[Duc_N_Har]

My '02 620 has no mods( except bar end mirror) but here is my dilemma.... she runs great, doesnot have any of the problems some other people describe thier bike having. She's getting close to that 6000mile service and my husband says "start saving so you can get pipes , airbox mod and PCIII" but because she is running sooo good , I'm afraid if I change anything, I'll start to have problems???? what do you all think????

 

[Speeddog]

Mods don't equal problems. What I've done, in order:

Glasspacks - Great sound, controversial looks and concept...
CycleCat Tall Bars - Much improved comfort, gorgeous parts.
BrakeTech Floating Iron rear rotor and Ferodo Platinum Pads - Eliminated the squealing/howling, and it actually slows the bike down some.
DynoJet PC III - Runs better, and I can eventually (soon) dyno-tune to make it run even better, and compensate for any engine mods in the future.
Yoyodyne Clutch Slave - Easier clutch pull, wider engagement zone, prettier than the stock unit.
Yuasa YT12B-BS Battery - Replaced the leaking stocker.
PvL Oil Temp Gauge - Looks cool, gives me some idea of oil temp.
S4R Mirrors - Look better than the stock mirrors (not hard), and work a little better.

Problems I've had or am still having:
Leaking Vertical Cylinder Base Gasket
Leaking Stock Battery
"Lost The Handle" on Front Fork Adjustment
Tires Worn Out ;D

None of the mods have caused any problems, and in fact have eliminated some potential problems, and fixed others.

Go for it!

 

[Guest]

If you're happy with the machine the way it is...well just leave it that way,

personally I envy you, I just can't leave the damn thing alone its a friggin addiction.

But to that point I have jetted, canned, dyna-coiled and a few dozen other things to my bike and at 21.5K miles it is still a rock-solid daily performer

 

[sivan]

Why not throw in a harmless 14T front sprocket to whet your appetite?

I do think there exists a kind of "mod inhibition", which manifests itself through seemingly logical concerns and reasons [smiley=evil.gif]

 

[MonsterHooligan]

Mods don't equal problems.

Um, that's not always true.
Karen's 97 M750 has 15,000ish miles and everything stock that we have not messed with has given us zero problems.
Now the stuff that we have fu...um...fussed with...thats another story.
The front wheel bearings came outta whack and the wheel came loose eating the caliper and disk, the front sprocket came off, the pipes fell out of the headers, the battery kept not starting the bike until we took off the battery tender leads....
now granted, some of this can be attributed to my mechanical ineptitude, and this IS a more extreme mod case than most.
buuut, if you like the stock parts and dont want to change them, dont feel bad about it. oh, except the pipes. you gotta change those ;D

 

[Guest]

I think that monsters are the only motorcyles in the world that people look at as a blank canvas, not as a done deal. Maybe [email protected] but they don't count. ;D ;D

I can't wait until I get enough money to mod my mistress(as the wife calls it). Pipes, bodywork, suspension, the works.

 

[Guest]

My '02 620 has no mods( except bar end mirror) but here is my dilemma.... she runs great, doesnot have any of the problems some other people describe thier bike having. She's getting close to that 6000mile service and my husband says "start saving so you can get pipes , airbox mod and PCIII" but because she is running sooo good , I'm afraid if I change anything, I'll start to have problems???? what do you all think????

YOU BIG SISSY!

 

[TX907]

If you are concerned with the way it would run, take it to a good dealer who will dyno the bike before and after airbox/chip/exhaust mods and make sure it is running great. You can also see what the gains are.

 

[CRASH!]

There are performance mods that a good shop will have the experience to do right, like pipe and map.

There are othere that will have no effect on the running at all: carbon fiber and such.

And there's a bunch in the middle: clip-ons, changed gearing.

Do what you've gotta do. If you don't hafta do anything, then you're much better off financially than the rest of us!

But I like my bike MUCH better with the mods I've done. I wouldn't undo any of them.

 

[Lee]

Hey Deb:

I have a stock M800 and I love the bike. It's dependable, fast enough for me to keep up with the "others", and I get many looks and favorable comments from even the Harley riders. I find myself getting that "itch" however. At my age I thought that wouldn't happen. I have ordered sliders to protect what I have, but I know when my wife askes me what I want for Christmas........I'm gonna open my big fat mouth and say "2 into 1 high mount CF cans, power commander III, and some rearsets please." Please shoot me.

 

[Duc_N_Har]

I have a little time to think about it, and FBF would be doing the work, so no doubts with them! So we will see once that time rolls around. Pipes, airbox mod and PCIII is what I'm thinking.

 

[Guest]

I agree with the crowd on this one, the mods like the bike are in the eye of the beholder. Fortunately, the bike looks awesome as it stands, but with even the most subtle changes it can be more unique than anything or anyone. I for one have gone the multi-mod path and will never be finished!

 

[Guest]

Kinda funny, I am generally an "anti-mod" guy with my vehicles.

My cars are generally all stock. I've had lots of japanese sports bikes, all have always been bone stock. No pipes, no jet kits, no nothing. I always bought them used, and always bought only stock bikes, and left them that way. Never had ANY urge to modify those.

The Monster is totally different to me for some reason. Completely opposite, in fact. In looking for a used one, I pretty much insisted on one that is already modified with at least pipes and rejetting/power commander. The one I eventually bought has those, and also has mirrors, which was a nice bonus because I would have immediately bought mirrors anyways.

The tail is immediately coming off, too!

Kinda weird how the Monster is totally different in that way from every vehicle I've owned for the past 20 years.

 

[JerseyJames]

Get the pipes already!!! You'll love them....... My computer has been down for a good while....... So I put almost 3000 miles on my odometer instead....what a concept!

Seriously.....nothing sounds like a liberated Ducati. Not too loud...but people feel the rumble a long way off. Also it'll let you hear what the engine is doing. And places a smile on your face....

As you can tell....I've returned my TBR pipes to the Duc and I put the stock cans on a high shelf in the garage...
I won't be needing them.....

Ride Safe,
JJ

 

[KrazyKat]

Since I have no mechanical background and am relatively new to motorcycles, how much of "mod problems" can you attribute to poor installation versus the quality of the modified part installed? (Does that make sense?) Or are there other reasons that give bikes "mod problems"?

 

[Speeddog]

Since I have no mechanical background and am relatively new to motorcycles, how much of "mod problems" can you attribute to poor installation versus the quality of the modified part installed? (Does that make sense?) Or are there other reasons that give bikes "mod problems"?

Well, If it's Higgie/MonsterHooligan, poor installation pretty much covers it.... ;D Just Kidding! Honest! ( I'm gonna get hammered...)

Seriously, it can be a bad quality part, poor installation, or just a bad combination.

For example, from what other folks have said (haven't tried it myself), running a hacked/open airbox without "rejetting" causes problems like poor running (and possibly worse) due to being lean. That's a bad combination.

If you follow the examples of other folks here that are happy with the results of particular mods, you're pretty safe. Also, if you keep the stock stuff you took off, you can always reverse it if it does go bad.

 

[Guest]

You don't need to be afraid of mods--just stay clear of inexperienced Ducati mechanics. Ducatis have their own little design quirks that take some time to get used to.