Ducati Monster Forum

Weather cleared long enough for the snow to melt, and me to take some pictures... Just thought I'd share... 

(http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp17/wisdesign/Christmas_Mods_2.jpg)

(http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp17/wisdesign/Christmas_Mods_1.jpg)

(http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp17/wisdesign/Christmas_Mods_4.jpg)

(http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp17/wisdesign/Christmas_Mods_3a.jpg)

(http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp17/wisdesign/Christmas_Mods_6.jpg)

Oh yeah... got the HM jacket - it's sweet!

(http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp17/wisdesign/Brians_Ducati_Jacket_5.jpg)

that bike is fecking hot, would you mind giving a total mods list?

Looks really nice.  I like the red detail on the tank and seat cover.  I have the Termi carbons on mine, but think that the Arrows look killer, too.

My upgrade list for this winter are the Rizoma mirrors, bar ends, DP oil cooler, and DP tail chop.  Next is some powder coat work for the headlight bracket, exhaust brackets, and heat shrouds.  

Oh, how did you black out your forks?

Great pics [thumbsup] I love the red stripe detail on the tank/tail as a whole it all works nicely done!

Whew!... glad you guys like the stripe... I had a "did I take it too far?" moment there for a second...

Here's the total mod list (or what I can remember anyway) in no particular order:

Removed Charcoal Canister - replaced with Euro shroud from motowheels.com.
Removed Reflectors (of course)
Blacked out (painted) the headlamp surround
Blacked out the exhaust heat shield (high temp ceramic paint) and exhaust hangers.
Arrow Carbon Slip-on exhaust
Blacked out the Arrow logos (originally yellow and blue)
Competition Werkes tail chop kit - blacked out
DP LED signals - front and rear
ASV shorty levers
CRG Lanesplitters + Rhinomoto barends
Carbon front fender from motowheels.com
Black vinyl fork wrap (that was a fun one  [roll])
AND... some fun with red rim tape...

(http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp17/wisdesign/Christmas_Mods_5.jpg)

I'm feeling like it's mostly there... just a few more I'd like to get around to eventually.  I'm really hoping motowheels comes through with their rearset for the 696 'cause the stock set sticks out like a sore thumb with everything blacked out.  I've got some motovation rear axle sliders on the way so I can use my rear stand with spool pick-ups. 

 

Badass!!!  I've got a darky and now I must get the vinyl on the forks!!  Nice job! [thumbsup] [thumbsup]

Red stripes = perfect  [thumbsup] Nice work otherwise too!

Can you tell us more (all!) about the vinyl fork job? (except "fun [roll]")

can you take the arrow nameplates off the cans? i dont like putting ads on my bike.

I started taking the Arrow plates off the exhaust to do this work, but thought better of it after considering my recent knack at causing another problem while trying to "fix" something else.  I suppose you could remove them, but I'm not sure what you'd end up with underneath there.  I get the whole thing about not promoting somebody else's brand, but this ain't Coca-Cola... these are brands that mean something to motorcyclists and not alot to non-motorcyclists - which is why I'll keep 'em. 

The black vinyl I bought came from a posting on the old site (I think) about somebody who did this on an older style monster.  It's Oracal gloss black vinyl.  Pretty cheap - bought a roll (maybe 5 yds.) from an online retailer.  I thought this looked nicer than the flat black vinyl I've seen on other forks - personal opinion. Once you get the hang of it, it's not so bad, but here's a few tips:

1. If possible, do this in a warm, well-lit area.  My freezing cold garage in the dead of winter wasn't the best location.  The warmer it is, the more flexible the vinyl will be - which means it'll be easier to work out any air bubbles and get it to conform to an area if the cut isn't perfect.

2. If you're not patient or relaxed - Don't do it.  It may actually be easier to pull the whole front end apart and anodize the damn things. 

3. Determine how much of a perfectionist you are - if it has to be dead nuts, spot on, no mistakes, prepare to spend some time doing it.  If you've got a buddy that runs a sign shop and installs vinyl on a daily basis - have him/her help you.  Buy them dinner, beer or even jewelry - it'll be worth it.

4. Remove the front fender, handlebar, and handlebar mount on the triple.

5. On the lower, flared bit of the fork tubes, cut two strips - one for the larger diameter at the base and one for the transition (chamfered face).  You'll never notice that it's not one piece. 

6. If you're not a super duper perfectionist, cut small strips to cover up any imperfection in the alignment on the very top and bottom (by the triple clamp).  You're much more likely to notice a ragged edge there than if theres a hairline ridge where the two pieces of vinyl overlap. 

7. Use paper or tape to make a template for the top of the forks above the upper triple.  This is a tricky shape.  Exercise maximum patience. 

