Rear Ride Height -- Hooped Framed Monsters

[Blue]

I wanted to throw out my experience and get some feedback from other members here.
I have a 2000 M900ie with the hooped framed suspension.  I rode the bike with the stock rear ride height for a few thousand miles and decided that I wanted a bit more weight on the front tire.  I bought a pair of stainless steel spacers from a member here (very nice quality, top notch!) that were about an inch long to raise the rear of the bike.  With these installed, it brought the rear up about 2-3 inches.  I've got about a thousand miles with the new set up and it did exactly what I wanted it to do, put more weight on the front tire.  The handling and feedback are very much improved.  However, over uneven pavement, I am getting some head shake when on the gas.  Now I am looking at a steering damper (and a longer side stand).  This is having me rethink the new setup.  With the bike stock, I never had a head shake issue.  I know with the hoop, I can install a longer hoop (or spacers like I did), turn out the heim joints or I can raise the rear with the shock (I have an Ohlin's rear shock with an adjustable lower eye) to increase the rear ride height.
I guess I wanted to hear from other members regarding their preferences and experiences on dealing with this issue. 

[64duc]

 1 inch is a lot. I had about 1/2 or 9/16 of an inch of thread showing on the heim joints and liked it that way. Of course also had a steering dampner. Since you have several options to adjust ride height, I would use these to try different settings to see if you can find something you like without the head shake. I also like the security of having a dampner. Comes from a highside on the track from touching a little sand in the middle of a corner.

[Desmo Demon]

I had about 1/2 or 9/16 of an inch of thread showing on the heim joints and liked it that way.

How much of your front forks is sticking above the upper triple clamp?

My wife complains about her 2001 M900ie all the time. I am not sure, because I don't have anything to compare it to, but the thing seems awefully low and she drags her toes/footpegs far too easily. I've been thinking about raising the suspension some, but I'm not too sure how much adjustment is available at the rear of the bike. She also has the disadvantage of the rearsets being a little wider due to spacers for the Termi high-mount exhausts on the bike, too.

It's pretty bad when I can out-run her in the curves on an old '87 Paso 750 when she is riding her Monster. Then, again, I do have the advantage of being able to slide off the seat.

[devimau]

raising the rear will decrease the trail in the front that will lead you into the headshake zone.
you can lower it back some or raise the front.
do you loose grip on the rear when getting on the gas but still leaned over?

[64duc]

How much of your front forks is sticking above the upper triple clamp?

About 3/8 inch.  i'm also 6 2.

[devimau]

put them flush with the top clamp and see how it works, if you need more lower the rear by small steps to get it into the sweet zone.

[Blue]

raising the rear will decrease the trail in the front that will lead you into the headshake zone.
you can lower it back some or raise the front.
do you loose grip on the rear when getting on the gas but still leaned over?

Thanks for the explanation.  I understand that the trail will be reduced.  I am not a fan of sliding the forks up in the triples, instead I prefer to raise the rear of the bike to put more load on the front. 
I will have to lower the rear as I have DP clipons on the front which attach to the top of the fork tubes, above the triple.
I do not loose grip when on the gas.  I spent 6 days in a row, doing the same 30 mile loop to dial in the rear shock.  The front forks have been re-sprung for my weight using the RaceTech stuff.
With the stock set up, I couldn't get enough weight over the front tire.  It felt like it was too far away, like washing out.  I never lost grip with the stock setup, however. 
I just don't know what to do.

[COP TZR]

I cant chime in as of yet for the handling of the bike as I'm still sorting out some electrical gremlins and trying to bleed my hydraulic clutch. However I added the same risers in the rear hoop of the suspension which really jacked the ass end up.  I also had to raise my fork legs thru the triple because I have put on a set of clip-ons that mount above the triple.  I think the stock measurement from the top of the fork leg to the bottom of the lower triple clamp should measure out to 280mm.  thats stock baseline.  When the fork legs are set to that measurement, the forks will be above the top triple by approx. .5 ~ .75".  I raised my fork legs probably about another .25", so in total is just around or a little more than 1" above the top triple.

