Suspension setup - Ducati Monster Forums: Ducati Monster Motorcycle Forum

mysfitt · 07-18-2006, 02:58 PM

Alright, it's a rarity for me, but I've been tweaking my suspension for months and can't seem to get it right. I'm ready to let a professional take a look at it. As I'm in Memphis, I don't have any experience with the Nashville shops, but they've got to be better than what we have here.

A couple of questions..

1) I'm confused. Are there two Ducati shops in Nashville, or did the one just move?
2) Anybody here have their suspension done by a Nashville shop and can make a recommendation?

My bike isn't anything resembling stock. The front end is Showa forks off a 748, a custom top triple, and Cyclecat clipons. The forks were re-worked by BCM Ducati with .85 springs and lighter oil. While that helped, I think I'm having geometry problems. If somebody could point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it.

MrDigitaL · 07-18-2006, 03:28 PM

Mysfitt,

There's only 1 dealer in Nashville Bloodworth Ducati & BMW,
but there is a independent Ducati repai shop. www.corsemotorsports.com
Give them a call. Alain is a great guy to talk to.

ducatania · 07-19-2006, 08:40 AM

What's your bike doing that makes it feel out of whack?

mysfitt · 07-19-2006, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ducatania

What's your bike doing that makes it feel out of whack?

It's harsh and unstable over bumps for one thing. Especially in a turn. A couple of days ago I got on the brakes hard in a gentle curve because somebody suddenly cut me off and I swear it felt like it almost went into a tank slapper. The bars wagged back and forth a few times and I relaxed my arms and got off the brakes and it straightened out. It was this more than anything that made me decide that I really need to get this fixed.

ducatania · 07-19-2006, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mysfitt

It's harsh and unstable over bumps for one thing. Especially in a turn. A couple of days ago I got on the brakes hard in a gentle curve because somebody suddenly cut me off and I swear it felt like it almost went into a tank slapper. The bars wagged back and forth a few times and I relaxed my arms and got off the brakes and it straightened out. It was this more than anything that made me decide that I really need to get this fixed.

You said that BCM did your front end? Did they set sag etc? If it's harsh and you have adjustable forks, you may need to dial out a bit of rebound. It also sounds like you could benefit from a steering damper.

mysfitt · 07-20-2006, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ducatania

You said that BCM did your front end? Did they set sag etc? If it's harsh and you have adjustable forks, you may need to dial out a bit of rebound. It also sounds like you could benefit from a steering damper.

BCM reworked the forks, but I had to take them off and ship them, and then re-install when I got them back. It's not a big deal as I work on my bike all the time and this was a piece of cake comparatively. However, I don't think that I've got enough sag. I've only got about 20mm of rider sag with the preload turned all the way out. It could be that I still need lighter springs. Rebound is what I've been monkeying with for the past few months and I've currently got it at 11 clicks in [there's a total of 18]. The forks are Showas off a 2001 748. I thought that "in" was slower and "out" was faster? Wouldn't speeding up the rebound make the ride harsher? Maybe I should move this thread out to tech?

As for a steering damper, my thoughts on that is it's not a bad idea, but I need to get my problem fixed first. It never hurts to have extra insurance though once you've experienced anything even close to a tank slapper.