Ducati Monster Forum

So a while ago when I got my Rizoma sportline grips I cut my handle bars shorter. I did this so there wouldn't be a gap between the grips and the bar ends..  For those who don't know the sportlines are a little smaller then normal grips. So instead of moving my controls I just cut the bars.  Now I decided to switch to a G2 Throttle Tube and normal grips.  Not sure why just want to switch it up I may go back.

The question:  What is easier? Drilling new holes for my controls or grinding down the posts on the controls and just move them in.
One thing I am worried about is the controls staying put once I move them.

Opinions are welcome.

Many people will recommend grinding the nubs and using tape or something else to hold the controls in place.

IMHO, I wouldn't want my controls spinning around the bars braking hard into a turn....that could kill you.

I'd drill the holes an do it proper.

If your geometry and skills with a protractor are weak you can use a sharpie or even nail polish (it's sticky, don't ask questions :-[) and paint the end of the nubs.

Without touching the nubs to the bar position them over the bars exactly where you want then press the nubs onto the bars and you will have a perfect template for where to drill. Dont use too large of a bit.

How can the control switches moving around a bit end up killing you? Just curious.

The same way I wrecked on my little 70 when I was younger. The throttle is held in place by the nubs. Without them the entire right side controls can spin around the bar.

There is quite a bit of pressure on the controls when braking.

Controls spin around the bar, hand slips over/under the bars, other hand still on the bars turns the wheel sending you into a violent wreck...

Pretty simple.

I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure there aren't any nubs for the throttle housing.

There are two on the right hand controls. I remember drilling holes for both.

One under throttle control and one under the control switch.

#20 and #25 each have a nub.
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Cutting the nubs is easier.  

The throttle will not move.  It's solid once tightened.

As for the switches, it all depends on you to get it right.

HOWEVER:  If you know you're going to get it right the first time for the last time, I would drill the bars...but this is not how modding usually works

On my first set-up, I drilled the bars.  It was perfect.  Then I switched to radial masters, and the that required moving a bunch of stuff.  Holes would of slightly overlapped.

if you grind down the nubs then use ~3 wraps of duct tape under the controls they wont spin. the only danger is in thickening the bar to much by using to many layers and over tightening the controls which would strip the plastic threads and ruin your parts.  wrap the bars, tighten the bolts then try and twist the controls themselves, wrench really hard and if it moves add more tape or tighten the bolts. the force you exert here will be far more than your throttle.

ive run my current bike like this for over a year (including track time.) and haven't noticed any slippage. the only way the controls would spin under throttle would be if you ran it absurdly loose and then twisted the throttle beyond wide open or forcibly closed it beyond its resting point. not likely to happen, even during spirited riding.

IF it did start to twist it would be a small matter to hold the assembly with your thumb and manipulate the throttle with your fingers until you could safely pull over.

That's reason enough for me to drill them.

another vote for nubs, you wont have a problem

did mine 56k miles ago

ok, for arguments sake, the throttle did move during a WOT twist for some reason,.. so what, once you let off it'll spring back closed.  

I really don't see where the paranoia is coming from?!?!?

Shaved the nubs on mine back in 2007.  Haven't had any issues and only needed some electrical tape on the left side switch controls.  All others tightened down without issue and don't move.  My son-in-law thought it odd that those nubs were even there.  He's been riding a lot longer than I (since he was a kid riding off road motorcycles) and he said none of his had them and that he never had issues.  The two Suzukis (one off-road, one motard) he has now doesn't have them.  I prefer the shaved nubs route because I can't leave well enough alone and keep playing with different positions and am even changing to Clubman style fully adjustable bars shortly and with the infinite position possibilities I am glad to not have to stick with one final position or having to get another set of handlebars if I will be drilling multiple sets of holes into them.  I would figure that fully adjustable clip-ons would be the same issue unless you find the one perfect position, but how would you test that without shaving the nubs so you can actually test it out till you find the perfect position, settling with the one you picked, or drilling multiple holes till you find it? 

Alright looks like shaving the knobs is the way I will probably go.  I also want to try flipping my bars at some point.  So no need to make even more holes. Once I figure out how I am going to set up reliable power to the new garage I will give it a go.

I've removed the "nubs" on a couple of bikes and never had any problems. Most people who run clip-ons remove the nubs also. For the most part, the stock control positions do not really work for many people.

Shaved my nubs and although the switches can move if you try hard, the controls haven't moved on me once. 

a simple solution to the worst case scenario is reason enough to drill what will probably need to be multiple holes in your bars?  [roll]

if you arent capable of determining  whether or not your controls are secure after mounting them without pins, you probably shouldent be swapping handlebars, you might not tighten the bar clamp (which uses no pins) and have the whole damn bar move! :o  what about the grips? no pins there, that could just spin on the throttle too!

Are we being arrogant now?

Do whatever you want. There's the right way and the easy way.

im just saying, the locator pins are there so that techs can swap bars and controls easily and have every single one in the EXACT same spot, the fact that it keeps them from moving is secondary.  if you are moving to a custom set up then the chances of you getting the holes drilled right the first time are slim. if you are doing something like adjustable clip ons you will be REQUIRED to mount them, ride around a bit with them, then come back and change them.  Ive had maybe 15 positions on my tomasellis, if I drilled a new hole each time I changed them I would have dangerously weakened clip ons after 3 adjustments (assuming each hole is spot on the first time.)


many things on a bike (everything?) can get you killed if its not secured properly. when you start modding you alone responsible for making sure everything is secured adequately, if your controls are loose enough that the pin is what is keeping your controls from moving then they are to loose, thats why they are referred to as "locating pins" and not "locking pins".

