Ducati Monster Forum

Here's some pictures of the new bike I got.  My goal is to completely overhaul this $900 bike for and additional $1,600.  For a grand total of $2,500.

(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa241/skeletonkeytattoo/DSCF0053.jpg)
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa241/skeletonkeytattoo/DSCF0054.jpg)(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa241/skeletonkeytattoo/DSCF0058.jpg)
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa241/skeletonkeytattoo/DSCF0059.jpg)
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa241/skeletonkeytattoo/DSCF0049.jpg)
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa241/skeletonkeytattoo/DSCF0057.jpg)
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa241/skeletonkeytattoo/DSCF0055.jpg)
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa241/skeletonkeytattoo/DSCF0056.jpg)
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa241/skeletonkeytattoo/DSCF0060.jpg)

Looks like a fun project!!  It really doesn't look to be in too bad shape to start with.  Are there any deeper engine/trans problems or is it mostly cosmetic?  Keep us posted! [thumbsup]

Wow, someone really pissed off their girlfriend!

Looks like more than a $900 bike to me!  It also looks like the cosmetic issues are some sort of vandalism?   Do you have a plan for the mods?  Keep us posted.

got some new gauges on ebay for $168 shipped. the seat cowl didn't come with the bike. i got it from monster parts for $50. here are the before and in progress pics of the gauges.
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa241/skeletonkeytattoo/gauge1.jpg)
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa241/skeletonkeytattoo/gauge2.jpg)
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa241/skeletonkeytattoo/DSCF0044.jpg)
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa241/skeletonkeytattoo/DSCF0045.jpg)
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa241/skeletonkeytattoo/DSCF0046.jpg)

Wow great deal on the bike?engine ok though?Looks more like a cosmetic work.Enjoy and good luck.

it was vandalized and totaled by the insurance company. i rode it home and it runs perfect. parked it and started working on it. when i get it finished it will be off to the dealer for a thorough inspection.

had to put this in too. bad pic but, i love these dogs!
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa241/skeletonkeytattoo/DSCF0051-1.jpg)

Dude that's not too bad. Very jealous over the guages. Just get it painted and the seat reupholstered and looks like your good to go.   [thumbsup]

Low budget buildup? Ebay is your friend. Looks like the seat just needs a new cover, and I think Sargent sells 'em fairly cheap. The tank scratches probably won't buff out, but it's worth a shot. Otherwise, you're in for a new paint job. The guy who just did my tank and fender did an awesome job, but he ain't cheap.
Definitely keep us posted.

steel tank? cheap but good paint job? POWDER COAT!, or do like industrialgirll is doing (super jealous)

strip the paint and clear coat it for that industrial machine look!

Ok.  You scored a '99 M750 for $900.  Great deal!!!

Here's what needs to be changed:

Timing belts (no way of knowing how old they are and they're cheap)
Tires (the ones on there look to be really old)
Fuel filter
Re-bleed hydraulics

If it's been sitting long, the vertical carburator will have gunk in it from sitting (b/c it sits lower when on the sidestand than the horizontal one does) so check that out if it's running odd.

As far as a build goes, the 'Parts for Sale' and 'Parts Wanted' boards are your friend!  Good luck, and great score!!!  [thumbsup]

future plans:

-paint tank/cowl/fender/belly pan
-have seat recovered
-dual front discs
-clip-ons
-new pegs
-new levers
-lower headlight and gauges
-new tires
-powdercoat wheels and swingarm black
-tuning


then ride the shit out of it!

Fixed it for you  [thumbsup]

Privateer posted about seat covers from HTmoto

http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=26129.0 (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=26129.0)

$70 for a custom cover
http://hydroturf.com/products.php?cat=Seat%20Covers%20-%20Sport%20Bike&man=Ducati (http://hydroturf.com/products.php?cat=Seat%20Covers%20-%20Sport%20Bike&man=Ducati)

thanks yuu! good lookin' out. [clap] $70 seems too good to be true. i will order one asap.

Seems like a good price to me too... I'm tempted to get a cover for my stock saddle...

