Ducati Monster Forum

Anyone know if anybody makes something like this for the non-adjustable Marzocchi's on the m800/s2r800?

http://traxxion.com/detail-67.aspx (http://traxxion.com/detail-67.aspx)

Ducati made them a few years back - so you might find some used - I didn't [roll]

AFAIK nothing much for our forks other than various degrees of internal work.
If you have enough $$$ there is the Matris cartridge kit at about $950 - includes custom springs, but not shipping
    http://www.carpimoto.com/content/prod/l_EN/s_6_Suspensions__Wheels/fi_17_Matris/pr_28217_Matris_Fork_Cartridge_Kit_for_Ducati_Monster_400_05__620__800_03_04_750_900ie_2002_S2R_800.htm (http://www.carpimoto.com/content/prod/l_EN/s_6_Suspensions__Wheels/fi_17_Matris/pr_28217_Matris_Fork_Cartridge_Kit_for_Ducati_Monster_400_05__620__800_03_04_750_900ie_2002_S2R_800.htm)

Yea i got a quote through PJ's parts a few months back to have the kit delivered. I was looking at about $965 shipped, not too bad really. It's the install that adds the extra $300-ish that makes it a bit TOO much.

I've initiated a conversation with Traxxion to see what they can do for me, I'll keep you posted.

Hey!!!

Another search over at CarpiMoto - these showed up

http://www.carpimoto.com/content/prod/l_EN/s_1_Home/br_8_Ducati/bi_794_Monster_S2R_800/sp_1/pr_34513_Bitubo_Fork_Cartridge_Kit_Ducati_Monster_620_695_S2R_800.htm (http://www.carpimoto.com/content/prod/l_EN/s_1_Home/br_8_Ducati/bi_794_Monster_S2R_800/sp_1/pr_34513_Bitubo_Fork_Cartridge_Kit_Ducati_Monster_620_695_S2R_800.htm)

Hmm interesting.. But at that price, May as well go with the matris kit right?

They are about half the price, but don't offer adjustability other than preload.....

EuroCorsa in Canada is listed as a dealer - they might help out with questions about customized valves and such, if you need anything other than the standard lightweight Italian rider setup.

It's just nice to have alternatives....

Indeed it is. If i cant find an alternative for under $800, I'm just going to have PJ's order me the matris kit. May as well get what i want if im forking over a grand. Whats another $200-$300...

I'm hoping traxxion might want to get in on the game and make something for the S2R, or at least help me figure something out. These forks are pretty common, I know I'm not the only person riding around on them that wants more from them without swapping to completely new forks.

http://www.protwins.co.uk/products_monster/monster_sus/prod_monster_sus12.html (http://www.protwins.co.uk/products_monster/monster_sus/prod_monster_sus12.html)
(http://www.protwins.co.uk/product_imgs/monster/chassis&sus/L_SSchassis1.jpg)

If anyone does contact them, let me know how much they are.   [cheeky]

I just phoned them and spookily the guy on the phone knew the answer to my question straight away because someone had called earlier this morning asking the same Question.
They are no longer available and in his opinion were not worth it anyway.

he recommended  a set of adjustable Showas for £545 plus tax and shipping. tax is 15%
not bad for brand new suspension but not cheap either.

That was me who called - I spoke to Brett and he was going to check and call me back.

Too bad they are discontinued. Did he mention the price and why they weren't worth it?

Showa fork for £545 really sounds like an ok price, especially if that includes springs and valves/oil of choice. I don't think outside-EU-customer will have to pay tax though. Shipping could be expensive...

he couldn't remember the price. But said that it was alot for one way adjustment.
you would still need springs and oil and labour.
compared to the showas which are a whole new set up ready to go.

I dno't know for sure but i think you are right about the tax.
if it works the same way as a with Pringle golf jersey then they fill in a tax form with your details.
Theres a slight difference in price tho  ;D

 :o That's a lot of $$ to adjust your preload. You can spend about five bucks and DIY. Just go buy some PVC from your local hardware store and
cut it to length. That's what you have in there stock...plastic spacer.

Or, if you want to save a ton of money, and get the same end results:
I would recommend ordering the correct springs for your weight, then set your preload correctly. Just doing this will make a world of difference
without spending a ton of money. You can even adjust your compression and rebound by changing out fork oil to a different weight. If you
just want to throw a ton of money at fully adjustable forks for the bling factor then...knock yourself out. If you want to learn more about
how your suspension actually works and set it up yourself, then buy a suspension book and DIY for a hell of a lot cheaper. There is a really good
book about suspension by Andrew Trevitt that you can find at B&Noble.

