Ducati Monster Forum

Seeking DMF knowledge, and in failing that, opinions welcome. [cheeky]

(http://i1078.photobucket.com/albums/w499/stevebetts10/Clutchside-1.jpg) (http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/stevebetts10/media/Clutchside-1.jpg.html)

Over 30,000 miles, cheaper to keep 'er, time to do something to the suspension.  Was thinking basic Ohlins in rear and new fork internals, but am open to suggestions.  Would like to stay below 2 grand all in.  I do the occasional track day, but want comfort as well as improved stability.  My favourite thing to do on this bike is a spirited 2 or 300 mile day through the mountains.

What should I do to her? 

Under 2k : Racetech front (600-800)
               Penske Emulsion shock back ($600), im saying this because rebuilding the rear cost the same, and buying an upgraded unit to match the bike is roughly the same price.

Close to 2k: Racetech front
                 Penske Double clicker out back ($900 for double, the triple clickers arent worth it for normal use IMHO)

a little over 2k: Traxxion AK-20 up front ($1300 installed i think)
                      Penske double clicker out back

If youre gonna do the traxxion option, i would probably steer you towards a set of GSXR forks for used on ebay, then slab on the brembos from the new 2013 to get radial brakes.

If you didnt want to use shims, you would go for a set of m1100 forks, or S4Rs forks. (Traxxion apparently will not install the ak-20 kit into the 696. They seem to be more work then it would cost to simply buy m1100 forks instead).

hope this helps!

Penske shocks are great and I have one on my track bike, but my local suspension guru is steering people toward Elka shocks if they want to save a few bucks. If you have the coin then by all means go the Penske or Ohlins route. I can also recommend AK-20 fork cartridges as I had some in my old track bike.

Thanks He Man and Greg.

I'm in that dilemma territory of having a well maintained bike I've grown very fond of that still runs great but has accumulated enough mileage to make it worth not much on the re-sale market, so I'm just going to enjoy it.  There is however a limit to how much money I'm able to throw at it.  I would love to be able to find a pair of used S4Rs forks, but have never seen those available anywhere and I don't spend a lot of time on ebay. 

Seems like a Penske double clicker and Race Tech springs and Gold Valve Emulator are a good way to go for this bike and my budget.  I have a really good suspension shop not far from where I live.  This past summer I put a grand into the suspension on my Bonneville (which come with crap suspension) at his shop and it transformed the bike into something way more enjoyable to ride on twisties.  I'm hoping to achieve similarly good results with 2 grand invested in my S2RK. :)   

Bonster -

I'm not sure if this helps you much at all or not. I have a pair of 999 forks that I had on my S2R800. They had RaceTech springs installed and since getting an S4R they've just been stored. I needed a new triple because they are SBK forks so I'm not sure if that puts you out more or less money. Happy to help where I can

PM sent MonstaS2R,

They only list applications for 749 and 999 in their catalogue.. do you know otherwise?

I added Racetech springs and gold valves to the forks (Thanks SpeedDog) and recently upgraded the rear shock to an Ohlins unit with proper spring for my fat a$$..

Overall a BIG difference

Yup, Racetech here too. English chap (Anthony IIRC) did a fantastic job.

I did racetech fork internals...springs valves etc for my weight and went with a Penske. Folks I bought it from (gp suspension out of Auburn, WA  http://www.gpsuspension.com/ (http://www.gpsuspension.com/)) were very helpful and recommended the penske over the Ohlins if I wasn't racing. It's triple adjustable (which means I can screw up even more stuff I don't understand). The shock was right around $900 if I remember correctly and 5-600 for the racetech stuff. I will say that I'm not sure I got exactly the right stuff for the forks as Ducati Seattle set up my suspension for me and my front preload is almost all the way out. Not sure if that means I got too stiff a spring or what. Regardless the bike handles like a dream and as long as we are not going in a straight line I'm just as quick in the twisties as my sport bike friends and I feel so much more confident. [Dolph]

I'm still loving the performance of the revalved DU333 Ohlins rear unit on my S4Rs. See the link at my sig line for details and charts.  The ride is very comfortable if you have it adjusted right. But you can dial in extra compression if necessary.

One thing I wanted to mention was how much I have appreciated the ability to adjust both the compression damping and spring preload while riding. I've thought about this quite a bit on the past couple of rides.

It's not only how easy it is to experiment, it is also that you feel the change immediately, and without the break in rhythm involved with parking the bike to adjust.

The hydraulic preload adjuster might seem like overkill for solo riding but I continue to find pleasure in using it to fine-tune the steering response for the conditions.

Put in some miles on one of the Skyhook Multistradas recently and couldn't help thinking that for all its electronic trickery, my bike rode better and the key suspension adjustments could be made much more easily.

FWIW, I find that the rebound on the Ohlins unit doesn't need any adjusting over the course of a trip, now that I have it where I want it. The compression however can be wound up for sportier use or high speeds, and then wound back if I'm feeling more mellow.

I think on the compression side there is some loss of crispness compared with a piggyback unit due to flex in the hose, but the upside outweighs that.

I also have an OEM Ohlins S4RS rear shock laying around if you're interested in a 'lil modding to fit the new shock.. just sayin'

 [popcorn] I too was wondering what the best bang for the buck was for the S2R1k suspension wise. subed

+1 on what many have said about RaceTech and Penske. Got mine last year. What an amazing transformation! RaceTech did the front suspension (springs + compression valves + rebound valves + misc parts + labor) for ~$700. Penske double-clicker costs ~$900. This is the best $$$ I spend on a bike.