Third Monster, first in the UK

[FrankenDesmo]

Originally Posted by alan s4

You can get decent beefed up starter and earth cables for Halfords in various lengths.

Have you got a painter in Glasgow? If not I can recommend a guy based out in Strathaven who did an excellent job on my tank recently.

Once I've got the charging sorted I'll look into doing it myself from scratch rather than buying a kit - something to do in dec/jan when it's least likely I'll get any riding time in (and thus can have the electrics in pieces and take my time).

I will probably go and see Eoin at EDC Designs down in Ayr, particularly as he can do the custom decals. I was hoping to have it done over this winter but I may have been a bit optimistic around the affordability (gotta go skiing in winter as well!).

Originally Posted by Darren69

As others have said nice blue colour but graphic too busy! I would go for black too though (black over metallic gold with gold stripe) and keep the design classic/simple.

I'm in agreement as well - the blue is quite nice, but even if it were just the blue I'd still probably want to change it. To me there are only 2 colours for a Monster - Rosso Corsa or Black

I'm definitely set on the gold twinline logos, but I'm still thinking about whether or not I want and gold striping, and if so - what kind and where. Eoin does mock-ups on the PC with a photo of the bike (according to his website, I haven't gone to see him yet) so might be able to play around a bit.


Here's a couple of photos of my previous two:

The '99 M900 that started it all. As far as I was concerned, the only bikes in existence were Japanese sports bikes - at the time I had a GSXR600K1 which needed a new front tyre, so I took it to the shop as usual. Next think I know they've lost the (only) key for it, tearing the shop apart last thing on Friday with no luck. Promising the replace the ignition if necessary, they needed to give me a bike for the night at least - enter the Monster. It had something like 78,000km on the clock and was the cheapest bike on the floor (NZ$6k). I didn't think much of it at first - until I got the Wainuiomata Hill, which is a fast windy 3/2 lane hill on the way home. I rode it 3 times before getting home that night. The next morning I told the shop to keep the GSXR because I was keeping the Monster and a deal was struck. Sadly she was written off by an inattentive driver changing lanes and plowing into me one Friday night on the way home.


(This photo taken at the top of the Rimutaka Hill, Upper Hutt, NZ)

I needed a replacement, fast, and the same bike shop was about to receive an '05 S2R800 at a similar price, so I went for it. It was nice (much better with some cans but not as thunderous as the '99 due to the horrible cows udder cat), but it didn't live up to the enjoyment I got from the M900. She was sold not long before I left NZ for the UK in 2017.



Frankenstein's Monster is my first bike since then, and it is much more like the '99 (better even!). I couldn't be happier, electrical gremlins and all.

[FrankenDesmo]

Originally Posted by LVC

Bonjour from the Froggy side of UKMOC

One summer soon I will be bringing the bike over your way...

[Luddite]

Originally Posted by FrankenDesmo

To me there are only 2 colours for a Monster - Rosso Corsa or Black

Welcome home!

If you like the old 70s/80s black/gold designs, have you seen olivera's recently reborn 900 with his interpretation of the old SS scheme?

http://www.ukmonster.co.uk/monster/s...ad.php?t=57760





If your painter does provide photoshop examples of various paint jobs, you could post the alternatives on here for a 'people's vote' (non-binding of course!). I see you've already got the gold wheels - and has the rear spring been painted gold too?

[FrankenDesmo]

Luddite, thanks for sharing that - it is pretty much what I had in mind, minus the stripes under the logo on the tank. Now I feel like a bit of a copycat - clearly I'm not the only one with good taste

At the moment I'm leaning towards no stripes at all, just the gold Ducati logo on the tank, a similar gold Desmo logo on the rear of the seat cover, and the original 'M 9 0 0' decals on the side panels. The Desmo & M900 decals will probaby have to be custom as I've only found them in white so far.

The spring _is_ gold, though whether it came like that or was painted, I couldn't tell you.

[Luddite]

Originally Posted by FrankenDesmo

Now I feel like a bit of a copycat - clearly I'm not the only one with good taste

Don't worry about that - as slob once said "no two identical Monsters are the same"!

Originally Posted by FrankenDesmo

At the moment I'm leaning towards no stripes at all, just the gold Ducati logo on the tank, a similar gold Desmo logo on the rear of the seat cover, and the original 'M 9 0 0' decals on the side panels. The Desmo & M900 decals will probaby have to be custom as I've only found them in white so far.

Have a look at this recent thread regarding side panel decals.

http://www.ukmonster.co.uk/monster/s...ad.php?t=57673

Originally Posted by FrankenDesmo

Fair call.




So I was thinking gloss black with the Ducati twin-line logo in gold (and a smaller twin-line Desmo on the rear of the seat cover). I cannot abide the current look. It even says 'Monsterio' on the tail - what the heck!? It's Il Mostro! Not Monsterio!

...aah ,I see the issue with the headlights Jase, I also note you are straight on it with the bins, brilliant!

