I love my monster

[mrpetebojangles]

Just wanted to come in here and let you all know that! Seriously, I have not been happier or more excited about a purchase in a long time or ever. After the 1300 miles I've put on it so far, the bike seems to be running MUCH better, and seems to not take as long in the morning to warm up. Part of this I believe to be due to the 14T upgrade, but the mechanical pieces seem to of more perfectly mated. I've been riding this past month in 25-40 degree weather here in Reno, and even though I've been freezing my ass off (my hands mainly brrrrrr), I've still maintained a smile beneath my helmet. I'm now planning on getting the grip puppies and tech spech pads (Seem to slide into tank with a boostier 14T sprocket in 1st and 2nd more). Any other small but beneficial upgrades I should be thinking about?

HDR pic I created through an app on my iPhone 4S. Parked in front of my work

[philb]

Excellent. I've been dealing with a similar range of temperatures in New Hampshire this winter, and have discovered the joys of electrically heated gloves. They make a huge difference.

PhilB

[DavidK]

Originally Posted by philb

Excellent. I've been dealing with a similar range of temperatures in New Hampshire this winter, and have discovered the joys of electrically heated gloves. They make a huge difference.

PhilB

Phil, Which brand did you end up with -
I have been eyeing the Gerbings Hybrids with their own Lith Battery power supply as to NOT over TAX the OLD Monsters generator...
Thanks
DavidK

[NateNewThread]

Did you delete comments? Why?

[DavidK]

???
DavidK

[65218]

frame and axle sliders to keep it pretty if you hit something slippery.
Bar end mirrors so you can actually see.
Fender eliminator becaust the original is so fugly.
CRG adjustable levers so you can two finger the levers and set them where you want them.
rear sets to get rid of the big heavy wings to clean up the looks, and have better peg grip.
Exhaust, because stock cans weight too damn much. don't worry about the meager hp gains between the models, the weight reduction makes more difference.
remove your headlight for access so you can put some clear 3m vynil tape on the head tube so the harness doesn't saw through your paint. then put the headlight back on.... you should put some on the rear subframe also where the rubber pads on the seat hit it so It doesn't wear through the anodizing.
If you find you're running hot in the summer, you can go e bay and get an oil cooler off an 1100 and install it- the case is built for it, it just plugged off in the front right side.

[JTP]

Originally Posted by eric9877

remove your headlight for access so you can put some clear 3m vynil tape on the head tube so the harness doesn't saw through your paint. then put the headlight back on.... you should put some on the rear subframe also where the rubber pads on the seat hit it so It doesn't wear through the anodizing.

what is this??

[drvslow]

I love my Monster also- The way it rides like it has wood tires due to the poor suspension. Love driving to gas stations that sell only real gas to avoid my plastic tank from swelling due to ethanol soaking up the water and the reaction. Having to peel the flaking paint off the front head- likely due to the fuel leak dripping fuel from the swollen tank. The high gearing that makes slow speed maneuvers unsettling. The front suspension the dives so much under braking that the headlight beam only reaches 8 feet in front and you loose the side vision for the road you are wanting to turn onto - riding blind in the dark. The headlight that that makes you struggle to see at night taking all your focus to what is ahead and leaves you vulnerable elsewhere. The horn than can barely be heard. Reminds me of my Harley-

But on the serious note- it looks awesome and sounds bad a$$ and it says Ducati on the side. Gota love it.

[65218]

Originally Posted by JTP

what is this??

Look at where the electrical harnesses rub against the head tube, especially behind the headlight. It will wear through the paint and leave exposed steel to rust, same with the four rubber pads under the seat where they rest against the annodized rear sub frame.

he asked for things that we would recomend to make the bike better- this $3 roll of tape keeps you from having to powdercoat your frame after a year.
check out the picks of the frames on my bike here
http://www.ducati.org/forums/how-tos...wap-build.html

[Zigroyd]

Wow eric, that's some incredible work you've done with that bike. I wish I knew how to do half of that sh*t! What an awesome project and I'm sure it will be a great turn over for you once you sell it. The damn thing is totally rebuilt! ;D