Hey guys...Looking at my first monster...need some input...

[Dannyboy0402]

So i'm new to the ducati monster's but i'm looking at a 1995 ducati monster 900 that a buddy of mine has for sale at work, he only wants $3500 for it which is nice and it's really clean with a lot of aftermarket work done, I got a basic rundown of whats been done as far as it was built by a guy who owned a cycle shop and he built it for track use. As far as mods go its been re-geared, race clutch, suspension (front and rear) air filter, exhaust and ignition have all been upgraded. He has a binder the original owner gave him with all the work that's been done which is nice and he's also kept all maintenance records since owning it, its only got 8,000 miles on it and it's got new tires recently installed. I like naked bikes I think some of them look good but I know i'm gonna need to put some mod work into it to get it looking the way I like. I just wanna know what the pro's and con's are of this particular bike and what good mods are out there (i.e. engine swaps, custom mods) things like that. Any info will be helpful, thanks...

[Porsche Monkey]

The 900s are good bikes. They are torque monsters.  Is this your first bike?

[Scotzman]

Besides the sweet looks, awesome torque, and endless mod possibilities, IMO the riding position is more comfortable and easier to handle then a sport bike. As far as mods, there's just about everything you can think of with looks and performance. In Tech and Accessories & Mods you can find a lot of what other people have done already to get ideas.

Good choice in choosing a Ducati and especially a monster.

[Dannyboy0402]

No I had a Suzuki tl1000r for my first bike, that's when I fell in love with v-twin sport bikes. I was looking for a Honda RC-51 originally but a guy I work with told me about his Ducati he was selling, I got a little curious so i spent the whole day looking up parts, mods, specs and it doesn't look too bad. I definitely need to change the exhaust cause I'm not a fan of the low straight pipes that are on it now and gonna need some body mods like a belly pan and a set of the vented side covers (which I already purchased on ebay in anticipation of getting the bike) the only thing I don't like is the lack of HP the bike comes with. Now from what I've read the 1995 monster has the 900ss motor in it, which from what I found has a range of 80-84hp stock in the 900ss(I got these numbers from www.motorcyclespecs.co.za) but in the monster 900 it's only rated at 74hp??? is that a mistake or something cause from the numbers I'm reading the bore/stroke and compression are all the same. So either way I'm gonna need some serious engine upgrades to keep me happy, other than that i see some serious potential for the bike.

[Privateer]

don't let the numbers on paper tell the whole story of the bike.  see if your coworker will let you take it for a spin.

[Dannyboy0402]

The only thing I cant seem to find is if it's possible to do a s2r single sided swing arm swap on the 95, I found a full s2r rear with everything but the wheel and I found a few wheels for sale. I checked the forum but just not finding anything about it.

[Popeye the Sailor]

The only thing I cant seem to find is if it's possible to do a s2r single sided swing arm swap on the 95, I found a full s2r rear with everything but the wheel and I found a few wheels for sale. I checked the forum but just not finding anything about it.

I believe the current consensus is:

1) It's been done

2) It's a pain in the ass ans

3) It's not worth the trouble vs. buying one that already has one.

[Dannyboy0402]

I believe the current consensus is:

1) It's been done

2) It's a pain in the ass ans

3) It's not worth the trouble vs. buying one that already has one.

Ahhh...that sucks, ohh well....i'll figure something out then.... [moto]

[duc996]

You'll be happy with the monster,the 900 is a good bike and enough power you need is their fGGGGGor you to have.Very torque!Go for it:-)

[Dannyboy0402]

Ok so looks like I'm gonna go for it, gonna try to buy my first monster this weekend. Thanks for all your input guys, I'll be seeing you around the forum and maybe some meets if I can get time away from work.

[booger]

The FI S2R800 is rated for 77 hp which is 3 more than the carbed 900. If it were me I'd look for an FI bike, although some FCR carbs could close the gap on, or exceed the S2R's number, but fall short of the hp rating of the FI 900.

[Dannyboy0402]

Yeah I know its gonna have some disadvantages being carb'd, no power commander or ecu upgrades, but this is a mint condition 900 with really low miles, a decent amount of performance upgrades for $3500. And if I was gonna spend the money for a FI monster id just look for a newer S4R with the 113hp, but ive only got 4k and im not gonna be picky. Horsepower can be made on anything if your creative enough, hell I could slap a turbo on there if I really want some hp.   [moto]

[Slide Panda]

Torque is where the fun is much of the time.  I've got a FI 900, and I'd swear it's quicker in the tight stuff than an S4R i got to ride fora few hundred miles.  Sure the s4r would spank it down a stretch - but the old girls got some torque to her and will go.

Another bonus to the 900 is that they are tanks of engines.  It should just keep on going for a long time.  I'm coming up on 30k and she hasn't missed a beat. 

[Raux]

there are a few options to increase the power on the 900. the 944 kits, the larger carbs, pod filters, exhausts, valve jobs, i've read somewhere it's possible to nearly 100hp out of them.

edit: from one of our sponsors http://www.ca-cycleworks.com/shop/heads/heads.html

[Dannyboy0402]

Yeah I was looking for a big bore kit with no luck so far, found higher comp. pistons, and a shop for doing the engine...(lighten the crank, do the heads) the other thing I was looking for was a place to get a set of cams or get the stocks re-ground. I'm hoping for 90+ as a goal when I get ready to do a full re-build this winter or next.