Today I went down to the local Ducati dealer and test rode the new Monster S4Rs. Sorry, no pics, but here's what I thought. As your eye gazes over the tank and seat you think, beauty. The back end is simply delicious. Then your eyes drift down the front forks and HOLY SWEET JESUS, what is that ugly abomination? The radiator/oil cooler and charcol canister are just plain ugly. As you swing a leg over and fire it up, the classic feel of a Ducati sets in. This thing will get up and move! However, shifting gears is a royal pain and with my bad wrist I was having trouble. The position is a little cramped I think for taller riders, I'm 5'6". Turn in and "flickability" is absolutely fantastic. There is no problems with wheight on the wrist or anything, and this thing lives for the corners. With a Slipper Clutch and an air cooled engine this would be the perfect canyon carver. Oh wait, they already make that, it's the S3. If I was in the market for a Monster I would run to the S3 and leave the S4Rs at home, but then maybe I'm just funny that way.
The S4R and S4Rs seating position is a bit on the extreme side and not too kindly on the backs and wrists of old fellas. I think that I would rather have the S2R 1000 with the air-cooled 2-valvers too. The S4Rs would make a great track bike for those who wanted a naked-style superbike. I haven't test ridden the S4Rs but I don't think that it is much changed from the S4R other than a slightly more powerful engine and fancier suspension. The formula should be the same.
I didn't find the seating position too extreme, nor a lot of weight on the wrist. What I did find however was that the clutch needs to be changed to a slipper clutch, or a bigger slave, because the amount of clutch pull needed aggravated the tendons in my wrist. In short, they hurt like HELL!
Ducati's still have dry clutches? If so, they are rattly, grabby and the answer to a question no longer asked. Much like the desmo valve train
Yes, Ducati's still have a dry clutch. That is my only beef with them for the most part. The other beef is the radiator on an otherwise perfectly fine motor. I'm partial to air cooled twins. However, I'm old, grumpy and "set in my ways". The being old part is why I like a slipper clutch, easier to pull. To me a refined air cooled V Twin that can move through the twisties is where it's at. I don't give a hoot about going fast in a straight line.
I have ridden a few different Ducati models. They do have great motors, sound great, torque city- I had a buddy that bought a 750 Paso. Remember that model?
