[n4s]

So I just recently purchased an 07 S4RS (pearl white).. I've been riding for years now but all my previous bikes have been japanese super sports... the last one was an 06 gsxr 600. I have about 3 weeks under my belt on my s4rs and here are my initial impressions....

1. It is beautiful. I find myself sitting in the garage just staring at it.

2. It is a money pit. It's so pretty, I just wanna buy nice things for it. Right now on order are some pretty rizoma pieces for it.. hahaha..

3. It is scary as hell to ride!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hahah

Ok. In all seriousness.. the first week I thought, what the hell did I do. The bike was just so hard to ride in every way compared to my gsxr. At low speeds it was hard to ride smoothly. In turns it just didn't seem to dive in as easily as my gsxr... and on the exit no matter how light i was on the throttle it just wanted to stand up and run wide.. freak'n left turns at intersections were a nightmare bc I wasn't used to the torque and found myself giving a bit too much resulting in some rear tire slippage... Every ride I found myself sweating.. and the bike seemed to taunt me.. barking at me.........

well today I can say, i've finally come to terms with her. Just got back from a joyous ride.. no sweat. Here's what I learned. This bike likes to be thrashed and beat on. I found that the harder I rode the more tame it became. It's hilarious really.. but when you ride this bike hard it rides like a dream!!!! It's only when i'm putt putting around that it rides like a bucking bronco. Anyway, for all its little quirks, this bike brings such a bigger smile to my face then any ss i've owned. I love it..

 

[oalvarez]

fast fkin' bike....be careful and be well.

enjoy the experience

 

[OldSkoolCool]

my 999 is the same way until you hit the open twisties with it. I often find myself on the ole ladys 696 in town.

 

[MotoGreg]

I also just bought an '07 S4Rs and have mixed impressions vs. the many Jap sport bikes I've had.

Good:
- Looks good
- Sounds good (not great, I still have the stock exhaust)
- Comfortable upright riding position

Bad:
- Runs so incredibly bad that I can't believe they can sell them this way. It was downright dangerous to ride slowly around town until I installed the oxygen sensor manipulator. It still isn't great; surging at steady throttle cruise between 4,000 - 5,000 rpm and sputters on full throttle (although 95% or less throttle seems to run smoothly)
- It handled like a truck, didn't even want to go around a corner when I got it. I raised the rear ride height with the adjuster and now it's a whole new bike and drops into corners like a real sport bike should.
- Gearbox has a lot of false neutrals, the one between 5th and 6th is the worst.
- Clutch pull is too hard (I know it can be fixed with a new slave cyl. but why doesn't it come "fixed" from the factory?)
- Front fender looks like it came off of a 1970's chopper. I replaced it with a 999s fender.
- Plastic gas tank looks like crap, it's wavy and bumpy.
- Where exactly are you supposed to put your right foot? I'm used to riding with my heels in but due to the exhaust I have to either have my right heel angled out or rest it on top of the pipe.
- Huge turning radius. Sometimes it takes a 20-point turn to get it moved around in the garage.


It certainly doesn't compare to a Jap sport bike in how they are virtually perfect how they come. It seems like Ducati got a great design concept but only built it 95% and then didn't bother to really finish it off by working out all the annoying little issues.

Hopefully I'll manage to get some of the issues fixed (power commander is on its way) and learn to live with some of the other issues. I really like the look of the new Triumph Speed Triple and I'm thinking I should have test rode one before buying the Duc without having ever ridden one.

 

[n4s]

I know how you feel.

My bike was terrible at around 3-4500rpms. It's so bad that slow speed turns are downright scary (bc the bike surges a bit mid turn if I'm not very careful with the throttle, resulting in some pee my pants moments). Aren't v-twins supposed to be smoooth like buttah? Anyway, I thought the roughness was due to the fact that I have a Zard full system with factory ecu. But i guess they come this way? My fix... I just ride differently now... I stay above 5000rpm and it is awesome.... (as an aside, I talked to the duc service mgr in my area and he said that there are some minor tweaks he can try to smooth out the bike... i'm gonna go in soon to see if that works).