Another option is
http://www.luimoto.com/ (http://www.luimoto.com/)

Like He Man suggested, you could go down the industrial look path and strip the tank to metal and then coat it.  Could look pretty badass, and most of the cost is your labor.  The one thing you'd need to check for is filler.  It's quite possible that there's a classic Ducati ding hiding under there.

Oh and while you're ripping stuff up - core those cans.

To follow up on Duck-Stew's comments, If it were mine, before I spent much time and $$ on cosmetics I'd make sure the motor is OK.  Since I don't think you know the maintenance history, I'd  also check the valve clearances, a compression check, change the oil and check the oil screen and maybe cut open the filter to see if there are any chunks of metal in there.  Not much chance of it, but still...the bike has been through a lot and the motor is the heart of it and it needs to know that someone cares again.  Plus, going through the ritual of engine maintenance is kind of a bonding experience and makes it your bike.

And, my 2 cents worth on going to dual disks in front.  If you have the parts or can get them real real cheap, then yes, but for street riding, it adds unsprung weight to the front end (not good for the legendary NYC potholes)  and there is no measurable extra braking power to be gained.  But, they do look cool  :)

If you don't already have it, LT Snyder's  manual from www.desmotimes.com (http://) is very useful.

i gotta do something with the cans, it sounds like a moped!

the motor is cool. had it checked out. it will be sitting until the build is complete.
thanks for all your imput! as far as dual discs go..........gotta have 'em! i hate the way the front wheel looks. :(

Yeah, I understand - I have dual disks on my M620 and like them.  I was just sayin.   You've provided some inspiration and I think I'll start looking for a project bike.

any input on some cool mods would be apreciated. i feel like i did when i first started with modding my sv!

Dual discs might take a little parts hunting in your case.  You've got the older 40mm caliper mounts - so it won't be impossible to find a right side caliper, just harder. 

keep in mind, you'll need new lines and probably a new master too - which might fly in the face of your budget concept.  Also, there's some folks who have ditched duals in favor of a single to dump unsprung weight/rotating mass.  Good pads and a good single rotor can still apply plenty of braking force... But yeah it does look a little unbalanced.

 

If you are looking for a cheap paint job .. May I suggest Duplicolor Paintshop Pro .. Yes it is lacquer so you will have to be carefull when filling up - but if you throw some vinyl stripes on there it prevents a lot of spills .. 20 bucks each for Primer/Paint/Clear you can have a White bike for $60 :-)

LOOKS LIKE FUN!!! Ohhhh the memories:

(http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss288/clittel/DSC00437.jpg) - It now has black vinyl stripes - Maybe i'll get the camera out tonight - but yeah $60 bucks a compressor and HVLP gun.

i own a tattoo shop and have a ton of connections around town. a customer is painting everything for me for the cost of paint. but, i gotta say clittelm750 your paint looks awesome! great job.

NICE!!! - And thanks!!! Hey You going to chop and core the cans??!!

i don't know if i am going to core the cans or, go after some after market cans. i would kind of like to keep them stock in case of a fix it ticket.

my god they sure are ugly though!

Congrats on the great buy!

I have a '99 750 that looks just like yours. Hopefully you can buff out those scratches because the tank looks good otherwise.

Regarding the dual disks, I felt the same way as you. I didn't like the look of the single. However, after riding the bike for a few years now, I think the performance is more than adequate and I definitely don't want to add unsprung weight. The only thing I did was replace the stock brake line with a stainless steel Galfer line.

Good luck!

After chopping the tail of mine I had about 6 inches hanging off the back  :P few cut of wheels and 12 or so stainless rivits later I have what looks to be a stock set of termis!! - Just a little shorter [beer]  CHOP EM!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss288/clittel/DSC00434.jpg)

yeah +1 on the htmoto seat cover.  I love mine.  Altho it's still sitting on my workbench.

No one mentioned it, but from the looks of it, I'd replace the chain too, unless the one on there just has surface rust.  Looks pretty sketchy in that rear shock/mud guard picture.

the chain and both sprockets need replaced. got a few more pics to post tomorrow. thanks for all the input!

