Touring mods for comfort - Monster 696

[widdi]

Hey folks,

Had my Monster for 18 months now and love it. Just wondering what mods people would recommend for keeping me comfortable as the hours clock up on a long ride?

I've got 796 bars which are much better but I'm thinking of a Sargent seat to keep my arse from going numb - are they any good?

Also would like to fit some heated grips but not sure which are best?

Thanks in advance! :confused:

[SunEye]

I have the Ducati touring seat which is a lot more comfortable than the standard M1100 Evo or M1100 seat. Padded cycling shorts under your trousers will help. Also conditioning your backside by riding a lot is one of the best things you can do in preparation for a long tour. Riding for a few hours after several weeks/months off the bike is way more uncomfortable than the last 10 hour day of a two week tour.

I don't know how the peg/seat/bar position on your bike compares to the M1100 or Evo, but lower bars and pegs that are further back will take some of the weight off your backside and may make long distances more comfortable if your legs and arms can cope with the slightly racier position. Higher bars and more forward pegs will seems comfier for the first 30 minutes of riding, but after that you usually find there is too much pressure on your backside and only a special seat (i.e. a lot better than the Ducati Monster touring seat) would help with that.

Personally I've never had heated grips, just thick gloves and a thermal glove underneath. That's ok for me for an hour or so when it's cold. However I would never ride all day in low temperatures (circa 5 degrees) because I get cold very easily and I couldn't wear enough clothes to stay warm on a bike at those temperatures.

[NewMon]

I did the comfort mods last year - mainly for cold weather rather than distance riding. Heated grips are great! Mine are Oxfords after recommendations here. I also recommend hand guards - hardly need the heated grips with those fitted. Both heated grips and handguards are something I would never have even considered a few years ago (on stylish grounds alone) but they would be difficult to live without now.

[BeePee]

does the DP Multistrada grips fit ? I too have went for years without heated grips but tell you what, they're the best thing since sliced bread and that was invented in 1863 !
I went away from bikes for a few years, did the road legal quad thing and loads of mountain / hill exploring and I found heated grips through that. http://www.youtube.com/user/beepee700?feature=guide
1 thing to consider is the diameter they have, I found the Oxfords too cumbersome and unreliable.
My last quad was the Can Am Renegade 800 V-Twin, a beast of a machine off road. The heated grips were great compared to Oxford and 100% reliable, downside is.......no twister !
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CAN-AM-RENEGADE-OUTLANDER-HEATED-HAND-GRIP-KIT-/300764276308?pt=UK_CartsParts_Vehicles_ATVQuad_Tri ke_Parts_Accessories_SM&hash=item4606f2a654#ht_3509wt_804
They were the same size as normal grips unlike the Oxford.
Anybody tried a Monster with a thumb throttle before :p

[Qba]

Definitely DP touring seat. For pillion I also used Air Hawk cushion (never used it as a rider).

Adjusting hight of a rear suspension for comfort made a lot of difference too
(lowering bike a bit took a lot of pressure off my bum).

DP tank bag had its comfort use as well, as I could lean on it to rest my back and hands from time to time while riding.

[NewMon]

Although the Oxford heated grips have a larger outer diameter than the stock grips, I can honestly say that I noticed no difference when riding. I've often wondered why quads and such have thumb throttles and why so few bikes have them - I'd have thought they could be dangerous esp. when cornering - maybe I just answered my own question.

[Jonno]

I found I still had munb fingers from wind chill even with heated grips, so i fitted Acerbis dual road hand guards and have hardly turned the headed grips on since. they may be an aquired taste but I dont think they look too bad and are easy to take off when it warms up.

[mickyvee]

I have a Sargent seat on my Evo. It is 1000% better than the stock seat or the DP comfort seat, as it bloody well should be seeing as it costs nearly 3x as much. The only downer is the inability to fit the cowl. It is supposed to go on, but I cannot get mine to fit. Apart from that, it is a superb bit of kit, being beautifully made out of top spec materials. Highly recommended! If you search on this forum for "Sargent seats" you can have a look at it!

[NewMon]

so i fitted Acerbis dual road hand guards and have hardly turned the headed grips on since. they may be an aquired taste but I dont think they look too bad and are easy to take off when it warms up.

And they have LEDs! LEDs improve almost anything :thumbsup:

[widdi]

Thanks for the advice - superb. Had heated grips on my old Kwak years ago but have become a lightweight and haven't been riding much in the cold.

As for quads - I race them too. Thumb throttle is a must for me as when I'm tucked right down on a fast right hand corner it gives you more control on the bars as it's a tad too easy to yank the throttle at the wrong time with a twist grip :on:

Will check with Sargent about the seat cowl as I'd like that to fit - prefer to have the bike to myself I'm afraid and the bike looks better!!

Thanks again :)

[jerry]

get yourself one of these http://www.motorcyclegelpad.co.uk the large riders pad is best for monsters , its brilliant i have 2 of them