Hello - and help! Failed MoT.....

[BabyDriver]

Hi,

I've had my 99 Monster M900 for four years this May but only discovered this website today! My bike failed the MoT on two counts :grump: and I was looking for some clues to make the rectification work as painless as possible and stumbled across a link to UKMOC from DucatiSuite (Lance Busch).

Last year I changed the cambelts and gave my Monster a bit of maintenance TLC. I didn't get to ride out much as we had a new baby (not a motorbike a real one!) and I was doing the new man thing. This year I am planning to ride as much as I possibly can - which still probably wont be a massive amount.... but first I need an MoT pass certificate.

First failure is front brake light switch - which works fine when not fixed to its mounting but as soon as I tighten the little screws it goes all intermittent. I've already searched this one on the forum and decided to try one last time and open it up and look at the contacts. If that doesn't do it then it's the ritual destruction and new switch purchase.

Second MoT failure is slightly more involved but (I hope) only slightly. The rear shock connection to the swingarm has a whole load of play in it and I would guess that the connecting bolt and bush are worn as a result of running dry. Again I've searched the forum but drawn a blank - plenty of problems reported for upper linkage but lower connection seems to be trouble free - except for me! Does anyone have any experience of changing this? And would it be wise to do the job in isolation or should I be thinking about servicing the rear end - so to speak...?

Any help much appreciated and once again hi to you all.
Happy and safe riding - BabyDriver

[sidrat]

Hello mate and welcome. If you are going to replace the bottom bushes, it sounds like a good idea to service the whole back end at the same time, if you are going to take the shock out etc, its an easy job as such, its just the balancing of the bike while the back end is out that takes a little cleverness, but i am sure you will manage it

[Pedro]

Just had the same prob with the lower shock bolt. There do have a bit of play even from new but a new bolt is £3.48 and cured the prb with a load of grease too!

Pretty easy job to do - what rear suspension setup do you have? If you have the hoop, it's roughly as follows:

Bung the bike on a paddock stand and put it in gear. Remove the seat, side panels, hugger, exhaust cans and right hand foot rest hanger. Stick a scissor jack between the wheel and rear subframe and tighten to just take the weight. Undo the hoop top bolt and remove - you may have to jiggle the jack to free it. On the right hand side of the swingarm is an access hole to the bottom bolt - undo this. At this point I undid the pivot bolt and pulled the whole lot out to grease everything. Took me about an hour and a half to do this lot.

While you've got it apart, it may be worth changing the rose joints at the bottom of the hoop. Ducati want about £43 each for these but you can buy them from BSL for about £10 each

Hope this helps

Ped

[gary tompkins]

Pedro has the suspension pretty much covered, but on the subject of the stop switch....

I've had 2 of these pack up on 2 different bikes now, so it's either a naff design or I've just been unlucky? Last one cost me about £16 mail order, but not sure if switches on later bikes like mine (2001 spec) are the same as yours? Pretty sure it's a sealed unit too - and as such not repairable if faulty. I think it just presses into a recess in the lever assembly, and is held in place by a small screw.

[Trent]

I can't remember exactly what the switch looks like, but last time I replaced one (on a BMW) I used a Micro Switch from Maplins.
It cost less than £2 and I only needed to fit some connectors to the wires to make it work. (You could also solder the wires on)

http://www.maplin.co.uk/search.aspx?MenuNo=488&MenuName=Micro%20Switches&FromMenu=y&criteria=Micro%20Switches&doy=21m4&worldid=3

[BabyDriver]

Thanks for taking the time to give me the benefit of your experience/knowledge - just parts and time required now!

I would never have thought about putting jack between wheel and subframe to take the load off the shock - had visions of ropes from the rafters or trying the step-ladder approach.

The front brake light switch on further inspection looks totally sealed! And a bit weird how it works fine until it's fixed in position - could be me being hamfisted... Anyway it looks like a new one is required.

Will report back on progress.

BTW - anyone on here from Staffordshire?

