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S or R?

6K views 45 replies 22 participants last post by  Shawn of the Dead 
#1 ·
Hi guys,

I sold my S2R1000 to a friend of mine because I wanted something new since I saw the '17 1200s. At my dealer they now have a grey (color which I really like) demo bike with 7000kms for sale but also a 1 owner '16 1200R with only 3100kms and different exhaust for sale for the same price and I can't make up my mind.

I like the R because it is a bit taller (i'm 6'2) and love the wheels. However i'm not a track rider and mostly use it go to work or ride with friends. The 1200S has the quickshifter and better electronics and might be a better street bike.

What are your opinions?
 
#2 ·
Hi guys,



I sold my S2R1000 to a friend of mine because I wanted something new since I saw the '17 1200s. At my dealer they now have a grey (color which I really like) demo bike with 7000kms for sale but also a 1 owner '16 1200R with only 3100kms and different exhaust for sale for the same price and I can't make up my mind.



I like the R because it is a bit taller (i'm 6'2) and love the wheels. However i'm not a track rider and mostly use it go to work or ride with friends. The 1200S has the quickshifter and better electronics and might be a better street bike.



What are your opinions?

1 vote for the R: better wheels, suspension, engine performance (hp/torque), damper, plus lower miles on the clock. Not to mention a one owner bike vs a demo bike - likely treated better. Try riding both, and see which one leaves you with a bigger bulge in your pants after ;-)


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#5 ·
R all the way. If it’s like most R models there will be a bunch of upgrades that even the dealer won’t realize are there. If you keep it long term it will be worth more. You won’t end up saying to yourself, “ I wish I had that on mine, I should have bought the R “
 
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#7 ·
Hi guys,
I sold my S2R1000 to a friend of mine because I wanted something new since I saw the '17 1200s. At my dealer they now have a grey (color which I really like) demo bike with 7000kms for sale but also a 1 owner '16 1200R with only 3100kms and different exhaust for sale for the same price and I can't make up my mind.
I like the R because it is a bit taller (i'm 6'2) and love the wheels. However i'm not a track rider and mostly use it go to work or ride with friends. The 1200S has the quickshifter and better electronics and might be a better street bike. What are your opinions?
I own an "R" but have ridden extensively the new "S". I did my best to do an objective back to back comparo. Details were posted here:
Standard 1200 or 1200s or 1200r? - Page 7 - Ducati Monster Forums: Ducati Monster Motorcycle Forum
Hope this helps.
 
#11 ·
Based on my own personal experience, S is the better machine. I was in this same predicament. I rode both bikes back to back.

I believe that if you are buying a bike for long term financial gain, then the R would be the bike to purchase. However if you are buying a bike for riding, then the S is the better bike for the following reasons..

You can buy a touring seat which gives lots more leg room. I am 6’1 and the comfort seat makes a big difference vs standard seat. On long rides (recently completed a 10 day tour) I even run a Air Hawk which works great.

S comes standard with up and down quick shift. If you have ridden a bike with a QF you will know how good this is. If not, it will change your riding forever!

Cornering ABS on S. Even though we all think we are never going to break in mid corner, it’s there in case..

Heated grip option on S. I have them and they are great.

Better digital display on S. Sun issue on R

Ducati changed the Monster geometry in 2017 for a reason. It rides so much better. Yes the R is different to the other Monster models during its model period, however in 17 the Monster has been redefined.

My last point was that if you were buying a bike to track, then I wouldn’t look at a Monster at all. By a track bike that you can flog and not concern yourself with when you ring its neck. Then ride your Monster on the road.

Hope these add some light on your situation. I too have the carbon Grey S. I am always getting heaps of good comments like “that looks amazing in real life”.

S all the way for me :)



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#17 ·
3 year warranty is great. Normally only 24 Months from factory.

I have done the following accessories on mine in case it helps.

1. Full termi exhaust. Transforms the bike
2. Sports screen from Ducati
3. Tail tidy from R&G
4. Tech Spec tank grips
5. Quad Lock iPhone holder
6. Ducati heated grips
7. Ducati performance adjustable leavers.

