I'm pleased with my new Monster 1200s except for one thing, it doesn't have a rear brake. It has a foot pedal with too much travel but when I stand on it I carry on gliding forwards. Absolutely nothing happens, until of course I use the front brake which is very effective. I wondered if it just needed to bed in but the front doesn't. Anyone else had this problem? Maybe I'll have to go straight for the Carbone Lorraine brake pads that I've just recommended in the Panigale section of the forum.
Sounds like it needs bleeding. Ducati rear brakes are weak things but they do work when there is no air in them.
Good point. I wondered if it might have some grease/oil on it. I'll bleed the bleeding thing and see.
I'd say that it's just your brake that needs bleeding - my Multistrada 1200 had no rear brake, but the Monster is great by comparison - I was pleasantly surprised when I first got the bike.
Rear brake bled, still totally useless. Nowhere near as good as a Panigale rear brake or the rear brake on my 16 year old ST4. So poor I find it hard to believe it's right. I'll have to get on someone else's Monster and compare. There's quite a lot of travel before it activates, then it's hardly worth the effort.
When you say new monster Sam, like brand-new/low mileage? Unless there is already a fix-it mod, or it's a known problem, then it must be something simple. If it's had a few owners/done a few thousand miles then could be similar to 748/916 etc and has been 'over-used' already - i.e. disc and pad faces glazed.
Out of crate new. I'll try it some more today. Just had its first service at Snells, they're really good there. Got them to bleed it whilst they were servicing it. They test rode it etc. I thought the pedal was a bit firmer at first. I'll call them tomorrow after I ride it some more today. If it wasn't right they'd have picked it up but it really is poor. I find it hard to believe it's normal. If it is I'll put some Carbon Loraine pads in and see if that helps.
Turns out there is a brake down there somewhere. I really have to stand on though. Lots of travel then it comes I a bit. I'll have to adjust it up see if that helps. Still not that convinced though.
No brainer if it's new Sam, chuck it back at them. I am pretty certain that you are a seasoned back-braker from your other bikes? - I ought to take a look at the size of the rear disc before commenting really but on our torquey large capacity twins it's sometimes hard to feel what the back brake is doing when engine is on the overrun but I'm pretty sure you are already aware of this. To really assess it properly try using it with clutch in ( where a safe situation permits of course).
the brake pedal adjustment and brake pedal spring stength of the 1200s are all wrong. If you like the pedal low it is hard to set the brake light to stay off and the return spring pressure is so high th elever worn work unless you stand on it! All i could do was go over it again and again until i had the best compromise
