Dave G
09-06-2008, 08:03 PM
Fitting clip ons to a monster is a common mod and helps to improve the feel at the front of the bike, more importantly...they look really cool!! While not the hardest task in the world they'll tax your patience trying to fit all the hoses and cables back into a much tighter space. This sometimes leaves the clocks and headlight looking a bit awkward in relation to everything and lowering those brings a much sleeker and more purposeful look. I used an aftermarket top yolk but this process is the same with the standard one.
This isnt the easiest way to drop your headlight,but, but this way you can keep the nose fairing as an option and I think is more elegant as it looks almost stock even when inspected quite closely. I wanted the dropped look for the front after I fitted clip ons and think it makes the whole bike look meaner and more streamlined.
Heres a picture of the OE top yoke ready for removal, note the small nylon plugs at the bottom, you'll need those, they just pull off.They're held on with roll pins and you need to get them out if you intend to use the OE yoke,if you use an aftermarket one just leave them there .
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v138/salsajayne/Headlight%20mods/mar006.jpg
I started with a spare U-bracket that supports the headlight, just in case I messed it up.
I cut through the welds holding the bracket to the u frame and slid them down the frame a bit to where I though was an OK position (about an inch or so I think-I didn't measure it,but when looking at the photo the sensor frame holding the brackets makes a good estimate of how much lower the modified one is, as the steel frame is bolted to both side brackets and then slid down until it touches the top of the U bracket tube), I then had them rewelded locally by a specialist alloy welder,didn't have to be too neat as its not seen, the U frame itself was then cut shorter by the width of the clocks,all the fittings then go straight back on normally.
In the first photo of the U-bracket you can see how much lower the fairing bracket on the right is from stock one on the left,ignore the steel sensor frame as it was being used to hold the brackets in position.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v138/salsajayne/Headlight%20mods/mar085Small.jpg
I had to use machine screws to secure the clocks as I couldn't find hex bolts or allen bolts long(7cm x M4 or M5- cant actually remember) and narrow enough, these can be hidden anyway using black plastic screw caps, these then screw through the yolk,then a plumbers washer means you wont have to trim the clocks plastic to get it flush with the bottom side of the top yolk, a bit of plastic tubing around the protuding screw also helped secure the clocks.
Then I refitted the OE nylon plugs over the machine screw and secured them against the clocks with small nyloc nut (this isn't really needed other than to stop the plugs falling off while you position everything). You can keep the sensor frame if you want but you dont need it,just mount the air sensor somewhere convenient instead, I zip tied it to another wire.
The shortened U frame will slip over the bottom of the screw and when pushed up be secured by the original nylon plugs above it and be attached normally at the bottom.
I didnt photograph this bit but have included a drawing of how the lot fitted back together.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v138/salsajayne/Headlight%20mods/u-frame.jpg
I put it all back together to make sure I had no problems and then a while later pulled it apart and powdercoated the whole assembly black.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v138/salsajayne/mar2008012.jpg
This isnt the easiest way to drop your headlight,but, but this way you can keep the nose fairing as an option and I think is more elegant as it looks almost stock even when inspected quite closely. I wanted the dropped look for the front after I fitted clip ons and think it makes the whole bike look meaner and more streamlined.
Heres a picture of the OE top yoke ready for removal, note the small nylon plugs at the bottom, you'll need those, they just pull off.They're held on with roll pins and you need to get them out if you intend to use the OE yoke,if you use an aftermarket one just leave them there .
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v138/salsajayne/Headlight%20mods/mar006.jpg
I started with a spare U-bracket that supports the headlight, just in case I messed it up.
I cut through the welds holding the bracket to the u frame and slid them down the frame a bit to where I though was an OK position (about an inch or so I think-I didn't measure it,but when looking at the photo the sensor frame holding the brackets makes a good estimate of how much lower the modified one is, as the steel frame is bolted to both side brackets and then slid down until it touches the top of the U bracket tube), I then had them rewelded locally by a specialist alloy welder,didn't have to be too neat as its not seen, the U frame itself was then cut shorter by the width of the clocks,all the fittings then go straight back on normally.
In the first photo of the U-bracket you can see how much lower the fairing bracket on the right is from stock one on the left,ignore the steel sensor frame as it was being used to hold the brackets in position.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v138/salsajayne/Headlight%20mods/mar085Small.jpg
I had to use machine screws to secure the clocks as I couldn't find hex bolts or allen bolts long(7cm x M4 or M5- cant actually remember) and narrow enough, these can be hidden anyway using black plastic screw caps, these then screw through the yolk,then a plumbers washer means you wont have to trim the clocks plastic to get it flush with the bottom side of the top yolk, a bit of plastic tubing around the protuding screw also helped secure the clocks.
Then I refitted the OE nylon plugs over the machine screw and secured them against the clocks with small nyloc nut (this isn't really needed other than to stop the plugs falling off while you position everything). You can keep the sensor frame if you want but you dont need it,just mount the air sensor somewhere convenient instead, I zip tied it to another wire.
The shortened U frame will slip over the bottom of the screw and when pushed up be secured by the original nylon plugs above it and be attached normally at the bottom.
I didnt photograph this bit but have included a drawing of how the lot fitted back together.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v138/salsajayne/Headlight%20mods/u-frame.jpg
I put it all back together to make sure I had no problems and then a while later pulled it apart and powdercoated the whole assembly black.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v138/salsajayne/mar2008012.jpg