2001 Monster rear shock change.....

[MonsterInDark]

So im looking for opinions and answers from anyone who can help....

I have been a HUGE fan of the ducati monster ever sense i first wanted to ride and dreamt about buying one back in my early highschool years. I finally bought one and went with the same year model that i fell in love with way back in 2001. Ive ridden the crap out of it everyday since then.

The issue:
I am a big guy...6ft 4 280 lbs....and even though the monster is a small bike i find that it has plenty of power to get myself and my gf around without any hesitation, and is more then comfortable for a guy my height. However i noticed that the shock clearance of the bike is not great when you put the load of my weight and my 120lb girl on it. I did some research and found that the monster is setup for a 175lb rider.  this of course is not good. I then decided to change the preload so it wouldnt sag as bad and noticed that the preload had already been completely used.... so now my question to all of you is how i can either get a new "compatible" rear shock for it that will be tuned to my weight and i wont have to spend an arm and a leg to get.....

[MonsterInDark]

I looked into different shocks and found that OHLINS seems to be what everyone changes too....however a new shock for the bike runs around 1400$ and thats more then i can justify paying at this point....does anyone know if their is a less expensive brand i could buy?

Or is there a way to simply change out the spring itself to a more sturdy spring that can support the weight? and where would i buy one...

[Speeddog]

PM sent. 

[pcv57]

Not sure how many miles are on your shock but you can definately replace the spring. If the shock has a lot of miles then you should have it rebuilt or replaced. Keep an eye open for a good deal on a used shock for that bike. At 280 lbs, chances are you'd need to replace the spring on the next shock too.

[tankerbutt]

the search button would work wonders for this question... the most recent new post on the subject

http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=46432.0

and a wonderful how-to on the subject...
http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=32414.0

[J5]

( so now my question to all of you is how i can either get a new "compatible" rear shock for it that will be tuned to my weight and i wont have to spend an arm and a leg to get.....

a penske shock

firstly start talking to some suspension guys,

the good ones will be able to supply the shock ready to go and sprung for your weight rather than having to reinvent the wheel

[Nomad]

Also you should be able to pick up a used Ohlins for less than half that price, I did

[J5]

Also you should be able to pick up a used Ohlins for less than half that price, I did

it would need to be

by the time you service and respring its up near new price