A Spider's journey / I'm in! now what do I mod?

[Spider]

My motivation for starting this thread (in TOB) was to get word's of wisdom, accept the advice and also to plot the journey of the bike for me to keep (whilst still getting feedback at each step!)

11th January 2008

Got one! I'm now part of the team instead of a spectator.

Bought a 2003 m1000s in black this afternoon, stock everything (except the clever fellow has a 14t front!) with 20k of the odometer.

should be down here in Melbourne in 2 weeks. I've booked in with HART for a refresher course (I love HART...looking forward to doing the intermediate course after a few months).

so now, what should I do to make it mine?

remove: rack, rear pegs and hugger

shopping list:

14t afam sprocket, DID chain, 42t stealth chainring (520 pitch) & carbon front sprocket protector
Rizoma grips and fluid reservoirs (anyone know the correct size for the 1000 ?)

suspension: is the best thing to do (without a full fork replacement to Ohlins) with the adjustable Showa's to get Race Tech gold values and springs for my weight?

thanks and I am aiming to ride with you in October in South Australia!

some great advice:

Bigiain:

Firstly, a big +1 on the HART course - rider training is the best money you can spend to make your bike work better...

You've got the 14t front already, which is a really common recommendation.

Front springs to suit your weight and riding style are probably the next in terms of cornering performance, depending on which forks your bike's got you may or may not be able to get gold valves fitted (the Marzzocis on my '99 M750 can't have them fitted, all I can do it change the springs and tweak the oil weight and volume).

I'm a big fan of fitting braided brake hoses if yours doesn't have them stock, I don't think they stop any harder than the rubber ones but I do think they provide a more consistent feel to allow you to push the limits more confidently...

I'll leave the bling suggestions to others who are way better at that sort of thing than me (paging Syd-Monster, MattyVas, and Melvin-the-bling-king)... (tho +1 on removing the rack, I _know_ they're practical but ghods they're ugly!)

big

Goldfish:

Well done and congrats  wt:

Firstly, where's the pics 

In regards to mods, all good advice so far, do what you are being called to, be it bling or performance enhancements.

FWIW, I think your brake lines will already be braided on a '03
Pretty sure you can re-valve as well on a M1000 as well, but don;t take my word for it!

I can't believe no one has mentioned pipes. The first "aesthetic" enhancement should be an auditory one for a ducati.
Let the bike share the ducati music with those around you! You will probably be then looking at clutch bling and the like.

Check out the bikes of the DML thread for more inspiration on bling.

My only suggestion - as you have a blank canvas at the moment - look what others have done, and start with a vision. The best results come from people who start with a vision and then execute!

Enjoy, the journey is usually a good chunk of the fun with modding. And get out and ride the damn thing, OK

Big T

Hey Spider I agree with goldie that pipes (slip on or full system) are one of the outstanding mods.

They look great...
They sound great...

Bit like waking up next to the misses in the morning: 

She looks grand in the morning but once she has dressed for work (put her pipes on) she's a babe.....  wt:

The difference with my cook and my Duke is that the Duke is always dressed for work.....

[Spider]

S4grrr

for me, the best thing about any duke is the sound, pipes would be high on my list of priorities, from there go slow, check out what others have cause there's nothing worse than spending cash on a mod and then seeing something you like better!!! trust me i know!! before you go replacing suspension ride the bike some and figure out it's shortcomings, if you can adjust them out then sweet, cos we all ride differently we all "use" the suspension in different ways.

paul.
oh and congrats on the purchase!!  wt:

Mdoerfling

OK my suggestion in ascending order would be:

14T front sprocket - already done
Exhaust (have a look at what's around first!)
bar risers (yes higher not lower - 10mm)
Tail chop
Oberon rego label holder (very neat)
Bar end mirrors - Rizoma
Pazzo levers
v-two cam timing gears
suspension tune to suit you - doesn't have to mean new parts!
power commander
air box mod

Mattyvas

Very wise Spider, do a good couple of months riding before you start deciding on how you'd like you machine to look.
The first thing i bought was the Rego tube holder.
Then waited and rode for some time before tackling the rest.

now got
14t
chopped tail
MIVV Carbon shorties (Low mount)
Rizoma bars, sprocket cover, grips
Carbon side panels
Offset black sticker kit
Cycle Cat rearsets
Micro Oxford indicators
Lots a little billet items and details

Everyone has there own taste and will want to do there "own" thing to there bike.
Melvins bike was one of the first i saw on the DML. I thought it was almost a piece of art as well as a riden Monster.

