Ducati Monster Forum

Ok...

Because of a wreck and finical issues, I've been off my bike since May of 09.  I'm getting her back in a few days.  

BUT...

I was having problems, with my hands falling asleep and the bike being uncomfortable to ride.  My plan is to throw a riser on there, and if that doesn't work new handle bars (and if that doesn't work it's up for sale).  But  a buddy of mine who is a speed triple rider says a lot of those guys drop the rear an inch or so and combined with a riser it makes the riding position more comfortable/more upright.   Anyone try it with an 07 Monster S4R

I've got to get back to where I can ride all day, not just tolerate it between lights.

sounds like a recipe for a tank slapper.

Don't do it.  Even being 5'-3" I raised the rear as recommended and it dramatically improved the handling.  I can't imagine how tough it would be to keep the bike on a tight line if you lower the rear any.  I also searched for a while and picked up a set of used cycle cat clip-ons.  Their adjustability greatly improved my comfort and helped with my tingly fingers.

If you lower the rear you are increasing trail so the bike will be more stable, I think going the other way will get you a tank slapper but in reality our S*R monsters have a ways to go before they get too slap happy.

Back on topic, yes you can lower the rear but don't expect it to do much b/c unless you have raised it these bike are at (or very close to) their lowest setting from the factory.  Also when you lower it look at your owners manual, one of the jam nuts is reverse threaded (top I think).  You will need two wrenches to get the job done and yes it can be done with the bike completely together but it will take time to figure where to put the wrenches to get access to the nuts.  You may need to raise the tank and you will cuss the S4's 50mm exhaust (No room).

If you decide to try different bars and are interested in some MV Agusta Brutale bars, which are taller and have more rearward sweep, drop me a message.  I also have a 07 S4Rs and needed to change the bars for the same reason, but I'm 6'2".  they've been mounted and ridden only a couple times, and are in new condition. 

I didn't find any other bars that would do what I wanted...didn't like the rizomas and didn't want to go with risers because I also didn't like the sweep of the stock bar, and I would have had to replace the bars anyway. 

Good luck regardless.

Joel

you can lower the rear by lowering the rod or reducing the shock travel.
if you want it 1 inch lowered you might have to do both, depending on how much the rod will let you drop it.
if you lower the rear you wont have headshakes since you are gaining trail (as cases2r said), theorically it might get lacier to go into turns, the monster chassis are already short and have not enough trail so increasing it is not a bad idea.
the reverse thread nut is the one that has a mark around it.

Absolutely do not lower the bike in the rear.  As said above raise the bike 1 inch.  Better turn in and "finishes" the turn better.

Change the bars if anything.

LA

+1 don't lower it; I find my bike at stock setting gets kinda light in the front when hammering on it, and with new tires feels way too twitchy. I need a steering stabilizer. Lowering the rear I imagine would worsen this condition. Plus, lowered Monsters look gimpy.

the twitchy issue is because short trail numbers and poor spring/valving combination on the shock.
if your valving/spring is too soft  when you get on the gas the bike will squat too much and will make the bike's weight transfer to the rear causing the front end to loose grip and twitch, this is a consequence of the adjustment that needs a correction.
I've ridden s4r and s4rs in stock form and when put the hammer down on 3rd and 4rd gears the front end twitches, headshakes and tankslaps and no matter what you do this is the way the bike comes from factory.
I've fixed this issue by putting the correct springs (small amounts of preload with heavy springs) to achieve proper sag and modifying the valving to match the high power of the 996 and 999 outputs.
every change you make on the chassis will modify the way the bike handles, then you have to think and understand it to correct those issues to make it work.

People lower the back on other Monsters all the time without issues.

And +11ty billion on the folks suggesting getting the spring / preload / damping right for the handling issues described. The fact is you can alter the 'fore-aft tilt' a fair amount on these bikes as long as the suspension is sorted.

But you're correct in that your first step should be to change the bars if you're having wrist issues.

And everyone should sort their suspension. It's relatively cheap and easy and I'm amazed how few people actually do it (insert 'and get off my lawn' smiley here)