Regarding the footpegs.. I hear ya brother!!! not only are the pegs small and slippery but my right foot hits the passenger peg when I put my toe on the peg!! to make matters worse, the zard exhaust burns my damn heel!!!!!!! That's one thing that bothers me. My fix.. I'm going to get a termi stubby, aftermarket rearsets and rip that passenger peg off..!!

The bike is certainly not purpose built for track use like my gsxr, but I love that. I love the fact that the bike is a bit of a weird beast.. something put together that shouldn't have been maybe? hahah... adds character.

I also just bought an '07 S4Rs and have mixed impressions vs. the many Jap sport bikes I've had.

Good:
- Looks good
- Sounds good (not great, I still have the stock exhaust)
- Comfortable upright riding position

Bad:
- Runs so incredibly bad that I can't believe they can sell them this way. It was downright dangerous to ride slowly around town until I installed the oxygen sensor manipulator. It still isn't great; surging at steady throttle cruise between 4,000 - 5,000 rpm and sputters on full throttle (although 95% or less throttle seems to run smoothly)
- It handled like a truck, didn't even want to go around a corner when I got it. I raised the rear ride height with the adjuster and now it's a whole new bike and drops into corners like a real sport bike should.
- Gearbox has a lot of false neutrals, the one between 5th and 6th is the worst.
- Clutch pull is too hard (I know it can be fixed with a new slave cyl. but why doesn't it come "fixed" from the factory?)
- Front fender looks like it came off of a 1970's chopper. I replaced it with a 999s fender.
- Plastic gas tank looks like crap, it's wavy and bumpy.
- Where exactly are you supposed to put your right foot? I'm used to riding with my heels in but due to the exhaust I have to either have my right heel angled out or rest it on top of the pipe.
- Huge turning radius. Sometimes it takes a 20-point turn to get it moved around in the garage.


It certainly doesn't compare to a Jap sport bike in how they are virtually perfect how they come. It seems like Ducati got a great design concept but only built it 95% and then didn't bother to really finish it off by working out all the annoying little issues.

Hopefully I'll manage to get some of the issues fixed (power commander is on its way) and learn to live with some of the other issues. I really like the look of the new Triumph Speed Triple and I'm thinking I should have test rode one before buying the Duc without having ever ridden one.

 

[Montducati]

Guys,

It's a 998cc L-Twin with 135 HP, of course it's not going to behave like an inline 600cc!!

I've owned a ZX-7 and a BMW K1200s, the inline engines are great; however, I much prefer the twins. After riding Ducati's for 15 years and knowing their characteristics, I don't have any of the issues you mentioned. You're going to have to use the clutch a bit more at low speeds. It's just going to take some time in the saddle and then if it still doesn't feel right you may just be an inline kind of rider after all.

 

[n4s]

Guys,

It's a 998cc L-Twin with 135 HP, of course it's not going to behave like an inline 600cc!!

Hahahaha... true true.... I find that it's getting alot better as the days go by and i get more saddle time. I'm gonna practice practice cuz i love these v-twins!!! I done with whiny 4 cylinders!!! ahaha...

 

[gonzodon]

S4rs

It's a DUC -- takes some getting used to as most "bads" you noted are common to many if not all Duc's. However, severe sputtering requires further investigation in my opinion...that bike's not runnin' right! My right foot is OK as I installed full Arrow system and foot now rests against a carbon fiber heat shield. Good Riding.

 

[MotoGreg]

It's a 998cc L-Twin with 135 HP, of course it's not going to behave like an inline 600cc!!

I've never had a 600. My ex-wife had an '01 R6 and then an '05 R6 and I didn't really care for them and only rode each of them a few times. 600s may be fun on the track but not for the street.

