pritch
2nd May 2009, 19:54
A long time ago I saw a new Ducati 750SS outside the local dealer and was instantly smitten. For many years my dream bike was one or other of that bike's Ducati successors. This unrequited lust reached a peak with the release of the simply stunning 916. I never did buy a Ducati though, and in the case of the 916 that's probably just as well because, as lovely as they were, the engine established a reputation for eating itself.
With the passage of the years I put on weight and eventually realised that if I sat on a sprotbike I'd look more like Humpty Dumpty than a Fogerty or a Bayliss. I prefer my bike to start when I press the button, and for it to keep running until I turn the key off. Neither are reputed to be Ducati strong points. I also tend not to value bikes that come with factory fitted rust. So one way or another I lost interest in Ducati, being content to admire them from afar.
This week, all that suddenly changed. I came across an absolutely mint Monster S4R. Not new, but it only had some 3300Ks on the clock. I'd never really looked closely at a Monster before. I had read the performance figures which were rather underwhelming, being somewhere between a Japanese sprotbike and a Harley. A closer look at the bike though revealed some lovely details. I could sit and stare at that swing arm for an hour. Other parts though seem almost startlingly crude, like the brake and clutch reservoirs. Two plastic buckets mounted on bits borrowed from little Luigi's Meccano set. Then there's the gorgeous red trellis frame. Shame about all those black cable ties?
After inquiring as to the circumstances of the bike it became apparent that the bike was owned by the shop, it was for sale, and that I could indeed have a ride.
This sent me to Google and to BIKE for a quick course on the model. If I did my homework right (never guaranteed) it has the 996 DesmoQuattro engine, which hopefully has not inherited the worst points of its forerunner the 916. BIKE imply that Ducati quality has improved since the 916 but that the service intervals must be observed with religious fervour or dire financial consequences may accrue. “If valve clearances go unchecked the rockers can suffer from wear to their surface treatment.” “rockers alone cost nearly 100 pounds each and there are sixteen of them.”
So this morning, with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation, I presented myself at the appointed time and place and was handed the keys.
The Ducati seat is only 5mm lower than the VFR but it must also be narrower because I could plant both feet flat on the ground easily. In my old age I'm going off bikes with such elevated perches that it seems you need a ladder to gain access.
On turning the key I was somewhat surprised at the subdued exhaust note. This was compensated by various mechanical whirings from the engine, and in particular the dry clutch which seemed to be trying to make up for the lack of noise from the pipes. The clutch is also heavier than anything else I've ridden in a long time.
The gear box appeared comfortably idiosyncrasy-free allowing smooth shifting, no false neutrals or any other glitches made themselves apparent.
The Monster gives a much greater impression of speed than the VFR, even in town. On checking the speedo I was surprised that I wasn't speeding to the extent that I actually checked to see that the speedo wasn't in MPH instead of KPH. Checking the speedo isn't quite as easy as it might be, the figures may be an elegant Italian design triumph, but they are too fine to be legible at a quick glance..
The front brakes are confidence inspiring, if inducing a lot more dive than I'm used to, but some of that can hopefully be adjusted out. The back brake though appears largely ornamental and I would look at adjusting the pedal to see if that helped matters.
I had read that the S4R was not at its best in town but was pleasantly surprised. There are a lot of bikes I'd less rather ride in a built up area.
So I headed for a road that I sometimes visit on occasions such as this. Being the road less traveled sadly means that it is also the road less maintained. The surface can be bumpy. Very bumpy. In the past these bumps were so pronounced that they at first limited the velocity at which I was prepared to travel on my Hornet. Dialing in some preload on the forks and fitting an Ohlins on the back sorted all that and the Hornet would track true despite the worst the road could offer.
Initially my VFR handled most of the imperfections with aplomb but it could be upset by sudden sharp bumps which overwhelmed the high speed damping. A Racetech front end and an Ohlins on the back have sorted all that and the VFR now has impeccable manners on the road.
The road tests say that the Showa suspension on the S4R is more comfortable on the road than the Ohlins suspended S4RS, the latter being intended more as a track weapon. That's OK, these days I quite like my comfort. The Showa suspension handled the considerable variety of undulations, bumps and hollows without deviating from the chosen line.
When an upgraded version of a bike is on offer the perception can be created that the original version is a bit “budget”. There was nothing budget about the way the S4R suspension performed, despite considerable provocation.
Things seem to happen a lot slower on a V Twin than on a four. Even on the VFR, once that V Tech chimes in and the Arrow cans start to snarl things happen quite quickly. It isn't like that on the S4R, if you gas it there's just this big fat shove. I could live with that.
Throughout the time I was on the bike that impression of traveling at a higher speed than I would have thought persisted. Some of this due no doubt to the lack of a fairing, and some possibly to the fact that it was an unfamiliar bike. Preconceptions led me to believe that the more sedate rumblings of a V Twin might make me feel I was moving slower than I actually was. Whatever the reason, the opposite was the case, I was constantly going slower than I intended.
If I was to buy the S4R, I would have to redefine how I use a bike. The Ducati just will not do the same job that the Honda does. Ducati build quality may have improved, but I don't think anybody pretends that they have approached the reliability of Honda. The tank range is much more restrictive, but the seat may mean that more frequent stops are not entirely unwelcome. Pillion comfort looks to be an oxymoron, and luggage options are limited.
It seems to me that the S4R is not unlike a drop dead gorgeous redhead. You'd like to get to know her better. Much better. She seems willing, but there's just a hint of stormy waters ahead. The promise of the “passion” to come, however, probably means that those warnings will be ignored.
