THE MOVE

The Monster has been trailored to Dallas, TX where I now reside. As a welcome-to-your-new-home present, I have finally taken the time to put some parts that have been sitting around on the bike. Here's a current picture:



These include a Rizoma Clutch Cover and Pressure Plate, both provided by PJ's Parts. I can't say enough good things about the service from PJ's Parts - they run a top-notch outfit. Also in the mix are a set of aluminum shoulder bolts for the stock rearsets to fix the worn out looking zinc plated bolts.  I'm awaiting delivery of a set of titanium bolts to replace the clutch cover's bolts and some of the controls bolts as well. Here's the clutch side of the engine up close:

And an up-close detail image:

A short video of the spinning parts (clutch & pulleys)in motion: (DISCLAIMER: it was quite windy and this was recorded on a Blackberry, so the sound cuts in and out oddly)

New Additions

I have just upgraded the suspension with a Ohlins Damper with the billet under triple mount supplied by Motowheels. The installation was smooth, as is its operation. Adjusting the damper is easy, and the bike seems to have much more composure mid-turn.


The bike also sports reverse, or GP shift pattern using a Motowheels reverse shifter in a champagne color. Due to the Monster's rearsets being set quite forward, the elliptical adjustment of the shifter is completely forward, and the unit works well. The shift pattern is much easier to use when riding the bike hard, and it did not take long to have "up is down" ingrained in memory.


Comfort has also been increased with the addition of a Sargent Seat - long rides are not an issue at all anymore, and the bike swallows 100-150 miles with out a batted eye.


Future plans to upgrade the suspension now lean towards Penske and the 8983 (provided by Traxxion), with several bells and whistles. The fork treatment is still up in the air, but the ultimate goal may be the Traxxion AK-20 cartridges.

Tailchop, Taillight, More?

I finally chopped the tail. The back end of the Monster is much cleaner looking. This was prompted by one of turn signals dying, and while the seat was off and I was messing with the wiring, I decided to go nuts with the Dremel. The locking mechanism was removed but the seat latch was modified to use the original wire and a zip tie to function as a pull-string.



While the tail was off and the back end somewhat taken apart, I thought it was a good time to upgrade the taillight. There were a few options available, and the popular option was the Clear Alternatives board. The inconsistency reported on the DML regarding its quality made me wary.

I chose to use the top of the line Moto-LED unit from MonsterParts, and it works incredibly well. It even has illumination for the license plate. The stock lens was replaced with its Buell counterpart to allow for a clear bottom for plate illumination. While this order was out at MonsterParts I also threw in the Moto-Detail temp gauge. This trick piece replaces the stock oil fill plug and gives accurate readings of oil temp and improves the technical look of the clutch side of the bike.

PJ rushed me a replacement Rizoma turn signal and everything bolted right back up together. The back end is visually bright and less cluttered looking now.

Still to do? Suspension Suspension Suspension!

Winter Work - 2007-08

Not too much new for the bike this winter. A set of Ducati Performance Reverse Megaphones has replaced the Ex Box as the classic, or retro look was desired. Gold Anodized Vee-Two cam pulleys have been installed as well as CA-Cycleworks Ignition Coils to liven up the spark. Alain @ Corse Motorsports supplied the work, but obviously the slipons were a breeze to install, and the cam pulleys were relatively painless (said Alain) and just required proper degreeing. The ignition coils installation has been covered ad nauseum so it would be silly to remind you again how painless this install is.



On order from Motowheels is a custom Sargent seat to replace the stiff, improperly angled stock seat. The often colored welt will remain black on my seat, with the Italian Flag on the side and the CarbonFX seat material insert. The seat cowl will still adorn the rear as it fits over the Sargent without too much issue. The underside of the aftermarket seat has increased storage making stowage of a wheel lock or wallet much easier.



Shifting has changed as the bike is now setup with a GP-style shifter from Motowheels. Their new style reverse shifter has an upgraded curved look with your choice of anodized color for the toe piece, but is unfortunately too long for Monsters with the large diameter bolt kickstand and stock rearsets. Their other unit, with replaceable toe piece is shorter, however, and should work fine. Riding with the new shift pattern may be tricky but a post-it on the tach reminding "down for up" will help me. Pictures will be featured below within a few days.

Next up on the list? Tail Chop, Reworked forks, New
rear suspension, clutch plate & cover.

Late Summer

Things are going well with the bike, it has been tuned and ridden hard since the rebuild with all things going well. Almost. A battery issue has left a couple acid spots in the bronze frame on the left side which prompted me to get a sealed Yuasa battery. Its tiny, weighs very little and works incredibly well. It makes me wonder why the bike came stock with such a huge terrible battery.

The VeeTwo pulleys have not yet been installed as it requires using the cam degreeing tool and some time and I was ready to ride. It is on the list for this winter though, and possible powdercoating the frame red, like the newer bikes (which will also get rid of the aforementioned spots!).

The bellypan has been installed and it looks great in person. I need to figure out how to take better pictures because I never think the bike looks as good photographed as it does in person. Here's an example, using a small digital camera:



A big thanks to Brad @ Speedzone Paint & Bodyworks for the great work on the bellypan and routinely good customer service. The bike has gotten lots of miles this summer, and several trips were very long leading me to believe it may be time for a new seat. I have the Sargent seat in mind, as it is one of few that fits my older Monster's frame, but after seeing Patrick's Monster S4Rs with a stock seat recovered in a light tan leather, I'm starting to think a Sargent seat with "modifications" may be in order. The pics are from a brief ride on the Natchez Trace.