Ducati Monster Forum

xxx

Choice pieces.  [thumbsup]
Congrats.

Regular ones, yes. If they say NCR on them it's 4.9.

+1
100 must be broken! :D
Interested what the NCR cam specs are in comparison to oem and DP.

Nice  [thumbsup]

Well, its going to be tough to give an accurate comparison..

Currently, big bore and a bunch of bottom end goodies.
DP cams
stock heads
DP ECU and Power commander 5

Shows 98.7xxx hp

however, when I make the swap, there's a bunch of factors.

I'm switching to the Guy Martin cast intake manifolds that are 4+ mm larger
Kibblewhite big valves
some port matching and cleanup by Fast Frank
the DP cams are obviously swapping to the NCRs
Getting rid of the DP ECU and PC5 and switching to a Microtec

I better EFFIN break 100!

xxx

what happened to the front fork travel?

xxx

there's a paul smart sitting in my living room...definitely a great rendition from a monster!

that rear wheel is really cool! im not a fan of spokes but its still cool as hell!

That bike looks unreal, well done [clap]

xxx

Firstly let me say how good the bike looks... [bow_down]
 those wheels really make it work and I'm sure that when Ung see's it he probably cream himself... [clap]

Now on to the strapping down issue, I deliver bike all over the the UK by van and have also been the WDW three times with bikes in the back and touch wood I've never had any issue's with the stability of the transported bikes.
I never pull the front down tight but prefer to use two straps on each side to the centre and rear pulled tight and another strap on the bottom of the forks just to hold the wheel in place, when you see bikes that have had  their fronts racheted down hard and the seals burst you'll under stand why I do it my way.

Well thats my 2 cents,sorry to jack the thread but again may I congratulate you Sir on a great looking bike... [bow_down]

Geoff... [coffee]

xxx

I was lucky enough to see it in person. [thumbsup]

You guys have done a great job with that...I remember seeing the painted frame hanging in the shop. I remember commenting to my buddy about the exhaust, which is a thing of beauty. Is it a one off?

Looking forward to seeing what you guys put together for next year!

xxx

xxx

Really well executed.  Diggin' lots of aspects about it.

You should be proud of this.  [thumbsup]  [clap]

Awesome job!  I like it!!

I'm liking that headlight! Is it this one? http://motowheels.com/i-9501009-mw-custom-led-headlight-7-inch.html (http://motowheels.com/i-9501009-mw-custom-led-headlight-7-inch.html)

Do you or anyone know how those motowheels one compare to say a trucklite phase 7?

I like it overall. I have specific thoughts on things. so here they go.

I would have gone all the way on the frame paint and done the subframe.
The wheels.. awesome
the exhaust... eh. not a fan of the curved can and doesn't seem it fits the era of the build look.
front fender... stock.. eh. a sport classic would have rocked.
tail cover... love the idea of a taller tail, hate the witches hat look, a rounder look would have been nicer
tail light... awesome, want one, but not so tightly integrated, with some seperation could be legal everywhere.
clipons... why get 3.5" rise and then lower them? why not just get zero rise and get the racer look.
dash. too tall, tuck it in behind the light.
light.. bring it back, you have the same issue I had, bucktooth light
Tank... LOVE LOVE LOVE the full silver painted tank.
belt covers - not a fan of open covers, even less cut stock covers.
rear spring... black spring, nice, makes it disappear, but on a show bike, why not keep the yellow?
underframe scoop... nice in silver. but i would removed it alltogether and went with a low hangin old style horizontal cooler for the nostalgic look
seat... not a fan of the quilted look

xxx

Very nice!  [thumbsup] [thumbsup]

I like the speed hump rear seat cover!  Is that a one-off or are there any plans to offer it to the public?  I for one would be interested.  It's fiberglass I assume?

Overall I love the bike (sans spoke wheels) just not my thing but I get that it goes with the theme  [beer]

Nice work (again).
There are some details that are done differemtly that make  you examine it closely. I've not seen rim dimples for the spokes like that.

 [thumbsup]

glad the bike is helping generate sales

xxx

who can we contact for info on the exhaust? or even pricing?

Great looking bike. [clap]

[no nitpicking from me]

Brad, is there a full shot from the rear?

xxx

Brad, Great Job!! [thumbsup]  I love the exhaust.

How much less current does that headlight draw?

Love that quilted seat! Not a fan of the spokes tho. The 1100 is too "progressive/futuristic) for spokes. But that pretty much goes across my board for most contemporary bikes.

xxx

you know what might look cool is the Rizoma swingarm license plate mount to replace the tail tidy you have.

xxx

But extending riding season! [Dolph]

Very nice! What material is the exhaust made of?

One of the best new gen monsters I have seen! Where can more information be found on that seat?

I think that's the point of his question. How much LESS does it draw compared to stock...