Springs from Racetech = $100
fork oil                      = $20
suspension book         = $25
spacers                     = $5

Total                        = $150

I won several class championships racing a Monster with stock forks that I set up myself, and I know plenty of other people that have done the same
so if it's good enough to ride at a level where it's very critical to get it right, then it's sure as hell good enough for anything you do
on the street.
 [beer]

But isn't the biggest issue with the Marzocchi fork that it offers VERY little rebound? If so, wouldn't other things than spring and oil be required? My suspension shop did something (trade secret [roll]) with my internals to accomplish a good rebound dampening.

Yes, there is little rebound and the only way to really adjust it is to change the weight of the oil. Your suspension guy probably drilled out your stock valve or something which is a great idea.

My point is that you can make these adjustments on the cheap if you're willing to do the labor yourself. it's really easy it just takes a little time and patience. You would be amazed at how much you can change the rebound with lighter oil. And if you go buy the book that I recommended and read it, it takes the mystery out of what your suspension is and does.
 [beer]

Perhaps i will look into this book. I'm looking to gain a suspension that performs safely and well for my weight, and could care less about adjustability if it is set right for ME. Unless i gain 50lbs... Which could happen... Velveeta...

Fasterblkduc,
My biggest problem is i don't understand much about how my fork works internally, and why mine are inferior, other than that are undersprung. Is it possible to replace the valving, rather than modify it? Any insight on how this stuff works (short version) and what i can do to make it work better is MUCH appreciated.

Get this book,
http://www.amazon.com/Sportbike-Suspension-Tuning-Andrew-Trevitt/dp/1893618455 (http://www.amazon.com/Sportbike-Suspension-Tuning-Andrew-Trevitt/dp/1893618455)

Read it and you will understand everything that you need to about your suspension. The reason that yours is "inferior" is that you have no adjustability, and progressive rate springs. (springs that get stiffer as they are compressed) To get forks set up right for you you need to have the right spring rate, set the sag, set the rebound, and set the compression. The sag is a reflection of the amount of preload that is on the spring, and it changes how much force is needed to start the compression of the forks as well as how far your forks will compress under load. The rebound and compression are the speed at which the forks compress and rebound. This is the oversimplified version [thumbsup]
You have three basic options to set yours up.

1. DIY as I explained. This will get you set up but will not allow for easy adjustability. You can make adjustments but it requires taking the forks apart and changing the spacer by adding/removing shims (they come with Racetech springs), or changig fork oil. It's the cheapest way but requires labor.

2. Buy a drop in cartrtidge kit that has full adjustability. This is very expensive but will allow you to make your adjustments by turning knobs. I would NOT recommend buying the preload caps. That is for sure a huge waste of money to be able to adjust your preload.

3. Buy used (or new) adjustable forks. This is affordable if your patient enough to look for used, approx. $500 and then spend $100 on the right springs. (unless it already has springs for your weight)

Thanks for the down and dirty version, very appreciated.
I'll be stopping at my local Barnes & Noble this evening to pick up the book. I've been looking for another Moto book to read ;D

Thanks for the help man!
I still might end up forking over the dough for the Matris Cartridge Kit, depending on how bad i wanna keep my S2R.
I think it might be my "project bike" for a long time, because of the unbeatable styling and ease of labor.

I have a set of brand new ST2 forks for sale, they're a direct bolt in and will work much better than the junk marzocchis... I was going to put them on my bike but I found a set of S4 forks that I installed instead.

Just put them away and wait for my winter mod mood and more money to appear ;)

They are longer than stock forks, aren't they? (I have clip ons, so it wouldn't be a problem)
What is the spring rate on ST2 forks?

Paging Hooligan Machinist. ;D

 

You rang??

they are 3mm longer than the stock forks, and I don't know what the spring rate is, but suffice it to say that they're much heavier than stock.

edit to add, I found this chart on the net about ducati spring rates and the ST2 spring rates are slightly lighter than the S4 forks that I'm using on my 695 which work very well so they should just be a bolt on and go.

http://www.ducati-upnorth.com/tech/suspensionspring.php (http://www.ducati-upnorth.com/tech/suspensionspring.php)

+1.  I changed the stock springs to Race Techs, ditched the 7.5w stock oil for 5w, and set the preload by cutting spacers (which came with the springs) to length.  It made an amazing difference for about $150 total and a few afternoons in the garage.

I don't doubt that the performance of Traxxion internals or another higher performing fork would be better or that the non-adjustable damping of my stockers is sub-par, but for $150 this made a night and day difference.  The stock forks aren't that bad but the stock springs sure are easy to improve on.  No suspension works well if it's not set up right.

Scott