Ducati Monster Forum

Sawz-All with fine tooth hack blade?

Dremel with cutter wheel?

Hand Hacksaw?

any other suggested/recommended tool appropriate for the surgery?

I'd use the sawzall.

Cut of wheels often make crooked cuts and a hack saw is kinda slow.

Kinda what I was thinking

wondering if I should gin up some kind of collar on the tube to keep the blade on the scribe marks

If you had a large drill stop you could cut it long and then use the stop to cut against for the finish cut.

I'd just do it...what could go wrong?  ;D

That's the problem any collar would have to be split....

probably will just electrical tape the bejeezus out of the scribe line and go for the glory with the Makita

Just put some painters tape around where you want to cut so you know that it is straight. Go For it!  [thumbsup]

A small pipe cutter will yield an extremely accurate cut. With painter's tape of course to protect your paint job.

listen to the man about the painters tape. lesson learned. not that big of a deal, touch up paint solved the issue.

i like the tape/ hacksaw method

you can go slower so you dont goof up  8)

+1

thats assuming you have one to begin with. and ontop of that, its made to cut copper and aluminum not steel, so i wouldnt want to ruin the blade if you dont know how to use it (you dont just twist the knob as hard as you can, its a gentle process)

But it would be the recommend method if you ummm well are like IZ and cant hold your hands steady.

listen to he-man, he knows all about twisting his knob.......

LOL

Thanks for all the responses!

+1 on the pipe cutter and tape. I used this method for mine and although it took a while, the cut was nice and precise. It also allowed me to file down the insides to the point where my frame plugs fit snug. Talk about getting two birds stoned at once!

I used a die grinder fitted with a cut-off wheel.  Oh, and tape around the frame:
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d147/pompino/DSCN1322.jpg)
Watch them thar sparks!!   :o

My vote is anything that doesn't generate heat.  The heat will burn the crap out of the paint lengthening the finishing time.

+1 on angle grinder w/cut off wheel. if you take it slow and lightly grind, it won't mess up the paint. did it on mine.

I used a pipe cutter (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=34868.msg608432#msg608432), I have a good one that I use on SS tube all the time.  Was super easy and only took a few minutes, no sparks, no heat, no mess.  [thumbsup]

Hey any pictures or links to a pipe cutter that would be right for the task?

I just went to my local hardware store and picked one up. It was small and took a bit to get through but it did a good job. Just take off your beer tray to get an idea of any clearance issues. Let me see if I can find it.

If you have a Home Depot near you, this is the one I used (http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xk1/R-100015820/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053).  Remember, light turns on the knob, make a few full rotations, then turn the knob more, more rotations, rinse and repeat.  Takes maybe 2-3 minutes per side.  [thumbsup]

Yes a mile or 5 down the road.

Thank you so much!!

On my way over there tonight with print out of tool

Competition Werkes unit came today via BBT, looks nice

I can schedule surgery for tomorrow   ;D

No problem, make SURE to do the side with the seat lock FIRST.  That will determine how short you can cut, since you can only get the tool so close...

good point...... the gusset for the lock will dictate the cut

It's closer with a hacksaw or sawzall.  ;)

here's an idea i thought up for my tail chop on my 95 m900. you all will probably appreciate more than the other site did.
 

I've been reading about tail chops for years on this forum. My '01 was bo9ught used with the tail already chopped. I've been looking at my '97 for a while and that whole piece under the beer tray start5ed looking like a gator's tail. I removed the beer tray and discovered that the turn signals and license plate bracket are all one piece.
(http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab295/nicasaurus/IMG00054-20100403-1643.jpg)

Suggestions? I have no problem taking a saw to the frame tubes. I really have no issue with the turn signals, but the whole license plate bracket  hangs down about 15" below the license plate lamp.

OK so I went with a pipe cutter and made the cut at 6 inches in from the frame ends as opposed to the 6 1/2 inches in the Comp Werkes instructions. The clearance for the seat lock gusset forced that measurement due to my using the pipe cutter

I used the smallest pipe cutter I could get and it came out nicely. The cuts were dead clean and I can always rejoin the cut end-piece to the frame with a pair of cylindrical metal slugs or sleeves inside the tubes and either set screws or a weld bead

The pipe cutter rollers did crush the paint on the edges of the cut but that probably had more to do with me not bothering to tape the surgery area first and also by going gorilla on turning the pressure up on the tool

The Comp Werkes frame end caps were worthless, even after reaming the inside bore of the cuts....kept popping out

so I went to the local hardware and found some 7/8th inch diameter black plastic/rubber  "furniture feet" caps that were just plain cups that fit perfectly over the new frame ends,

looks super clean and natural not rednecked and bubba'd  and the caps cover the paint chippings at the edge

yeah I know the post is worthless without pic's...so I will post the tool I used, the caps and bike as finished in a day or so need to charge the camera

You need to pop the seat so we could see how the tail light is mounted...earlier Monsters had welded gussets on the frame that held the tail light...later Monsters had the tail light secured to the plastic beer tray

I would think your 97 has the frame-mounted tail light.....I have a new unused Pro-Italia billet aluminum tail chop end-piece for the early type frames

might work on yours...same unit worked fine on my old 96 M900

Sending PM

(http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee91/visigoth9/YellowDog001.jpg)


(http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee91/visigoth9/YellowDog002.jpg)


(http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee91/visigoth9/YellowDog003.jpg)


(http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee91/visigoth9/YellowDog005.jpg)

 [clap]

Rat - Did you use a kit or ?? Curious as to how the turn signals mount? Pics?

Thanks.. Looks nice!

I used the Comp Werkes chop kit. 

The turn signal mounts are separate pieces of 90 degree angle plate double-drilled for the Duc standard directional set-ups.

They attach on top using the two mounting bolts that hold the Werkes' main plate to the bike

did you have to cut the seat posts?

Nope all I had to do was tuck the excess wire away really well away from the latch plate and pin area

keeping it below the surface level of the plate assembly

then the seat latch clicked with a light push down on the seat tail and locked

very nice and clean work there. i like the sliding door cover.

Sawzall and tape worked great for me. But I'm so glad I spent $55 on a (used) integrated taillight, instead of spending the $100 or so on the CW kit. Although I did manage to damage my hugger on one of my prototypes (before I had the new taillight), it was still worth the money saved and looks great!

I'll try to post pictures soon. And thanks to said prototype my license plate has an additional "custom" feature.

(http://web16.twitpic.com/img/95399214-6d291629cec269e6161aa717781f1474.4bdf7cce-full.jpg)
(http://web16.twitpic.com/img/95400452-5ea10f222f0252e0cb3bbd1269e690ec.4bdf7d72-full.jpg)

Pipe cutter and tape here.  6" off tail and exhaust.

(http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a174/GogglesPizano/CIMG0139.jpg)

(http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a174/GogglesPizano/duc.jpg)

More progress on the yellow dog....added Sil-NCR titanium cans and EVR clutch stuff

mickey mouse mirrors are next to go...

crg bar ends I think

(http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/ab88/hicap9/YellowDogSilMoto007.jpg)
(http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/ab88/hicap9/YellowDogSilMoto006.jpg)

^LOL stupid ass short kickstands.

Hey that's my custom Simonize stand extension!!   ;D

Loking really nice Rat900..! for the tail end, you could also use handle bar ends instead. The handle bar ends are rounded and IMHO, kind of look nice too, I painted mine to complete the frame..!

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2354/2263900801_c53970a271_o.jpg)

(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3064/2482058926_7015f6d89d_b.jpg)

(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg216/mikesixtysix/blackfog/IMG_3828.jpg)