Ducati Monster Forum

I have a sweet set of Cycle Cat Clip Ons with Risers but have been debating putting them on my 2005 Monster 620. Right now the bike is very comfortable ( I currently have Rizoma handlebars) but I love the look of Clip Ons.  With the Risers will they look that different than what I got now? It looks like they'll come in about 2" lower than the Rizoma handlebars? How much will it change the riding feel and control feel? Will it be uncomfortable for long rides? How hard is it to remove the Triple Tree. (I know there are threads on this last question but I thought I'd ask it anyway). Just trying to decide if I should do it or not. If the Triple Tree removal was easy I'd just do it and try them out but it sounds like a bit of a pain. Will I just get used to it either way once they're on? Any thoughts or opinions on these questions would be greatly appreciated. I cant decide here. I know I'll probably have to get coffin spacers as well.

You don't need to pull the triple.  Get a buddy, Make a mark on the forks to index them to the triple (lower or upper, whichever you prefer) loosen the clamps on the forks, make him lift the front by the handlebars until you have clearance to slide the clipon thingy in between the top triple and the top of the fork.  Do same for other side.  Reassemble front end by making him hold the bike at just the right height (using the aforementioned index mark) while you tighten one triple clamp on each fork.  torque up the triples, set the clipons to the desired height... realize you installed them upside down and backwards, repeat.   ;D [Dolph]

Thanks!  [thumbsup]

you can do it by urself if u have a front stand that picks it up from the triple. i just let the front drop, slide i over and pick up the wheel with my foot, and then clamp it back on.

im actually so lazy, that my riser clip ons are still on the bike ( im running rizoma handle bar now).

HeMan Why'd you switch away from the riser clip-ons? My fear is I'll go to the trouble of putting them on and then decide I want to go back.

My bike is a dialy commuter bike. I had cycle cats. But going down on them would suck because parts were unavailable.

They werent high enough for me and it hurt my back for longer rides ( im only 5'6 with 30 inch inseam).

stock bars were bent so i went with rizoma which is the best thing in the world. but the front gets a lot of vibration and "loose feel" in comparision to clip ons.

I had Tomaselli, to Cyclecat, to Apex with rise. The apex with rise was the best in comfort. if you slammed it down it could be no rise.

You could always lower the bike in front by dropping the triples on the forks and compesate by lowering the rear too. Would help with reach and your height issue...

let me correct myself, i was too leaned forward for commuting comfort.
when i had CC, i had the front of the bike dropped about 10mm.

my seat is already 1" lower. and im pretty much used to tippy toeing the bike.

Or you could drop the front and raise the rear, and improve turn-in.

And make it more unstable? Sounds like a recipe for a tank slapper....

which is why i brought the front back up. its unstable enough as it is.

Going from clip ons to handle bars made it even worst, but then i raised the height back up and got a steering damper.

60 series in the front, maybe an inch up in the rear, rizoma bars... I don't call it unstable, I call it responsive  [evil]  Relax, the supposed tank slapper doesn't materialize if you just relax... like in the song.  [coffee]

Agreed.  I don't think the monster's geometry is particularly twitchy.  I've brought the back of mine up 20mm, and dropped the front maybe 5mm, and I'm liking it a lot.  I think it's a definite improve.  No sign of head shake and nice quick turn-in.

But that's just me.  YMMV, and that's why such things are adjustable.

I have the CC clips with risers (had them since I bought the bike new in '04.  I love them.  You can adjust the bars up and down don't forget.  Granted, the adjustments aren't huge, but they help.  I'm 6'3" and I have them set at their lowest.  I haven't changed them since I installed them and they feel great. 

 i guess it also depends on your riding style, where you ride, and why you are riding. ive already had 2 tank slappers, 1 almost throwing me off the Manhattan bridge. Its just a comuting bike.

one day...either a 999 or an R1....

Fair enough. 

I certainly feel like a hooligan, and I often ride on less than smooth roads that want to have potholes when they grow up... I commute, and ride for fun. 

It does like to do the shakey-shake across the bumps, potholes, and stupid paint strips.  Literally, I just let it figure out that it wants to go in the same direction I do.

On the other hand, it is my first bike.  I spent an hour or so on an 848 and I thought it felt pretty wooden at sane street speeds.  Like suzy says, YMMV.

wooden? Ive ridden the 1098, and that thing is on rails while the monster is all over the place. i cant stay under the speed limit on the 1098!

Yeah... that's kind of what I meant.  At speeds in the same county as the speed limit, those bikes are boring.  At severely anti-social speeds... different story.  My license and wallet really don't need that kind of speeding ticket, and I am not good enough to recover at those kinds of speeds on the roads I ride (that also sometimes have dirt, gravel, and rocks strewn about for no good reason).  Besides, the 848 tried to cook me.  I don't like all that fairing spilling hot air onto me at speeds less than 90 in weather warmer than 60.

But we are no longer talking about CycleCat clip-ons...  ;)

Just to clarify and get back to the original thread. Going from handlebars to clip-ons would in no way induce a tank slapper. Correct? Not to mention my bike is a 620 which doesnt seem to have the power for a tank slapper.

I can live with the heat if i knew that the bike would be a sport bike only, but i rarely ever actually get a chance to ride sport , so i have to settle for shitting my pants mid corner as the bike is dancing all over the place ( in comparision to a 1098)

you dont need power to cause a tank slapper, it could just be a bad road, bad technique, or just applying the brakes at the wrong time.

and no, going to clip ons would put more weight in the front, causing a less chance for a tank slapper.

The issue with lowering the front is that you are changing the geometry.

The clip-ons themselves will not induce a slapper. They will promote a more forward weight bias which does affect a bikes handling characteristics...    and that leads to a properly sprung front end (both ends, actually) being that much more critical. 

I installed a set of 3" riser CycleCat clip-ons on a 02 620. It lowered the hand position by about an inch and it move forward by an inch or so. They look great!