Carolyns Monster build

[Glider]

Thought I'd put up some pics and a running story of my bike build now that its really getting moving.

I bought my Ducati Monster 695 about a year ago as my first bike. Being new to Dukes (and bikes in general), I made the mistake of seeing a bike I could afford, it looking ok at face value and riding off into the sunset with it. Big mistake, but it brings me to where I am now which can't be all that bad.

Basically the bike had a fair few not-standard (but not performance) parts and some interesting cosmetic details which leads me to believe it wasn't something I should take too much care with keeping in pristine Ducati standard condition. Other than that, not too many interesting bits fitted, a pair of Remus cans, Power Commander, a steering damper and a carbon headlight fairing.

Well everyone likes pictures, so here's one of the bike in as-bought condition the day I bought it to start my thread:

[Sumatie]

So you like the bike or not??

[Glider]

Skip forward about one month later, and I'm noticing a wierd miss in the motor when I'm riding. Hmmm that can't be good, but being a starving uni student I tried to ignore it as long as possible knowing that I couldn't possibly afford to fix a broken Ducati.

Lived with the issue for a couple of months but it kept getting worse and worse, I couldn't find anything similar on forums and chasing a problem through the wiring with a multimeter came up with nothing particularly odd. Interesting sidenote- turns out the 'miss' wasn't a miss at all... with the tank up and the airbox cover off the bike would cough flames out of the air intake on the vertical cylinder. ooooooooooooh dramatic!

Ok, we know that that kind of problem isn't something you can just ignore, and the backfire was happening at slow speeds esp. around corners, making it extremely dangerous as it would jerk the bike as it dipped into the slow corners.

After a false-start seeing a SOR Ducati workshop I found myself at Frasers. I wont go into the full story about that, but I rolled out of there a few days later with a Ducati Performance ecu and a grin from ear to ear, and eternally grateful for the efforts of Tony and his workshop staff. Tony by the way is a top bloke who deserves a medal for being such a sterling representative of the Ducati brand.

Picture for this post is of me on my way to Frasers having a thoroughly working bike again. The blue thing on the tank is a tupperware box of cupcakes duct-taped to the tank for Tony and the workshop guys.

[darkfibre]

Is this a on going project?
Or just a good experience with a dealer?

Wish I was a starving Uni student, then I could afford a Ducati Performance ECU and cupcakes.

[Glider]

My birthday sees me receiving a gel touring seat from my extra-awesome other half Chris. Sooooooo good, it's easy on the buns

Then in November last year I moved back to Brisbane to return to my job over there. Here's a pic of me riding in the mountains, the photographer is some random guy who's had the fantastic but cheeky idea where he sits on a corner apex on a popular mountain all day and takes photos of all the cars and bikes that go past, and puts them on his website for you to buy (there's a sign for his website on the bend after you''ve seen him). Yes Im a sucker for buying it, but you don't normally get great pics of yourself in motion.

[Glider]

My fuel tank had some funny gouges on one side and I'd seen one of the factory colour options of black tank with red frame, so I decided to re-paint the tank black. At the same time I bought a carbon single seat cowl from ebay and had that painted too. I found a cheap carbon bellypan as well, but it didn't arrive in time for the painter so it's still sitting in the garage waiting for some future time when I can be bothered.

Pics are of the newly black tank and precision tank-protector fitting geometry , and then with the tank re-fitted and my good friend Grae helping adjust my handlebars.

[Glider]

So you like the bike or not??

Fo a long time I didn't like it and regretted buying it, but then I decided to make lemonade out of the 'lemon', and my change in attitude has opened up all kinds of opportunities for tinkering and creativeness, and had lead me to meet some trule awesome people.

[Glider]

Is this a on going project?
Or just a good experience with a dealer?

It is an ongoing project, I'm just starting my thread with some back story before I get into the good stuff. The rest of this thread should be filled with proper project content - my single-sided swingarm rear end conversion and later hopefully a Buell perimeter-brake front end conversion.

[darkfibre]

I retract my initial cynical knee jerk reaction. Enjoying the expanded content already

Evolution of the rider/bike side you are showing is great on build threads.

Watching with interest

[Glider]

I moved back to Perth a few weeks ago and Tony pointed me to this little beauty on the Frasers sale table...

(Sparky the cat was not included in the bargain, he is just an excited home helper/get-in-the-way-er)

[Bam Stroker]

Tank definitely looks more awesomer in black, Caz.

[Glider]

Oh yeah the tank looks a million times better in black

[D.J]

Loving the story but suspect your not really a starving uni student subscribed

[Glider]

I certainly was a starving uni student last year, living in the Curtin student housing and everything. Now that I've taken a break from uni for a while I'm still only eating 2min noodles, but now it's so that I can afford bike parts

[Sumatie]

Glad you enjoy it, any bike can be good with a bit of work...ask the MV owners

[Oggy]

Just curious, what width is that rim, and what did it fit originally?

[kel999]

5.5" to suit 916/996/998 Marchesini Forged...

[potato]

Loving the story but suspect your not really a starving uni student subscribed

in on this too !

not into noodles but those monsters are a fun ride

[Oggy]

5.5" to suit 916/996/998 Marchesini Forged...

Thanks kel999, I've been told some of the Duke wheels (spaced out by 2mm behind the flange face) fit the RC30. I could do with ditching the 18 x 5.5 for a 17 x 5.5 but still keeping it a little like the original Honda rim.

[Glider]

The good stuff begins...

A marvellous stroke of luck and a new friend made, my single-sided swingarm conversion begins!!

With the replacement parts lined up (more on those later in the week), my old swingarm needed removal. This was surprisingly easy and fast, and was all done in a couple of hours with little hassle. A good omen I hope.