Are newer monsters more comfy/easier to ride?

I currently have a 696+ but suffer with dodgy wrists and I'm managing less and less miles on my bike before having to stop. I love the bike but it's no fun when my wrists start playing up.
I'm wondering if the newer bikes have a bit better ergonomics that would help with this or wether I should try handlebars on mine. I really don't wanna move away from monsters but if I can't ride far it's no fun.
Any suggestions?
Cheers

I would try the cheap option of a set of risers first before getting rid of your bike could make a difference.

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by FLATTOP

I would try the cheap option of a set of risers first before getting rid of your bike could make a difference.

Risers are a good option to help remove weight off the wrists. You could also try different handlebars with the risers they head you in the right direction.

[utopia]

You might also consider fitting some Jota style multi-adjustable handlebars.
A quick google shows that a couple of companies make them ... TEC and Raask were the names I came up with but there may be others.
And here's a (short) ukmoc thread .....http://www.ukmonster.co.uk/monster/s...ad.php?t=47613

Ergonomics is the science of fitting man to machine (or vice versa ) but it will always be biased towards Mr Average.
I would think that you'll get more benefit out of tailoring your existing bike to your specific needs rather than seeking a different bike with an off-the-shelf fit that suits you.
And with wrists, its probably not just the height of the bars but also the other angles (pullback, slant) which affect how your wrists are loaded.
Hence the suggestion of the Jota bars, where everything is tweekable.
Mind you, they are a tad messy looking.
Some designs of clip-on will also give similar, though possibly slightly less, scope for adjustment.

Risers will be the cheapest and probably the neatest option.
You could also try rotating the bars slightly in the clamps (and/or pulling them back slightly) to achieve a lesser amount of adjustment of the pullback/slant angles.

I guess you could even consider risers AND Jota bars together, if the bars alone don't give the height you need.
But there are probably higher options available than those in the above thread.

[Mr Gazza]

I recently bought some very nice adjustable risers from M&P. They stack to give different heights. They appear to be no longer in stock but M&P still have fairly priced fixed risers.
These are not for the Monster, which already has risers as standard to clear the bars from the adjustable fork tops. I find it extremely comfortable.

As Utopia says try rotating the bars. just a minor adjustment could be enough to take the pressure off whichever nerves or muscles are getting stressed.
Just sit on the bike with the bar clamps loose, and twist them round in your hands until a relaxed angle is found. then tighten the clamps and do the same thing with the levers.

I find that my riding position has to be fairly dynamic on the typically long rides I undertake. A simple shift in fore and aft bum position will make a lot of difference. Sliding back an inch or two for sustained high speed work will induce a forward lean. This takes the pressure off my arm muscles tying to hold my torso against the wind and also gives my neck muscles less to do in holding my head forwards, as it is tipped naturally forward in this stance.
The opposite is true if I am faced with any significant distance at very slow pace. Drawing myself up close to the tank, uprights my back and takes weight off my hands and wrists.

Not sure if you have a nose fairing fitted? But these will remove a little wind pressure from your torso and allow your body weight to fall on your arms and wrists. I never use mine, as I find that they push a lot of the wind into my face, batter my head and remove the usefulness of the wind on my torso.

[jerry]

my solution is risers , and cushioned foam grips and wrist/arm sports bandages and i can cover big mileages on the S4 and M750

[Luddite]

This from an earlier thread might help you...

Originally Posted by Luddite

You've got a few options.

If you want to keep the stock appearance, you can simply bolt on the riser from the 1100 Evo, which is 20mm higher and a straight swop. As I understand it, you don't need to change any of the stock cables/hoses with this mod. This is what the difference looks like:



The part no. is 360.1.127.1.A. (Don't know the price though.)

I know one of the members on here, "Claude", did the opposite swop on his Evo to lower the bars. (That's his picture above.) You could PM him to see if he'd sell you his old Evo riser.

If you want something more blingy, CNC Racing do nice individual risers in various heights...

https://www.designcorse.com/collecti...ant=4231975937

as do Rizoma...

http://www.rizoma.com/street/ducati/en

both of which are available in the UK.