Sorry there's no images herewith, but if you do an image search on Google you'll get the picture.
Thanks to Craig at Energy Honda, see you Monday?
With the passage of the years I put on weight and eventually realised that if I sat on a sprotbike I'd look more like Humpty Dumpty than a Fogerty or a Bayliss. I prefer my bike to start when I press the button, and for it to keep running until I turn the key off. Neither are reputed to be Ducati strong points. I also tend not to value bikes that come with factory fitted rust. So one way or another I lost interest in Ducati, being content to admire them from afar.
This week, all that suddenly changed. I came across an absolutely mint Monster S4R. Not new, but it only had some 3300Ks on the clock. I'd never really looked closely at a Monster before. I had read the performance figures which were rather underwhelming, being somewhere between a Japanese sprotbike and a Harley. A closer look at the bike though revealed some lovely details. I could sit and stare at that swing arm for an hour. Other parts though seem almost startlingly crude, like the brake and clutch reservoirs. Two plastic buckets mounted on bits borrowed from little Luigi's Meccano set. Then there's the gorgeous red trellis frame. Shame about all those black cable ties?
After inquiring as to the circumstances of the bike it became apparent that the bike was owned by the shop, it was for sale, and that I could indeed have a ride.
This sent me to Google and to BIKE for a quick course on the model. If I did my homework right (never guaranteed) it has the 996 DesmoQuattro engine, which hopefully has not inherited the worst points of its forerunner the 916. BIKE imply that Ducati quality has improved since the 916 but that the service intervals must be observed with religious fervour or dire financial consequences may accrue. “If valve clearances go unchecked the rockers can suffer from wear to their surface treatment.” “rockers alone cost nearly 100 pounds each and there are sixteen of them.”
So this morning, with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation, I presented myself at the appointed time and place and was handed the keys.
The Ducati seat is only 5mm lower than the VFR but it must also be narrower because I could plant both feet flat on the ground easily. In my old age I'm going off bikes with such elevated perches that it seems you need a ladder to gain access.
On turning the key I was somewhat surprised at the subdued exhaust note. This was compensated by various mechanical whirings from the engine, and in particular the dry clutch which seemed to be trying to make up for the lack of noise from the pipes. The clutch is also heavier than anything else I've ridden in a long time.
The gear box appeared comfortably idiosyncrasy-free allowing smooth shifting, no false neutrals or any other glitches made themselves apparent.
The Monster gives a much greater impression of speed than the VFR, even in town. On checking the speedo I was surprised that I wasn't speeding to the extent that I actually checked to see that the speedo wasn't in MPH instead of KPH. Checking the speedo isn't quite as easy as it might be, the figures may be an elegant Italian design triumph, but they are too fine to be legible at a quick glance..
The front brakes are confidence inspiring, if inducing a lot more dive than I'm used to, but some of that can hopefully be adjusted out. The back brake though appears largely ornamental and I would look at adjusting the pedal to see if that helped matters.
I had read that the S4R was not at its best in town but was pleasantly surprised. There are a lot of bikes I'd less rather ride in a built up area.
So I headed for a road that I sometimes visit on occasions such as this. Being the road less traveled sadly means that it is also the road less maintained. The surface can be bumpy. Very bumpy. In the past these bumps were so pronounced that they at first limited the velocity at which I was prepared to travel on my Hornet. Dialing in some preload on the forks and fitting an Ohlins on the back sorted all that and the Hornet would track true despite the worst the road could offer.
Initially my VFR handled most of the imperfections with aplomb but it could be upset by sudden sharp bumps which overwhelmed the high speed damping. A Racetech front end and an Ohlins on the back have sorted all that and the VFR now has impeccable manners on the road.
The road tests say that the Showa suspension on the S4R is more comfortable on the road than the Ohlins suspended S4RS, the latter being intended more as a track weapon. That's OK, these days I quite like my comfort. The Showa suspension handled the considerable variety of undulations, bumps and hollows without deviating from the chosen line.
When an upgraded version of a bike is on offer the perception can be created that the original version is a bit “budget”. There was nothing budget about the way the S4R suspension performed, despite considerable provocation.
Things seem to happen a lot slower on a V Twin than on a four. Even on the VFR, once that V Tech chimes in and the Arrow cans start to snarl things happen quite quickly. It isn't like that on the S4R, if you gas it there's just this big fat shove. I could live with that.
Throughout the time I was on the bike that impression of traveling at a higher speed than I would have thought persisted. Some of this due no doubt to the lack of a fairing, and some possibly to the fact that it was an unfamiliar bike. Preconceptions led me to believe that the more sedate rumblings of a V Twin might make me feel I was moving slower than I actually was. Whatever the reason, the opposite was the case, I was constantly going slower than I intended.
If I was to buy the S4R, I would have to redefine how I use a bike. The Ducati just will not do the same job that the Honda does. Ducati build quality may have improved, but I don't think anybody pretends that they have approached the reliability of Honda. The tank range is much more restrictive, but the seat may mean that more frequent stops are not entirely unwelcome. Pillion comfort looks to be an oxymoron, and luggage options are limited.
It seems to me that the S4R is not unlike a drop dead gorgeous redhead. You'd like to get to know her better. Much better. She seems willing, but there's just a hint of stormy waters ahead. The promise of the “passion” to come, however, probably means that those warnings will be ignored.
Sorry there's no images herewith, but if you do an image search on Google you'll get the picture.
Thanks to Craig at Energy Honda, see you Monday?