[Flip]

Wow!! Blue bins to match the bike too!!

Welcome along by the way!

Colours are indeed a personal thing and if everyone knew the red ones were fastest we’d all be riding them

I’ve always liked the ‘80’s black and gold ever since working with a chap who had a 900ss - a thing of magic and mystery back in the days when I was still dashing about leaving trails of blue smoke from a pair of rasping Swarbricks.

Olivera’s is a nice take on the ‘80’s design with the lining a hark back to the ‘Ducati wing’ of the ‘60’s

So I wouldn’t worry too much about copying as it’s your own take on a homage to bikes in Ducati’s history- much like they did themselves a few years back.

Although, ironically up until the 20th Anniversary Monster the one font they couldn’t use (I still wonder how much it cost them to use it then ‘coz they’ve never used it since) was the one the bike was born with:

[Darkness]

Originally Posted by Flip

Although, ironically up until the 20th Anniversary Monster the one font they couldn’t use (I still wonder how much it cost them to use it then ‘coz they’ve never used it since) was the one the bike was born with:

Indeed, the Cagiva font hasn’t been used on the 25th anniversary Monster nor the V4 Foggy 916 Panigale.

They failed to match the original gold frame shade too.

[FrankenDesmo]

Full disclosure: That photo was not taken at my place, they're not my bins

I can't say I'm a fan of that original font, but it is interesting to learn that there is obviously some copyright with Cagiva and permission was not granted to use it after the company moved hands (again).

[Darkness]

Originally Posted by FrankenDesmo

Full disclosure: That photo was not taken at my place, they're not my bins

I can't say I'm a fan of that original font, but it is interesting to learn that there is obviously some copyright with Cagiva and permission was not granted to use it after the company moved hands (again).

The funny thing is that although Cagivas are not currently in production, they stopped using that font themselves several years ago.

https://www.motorcyclelogos.org/cagiva-3/

[Flip]

Originally Posted by Darkness

Indeed, the Cagiva font hasn’t been used on the 25th anniversary Monster nor the V4 Foggy 916 Panigale.

They failed to match the original gold frame shade too.

Yes I noticed they didn't use it on the Foggy Pani which I thought was a shame really almost making it a half hearted tribute- perhaps because he's now working for Triumph and CCM

As for the frame paint- I think even back in the day there were variations of it but certainly the 20th Anniversary bikes were nowhere near.

Originally Posted by FrankenDesmo

Full disclosure: That photo was not taken at my place, they're not my bins

I can't say I'm a fan of that original font, but it is interesting to learn that there is obviously some copyright with Cagiva and permission was not granted to use it after the company moved hands (again).

Just when we were getting all excited and about to elevate you into a new found Hallowed Bindom you (rubbish) sack us off!

'Tis funny as when I bought my '97 Monster at the end of 1999 (from a mate who bought it new) I was riding a '96 GSX-R750WT and to begin with the Monster felt antiquated to say the least but there was something about the way it rode that I instantly loved- the seemingly endless 'real world' torque but as I became more aware of Monster models the TPG takeover had refreshed the font, bought out the fuel injected model and generally modernised the look using the ST frame and it's rising rate rear suspension (as opposed to the 888 hoop) making my bike look and feel even older and I began to wish I had waited and bought a later model.

As time went on I bought an S4 along side the Monster (I still had the GSX-R too at this point) and on paper it was more powerful, better handling and enjoyed a more modern touch from the switchgear to fuel injection and water cooling but there was some old world charm with the 2v motor that was under my skin and so I waved bye bye to the S4 and set about making the old 900 truly 'mine'.

Today, almost twenty years and 35000 miles later I love it more than ever- it puts a smile on my face literally every time I ride it and now that even Ducati themselves can't use the Cagiva font I smile even more- that'll teach the Audi bastids to bring the old models' service parts prices 'in line' with current models.

[Luddite]

It's strange because the 20th anniversary editions of the 696/797/1100 Evo carried the old-style font so I can't see why they couldn't have done the same with the 25th anniversary models if they'd wanted to.

[Flip]

Originally Posted by Luddite

It's strange because the 20th anniversary editions of the 696/797/1100 Evo carried the old-style font so I can't see why they couldn't have done the same with the 25th anniversary models if they'd wanted to.

Exactly what we're saying but presume because of the Cagiva/Castiglioni owned copyright of that font the cost of gaining permission to use it was deemed too high by Audi bosses.

Case in point that Ducati have also never marketed any clothing, wall plaques or other merchandise using that font therefore almost skipping their '90's history altogether choosing instead to use the twin line lettering of the '80's or the Meccanica fonts and logos of the 1960's and '70's for (think the 'wing' logo on modern Scramblers) when not using the (post TPG takeover) current font.

[larsen]

Blue is the best colour

[Luddite]

There's an interesting history of the Ducati logo from 1926 to the present here.

http://www.museodelmarchioitaliano.c...te1/ducati.php