Installing clip-ons below top triple

[Mr.Saturn]

I will be installing some MW clip-ons under the top triple over winter and quick question about positioning of the top triple itself.  Currently the bike ('05 620) is set up just like it would be from the factory.  Front forks are at the stock height and the top triple is about 1/2" from flush with the fork tops.  The steering nut in the center isn't flush, but it isn't sticking out too far at all.  The few close-up of the pictures I have seen (i.e. Juans 2005 M1000S on the home page and the first picture at http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=1050.0) all seem to have the top triple flush with the fork tops, and the steering nut seems to be up higher as well.  If I were to raise the top triple to be flush with the forks, the steering nut seems like it would be recessed quite a bit in the triple, and I definitely don't want that.  What is the solution to this?  Are the bikes I have used as examples raised in the front?

[tankerbutt]

I'm not really clear on your question but it seems as though you think the top triple moves... It does not.  To get the forks flush with the top triple the forks need to slide down. The forks are moving, not the triples. Hope this helps

[Spidey]

Do you have a picture of what your set-up looks like right now?  It'll help a lot.

[Mr.Saturn]

I'm not really clear on your question but it seems as though you think the top triple moves... It does not.  To get the forks flush with the top triple the forks need to slide down. The forks are moving, not the triples. Hope this helps

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding how to go about doing this.  As I understand, I need to remove all controls from the bars, remove the bars, then pop the top triple off (after loosening the three tension bolts).  When I pull the top triple off, the steering bolt remains in place.

The pic below is not of my bike, but exactly what mine looks like as far as the top of the forks in relation to the triple:


The second and third pictures are what I'm referring to when I asked if the triple was slid up or the ride height was raised:

[Spidey]

Let's start at the beginning.  You said it's set up "like it would be from the factory."  Have you changed anything?  Specifically,   

1)  Have you installed the clip-ons yet?
2)  Have you taken off the triple or moved it at all?
3)  Have you raised or lowered the forks at all?

If not, you're just fine.  You'll want to take off the top triple, install clip-ons, and then reinstall top triple.  Install it as low down as it will go on the steering stem nut.  Don't worry about how much the forks stick out or don't stick out.  They won't change from where they were before.  That said, I'd still measure how much they're sticking up right now (to the 0.1 mm).  Measure for each.  Write it down somewhere.  That way, if the forks move for some reason or if you need to loosen the lower triple, you can reinstall the forks at the height they were before.

[Ducatl]

Like others have said, the triples don't move.

In addition, you're thinking of flushing the forks with the triples which will raise your front end and slow the steering down.  This isn't something you'd really want.

[Mr.Saturn]

1)  Have you installed the clip-ons yet?
2)  Have you taken off the triple or moved it at all?
3)  Have you raised or lowered the forks at all?

If not, you're just fine.  You'll want to take off the top triple, install clip-ons, and then reinstall top triple.  Install it as low down as it will go on the steering stem nut.  Don't worry about how much the forks stick out or don't stick out.  They won't change from where they were before.  That said, I'd still measure how much they're sticking up right now (to the 0.1 mm).  Measure for each.  Write it down somewhere.  That way, if the forks move for some reason or if you need to loosen the lower triple, you can reinstall the forks at the height they were before.

No, no, and no.  

What led me to believe the upper triple had a bit of wiggle room up and down (in addition to the pictures I've seen of monsters with MW clip-ons) was the factory service manual reading all ride height measurements from the lower triple to the top of the fork.

The original goal of this was to lower the handlebars but with the triple where it sits now they might be a little too low for me.  Rather than raising the bike or moving the triple it's looking like the most reasonable way of putting the clip-ons a little higher is to buy the 1.5" riser MW sells?

[Spidey]

The original goal of this was to lower the handlebars but with the triple where it sits now they might be a little too low for me.  Rather than raising the bike or moving the triple it's looking like the most reasonable way of putting the clip-ons a little higher is to buy the 1.5" riser MW sells?

You don't raise or lower the upper triple as a means to change handlebar height.  The height of the upper triple is pretty much static.  Like you've figured out, if the MW clip-ons are going to be too low when mounted under your triple, adding risers to the MW clip-ons or purchasing different clip-ons is the way to go.  For example, I have Tomasellis under a stock triple, which have a built in riser and a lot of adjustability.

 

Also, the reason that you're seeing measurement from the lower triple to the forks is that is a good way (or one way) of measuring fork height. That way it doesn't matter which upper triple you have on your bike (stock or aftermarket) because the fork height is going to be the same.  

[Mr.Saturn]

Thanks for the help, the MW clip-ons are definitely the one's I wanted.  Originally planned to get them with the riser in the Spring but I found a deal on some used ones I just couldn't pass up!

[Mr.Saturn]

One quick question as long as this is still pretty recent, is there an easy way to get at the center pinch bolt on the top triple?  Is unbolting the ignition the best way or is there another trick to it?

[He Man]

theres a thread called "Top Triple Removal" by me askng this exact question.


right now, i have a shaved allen key.