I told him it wasn't from any skill but just because I knew the car inside and out. It was instinctual. He approved. Riding and the bike are too new to me but let me know your thoughts on riding summer sport tires in 50ºF weather.

My sense is a heated vest and my leather jacket, and maybe fleece neck gaiter with my wool biking tights under jeans will work.