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This article is from the Ducatis Motorcycles FAQ, by Duke Robillard duke@io.com with numerous contributions by others.

23. "Do I really need a steering damper on my Monster [M900]?"

It's been observed that most riders who complain about Ducati steering are
in fact putting too much weight on the handlebars. Bending your arms a
little and settling back into your seat are far cheaper than any steering
damper, and will improve your riding skills.

With this said, the Monster seems to suffer from over-sensitivity due to
its combination of overly strong springing and heavy compressions damping,
in concert with the stiff chassis derived from the 851, wide tubular
handlebars and upright riding position. This also makes for some impressive
wheelies. It uses the same fork as the 750ss, which means it isn't
adjustable, and has slightly longer trail figures as such with the same
rake as the 851/888. This is not a prescription for head shakes, but if
you're worried about it, a switch to lighter fork oil might alleviate some
of the compression damping that makes you think this. Try 7 wt. -- the
factory is 10.

Continue to:

• prev: 22. "Which tailpieces are most commonly used by other Monster [M900] ridersand how were they set up?"
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• next: 24. "What kind of performance increase can be expected from going to theFerracci/Staintune/Termignoni/CarbonTech/etc. exhaust canisters?"