Evolution of a 2000 Ducati 750
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Owning and riding a Ducati Monster is nothing like anything you've ever done before...
It will show you the wonders of the local roads, breathtaking sceneries and introduce you to great new friends...
It will also turn you into an obsessive-compulsive person who enjoys changing each and every little item on the moto as well, so be forwarned - if you enjoy crafting an Italian work of art into an extension of your own personality, the Ducati Monster is a ride you will definitely enjoy owning!
all the modifications are listed under sub-headings and chronologically, most recent at the top.
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| For more ideas and info on modding your Monster as well as the cameraderie of other Monster owners, please visit the DML website! |
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Mod Legend
Please note: costs, effort and time requirements are relative. Time requirement is dependent on your personal skills and access to tools as well as prep-time.
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x1 |
x2 |
x3 |
x4 |
| Cost ($US) |
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$0 - $100 |
$101 - $250 |
$250+ |
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| Effort |
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minimal tools |
tool box & some brains |
tools + friend with extra tools |
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| Time (hh:mm) |
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00:00 - 00:30 |
00:31 - 01:00 |
01:01 - 02:00 |
02:00+ |
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| Mod Type
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Modification
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Notes
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Pics
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The Monster came stock with plastic plugs for bar-ends. I ended up replacing them originally with brass-colored ends from Britalia in Santa Cruz (they were $35). It took about 5 minutes. However, the fastening mechanism was poorly designed (it included a split-plastic collar which did not have much friction with the inside of the bars). I lost one of them on Carmel Valley Road. Gold-colored ends from Lockhart-Philips (got them from Road Rider in San Jose) were only $10 and are very secure. Even though the brass-colored ends from Italy matched the color of the gas-cover better, I won't have to worry about the gold-colored ones falling off.
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Mod 02
08/2001 |
Front fairing
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Today I added a Ducati Performance front fairing, which took about 30 min. It had taken quite a while due to the fact that it took over 4 weeks to receive the part from Ducati Performance. In addition, 2 crucial bolts were missing. Fairing/screen was $200. I would have not gone with any fairing at all except for the fact that I take the bike to San Jose a lot and the freeway traffic is pretty fast. The fairing helps keep the wind from pulling me off at higher speeds.
After a really hot summer in California, I decided to ride without the front fairing. It took about 7 minutes to remove the piece. The wind blast was a cool welcome during the day. In the evening, the riding temperatures were just right. Nowadays, I enjoy riding without the fairing more often than with it. It's sitting in my Duc parts pile in the meantime.
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Mod 03
08/2001 |
Mirrors
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I replaced the Micky Mouse mirrors with Napoleon mirrors in about 5 minutes. However, they were just too large. I felt like I had a barn door fastened to the front of the Monster, so I opted for a single L-handed bar-end mirror instead. It was only $15 for one mirror and took about 20 seconds to install. I left the R-side mirror-less to keep the lane-splitting clearance to a minimum. I'd like to replace this soon, as the metal support-piece has been pretty annoying even though I have a good set of leather gloves on when I ride.
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Mod 04
09/2001 |
Rear Tire
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The rear stock tire was an MZ-1. I was able to get 10K out of it before replacing it. I took the rear wheel off in about 1 hr and took it to Road Rider on Monterey Road in San Jose to get the tire changed. I opted for a higher mileage tire (MZ-4), which would hopefully let me ride longer before I begin squaring it off. The tire was $115 including mounting.
Note: I'm wondering if there's a cosmic anomaly around because... I've had the original front tire (MZ-1) on the bike for about 27k miles. It was finally replaced at Nichols with a $30 used MZ-1 during a valve adjustment interval. I'm on my 5th rear sport touring tire and only on my 2nd MZ-1 front tire! What's up with that?
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Mod 05
10/2001 |
Drive Chain
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My stock chain was a clipless standard o-ring chain. It got quite abused from all the WD-40 I used to clean it. I spoke to a few racers and decided that minimal WD-40 on a rag used to wipe the outer plates off and a non-WD-40 rag to "floss" between the outer plates was the standard way to clean my chain. It took about 30 min to go with a new gold colored (brass?) x-ring chain for about $120. It has less rolling resistance. I used silicon ($15) to prevent the clip from coming off. The original clip had fallen off during a ride to San Jose so I went to Road Rider for another clip. I used clear silicon this time
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Mod 06
11/2001 |
License Plate holder
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I had gone to REM Aluminum scrap warehouse off De La Cruz avenue in San Jose (near the airport) to pick up some aluminum scraps ($5/lb). I brought home a single plate and took it to my friend's place. We used his milling machine to cut the plate (the stock license plate holder/mud guard was used as a template); we used a vice to bend it as well. The plate holder was "sandblasted" to remove the lines we scribed into the metal used as guidelines for milling. It looks pretty clean and I paid only $6 for parts. I got some nylon license plate nuts/bolts for $1 at Orchard Supply to replace the dealer bolts so they won't rust. The total time it took was about 4 hrs.
This past weekend (the weekend before Thanksgiving 2001) I bought some Satin-finish black paint from K-Mart for about $1 and painted the whole plate holder matte black. It turned out great.
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Mod 07
01/2002 |
Givi topcase
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I started looking around for some sort of luggage carrier to take my work stuff with me on the moto. I chose the Givi topcase L52 because it's one of the nicer hard-cases and was the largest I could find. The frame was about $200 and the case itself was about $150. It took a little over 1-1/4 hrs to install. I had to remove the bolts on the rear-sets to install the mounting frame. I also purchased a backrest for $50 that bolts right on for riding 2-up. Your passenger will fall in love with it and make it much more comfy for them.
Ended up removing the topcase frame in 02/2003 in preparation for cutting the tail (Mod slated for this or next week... see below when completed).
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Mod 08
01/2002 |
Carbon Can
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The carbon can ended up coming off today. Pulling the hoses off took a bit of elbow-grease. Removal cleans up the rear, as you are now able to access the back of the rear-shock. The can is off my 2000 monster. The newer ie models have it on the R-side of the frame. I plugged the holes in the throttle bodies using rubber vacuum-covers purchased at the auto-store for about $2.50 per 4. The adjustable collet off each hose was cannibalized and reused to secure the covers. Eventually, the covers were replaced at Nichols by nickel-plated bolts to prevent air-leaks which would affect the performance of the motor since rubber oxidizes and breaks apart after a time.
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Mod 09
03/2002 |
Handlebar clamp
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The other day, I was at Britalia in Santa Cruz. I picked up a handlebar clamp with the Ducati logo cut out for $50. It took about 15 min. to replace the OEM clamp with the new one. I think it looks pretty nice.
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Mod 10
05/2002 |
Nichols enginecase fob
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When I had the valves adjusted and belts changed, I asked for the Nichols enginecase fob to be installed. It's a cosmetic thing. I think it was around $30 or so. It adds some decor to a bland-looking enginecase.
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