Ducati Monster Forum

Hello all,

I just recently joined forum but had bike a year and I LOVE it!
Like most of us I have wanted a Monster for some time, I can remember first seeing it in MCN back in the day when Foggy was racing for Ducati and I just fell in love with the original M900, but as a poor student (at the time) owning a Ducati was just a pipe dream.

Some 20+ years later, kids all grown up and my insurance being low, I finally took the plunge to shell out for a summer only bike and I cannot say how much I just love my little Duke.

When I got it, it had been lowered for a female rider at the dealership, which I didn't mind too much initially, but have since changed the bars and seat back to original and stiffened up the back end. The bike had only covered 3200 miles in 7 years! So new belts and a full service later I felt more comfortable opening it up.

I have an SV650, which despite the obvious comparisons it a very different bike, I love them both for different reasons. The SV is like a wife; dependable, hard-working, rewarding and trustworthy. The Ducati is more like a mistress; feisty, sexy and makes you feel a bit special and fills you with a bit of confidence and maybe arrogance  ;D

Anyway, I had done quite a few changes, main one being GPR carbon exhausts, but there's not much to change on this gorgeous piece of machinery.

Welcome. [beer]
Show us some pics.
The bike back to normal ride height?

Some pics of your findanzata or Goomah will help us gauge were the ride height is at if it's not stock.

G'Day Sean_696 from Devon, welcome to our DMF  [thumbsup]

If you're ever up North, the ungeheuer household is always open* to fellow Ducatters (even the Pommie ones  ;D)

*Covid notwithstanding

I’m originally from the north west, so there’s every chance! ;D

(https://www.facebook.com/788544781/posts/10161725179519782/?d=n)

Your facebook link doesn't show here.

(https://postimg.cc/gallery/1yH1xWv)

Brainfart#1

Still no love...

Sorry I don’t usually use forums, tend to use Reddit hopefully this lot works better…?


(https://i.postimg.cc/JHVbzsj4/6-A96-EC90-3-C30-402-B-B7-B1-E70-E45-BB2-C4-B.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/JHVbzsj4)

(https://i.postimg.cc/Zv86BJLP/BD6-A952-B-F888-4812-9-A69-18-EC4417-FEE6.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Zv86BJLP)

(https://i.postimg.cc/zbRCNCbc/E9-FF29-C3-C31-F-414-F-8-B86-CBF950506489.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/zbRCNCbc)

(https://i.postimg.cc/VShq2G6t/FAF91-F8-C-2-D80-4-EA0-AD7-F-D4-C29-DA09-C47.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/VShq2G6t)

 [thumbsup]
Better but small. I use Flickr.

I'd say the forks have been pushed through the clamps to lower the front. Can't tell if the back has been dropped by any other means besides spring pre load. You've adjusted rear preload and if you havent set rear sag with you on the bike, get a mate with measuring tape and a few beers to help do that (if you're not in lockdown). Someone here will know where the fork tops should be in relation to the clamps so you can also restore front ride height. You're probably scraping your boots in the corners!

Unfortunately the vinyl wrap will need a top up in the exposed area.

Yep, definitely scraping those boots. Thanks for the advice.  [thumbsup]

At least you can click them to view on postimage. [thumbsup]

Agree that the tubes are high in the triples. I happen to like that on a Monster with a raised rear.

I'd say the fork legs are set at stock height - or pretty close to - within the triple clamps.   M696 stock top triple is 'drop shouldered' so clamps lower down the forks, perhaps giving the impression the fork legs have been dropped thu.   I think the vinyl wrap below the top triple on down probably also creates the illusion of 'lowered' thru...

For comparison, here's a pic of my M696 forks at stock height thru the triples...

(https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3624/3646137931_86be3b7216.jpg?v=0)  (https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3351/3646965014_ba341f6194.jpg)

I think Sean's bike's forks protrude more (to my eye at least looking at internet pics). I'm guessing the dealer used about 10mm to lower it without the wheel hitting the head on full fork compression. The dealer probably wound off the rear preload too, but I think Sean has fixed that.
Ung, you got the specs for Sean to measure? If my eyes are playing tricks I owe you both a beer. ;D

Yea... those forks look higher than my 796. The inside edge is level with the radius of the triple right there, on my bike.  I would think with the forks higher you might get some headshake at speed, or with hard braking.

The correct measurement is 222mm from the top of the fork, to the top of the bottom yoke.

796 and 696 the same?

I would think so... but I'll check...

Meh... you might be right.  The fork components don't share common part numbers, although I was not able to pull up a service manual for a 696 to see what the actual measurement is.  I just assumed the 696 and 796 shared the same front end parts... it would make sense... or at least the same geometry.