Enjoy the riding and the mod's whe they start.

cheers
Matty...

Syd-Monster

Wow, everyone's given such good advice.

my mod advice is....
a) Chop that tail
b) remove relfectors
c) change those mirrors
d) core those cans
e) remove front screen
f) sell it to me for $50. 
- Chris

[Spider]

23rd March 2008

one very stock m1000s - here she is...

reflectors removed, 14t installed, cored exhaust...and that's all folks!

the model comes stock with braided brake and clutch cables as well....

[Spider]

28th March 2008

one week in:

K & N air filter
Carbonworld carbon 'diversion' fender
Ilmberger carbon rear cowl
Carbonworld carbon front sprocket guard
Clear alternatives tail light with LED

only one ride unfortunately  ...then a battery issue

but after years of wrenching on bicycles I'm so impressed with how easy everything is to get to - maybe it's just that everything is big and not as fragile as a bike.

[Spider]

9th May 2008

20k service done

Gray cable ties (aka 'the Matty V')
Oberon rego holder
Philips X-treme headlight globe
Rizoma Track 01 rear indicators
Rizoma black oil plug
LSCP rear half chop
BST carbon clutch cover
Yuasa YT 12-bs battery

and yesterday I followed the advice of the wise (Goldie, Big T, S4grrr and Mdorfling) and purchased some Termi high carbon pipes - will be a few months before I have them delivered/ceramic coated & installed.

[Spider]

groupings of mod areas (in no order of preference):

1. exhaust: Termignoni high mount carbon, carbon exhaust bracket, black ceramic coated S pipes and header. DP ECU installed later

2. cockpit: rizoma silver fluid tanks, silver Magura bars, Gen-mar clamps,  Rizoma grips & ber ends, CRG brake and clutch levers

3. forks: racetech springs, gold valves and new weight oil

4. bling: carbon belt covers, hugger, key guard and smoke deflector, mirrors (will need help there!)

5. comfort: rear sets and Sargeant seat

[mattyvas]

Spider you've listed just about everything I've done to my bike in almost that order. (except forks, which is next for me)
It's a solid list in a good order.
If I was doing it again, I'd do rear sets and seat earlier. Does make a huge difference to the amount of time you can be on the bike.
Are you dead set on Termi's cause there are a lot of brands out there that also make pretty sweet noise.
Keep us updated with pics as I'm sure you will.

Enjoy the kit out, it is great to watch your bike change with each item added.

cheers
Matty...

[mattyvas]

Ah just went back and read a bit more, you've already bought the Termi's.
Nothing against them, me I just wanted something that not many others have.
Don't think I have even seen another bike with MIVV ever.

[Spider]

Thanks Matty,

I plan on ceramic coating them black and removing the stickers - so they'll be a bit different.

The ones that really sing to me are the Zards, love the ends of the cans and the sound (GT 1000 - same engine though) is great. - but they just don't make 'em for my machine.

Also thanks for all the great ideas - it's the little things like (attempting) to colour match the cable ties and getting rid of the cheap plastic rego holder that show that a little care has been taken on what is, at this stage, a very stock machine.

[mattyvas]

Cool, it's always the little details that matter.
I did like the Zards also but as you discovered they only make them for a very limited type of Monster.
Sounds interesting having them black ceramic, can't wait to see that.

cheers
Matty...

[Super T.I.B]

If I was to go the exhaust route now, I would have definitely gone for Matty's Mivvs as they were relatively inexpensive and sound great! Or, I may have even gone down the Quat D Ex-Box route, I haven't seen many of them in Oz.

Spider, anything would be better than the mickey mouse ear mirrors. If you don't like bar ends like mine, I would be looking at Rizoma's, a bit expensive but great quality!

[mattyvas]

Quad D was the very next on my list.
But it was twice the price of mine from memory.

[Super T.I.B]

Quad D was the very next on my list.
But it was twice the price of mine from memory.

About the same price as my Arrows then. 

[mattyvas]

$1200??? can't quite remember.

[Spider]

Matty: is your signature photo before the Sargeant seat install? looks a bit different to stock that's all.

great photo!