Dropping the headlight,clocks and fairing on a Ducati Monster

Dropping the headlight,clocks and fairing on a Monster

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 isn't 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.
Here's 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 those out if you intend to use the OE yoke,if you use an aftermarket one, like I did, just leave them there in the old yoke.

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 re welded 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 at their mounting point,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.

I had to use machine screws to secure the clocks as I couldn't find hex bolts or allen bolts long(7cm ) 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.

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.

The biggest problems are accommodating the hoses and wires as the space behind the light is very tight indeed, I found that the OE brake hoses are too long and the double banjo bolt on the brake fouls the repositioned bracket, there is no right or wrong way to do this, if it all goes back together with no snags or fouling then thats a bonus but be prepared for this bit to seriously try your patience while you find out what works and what doesn't. I had to use a different brake hose and banjo bolt set up but as I had replaced my OE calipers and discs this was no problem for me, I doubt whether the original line would fit the new set up with any elegance and would suggest a new one would be needed.

I might do a few small adjustment to free up some space but it all seems to work in the meantime.