With that logic then I suppose Suzuki must be doing it the wrong way.  Probably a lot of other manufacturers don't use locating pins but that's the only one I have FHK of.


+1 to both points.

Some guys don't want to worry about controls spinning, so they drill. Others are willing to leave small details to chance, or maybe, or mine didn't spin.  Me I prefer to do things as close to factory specs.  There is a reason an engineer designed it that way.  Why take unnecessary chances? Just my 2 cts. 

So you don't plan on doing any mods to your bike?  Every single aspect of your bike was designed by an engineer, so by your logic, you can't change anything!

Wait a minute, all your previous posts have to do with modding the bike?!?

You changed the exhaust, the signals, tail light, and tail?!?  Those were all engineered that way for a reason, and you changed it!?!

Drill the bars?, that's not the way they came from the factory though!?!

There are reasons engineers design things the way they do, and safety is not the only reason.

Don't take this wrong, but engineers for the most part are not the solution. the are part of the problem. Guy's sitting in offices wining and dining customers with the attitude that they know whats right and they are helping the world is a ridiculous notion. Ive played the game for too long. It's the reason that the American auto maker has fallen to the East. They know whats important and what to spend time on. We Americans think every thing is important and waste too much time and energy on the things that really don't matter. "some engineer designed it that way" WOW that statement is blowing my mind. We need engineers, we just need them to listen to the customer.

Nice to see your able to search my posts, impressive.  Are any of these mods causing my controls to spin around?  Is it not safer to have your controls securely mounted? 

THEY WILL NOT SPIN UNDER NORMAL USE.

Do you have first hand experience to back your argument?  I'm going to guess NO.  

I have set multiple controls using both methods, and I bet most people couldn't tell which was which.  

MV Agusta uses pins for their brake masters, and Ducati doesn't.  Does that mean Ducati's brake masters might spin under normal use?  No, they don't.

Some of those offroad cross country riders leave some of the controls loose on purpose, so they will spin instead of breaking in the middle of no where.



 

this is getting ridiculous.

NOBODY has come forward saying that they shaved the pins and had the controls spin on their monster. only veloce-fino has had it happen on his "little 70" when he was "younger". the only people saying its unsafe are those that are afraid to shave the pins and thus have no first hand experience with it.


multiple bikes come FACTORY without locating pins. as i said before the pins are there for consistency in placement, the fact that they dont twist is secondary.

  you can shave your pins and securely mount the control. this isnt rocket science.

When I did my clip-ons, I shaved the pin on the left hand controls.  It doesn't spin, but it isn't tight either.  If you add more tape it just warps the plastic housing and it starts looking like crap, without securing it any further.  I then took the time to drill the holes for the right hand controls.

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Ahhgg!  There is a difference between modding and rigging.  Wrapping tape around the bar to shim with the possibility of your controls still spinning is just plain old rigging.  Do it the right way and drill the bar for the nubs. 

Oh, and the manufacturers who make their controls without nubs also make them to properly clamp to the bars.

I had a Suzuki gs650 a while ago, and the stock starter switch housing (also the throttle tue housing) had a locating nub. I ground it off when input new bars on, but it was never as secure. I bought another Suzuki gs switch housing, and it did not have the nub, but was designed differently, with a beefy clamp system.

Maybe nowadays the housings with nubs can be ground off and hold just as well without them, but I highly doubt EVERY control setup on every bike is this way. Im sure some controls wont hold as well eithout the nub, with or without tape to fatten up the bars, and im sure some of them will be perfectly fine. I think the bottom line is: YMMV.

look, all im saying is that with a little common sense and nohow you can grind the nubs and still secure the switches.

if you are going from stock bar to another that has no adjustability and you would feel more comfortable drilling then go for it.

BUT if you are going to be doing something like clip ons or the various other bars that have multiple useable positions, or you arent able to line up the pins on the first try, then drilling the bars is a BAD idea.  more than 2 or 3 holes and that bar is not going to have the structural strength that it was intended to be used with. IE your switches may not be MADE to mount without pins but not all bars are MADE to have a ton of holes drilled in them.

bottom line is that NEITHER ONE is a good option if you dont know what your doing

It's not hard to drill the bars.  It's not rocket science, a monkey could do it.

It's easier to not drill them.

Do what you feel is within your capability.

If you feel you don't have the ingenuity to make modifications out side of factory spec work properly and safely, don't do it.

Also, if you are going to be drilling the bars, with most adjustable bars, you may loose some range of adjustably...FYI.

I'm pretty sure the reason for the nubs are to ensure assembly consistency on the production line.  If you look close you'll also see a couple index marks on the OEM handlebars where it sits in the clamps.  The OEM clip-ons on my R11S also have little nubs which line up with the slots in the upper triple clamp.  There are also sorts of discussions on the purpose of those nubs, but they're too small for any other purpose, and we all know clip-ons dont need any extra help to hang on to a fork tube.