This is getting long, so if anyone's got more questions or wants specific tips, just PM me. 
 

How difficult was it to do the rim striping?

Looking good, If I had to nit pick I would get rid of that frame sticker.

What brand of paint did you use for the heat shields and headlight?

Rim strips - piece of cake.  Get a buddy to roll the bike forward while you apply the strip.  Mine came with a little plastic applicator that made it easy to keep it (relatively) straight.

The paint - It's Dupli-Color High Heat + Ceramic.  Found the best results by following the directions (go figure  [roll]) - apply two light coats about ten minutes apart followed by one medium coat.  Repeat again in under an hour for a thicker coat. 

With alot of these mods, I started out not sure whether or not I would like it, which is why I went with paint and vinyl versus powdercoat and anodize.  The paint holds up well so far, but powdercoat is probably best for a permanent finish on the headlamp bezel.   In fact - if I end up with some more time on my hands (not likely) I may have this piece powdercoated along with the bar mounts and maybe the upper clamp.  Nice thing about painting though is the turnaround time to results - especially important during the riding season.   [moto]

Dang... Can't please everyone I guess...  [roll]

Just please yourself.

i like the sound of termi better than arrows.

but the shape of the arrow pipes for this bike is 10x better than the termi megaphone shorty style that they make for the bike.  the arrow shape is so much nicer on this bike, they got it spot on, that is how the bike should have come from the factory with that shape pipes on them.

Congrats, looks nice!

You're the first I know who said it was easy putting on the rim tape. I bugged my buddy enough yesterday to help get my Termis on. Maybe give him a day or two before bugging him again.  :)

I like the Arrows so much better than the Termis.
They remind me a lot of the Zards on my bike.

What did you use for the rim stripes?

I used the Pro-Grip brand wheel tape in the dark red color.  Comes with an applicator.  You can find this on ebay in tons of different colors. 

Hmmm...I did a search on eBay for "pro-grip tape" and came up empty.  ???

use Pro-Grip Wheel Tape for the search...

found it here:
http://www.bikebandit.com/product/16090 (http://www.bikebandit.com/product/16090)
http://www.motosport.com/street/search/index.php?words=pro-grip%20wheel%20tape (http://www.motosport.com/street/search/index.php?words=pro-grip%20wheel%20tape)

clean!  the red tape definitely gives it some contrast within all the black and white.

Hey Man, Excellent ride!! I have a pearl white 696 as well. Where do you live? I want you to pimp my bike too!

Thanks.  I rode over to TapeWorks and picked some up!

It's the one to have... being the fastest color and all.   ;D  No need to have me pimp your ride - this forum gives you all the knowledge you need to do it yourself!  I live in Southern Oregon.

Little late on this one, but here's an ebay link in case anyone else is looking...

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=m38.l1313&_nkw=progrip+tape&_sacat=See-All-Categories (http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=m38.l1313&_nkw=progrip+tape&_sacat=See-All-Categories)

The best 696 i've seen so far!!! very nice set up,simple but then it has some attitude.Great job!

Awesome job. [thumbsup]

What's the "applicator"?

Here's a good shot of the applicator: http://www.bikebandit.com/product/16090

It's the little black plastic piece that helps guide the tape as you apply it to the rim as well as remove the backing.  It's a little fussy to get the hang of, but once you've got it - you're golden.

Wow... Thanks!  I appeciate all the compliments.  It's been fun and it's definitely still a work in progress.  All of these mods were pretty simple and I stole all of these ideas from other forum members posting here.  Can't wait to see what people come up with on the M1100 next year! 

Happy New Year!

got a source for the vinyl for your forks? i've been wanting to do this, but can't figure out where to get  vinyl, and what spec vinyl to use...

Here's where I got the vinyl... http://www.signsplusbanners.com/Oracal_851.html

...and here's what I ordered (which was way more than enough):

 Qty   Unit Product Description                                  SubTotal
----- ----- -------------------------------------------------- ------------------
   1       15" x 5 yds Oracal 851 (B/W)                                  $ 23.50
           Option(s):Choose Color=Black-070

Which Rhino bar ends did you order? 

Not sure exactly which ones they are as I bought them from my dealer along with the CRG mirrors.  They've definitely got an adapter and seem to be fairly universal for fitting typical bar ID and the CRG Hindsight mirrors.  Sorry I can't be of more help. 

You have to order the Rhinomoto  small I.D. adapters for the 696 bars ie. for Classic Ducati Mirror Mounts.  I really like them as well.

You don't want to know about the "applicator".

(http://images.inmagine.com/img/creatas/cr15285/cr15285073.jpg)

 :o [clap]

What did you use to black out the logo?  Any chance you could post a close-up photo of them?  Thanks!