I've always had liter bikes and when I saw that this is rated at 135hp it sounded good. While it has great midrange torque which makes it fun for around town it certainly seems weak when you get going faster and really want to go. It feels slower than 600s, let alone compared to the insane power of a 4cyl 1000cc sport bike. It even feels tame compared to my 490cc CRF Supermoto. Hopefully the Power Commander will wake it up somewhat. Does a louder exhaust make much of a power difference... or does it just make it louder?

 

[Montducati]

I've never had a 600. My ex-wife had an '01 R6 and then an '05 R6 and I didn't really care for them and only rode each of them a few times. 600s may be fun on the track but not for the street.

I've always had liter bikes and when I saw that this is rated at 135hp it sounded good. While it has great midrange torque which makes it fun for around town it certainly seems weak when you get going faster and really want to go. It feels slower than 600s, let alone compared to the insane power of a 4cyl 1000cc sport bike. It even feels tame compared to my 490cc CRF Supermoto. Hopefully the Power Commander will wake it up somewhat. Does a louder exhaust make much of a power difference... or does it just make it louder?

Exhaust and mapping will give you a bit more HP and smoother throttle response.

I can't say that I agree with you concerning the bike feeling weak compared to inline bikes. I've owned a ZX-11 and a K1200S (aren't many faster bikes) which did have a bit more top end but did not make the S4RS seem weak.

 

[chris1044]

I've never had a 600. My ex-wife had an '01 R6 and then an '05 R6 and I didn't really care for them and only rode each of them a few times. 600s may be fun on the track but not for the street.

I've always had liter bikes and when I saw that this is rated at 135hp it sounded good. While it has great midrange torque which makes it fun for around town it certainly seems weak when you get going faster and really want to go. It feels slower than 600s, let alone compared to the insane power of a 4cyl 1000cc sport bike. It even feels tame compared to my 490cc CRF Supermoto. Hopefully the Power Commander will wake it up somewhat. Does a louder exhaust make much of a power difference... or does it just make it louder?

The bike you bought is so far from being the "fastest" in a straight line it's not even funny....take it to twisty's and you should have zero problems keeping if not passing litre's in the corners.

Sounds like you got the wrong bike for what you want....some people just can't do twin's, which is entirely understandable....hopefully you learn to love it

 

[arai_speed]

Strange, my bike feels plenty fast. My previous bike was an R1 and I wouldn't say the Duc is tame when compared to my old bike.

Power delivery is very different but the bike is deceivingly fast.

I will agree that putting around town (like under 25mph) is just atrocious. A 14T sprocket down front will greatly help with this.

Ride safe.

 

[n4s]

Sorry for the totally noob question.. but how does a 14t sprocket down front change the dynamics at slower speeds? I've read plenty about this mod but don't quite understand what it does? I think it increases torque down low while taking away a bit of top end, but does it also smooth slow speed/low rpm power delivery? I'm not really wanting for more low end torque (there is more then enough for me) but a smoother ride down low at slow speeds would be awesome. tks!

Strange, my bike feels plenty fast. My previous bike was an R1 and I wouldn't say the Duc is tame when compared to my old bike.

Power delivery is very different but the bike is deceivingly fast.

I will agree that putting around town (like under 25mph) is just atrocious. A 14T sprocket down front will greatly help with this.

Ride safe.

 

[Tothna]

Going to a 14T front sprocket will make the engine spin faster while going the same speed. These engines are smoother at higher RPMs. So if your RPMs are higher at 15 mph the bike will run a little smoother.

 

[n4s]

Ahhh... got it. Tks!!! I think I'm going to do that next...

Going to a 14T front sprocket will make the engine spin faster while going the same speed. These engines are smoother at higher RPMs. So if your RPMs are higher at 15 mph the bike will run a little smoother.

 

[whippersnapper]

Strange, my bike feels plenty fast. My previous bike was an R1 and I wouldn't say the Duc is tame when compared to my old bike.

Power delivery is very different but the bike is deceivingly fast.

I will agree that putting around town (like under 25mph) is just atrocious. A 14T sprocket down front will greatly help with this.

Ride safe.