I also added a 70 series profile front tire to compensate for "lowering" the front end.  I'm not sure how the bike is going to handle yet, but once I finally get it on the road I will give you some feedback.  My front forks have also been resprung with race-tech springs, but the rear shock is stock 

[ducpainter]

I just maxed out the heim joints on my bike, no need for the extensions IMO, and have 25mm of tube above the triple.

I don't have a damper and don't have headshake issues.

[Blue]

I just maxed out the heim joints on my bike, no need for the extensions IMO, and have 25mm of tube above the triple.

I don't have a damper and don't have headshake issues.

DP, if I remember right, you have an Ohlin's shock on the rear of your Monster as well.  Is there a reason you maxed out the heim joints instead of using the eye of the shock?

I took a look at the rear suspension linkage to try to determine if the effect of a longer hoop (turning our the heim joints or adding spacers) would change how the suspension worked differently from a longer shock (turning out the bottom eye on the Ohlin's).  Both would decrease the trail...any thoughts?

[koko64]

I just maxed out the heim joints on my bike, no need for the extensions IMO, and have 25mm of tube above the triple.

I don't have a damper and don't have headshake issues.

Does that 25mm include the the one piece fork cap and bolthead or just the gold fork tube? I raised the rear ride height via the heim joints too with about 10-12mm of the heim joint thread showing. I guestimate that it gives around 25-30mm ride height at the axel? I left the front as it was, it has about 15mm of the gold fork tube showing not including the height of the one piece cap and bolthead. I have the stock non adjustable Showa front end.

When I really want to get on it, I try and get my weight as far forward as possible to load up the front tire. The Monster tank shape lends itself to this. I can see why people fit clip-ons to help give this feel and improve the weight distribution. I like the stock bars though for comfort when I'm riding easy.

A mate of mine runs pod filters and has moved the battery up behind the steering head to help weight distribution.

[ducpainter]

DP, if I remember right, you have an Ohlin's shock on the rear of your Monster as well.  Is there a reason you maxed out the heim joints instead of using the eye of the shock?

I took a look at the rear suspension linkage to try to determine if the effect of a longer hoop (turning our the heim joints or adding spacers) would change how the suspension worked differently from a longer shock (turning out the bottom eye on the Ohlin's).  Both would decrease the trail...any thoughts?

I do have an Ohlins, but ride height is not adjustable on a DU-440...and I don't think it would work that way on a linkage system anyway. I believe a longer shock would act more like increased preload.

[Blue]

For those who use the heim joints to increase the rear ride height, how did you end up with your settings? 

Before I installed the spacers, the rear ride height was as low it could be.  I think I am going to remove the spacers and try to turn out the joints in order to gain some height.  I don't know if I should start at the max and turn them in as needed or the other way.  I am not sure how much I can gain with the joints themselves, anyone know?

For the record:
My front forks are at the stock location as measured from the bottom of the lower triple clamp to the top of the fork tube (excluding the cap) per the FSM for my Monster.  I will check my manual when home to verify the setting. 

[DaFoose]

Sorry to go OT here a bit (I've got the risers on myself, 500 miles love it so far) but I just bought, some race tech springs for my forks (2001 M900S) but apparently Racetech list them as 41mm but they are supposed to be 43mm. Anyone else run into this? I ordered them through my dealer, although I looked up the parts online first, and gave them the parts number. Supposedly RT has claimed they made a mistake, but my dealer said they listed 41mm for the 2000 M900 as well (which should be 43mm?). Just wondering.

So far the only thing close to headshake I ahve had was going over some loose gravel (unexpectedly), while going pretty hard on some roads. Mostly just scared me, no tankslapper. I'm 6'4 and love the added height on both look and performance.

[Drunken Monkey]

I do have an Ohlins, but ride height is not adjustable on a DU-440...and I don't think it would work that way on a linkage system anyway. I believe a longer shock would act more like increased preload.

Any Ohlin's tech can install an adjustable length options on your DU-440 (I had this done, it doesn't cost much)

And while pre-load does affect the effective length of the shock, it also compresses the spring, so that can have some secondary effects depending on the spring rate.

I'd share my settings, but my set up is so dang weird (SBK front forks and a custom swingarm) that I doubt it'd work for anyone else.