Exactly my first thought.

a friend of a friend has a 2003 gsxr 1000 that was stolen and recovered stripped. the forks are intact and in perfect shape. i offered him $200 for the front end and now it is in my garage. i checked out some posts on gsxr swaps and, they were all on newer monsters. i don't know if i should keep my current forks or swap. i could always sell the suzuki forks on ebay.

any opinions? thanks.

Opinion:   You've gotten great advice from the folks who have suggested keeping the single front disk.  I've raced bikes with single front disks, switched to dual disks because of warping (couldn't dissipate full racing heat fast enough with the single disk) and I would never willingly switch from a single disk to dual disks on a street bike.  The bike will handle better, steer better, deal with bumps better, be lighter, more purposeful and simple looking, and be DIFFERENT than other Monsters (for the most part) if you retain the single disk.  Add a stainless steel line, replace the single stock rotor with a full floating EBC or Galfer rotor with an aluminum carrier, add some high quality aftermarket brake pads (I use EBC in everything I own and ride) and your bike will stop better, with better feel, than it would with a stock dual-disk setup.  And it will be easier and faster to clean up the front end after a long day's ride!

Caveat: just one man's opinion.

Second caveat: YMMV.

(http://images51.fotki.com/v748/photos/3/42293/8845730/DSCF2733-vi.jpg) (http://public.fotki.com/donnie/als-duc/dscf2733.html) (http://www.fotki.com)


(http://images53.fotki.com/v1609/photos/3/42293/8845730/DSCF2743-vi.jpg) (http://public.fotki.com/donnie/als-duc/dscf2743.html) (http://www.fotki.com)


(http://images54.fotki.com/v1614/photos/3/42293/8845730/DSCF2754-vi.jpg) (http://public.fotki.com/donnie/als-duc/dscf2754.html) (http://www.fotki.com)

So, here are a few pics of the finished product. Been on the road now for a couple of months now.  Good Times!

Cheers,
Al

That's awesome!!

Did you stay in your $2500 total budget?

Had to go back to page 1 to check out the before pics cuz I didn't remember what it looked like before.  Nicely done!  Sweet ride...  [drool]

Bravo Al!!!!!  Awesome build!

She's a beut!!  Budget?   

wow, that turned out nice! the black and gold is killer, reminds me of stu's SS2R which is one of my favorites.
Great job  [thumbsup]

Well said. Dual disks are not really necessary on a street bike. Racing, yes.

that was a great job on the bike, what did the final cost come out to?

was it more expensive than you originally predicted?

good job with modifying the stock pegs to look like aftermarket rearsets.

please tell us more about the rearsets. they look awesome

if you notice all he did was cut the rear part off and covered the cut part with a plate that makes it look like a custom reaset.  i have to admit a good original way of hiding stuff that probably didn't cost too much.

they look a lot nicer than other cut stock rearsts I have seen. I wonder how iit would work with low mounts

great job..........very nice bike for the $$$$

 [thumbsup] [clap] [beer]

Dude,

Those "custom" rearsets are awesom.  Any chances of getting write up on how you did it?

How about how you made the covers?  I'd pay ya to make me a set.

The heat shields are two left sides off of a zx9. Then just a little drilling and tapping. If you want to attempt it let me know and i'll grab a couple of heat shields for you.
To be honest i quit counting after I passed $2500.

Thanks for all the compliments!

 [laugh] [clap]

don't worry everyone stops counting how much they spend on mods, if anyone kept accurate track well you would probably cry.

just a list of mods....

nissin radial masters

lowered headlight 2in.

goodridge brake lines, new pads, dual front discs

new tires

new chain and sprockets. supersprox rear

podercoated- swingarm, wheels, triples, hoop

recovered seat with new foam and gel insert

crg hindsight mirrors

900ss front fender modified

new fork seals

belly pan and seat cowl

marving exhaust

moded rearsets

gauge cluster with tach

clip ons

ride height adjusters

jet kit

k&n filter pods

This bike would have never turned out the way it did if it wasn't for dmf. Thanks!