+1 I came from an R1 and the Monster is not slow even by modern standards. I have mine well sorted now with about 132bhp at the wheel and a strong power delivery even off the bottom end after Ducshop fettling. The whole saga is detailed on my site here.

Save it to say that the bike is capable of running at the front of the fast group on a trackday even up against 1098R's and a Desmosedici. Clearly not as fast in a straight line obviously but fast enough to be competitive

 

[n4s]

That is a fantastic article! Your description of the power delivery at partial throttle and smoothness down low before the power commander and custom tune is EXACTLY how my duc runs right now.. albeit, on factory ecu and full Zard (even worse I bet). I've adjusted my riding style to compensate for the bit of roughness down low for the time being, but after reading your article there's more urgency to reach nirvana!! haha..

The fact that you had those conditions with termi's and DP ecu, makes me pause though. One option I've been contemplating is to go back to stock headers and udder and a termi shorty. I love the look of the shorty and I thought that since I'm using the stock headers and udder that the bike would run buttery smooth with the factory ecu (added bonus). I'm not so certain anymore though... the only other option is to keep the zards and get the dp ecu, pcIII and custom tune.. that is a far more expensive option though and custom tuning is not something that is easily available in my area.... sigh...... based on your article though, maybe it is worth it.....

+1 I came from an R1 and the Monster is not slow even by modern standards. I have mine well sorted now with about 132bhp at the wheel and a strong power delivery even off the bottom end after Ducshop fettling. The whole saga is detailed on my site here.

Save it to say that the bike is capable of running at the front of the fast group on a trackday even up against 1098R's and a Desmosedici. Clearly not as fast in a straight line obviously but fast enough to be competitive

 

[whippersnapper]

That is a fantastic article! Your description of the power delivery at partial throttle and smoothness down low before the power commander and custom tune is EXACTLY how my duc runs right now.. albeit, on factory ecu and full Zard (even worse I bet). I've adjusted my riding style to compensate for the bit of roughness down low for the time being, but after reading your article there's more urgency to reach nirvana!! haha..

The fact that you had those conditions with termi's and DP ecu, makes me pause though. One option I've been contemplating is to go back to stock headers and udder and a termi shorty. I love the look of the shorty and I thought that since I'm using the stock headers and udder that the bike would run buttery smooth with the factory ecu (added bonus). I'm not so certain anymore though... the only other option is to keep the zards and get the dp ecu, pcIII and custom tune.. that is a far more expensive option though and custom tuning is not something that is easily available in my area.... sigh...... based on your article though, maybe it is worth it.....

I am very pleased with mine after the work, it really is night and day and my starting point was a full termi system with DP ECU and airbox mod. If you go back to stock headers you will reduce the engine performance quite markedly. My bike is putting out around 132 at the wheel but more importantly on the road I just leave it in 4th or 5th depending on the road and just roll the throttle on early and it storms out of the turns like it never really did before. I still have stock gearing (because it powerstands in 2nd as it is so I don't want shorter gearing). It was expensive to get it properly setup but well worth it in the end.

 

[robb]

I can't surpass what guys like whippersnapper know about vetting the S4RS but I bought mine last November and now have over 5K on it - commuting to work and canyon riding in Colorado - and it's been an absolute blast; reliable, fast, comfortable and well - even pretty practical. Major mods are full Arrow system and a Nemesis ECU - 130 RHP. I don't have much to compare it to because it's only my 2nd bike (ST3S) after being 'gone' for 25 years. I think the Monster rewards finesse - which means it's not everybody's ideal ride. My buddy - who had the exact same bike - sold it after a few thousand miles because it was too demanding - and he's been riding for 30 years consistently. It does taunt you - but it also is very rewarding....I agree that proper clutch (and brake) technique in the corners makes for very smooth and fast cornering.

 

[whippersnapper]

Good points Robb. I got back on my Monster for the first time in 5 months last weekend following my track crash and at first i was gripping the bars and controls too tightly. As soon as I relaxed and let the bike flow everything was much, much better