Nitron Monster 937
- Thread starter Spoonito
- Start date
I'm just seeing your question from last week. Nitron has a long reputation for building quality suspension. A good shock will change the whole feel of a motorcycle but the magic is in the setup. Having it sprung for your weight is the most important first step. What are you hoping to improve over the stock shock's performance?
So I'll start with the basics. I've had primarily sport bikes most of my riding life.. I don't have a million miles of seat time and had a break in riding as well.
2003 ZX6R (sold) ~10k miles
2006 R1 (sold) ~8.5k miles
Long break without riding...
2022 Speed Triple 1200RR (sold) ~11k miles
2025 V4S (current) still in break in
2024 Monster + (current) <1k miles
I've never upgraded suspension and really the Speed Triple is the one I've played with suspension settings the most because they're electronic and it's easy to change and revert back or throw it in dynamic.
Moreso research for now but with the Monster the suspension feels pretty soft to me and while I'd never be able to use 100% of the bike (or any of my previous / current / future bikes), I just don't feel as confident on it as I do with any of my other bikes. Likely a combination of suspension, riding position, new bike, me not being an advanced rider, etc.
I'd like to stiffen up the suspension a bit. If I opt to upgrade I would do cartridges as well to match. I'm about 170-175lb before gear. It's currently my "commuter" when I don't want to hop in the car and I take back roads to / from work and live close enough to several decent areas in Southern California to have a more fun ride.
2003 ZX6R (sold) ~10k miles
2006 R1 (sold) ~8.5k miles
Long break without riding...
2022 Speed Triple 1200RR (sold) ~11k miles
2025 V4S (current) still in break in
2024 Monster + (current) <1k miles
I've never upgraded suspension and really the Speed Triple is the one I've played with suspension settings the most because they're electronic and it's easy to change and revert back or throw it in dynamic.
Moreso research for now but with the Monster the suspension feels pretty soft to me and while I'd never be able to use 100% of the bike (or any of my previous / current / future bikes), I just don't feel as confident on it as I do with any of my other bikes. Likely a combination of suspension, riding position, new bike, me not being an advanced rider, etc.
I'd like to stiffen up the suspension a bit. If I opt to upgrade I would do cartridges as well to match. I'm about 170-175lb before gear. It's currently my "commuter" when I don't want to hop in the car and I take back roads to / from work and live close enough to several decent areas in Southern California to have a more fun ride.
Thanks for the detailed information. Before considering any upgrades, the first step is to measure your front and rear rider sag to confirm if the stock springs are correct for your weight. Have you had a chance to get those numbers yet? They'll tell us if you need new springs or just damping adjustments.
Sorry for the late response. I have not set sag yet. My understanding is only the rear can be set for sag (I'm not a suspension guru) and the stock fork / shock can't be adjusted for damping / rebound.
@pinkpines the Nitron R1 can be fitted to a Monster but you'll want to confirm the eye-to-eye length and spring rate match your model year before ordering, since Nitron builds them to spec.
@Spoonito, you're correct that the stock fork on the standard Monster isn’t adjustable for damping but you can and should still measure the front sag. This measurement is the only way to tell if the internal fork spring is the correct rate for your 170-175 lb weight. If the sag number is off, it confirms you'll need new springs or a cartridge kit to get the bike properly balanced.
@Spoonito, you're correct that the stock fork on the standard Monster isn’t adjustable for damping but you can and should still measure the front sag. This measurement is the only way to tell if the internal fork spring is the correct rate for your 170-175 lb weight. If the sag number is off, it confirms you'll need new springs or a cartridge kit to get the bike properly balanced.
