[Guest]

Ok, test rode the '95 900 tonight.

Impressions,
1. No way near as much pull as a 900ie. I remember one of those making me feel like I was going to fall off when it pulled like a truck, this 900 was faster than my 750 but not a HUGE difference.

2. Seemed flighty in the corners, front end didnt like bumps, do marzocchis suck or are they okay ? Maybe I am imagining it ?

The bike LOOKS great. It SOUNDS great and isnt going to cost alot but I am concerned about the marzocchis and really want some feedback from others with them ? My '99 seemed alot more poised in the corners and this bike didnt really give me alot of confidence to go hard (then again it wasnt my bike so there's always that factor). When going slow thru roundabouts this bike noticeably wanted to fall in and it seemed to be the front end...

 

[Mark1305]

No FHE with Marzocchis, but I've heard they sucked from people that had them (and switched to Showas). My 95 M900 came with pretty decent Showa non-adjustables (which I've switched to 96 SS adjustables).

Mine wanted to fall into turns also, even though the stock Showas were very supple and worked great on the track. They had real soft springs and lots of sag, though. When I switched forks I had to raise front ride height due to clearance issues between the adjusters and handlebars. This combned with the stiffer SS springs = less sag and really raised the effective front height. I feared it would slow turn in and make the bike less responsive - but in fact, it actually cured that tendency to fall into turns and on the track made it easier to flick into a turn without cutting in too deeply and having to correct. Feels more stable, too. So, if you think you may upgrade the front end, the problems you describe are very likely curable.

If it's a smoking good deal, you'll have extra money to throw at the front end.

The power problems, I can't comment too. I know mine impresses me with its pull, but I've never ridden another Duc to compare.

 

[JimGnitecki]

I analyzed available rear wheel horsepower dyno curves for all the Monster models a lot before I made the decision to buy an S4, and what I found was that the carbureted 900s are a LOT stronger than the 750s - not even remotely close, and the new 800ies are as strong as the carbureted 900s BUT the carbureted 900s are still stronger on the midrange and lowend power than the 800s are.

So, if the 900 did not impress you compared to your 750, it's not running quite right.

One other thing: ALL Monster models feel a LOT more impressive with a change in sprocket ratios. It's totally ridiculous to expect a 8500 to 10,000 rpm engine to impress you at 60mph when it's only being allowed to turn over at 3500 rpm. Crank the gearing until you are pulling anywhere from 4200 to 4500 on the bigger motors, and up to 4900 or so at 60mph on the 620, and you'll get much more impressive pull when you open the throttle.

Jim G

Jim G

 

[CRASH!]

The zhocci's are said to suck.

I have the adjustable Showas on mine.

You can get Ohlins Road and Track forks for $2k. I've been told that good (not bent or pitted) adjustble Showas from a Monster S or SS will run you even more.

Soooo, you've gotta get a really good deal to leave room for the upgrade.

As for pull, I concur. It may not be jetted right and it should pull much stronger through the midrange than the 750.

 

[Guest]

Don I am not sure I understand correctly....? Adj used showa's are more then r&t's? uh....

 

[CRASH!]

That's what they tell me at BCM.

It's apparently supply/demand. Everyone with 'zochis and a lot of people with non-adjustable Showas wants to upgrade and there simply aren't that many adjustable showa take-offs available. So the good ones go for a lot!

Note too, we're talking the R&T Ohlins which are considerably less expensive than the race units.

 

[Guest]

wow....I find it hard to believe Bruce is saying that.
I paid $650 for nitrated sbk's..Alex had posted elsewhere recently he had a pair redone internals, powdercoated, $600.00. I have seen sbk's and adj. showa's go for a lot less on ebay.....something doesn't sound right... ???
I forgot, there is a lister here S4_newbie has a pair of adj. showa's just redone internals starting at $700.00....
sorry for jacking the thread.....
for the evaluation....here is some more info on the 900's if you haven't seen before.....http://www.moto-one.com.au/performance/900equal.html
It sounds like

 

[CRASH!]

$700 for reworked adjustable Monster or SS Showa's sounds pretty good.

I have also heard that SBK forks are actually cheaper than adjustable Monster or SS units, but then you have to either pop for the Cycle Cat top tripple or bore out the stock tripple (and shim the bottom in either case). Some people don't really like the latter due to possibility of reduced strength. In the end then, the R&T Ohlins could look like a good choice, though it's hard to say the C-Cat tripple isn't a beautiful mod.

 

[B-Rock]

I have a carb '94 900 and the biggest question is has it been jetted? they are strangled w/o that. it's night and day.
mine isn't perfectly poised in the corners because the suspension is pretty stiff. then again this is the bay area and I have yet to find a smooth section of pavement anywhere, I get bounced like a mofo (have actually gotten air on the 680 over S Main in WC and on the 242 in concord!). it's certainly not overly soft, at least for me.

 

[T-BOOGIE]

Another thing to think about; what were the tires like? If you have a crappy set of rubber or the pressure is way off it will directly affect the bikes handling. Just food for thought...

 

[Guest]

Hmmm

This is making it tough, the bike has been rejetted with the factory pro kit, I'm guessing its still running stock sprockets. The tyres are the sports and they're in reasonable nick. I have called around a fork swap is going to be in the region of $1500-$2000($AUD) assuming I can find a good straight set. Startting to wonder how much of a good deal this bike really is...

Thanks heaps for your help all, really appreciate the feedback

 

[B-Rock]

huh, that's funny that it's kind of a dog. I got my 900 from a coworker, and when they had it they swapped the larger rear sprocket for the stock one since it was having traction problems. now, given my normal throttle position is pretty far open, I still end up lighting up the rear tire on occasion and it will pull the front wheel off the ground in 1st or 2nd with the throttle WFO on power alone, no clutch (although not by much in second). the only reason that I ever think of going back to a larger rear is when I am splitting lanes across bridges in tight traffic and my clutch hand gets tired. if it seems overly weak and ill-handling then perhaps it's just a poor engine and not worth it?