2007 S2R 1000 Monster: questions - Ducati.ms

georgere · Jan 24th, 2012, 11:08 am

Hi all,
I am looking to purchase my 1st Monster (and 1st Ducati). My budget is upto $6K with taxes and all (will be looking purchasing from private seller so no dealer fees). I identified that I can afford a 06-08 S2R 1000 Monster in my area.

Questions:
1. Engine Surging/Stalling issue - I've seen many posts on the web about it. Has Ducati ever come up with a fix? Are there years of the bike above that are not prone to the issue?

2. Famous tank expansion issue. My Yamaha R6 had plastic tank but it was wraped in metal cover. are Ducati tanks just plastic? I've read that expansion problem is covered by Ducati during 1st 5 years. What about past that? if I buy 06-07 it is too late... The issue with ethanol in the gas, how can you avoid it? I dont remember gas station saying their gas doest have ethanol... Anyway, any info on this topic is appreciated.

3. Sorry for asking this question, but being new to naked european expensive bikes, not sure how to approach it. What should I look for when inspecting a bike besides the regular stuff (tires, frame damage, etc.).

Thanks in advance.

DuckMan · Jan 24th, 2012, 12:17 pm

Yes, stock they can surge like crap. Luckily there is a little device called a Fatduck that cost $75 and simply plugs into the harness and makes the bike run great. My tank has spread a little but not enough to worry with. I would look the tank over well before buying though.

I love all three of my bikes but I think my monster is my favorite. It's just plain fun.

georgere · Jan 24th, 2012, 12:28 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by DuckMan

Yes, stock they can surge like crap. Luckily there is a little device called a Fatduck that cost $75 and simply plugs into the harness and makes the bike run great. My tank has spread a little but not enough to worry with. I would look the tank over well before buying though.

I love all three of my bikes but I think my monster is my favorite. It's just plain fun.

Thanks, DuckMan - all sounds good.

FatDuck is the solution I can afford.

About the gas tank. If the bike I am looking at has normal tank, there is no garanty it wont expand tomorrow when I own it, right. Are there any preventive actions one can follow to avoid the problem?

TIA

raleigh5 · Jan 24th, 2012, 12:30 pm

Surging and stalling: mine is a 2005 M1000s. never had surging. it did tend to stall, especially in hot weather. but it has had NO issue with stalling since i set the CO% using an exhaust gas analyzer. it was way lean and unbalanced from Ducati and is now at ~4.4%. also, make sure to keep the throttle bodies synched and the throttle position sensor mapped. keeping these things in tune has done wonders for the rideability of my bike. much smoother with no loss of power. just for the record....i have ducati performance ecu and a full quat-d exhaust.

my tank is steel and i dont really know what the tank expansion issue refers to.

DuckMan · Jan 24th, 2012, 1:04 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by georgere

Thanks, DuckMan - all sounds good.

FatDuck is the solution I can afford.

About the gas tank. If the bike I am looking at has normal tank, there is no garanty it wont expand tomorrow when I own it, right. Are there any preventive actions one can follow to avoid the problem?

TIA

I think it may depend on the gas available in your area. I don't think the problem has affected the monsters nearly as much as the sport classics. Go to that forum to read up on it. A lot of those guys have coated the inside of their tanks with something to help prevent the problem. On the Monster look at how the rubber pads that rest on the frame fit and clearance between the front of the tank and the ignition switch. The pads should rest squarely on the frame and the tank should clear the ignition switch housing enough to release the tank hold down bracket without too much trouble.

georgere · Jan 24th, 2012, 9:21 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by raleigh5

make sure to keep the throttle bodies synched and the throttle position sensor mapped. keeping these things in tune has done wonders for the rideability of my bike. much smoother with no loss of power.

is there a DIY follow up for this type of adjustments? I am not a licensed mechanic but do love doing work on my bike (well, my prev bike). I usually follow some DIY instructions to get stuff done... lats time it was a complete ressurection for my R6 after a serious crash....

georgere · Jan 24th, 2012, 9:26 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by raleigh5

just for the record....i have ducati performance ecu and a full quat-d exhaust.

did you have to remap for the exhaust? I was thinking not to performance/sound mod my bikes anymore. I did lots of this stuff on my R6 and think it was useless for me since I am like a next door rider (not much of a racer). Also, I learned that w/o proper tuning aftermarket exhaust will most likely make you loose power. So my questions is, for quat-d exhaust (which I love on Monsters) do you need to do any tuning?

nextfriday · Jan 26th, 2012, 8:13 am

If you buy a model year s2r that has an o2 sensor on it you'll have idle surging below 4k on the tac. It's not really a safety issue, just a peeve. A fat duc will apparently solve this problem. My big complaint with the model is adding an aftermarket exhaust system is outrageously expensive and a nightmare to get the bike to run right after its on. Give me a break Ducati!!!

The plastic tanks swell in the states because of our ethanol laced fuel. Ducati will replace a swollen tank, but not for the life of the bike. 5 years max. But then you're left with another new tank waiting to expand.

DuckMan · Jan 26th, 2012, 9:12 am

Yes exhaust systems for bikes are ridiculously expensive. But the Arrow full systems works quite well with an otherwise stock bike. It has a fitting to retain the stock O2 sensor and the Fatduck correct it enough to make it run nicely. I've been using this setup for about 20000 miles now.

georgere · Jan 26th, 2012, 9:43 pm

well, actually I was thinking to keep the bike stock for awhile. I modded my last bike, it wasnt cheap although not as much as Duc aftermarket prices. When I crashed my bike all went to dust. it kind of made me realize just a bike is fine (I mean a good looking bike is enough). But then again I know modding is something I'll start doing anyway despite what I say above

question: is bike fine in just a stock form? lets say i get the fat duck to take care of suring and prey the tank doesnt expand. Are there any other things to look into? I mean I read the brakes are brembos which should be perfect, suspension is descent too, I hope stock exhaust sounds ok since it is a Duc and a twin... what else?