I think in terms of safety the difference between the 696 and 796 are negligible… And what’s more important than the hp is the way the power comes on, whether it’s smooth and predictable… Which v-twins usually are…

At CSS this year they’re using the 190hp BMW this year as the student bikes…instead of the 110hp 600’s they used last year… And they’ve had FEWER accidents than previous years. Because the BMW has predictable throttle response – and probably also because people are more careful knowing they’re riding the fastest production road bike in the world…

So 7 or so horsepower shouldn’t really make a difference in terms of safety as long as you’re trained and careful and respect the thing…which most Ducati riders do anyway.

I’m a big believer in underpowered bikes with skinny tires for developing riding skills…125’s and 250’s for dirt, or the EX250. But those things are so affordable, you can always decide to get one later for wet weather commutes.

Also, the price differential is relatively small between the 696 and 796 (and I am interested in new models primarily because of the availability of ABS). My concerns with the 796 are all safety-related: eg, increased power delivery or reduced margin of error for beginners. It offers I think about 7 more horsepower (and a similar torque number) v. the 696, but both come much sooner in the rev range.

Personally, if it were a buddy of mine, I’d seriously question the need to have a Monster 796 as a *first* bike… because the focus in the beginning ought to be on developing some basic riding skills… basic skills that are hard enough to learn on smaller, lighter bikes…without NYC traffic.

But having said that the 796 is very light. And judging from the specs, I suppose the it isn’t much more difficult to learn to ride than a 696… So if someone were thinking about the 696, it would make sense to go for the 796 instead…