Ducati Monster Forum

Saw this parked outside my work, looks like a hardtail conversion.... anybody seen something like this before?

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v625/dmnugent80/cbefb868.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v625/dmnugent80/ac8a0ca4.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v625/dmnugent80/e102f909.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v625/dmnugent80/88c66116.jpg)

It's not a hardtail.  That hoop is a standard part of the suspension for 888-based monsters (pre-'02) ('cept for the '01 S4).   Look at the yellow hoop on this 888:

(http://www.speedzilla.com/forums/attachments/ducati-image-gallery/22026d1242255682-my-new-ducati-ducati-888-239-medium-.jpg)

What Spidey said.

The big question is why would you bolt on a bunch of CF but leave the emissions canister?

sac

well that clears that up! Interesting... 

Thanks for the reply.

Carbon hugger, sidecovers, and heelguards were OEM on that vintage M900.

CF Cans, clutch cover and beertray are not OEM.

That bike needs some love.

I'm missing something - how does the swingarm, like, swing with that thing there?

I was going to say the same thing
that's the crustiest one I've ever seen

It's attached to a rocker at the top, the other end of which is attached to the top of the shock...so it can move.

+1, maybe it's near the ocean

Yeah it's in San Francisco....

Here are some side views of different types of 4 bar suspensions (with movies if you scroll down to the bottom).  Unfortunately the hooped 888 version the OP was asking about I do not have drawn...

https://sites.google.com/site/mittelstadtc/Home/engineering/motorcycle-rear-suspension


mitt

DAMMIT!!! Now i want a yellow hoop for mine. this site is bad for me and my wallet.

If you want a video - http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=32414.0 (http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=32414.0)

It's shows how to remove the shock - so you'll get a good overview of parts involved in that set up.

every time I think I want a ton of CF I see something with old CF and the desire just disappears.

Here's the hoop on my 01. I painted it the same as the tank & fender.

(http://i54.tinypic.com/i76afm.jpg)

Ain't that the truth...

I never thought of it that way before, you might be on to something.
However after looking at that bike, it might not be your best benchmark for judging.

how much does a ton of cf weigh  ;D

About as much as a ton of Lead.   ;D

A lot of that was just the lack of topcoat over carbon back in the day. The old Duc stuff (I had a 900ss SP with all the carbon stuff) was literally two layers thick with no real topcoat. I could bend my fender and hugger by merely pressing it!!! It was definitely made to save weight and damn the looks!!!! Also, the older epoxies really didn't have much UV protection. Bad for the aesthetics, but doesn't affect function. Modern CF will have UV protection in the epoxy. But old Duc CF looks pretty ugly, I will agree.

Looks like it's stored outdoors. 

I don't think the epoxy has any UV protectants added. Epoxy, by chemistry, has very poor UV resistance.

They're clearcoating the new stuff with urethane to achieve both the gloss and UV protection.

Carbon fiber parts were originally intended to be painted for appearance, and as you say were built for light weight.

Newer West Systems epoxy does have UV protection (yup, I used to build composites).

+1 On the painted fender.  That looks a lot better than the carbon.  Nicely done!

Really?

Cool.

I have some west system...and that stuff is not cheap.

Do you think the manufacturers of moto stuff are using it?

If they are doing wet layup. I surmise that most every moto thing is done with pre-preg unless it is done in a small shop. I did rig up an oven in the garage to do pre-preg when I was doing the stuff.

West Systems is basically the small composites shop standard bearer when it comes to composites construction, IMO. Everything else I have tried was just a bit lesser.

So you'd agree that most of the stuff we buy has little to no UV protection built in to the resin, and it's achieved with a urethane topcoat?

Yes, indeedy.

There are some good epoxy top coats that have good UV resistance, and they were originally used in Marine applications.

Curses.

I spent about 5 minutes looking at that first picture trying to see what was different?

Why would they use rust colored wax on the chain?

On hoops:

(http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4iYlZ1m8UEM/SraUsqbvFpI/AAAAAAAAEC4/-KBkj63lL6Q/s800/IMG_1578.JPG)

Regarding the hoops:

the 851/888 through the 955 Corsa race bikes used the hoop suspension, as well as all 93-2001 Monsters. The hoop connects to a rocker, which pivots on the frame, and is opposed by the top shock mount.

The special race models used an adjustable linkage, the adjustment was through two eccentrics (one on each side) held with pinch bolts, and 'set screws' (to align the eccentrics on each side as the eccentrics used a notched outer diameter) which controlled the location of the top shock mount pivot bolt. This particular rocker (or bridge) was made of two halves with a brace in the middle, quite different looking than the standard rocker, and the hoop bolted between the two halves rather than around the bridge (such as on the monsters).

The billet hoop shown above was one produced by either Febur or Rizoma. The Motowheels m944 had the other manufacturer's hoop:

(http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e344/Motowheelscom/Monster%20944/rearshock.jpg)
(http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e344/Motowheelscom/Monster%20944/monster2_med.jpg)