How's it goin'? [popcorn]

...youll drop to 96HP...but pound out 90ftlbs haha


(or youll hit 110 horse at 11 grand!  ...you upped the rev limiter right?   ;D)  


It drives me nuts that motor work isnt an exact science.  Stock cams with polished heads are good for xx hp at xxxx rpm...but aftermarket cams with stock heads are good for 3 more horse but not until redline...and then you get a hole in the midrange...then polished heads and aftermarket cams smooth out the flat spot for an overall gain but the peak went down.  grr.  its like electricity.  PFM.  

Cant wait to see the pull graphs!  [popcorn]




Only if you put the sticker on too, with out that its only 3hp!

Spokes say vintage. And lets face it, there isnt any model monster that is old school/vintage looking. But again, thats just my opinion. I understand that you are rep for these wheels- which are fantastic, i just dont think they belong on a monster.

2100 euro for the wheels

xxx

xxx

xxx

wasn't complaining, just providing info ;)

xxx

The point which you've gone past until your engine goes *Ker blam!*

Ive heard most engine detonations actually occur on decel...when that throttle plate snaps shut and you have a vacuum sucking the piston toward the head instead of compression slowing it.

So just never let off the gas i guess  ;D

I have a friend that strongly believes in not shifting until you stop making power. (this goes for EVERYTHING he has with a motor.)  He got pissed one day and wound out his Kawi Spectre 750...about half way through the revs winding down the tach needle came unpegged.   [laugh]  oddly enough, hes never actually blown anything up. (at least not through over revving)

xxx

mostly.  i guess i could comment further under three headings: bolt on, budget and beige.  and given that you asked.

bolt on as that what it mostly is, which i imagine is what was required, a flash, eye catching thing to show off some products.  you'll probably take that in a negative way, but it's not.  it's a bike built by a dealer to show stuff off.  we used to do it too, just not to the extent you have.

the wheels look a bit 70's corvette driven by tubby bloke wearing a rug and gold chains to me, but maybe i'm a bit too young for spokes.  i think the older guys tend to get more into spokes as they can remember them.  on a period bike i rather the early skinny cast wheels than spokes (thinking guzzi lemans, bevel 900ss, etc).

budget as there has to be one, and this probably leads into the beige point more, but generally the bolts ons are preferred as they are cheaper to do and then undo and resell.  you've gone the exta step by painting the frame, which really defines the project as what it is and is now hard to undo. plus you've spent money in labour time doing that which was always the restriction when i was involved in something like this.  so this point leaves me a little confused, as you've gone past where most would stop by becoming not easily irreversible, but seem to have stopped short of taking the detail to the extent it could go.

beige: my opinion is that bikes need 3 colours, black, silver and colour of choice.  the issue with this bike (which is inbuilt by ducati, and budget wise expensive to change and hard to reverse) imo is the bland midish grey on the engine covers, fork lowers and subframe.  as raux said, the subframe in green would have been more complete, but maybe that was over budget or maybe you photo shopped it and it looked crap.  but even that stuff in black would be more defined, or just more consistant.  and the gold fork legs add another redundant colour, but that goes back to the budget point and cost to change.

so that's my take on it.  don't like the spokes or seat cover.  seat is cool.  might be the light, but the frame green looks too light/washed out, the silver is too silver and lacking in great big chunky metalflake and it's overly blinged (again, your point of exhibition).

the exhaust looks very odd too, finish wise.  is it the floor colour reflection or is the colour not even?  bead blasting then 10 pulls on the dyno tends to fix that nicely.

i've been watching the cafe racer series recently and looking at lots of bikes on the net and the results of the typically serious vs half arsed approach is always the details.  the pros do the details so well, to the extent that very ordinary bikes are elevated to wow (hageman's silver cx500) by simple detail and often the lack of complexity or bling that can be left off as no compensation is needed.  when you're doing this sort of job that detail costs hours, and in a delaership if a tech is working on this rather than a paying job the cost to the business skyrockets quickly.  i'm in the position of currently debating the depth (or even starting) a project that will have some business exposure benefits, but i'm so busy all the time i spend will realistically be costing me the $90 per hour i'm not getting from a customer and the decision to do it even half properly and paint a frame and wheels a totally non std and possibly unpopular colour (non trad in most ducatisti eyes) will really put it well beyond any measureable busines benefit.

of course, i never listen to anyone else, so i don't expect you to listen to me.

Interesting analysis BB.

Never gave other people's motos that much thought.

I guess that's what separates the true modders and someone like me, a tinkerer.