[MilesB]

BTW - anyone on here from Staffordshire?
You could try here...
http://www.ukmonster.co.uk/monster/forumdisplay.php?f=66
But keep an eye on the neighbouring counties too - there's Loadsa Monsta's in the Midlands.

[gwyndaff]

Hi BabyDriver,

My front breaklight switch shows the same problem as you describe.

It works fine when unscrewded from the front break leaver (breaklight is illuminated until the microswitch button is pressed in)

I don't know what its called but there's a "black plastiic movable barrel type thingy" (technical term) that activates the button when the microswitch is screwed in place. Well mine gets dead stiff so the microswitch button wont release (the break light will not illuminate). To cure the problem I squirt a bit of WD40 or simular and get the black plastiic movable barrel type thingy moving again.

I hope this helps
Dr Gwndaff Hewett MEng

[BabyDriver]

Thanks Gwyndaff - I've found the little barrel thing and did suspect it for a while so did the WD40 thing but to no avail. I can also definitely hear the switch click although not always accompanied by a lit rear light! Bl***y thing. I'm going to have another look to eliminate the little barrel completely before ordering the switch.

[Duncan]

The brake light thing, just disconnect it, legally you only need a brake light on one of the brakes and you have it on the back one. Done

The suspension bushes that give the up and down play are in the shock absorber eyes. Take yours in to your supplier as the bushes on the microfiches for that year look different and in my case wernt correct when they came in. They had to be ordered with a photo to Ducati who didnt have it correctly listed.

Pedro is right, enough grease and you can probably get it through the MOT.

[BabyDriver]

The brake light thing, just disconnect it, legally you only need a brake light on one of the brakes and you have it on the back one. Done

The suspension bushes that give the up and down play are in the shock absorber eyes. Take yours in to your supplier as the bushes on the microfiches for that year look different and in my case wernt correct when they came in. They had to be ordered with a photo to Ducati who didnt have it correctly listed.

Pedro is right, enough grease and you can probably get it through the MOT.

Well - I've ordered the allen screw that goes through the bush! No sign of a bush at all in the Ducati parts catalogue... I don't suppose you have a part number by any chance? Otherwise it's plenty of grease, fingers crossed and another £23.

[Duncan]

Well - I've ordered the allen screw that goes through the bush! No sign of a bush at all in the Ducati parts catalogue... I don't suppose you have a part number by any chance? Otherwise it's plenty of grease, fingers crossed and another £23.

Sorry but no bush part number but if you speak to Paul in spares at Ducati Bristol and remind him of the bushes I had about 18 months ago he will know and if he looks at my account (Duncan Spokes) then it should be listed.

[BabyDriver]

Sorry but no bush part number but if you speak to Paul in spares at Ducati Bristol and remind him of the bushes I had about 18 months ago he will know and if he looks at my account (Duncan Spokes) then it should be listed.

Have (finally) tracked it down via Ducati Bristol who looked at your account and actually who had two in stock at Bridgewater - now on there way to me. The part number for anyone interested is 366.1.020.1A 'Ball Joint'.

Thanks

[BabyDriver]

Well I've completed it - sort of...

My rear shock is a Sachs and has different bushes in the eyes than those shown in the parts catalogue... They appeared to be rubber mounted with an inner sleeve split in the middle but I couldn't get them out. There was zero play in the bush anyway - the play is between the screw which attaches to the swingarm and the sleeve in the eye of the shock and there's no way of rectifying it as far as I can see!

Anyone who knows better please let me know!

[Zimbo]

Could you cure it by fitting a couple of 0-rings between the shock and the swinging arm?

As for disconnecting the front brake switch, I'm pretty sure that modern bikes manufactured since about 1984 legally require the brake light to be activated by the front brake as well as the rear. Older bikes than that are fine with the brake switch just on the rear, but that won't apply to monsters.

[BabyDriver]

Front brake light switch replaced and working AOK.

Rear suspension serviced but have not yet replaced the bush as I couldn't remove the original bush and ball joint arrangement from the shock eye. I've now found a sectional drawing of the shock and can now see what's going on so will have another attempt...

Thanks to all that have offered advice - it's appreciated and has saved me loads of aggro (and some time too!).