2006 Monster 1000 Suspension Questions

[Speeddog]

~~~SNIP~~~
By the way, could the oil inside the legs be of the wrong "weight" - or filled too much?

They could easily be overfilled if they've been serviced.

Some of the Monster forks of that era had cartridges that were very very uncooperative about being emptied during service.
If they are incompletely drained, and then refilled by specified volume, the oil level will be much too high.

[lasse28]

Ha, ha, - very funny…
What I ment was the specific weight of the fork oil, i.e. how "thick" such oil should be?
20 W? or 10 W?

[ducpainter]

Fork oil is usually 5w/ 7.5w/ 10 w.

Oil level matters as much as what weight oil.

I asked your weight because if the previous owner was much larger than you they might have had the forks modified oil weight, oil level, or stiffer springs to suit their weight

[Speeddog]

Nobody is joking here.

[lasse28]

120 kilogram, unfortunately…
(How high should the normal oil level be, if oil surface measured by ruler from top?)

[lasse28]

Now I tried to "un-bound" the tele legs, by doing the procedures recommended.
I guess the legs already was pretty parallel, since the operation didnt remedy the problem much.
OK, by wishfull thinking I found that the front now became a bit more compliant…
But, I wonder if a pair of progressive front springs would solve the problem??

In the procedure, I also measured the oil level height, and found the same 120mm level in both legs - I wonder, if this is the correct level?
The oil, reddish, clean, and very thin.

Then I went to the rear suspension, and changed the height here (without touching the yellow spring) reducing it by approx 30 mm (measured on top of tyre to fender underside) from the exsisting reference mesurement I took before the operation.
Heavy rain prohibited a test drive for the moment...

[ducpainter]

Your adjustment to the rear ride height will slow down the turning. Don't make any other adjustments until you ride it to be certain you like the way the bike behaves.

There is no spec for oil height. Ducati only specifies a volume, and as Speeddog stated,if the oil was refreshed, and the cartridges were not completely drained, the level would be too high. If it were my bike, I'd get a tool like this one... https://www.motionpro.com/product/08-0121

and remove oil by 5 or 10mm at a time until I liked the result. You can put a zip tie around a fork leg and go brake hard, in a straight line, to verify the fork is not bottoming. I don't think the springs are your issue.

[Speeddog]

At 120 kilo, the original springs will not work well for you, at all.

You will need front springs ~1.0-1.05 kg/mm.

Rear spring ~ 12 kg/mm, such as Ohlins 01093-44/120

Best to consult with a local motorcycle suspension specialist who knows Ducati.
They will have local road knowledge, of which I have none.

[ducpainter]

What Speeddog says is fact, but we don't know what's in your bike. If they're stock springs there's no way the forks wouldn't be 'compliant' based on your weight. They'd be so soft the bike would be like a pogo stick.

You say you have all service records for the bike. What parts were changed in the suspension by the previous owner? If the springs were not changed, I'd still be investigating why the forks seem to be 'bound'.

[lasse28]

I only said, that the bike came with a full service book by Ducati Denmark.
The only things that I can read there, is change of cambelts, and valve adjustments, + "service" (oil, filters, and so on)

And to correct, a possible misunderstanding, the teles are in fact compliant enough, when talking of big movements over "sleeping Policement" and such.
What I miss, is all the tiny up-and-down movements, or micro movements when driving on ordinary roads.
Here, my other bikes front teles "play" constantly up & down, while the Monster teles are almost stationary!
Until the front wheel meets large holes or big "bumps"...

The motorcycle tracks beautifully, and corners very good, maybe on grounds of the initially stiff springs.
(It might have a small tendency NOT to fall into corners, but need steering input to go positively into a bend)

[stopintime]

Too much compression damping can do that. Did you check if you have the compression adjuster screws and if they work?

Dirty and/or too heavy oil can also do that.

Hitting sharp bumps with a fork like yours will transfer the compression movements to the tire. The tire has no rebound damping and will make the wheel airbourne.   

[lasse28]

Unfortunately, not beeing an "S" model, my Monster 1000 doesnt have those adjusting screws.
So Ireally dont know what to do?
I heard, that "progressive" front springs might be the answer...

[Howie]

Most of us get rid of the progressive springs.  They tend to go from too soft to too hard, plus the spring rate is too low for your weight.  Until you know what springs is inside your forks and you know what valve mods might have been done you are pissing up a rope!

[stopintime]

Unfortunately, not beeing an "S" model, my Monster 1000 doesnt have those adjusting screws.
So Ireally dont know what to do?
I heard, that "progressive" front springs might be the answer...

The parts catalog says you do.

[lasse28]

Again, my official owners manual, & my service book, says that the Ducati Monster 1000, came as a "standard model" with standard springing, and also as a socalled "S" model, having the much more sophisticated front tele-legs with bottom screws and top screws, to alter rebound and compression!!

If I could manage to attach files, I would, as a proof, attach a scan from those books...