The agony of choice!

Just be aware that the tank air intakes on the 696/796/1100 are designed to accommodate the switch clusters at full lock. So, if you make any adjustments to the bars, check the switchgear clearance at full lock before riding it and adjust the lockstops if necessary.

[chris.p]

What Luddite Said ^^^^^^^^^^

[BigOz]

Be aware that the 696 has "thin" chrome steel bars and the 1100 has "fat" aluminum bars so the risers will not be the only part required when swapping to a 1100 Evo Riser on a 696.

[Ron1000]

I have a spare standard evo riser in the shed.......I went the opposite way and lowered it. Style over function.....i accept the pain

[Luddite]

Originally Posted by BigOz

Be aware that the 696 has "thin" chrome steel bars and the 1100 has "fat" aluminum bars so the risers will not be the only part required when swapping to a 1100 Evo Riser on a 696.

BigOz is of course correct. To make use of the Evo riser you will also need a fat bar (either from a 796/1100 or an aftermarket one [Rizoma, LSL, etc.]) plus the top clamp (36010891A). Ducati bars will already have holes to accept the locating pins on the switchgear while, with aftermarket bars, you'll have to drill the holes yourself.

[utopia]

Originally Posted by Luddite

........ Ducati bars will already have holes to accept the locating pins on the switchgear while, with aftermarket bars, you'll have to drill the holes yourself.

You could of course turn this to your advantage as it will allow you to reposition the bars to suit your preferences a little better without that meaning that the switchgear will be slightly out of position.
That said, drilling your own holes is a tricky job as far as getting them in the correct position is concerned.
Some folk advocate removing the pegs on the switchgear so that the holes are not needed but in my opinion this is a bodge and its better to bite the bullet and carefully drill them in the (new) required position (particularly where the throttle is concerned).

[Capo]

Originally Posted by utopia

You could of course turn this to your advantage as it will allow you to reposition the bars to suit your preferences a little better without that meaning that the switchgear will be slightly out of position.
That said, drilling your own holes is a tricky job as far as getting them in the correct position is concerned.
Some folk advocate removing the pegs on the switchgear so that the holes are not needed but in my opinion this is a bodge and its better to bite the bullet and carefully drill them in the (new) required position (particularly where the throttle is concerned).

There must have been millions of controls fitted without drilling the bars. It was unheard of and unnecessary.
On the monster, the throttle, levers and right hand switchgear clamp up firmly enough to prevent rotation. The left hand switchgear needs a turn of insulation tape for it to be secure

[utopia]

Originally Posted by Capo

There must have been millions of controls fitted without drilling the bars. It was unheard of and unnecessary.
On the monster, the throttle, levers and right hand switchgear clamp up firmly enough to prevent rotation. The left hand switchgear needs a turn of insulation tape for it to be secure

Not so, in my opinion.
In particular where the throttle is concerned, the cast alloy housing is brittle and fitting it over insulation tape causes the casting to be subjected to tensile loading as the bolts are tightened, leading to cracking.
Not so long ago I bought a secondhand throttle housing which had had the pin removed and, sure enough, it was cracked.
I have no such personal experience where the switchgear housings themselves are concerned but the same logic applies.
Maybe if the castings were stronger (as they probably used to be) you'd get away with it, but they're made of "monkey metal" (zinc/aluminium alloy) which is intrinsically brittle.
Ducati put the pegs and holes there for a reason.

But there you have it.
Two sides of the story .. you pays yer money .......

[ercasa]

Originally Posted by Kingfisher88

I currently have a 696+ but suffer with dodgy wrists and I'm managing less and less miles on my bike before having to stop. I love the bike but it's no fun when my wrists start playing up.
I'm wondering if the newer bikes have a bit better ergonomics that would help with this or wether I should try handlebars on mine. I really don't wanna move away from monsters but if I can't ride far it's no fun.
Any suggestions?
Cheers

I find my 696 a lot comfier after having a tank grip so a lot of my weight is on the legs as opposed to my arms. Aso comfort saddle made a big change for me (& pillion).