Love the wheels, fantastic exhaust BK.

well, he did seem put out that i didn't comment initially.  i had a good think about it this morning lying in bed.

and keep in mind that there is a photo of my guzzi eldorado in ian falloon's guzzi book.  it's uncredited (didn't even bother to ask me if he could push my bike out of the showroom to a park across the road and take a photo or use it in his book) and in black and white due to the non std colour that apparantly he didn't approve of.  i'm told it caused quite a stir in the guzzi club at the time.  like i gave a shit, and no one actually said anything to me at the time.  it cost me money when i sold it, but i loved the colour.  which is some of my background behind the irreversibilty comments above.  been there, done that.  check out the gold on the 888 wheels on my blog.  that cost me money.

if you like it, do it.  don't ask anyone else's opinion or expect them to like it or give a shit anyway.

unless you need to sell it, of course.  it's why people repaint their ferrari's resale red.  see the craig's list crackheads thread for clarification.

Never asked for a test, it was a simple question that I thought you might know.  A simple "I don't know" would have been sufficient and the  [roll] [roll] make you look a bit dick-ish.

I think the bike is borderline gaudy.

You are the Brad Black. I read your blog and my eyes gloss over. There's layers of knowledge, depths that I read but don't understand. Probably never will.

You're analysis definitely reads of someone who's been there, done that. Only experience gives you hindsight on what to expect and what to appreciate after a decision is made.
And totally agree with your comment about putting your stuff out there, for every Tom, Dick and Harry to critique or praise, for better or worse.

So just to clarify let me see if I understand your point in its most basic sense:

If you mod a bike with boltons don't add things you can't remove.
That costs money when you sell.

If you mod a bike with things you can't remove, go balls to the wall.
That costs money, a lot more money, but the point is to go all out, not to make back money.

Is that about right?

I'll keep your perspective on a build on my next project. Definitely a fresh way of looking at things that I had not considered, it's worth remembering.

One question though, did you figure out this mantra the first time around or the second?

xxx

7 sets of wheels!  wow.  it worked.


i didn't mean to give the impression that i thought it wasn't thought about, etc.  it was just my thoughts on your bike (again, opinion, to be ignored, etc) and then i got into rambling.  the previous boss i had who was the force behind the modded bikes we did - the monster monster, a few bmw - once replied to my comment on his paintjob on one of them "i don't care if you don't like it, i do, and it doesn't matter anyway as it's different and that's the point".

the cafe racer show annoys me somewhat for what it leaves out, but at least there is a show called cafe racer on mainstream tv.  lots of people seem to be slamming the show and the people who run it in forums (even the show forum!), but without it, the scene loses a massive amount of public exposure.  i guess it's a case of show me a niche tv show like this without massive compromises to make it work/sell/survive/generate revenue.

kind of like building bikes for events to show off products.

it's not really a mantra, more wasted time and money.  but then again, i wouldn't want to be claiming undue importance on my opinion or telling you what to think.

i couldn't help but think of this earlier.  don't put it on the wall if you're not prepared......

The birth of first Artist and first critic by means of natural selection (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_v_ubcYsTI#)

 [laugh]

'Round these parts we call those cats "haters."

 [cheeky]

xxx

to get completely off track....

there's this.  the first part really sets the scene for me, and the speech in the second part is great.  imo.

Anton ego Nostalgia (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LaVzxHIR4Y#)
Ratatouille - Anton Ego speech (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JPOoFkrh94#)

What are your plans for the bike Kevin?

Is it going to be at the dealership for a while so I can come in a get a better look?

Never let a cartoon rat write your mission statement.

really?  i thought a cartoon rat would be the ideal author for one of those pompous pieces of public masturbation.  do people actually read them?  and what are they going to say?  "our aim is to screw you over for as much as possible and do a runner with your cash before you've worked it out"  pfffffft.  please.

it's like stating you meet iso 9001 or whatever it is.  just because you claim to adhere to an international std for processing complaints doesn't mean everything you do or sell isn't crap.  it just means you have a person specifically employed to tell those who complain to piss off in a most polite fashion.

my apologies to blackkat for ruining his thread.

sorry.

check out the big brain on brad (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hrm-rPSCIBw#)

I like the headlight, would love it on my 1100 evo. I only use the bikini fairing if I plan on being on the interstate for a significant time, so I'm sure I'd have to do without or find another way. Amazing how that tiny piece of plastic cuts the air. Maybe it's all in my head, I don't know. Just know the headlight looks good.

It's not in your head. Ducati has a good wind tunnel, and your Evo headlight, fairing and mirrors were developed in combination there. Fantastically quiet air at 70 - 80 MPH compared to my T100 which feels and sounds like a hurricane at that speed.

xxx

It's a shame Blackkat (aka Kevin Butler) deleted all his posts and ran off. He didn't and has never built anything. In fact his dealership (Northern Ohio Ducati) didn't even do *any* of the mechanical or performance work involved in these "builds". I think he may have bolted on the mirrors, that would be the extent of his "building". Is there anything this guy doesn't lie about? Are his deleted posts cached on a server somewhere, able to be brought back? They oughtta be. Shine a clearer light on him and all his BS.