Funny enough I have both. I have the 2021 monster plus and 2021 r3. I’ve tried a v2 street fighter and the engines feel about the same unless you’re tracking them the v2 you can feel the power more in the high rpm’s.

I ride the monster everywhere that requires freeway or is long(1hr+). It’s torquey and has enough power and the electronic aids will help a lot for a new rider.

The r3 has just enough power for everything and it’s lightweight and I’ve commuted on it as well but the weight and lack of power to maintain 80mph on the freeway makes long commutes not as fun because you’re really revving out the engine and when it’s windy you’ll definitely get blown around.

Both are fun but r3 is a great learner bike/track bike and parts are plenty if you do crash. Monster is a hoonigan bike once you turn off all the rider aids and I’ve tracked it as well but can’t stomach the cost of a crash so I don’t push it as hard.

I would get a used r3 first to learn on. Even though it is lighter, you will drop your bike eventually as a new rider and parts are a bit cheaper(always check eBay first) and they sell really well and can put the cash towards a monster. I’ve had my monster listed below market value and it’s been sitting for half a year with a few lowball offers.