Motorbikes.pdf

What to look out for
Finish
Crucial for two reasons – first, it’s an
aspirational, exotic bike, so condition is even
more important than usual, and second, it’s
one of the Monster’s few weak spots. The
finish on the engine in particular is pretty
poor, with paint flaking off the cases
being a common complaint. But there are
also plenty of reports of it also coming off the
fuel tank and footrest hangers.
Originality
Few early Monster 900s will be in the
original factory spec for two reasons: first, the
bike is now 20 years old and likely to have
passed through more than a few owners’
hands, each liable to have ‘personalised’ the
bike, and second, the naked Monster is the
most ripe of all Ducatis for accessorising,
with an ever-expanding range of factory and
aftermarket parts to tempt owners. Some,
particularly official Ducati accessories, are
good – like flyscreens. Others, particularly
if the original part is absent, are less so...
Engine
The air-cooled engine is solid if looked after,
so a high-mileage bike with a good service
history to prove that the oil and belts have
been done regularly is a far safer bet than a
low mileage machine with little or no history.
Bikes that have been run through winter can
suffer from rusty engine nuts and bolts due to
the exposed nature of the motor, something
that makes maintenance tricky – unseizing
them can be hard work.
Spares prices
Oil filter (HiFlo) £6
Air filter (pattern) £12
Spark plugs (per set) £5.96
Top end gasket (set) £69.20
Front disc (EBC) £149.94
Front brake lever (pattern) £7.10
Shock absorber (Hagon) £299.50
Steering head bearing set £44.84
(pattern)
LH rear indicator unit (pattern) £9.95*
LH mirror (pattern) £26.87*
Regulator/rectifier (pattern) £90
Full service kit including belts, £129.94**
plugs, filters, etc (genuine)
Fuel tank (genuine, NOS) £895***
Pillion seat cover (genuine, NOS) £135***
All from wemoto except:
* from mcdparts.co.uk
** from motorapido.co.uk
*** from Carrera Leathers, 07885 465599
Service history
The Monster needs new cam belts every
two years and valve clearances checked
every 6000 miles. A minor (yearly) service
will come to around £200 with a belt swap
(every two years) – although it will cost you
double that at a main dealer. Many Monster
owners often do stuff such as oil and filters
themselves, an easy job thanks to the
air-cooled motor’s accessibility, but leave
belt swaps to professionals.
Clutch
The original Monster’s clutch is quite
heavy, while the power delivery is rather
abrupt. Many owners often upgrade their
bike with an aftermarket slave cylinder,
particularly if they do a fair bit of town riding
that requires constant use of the clutch. This
modification, using either Oberon or MPL
cylinders, costs around £100.
Sprag clutch
Listen out for a slight screeching sound
or slip when the starter is pushed that may
indicate the sprag clutch is damaged. It’s an
expensive fix so if in doubt, walk away.
Headraces/fork seals
Few bikes get wheelied as much as a
Monster – it’s one of the things it was
invented for, after all. But if it has spent a lot
of its life with the front wheel in the air, it’s
likely the headraces will have had a hard life.
Check for slop and notchiness in the steering
and, if so, budget for replacements.
Sidestand cut-out
On the whole, significant faults are pretty
few and far between on the 900 Monster
(if not the whole family), but the sidestand
cut-out switch is a weak spot and often
causes the bike not to start.
Exhaust
Again, with a Monster perhaps more so
than most Ducatis, aftermarket cans are
fairly commonplace. Some are good (like the
Termignoni, particularly if the standard ones
have been kept by the owner), but you might
want to be a bit wary of others...
TIMELINE
M900 Chromo
1993-1999
M900 Monster
Colours: 1993: red only (with black wheels,
yellow suspension arm, black cam belt covers)
1994: red or black (with black wheels, bronze
suspension arm) 1995: red, black or yellow (with
gold wheels and frame) 1996: red, black or
yellow 1997: red, black or yellow
1998: red, black or yellow (with new Ducati logo)
O 1995 version received chamfered silencers,
grey cam belt covers (from black) and silver
clutch cover (from black). 1996 saw new
crankcases (without kickstart boss), revised
frame and adjustable Marzocchi forks. 1997 got
handlebar fairing and detuned, smaller valve
engine, while ’98 had adjustable Showa forks.
1998
Monster M900S/Cromo
Colours: black (M900S), chrome (Cromo)
O Launched in November 1997 as a ‘hotted up’
M900, with a more powerful engine (with the
original larger valves), small fairing, carbonfibre
mudguard and fully-floating Brembo discs. In
December 1999 it received a gun-metal grey
frame and wheels. Another variation that year was
the Cromo, a standard M900 with chrome-plated
tank, black frame and wheels, and carbon fibre
mudguard, side panels and seat cover.
2002
M900ie Monster
Colours: yellow, red or black
O First major updates as the Monster became
the M900ie with fuel injection, new swingarm,
uprated suspension, small fairing, an aluminium
clutch housing and new clocks. Following the
success of the M600 Dark in 1998, the M900
Monster Dark – a version of the new fuel-injected
900 – was also released in 2002. It has no seat
cover and cheaper matt black paint.
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