That’s it for me in relation to the changes. Everything but the tail tidy is OEM Ducati. It’s addictive so make sure you understand the costs for the bike and then the extra bits should you go down this path.

There are faster bikes out there with performance figures that show off. These are the KTM 1290, Aprilia Tuano factory and BMW S1000r. I have owned each of these bikes over the past 18 Months. I wish I bought the Monster from day one. More character, soul and useable power. It’s strong, fast and even though the numbers via HP and RPM don’t look as impressive, it is! It’s fast enough for most riders. Unless you want to race it on a track against the competition, which will only just beat it. Or in the hands of a better rider it won’t :)

Test ride it for yourself and decide.




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#19 ·
funny seeing this. I"m going to go try to grab a ride on both tomorrow. I'm not 6'2" but I have a 34" inseam having long limbs at 6'. I'm thinking the R is better for me but its a couple grand more for not much more it seems.
THere doesn't seem to be much you can do with the pegs on the S though.
 
#20 ·
I had the opportunity to test ride the new 2017 Monster 1200 S twice. Here's my hopefully unbiased opinion relative to the 2016 Monster 1200 R which I ride.

The handling didn't feel any different at all. The power of the new S did feel somewhat lower than the R. I may be subliminally biased here or it may be because I have an SC Project on mine. Regardless, you may want to take this one with a grain of salt. In second gear, give it a twist and the front wheel still defies gravity even with the DWC "on" albeit at a low setting. More on that later.
The rubber lined foot pegs are definitely more comfortable with less vibration although more slippery than the R's metal ones. Keep in mind that slippery is a relative term to the extreme grip and sole ruining ones on the R. That may be good or bad depending on your personal preference.
Right heel space is as good as it gets relative to previous Monsters and may be marginally better than a stock R however, the SC Project slip-on is better than both stock set-up.
The tank is noticeably slimmer and contains a liter less fuel thus shorter range. Aesthetically, I prefer the bigger tank but that's just me.
The seat is softer and more comfortable on the New S than the R.
The instrument console on the new S is not as nice as the R but does contain more information namely, a fuel gauge and perhaps other things which I did not see as I have not fiddled with all the settings except the DWC.
About the DWC: on my second ride, I modified the Sport setting to increase the DWC from 3 to 8. I tried everything possible in second gear to raise the front wheel off the ground. DWC works, the most you can raise the front wheel is about an inch and for less than a second. An amber light turns-on for the same period of time. I was actually expecting to feel a cut in power but no, it was very transparent and unobtrusive. Nice feature for some that don't like looking at the sun.

The quickshifter is impressive and is the biggest improvement IMHO. However, the down-shift feature on the "S" is clunky where I don't feel the need to use it considering you still have to completely close the throttle for it to engage as it does not have the auto blimping feature offered on the 1299 Panigale's DQS. Consequently, it's just as fast if not faster and more reassuring using the clutch and maintaining the throttle. BTW, I have recently purchased an after-market quickshifter for my R.

All and all, I still prefer my R as the forward look of the new S looks bland and incomplete missing both a steering damper and the front windscreen which you would have to purchase separately. Love the forged wheels. The R's paint job is much better also but again, that's just me.
 
#22 ·
Great feedback. And to confirm that either the R or S bikes are simply masterpieces. It gets down to a personal choice.

Just one correction is that the S does have the auto blip on the downshift. Not sure why your demo ride did not give you this feeling. It does only work when RPM is high and changing down which makes sense. It’s designed to match engine speed with selected gear.

You are correct about the fuel tank. The capacity is one litre less on the S however the range is about the same or better than the R.

I thought about putting a steering dampener on the S however the suspension specialist advised against it. Said the R used one given its aggressive bum up front down design.

The comfort seat on the S is a winner! It raises the height with lots of comfort. You do need tank side protectors as I find my knees need to hold on to something in corners. I’d thought the R was similar when I rode it as they both have a feeling of pushing you forward.

The full Termi system on the S transforms the bike. It’s like night and day. It’s a bit lame without it which I believe would make the difference of power between your R and the S ridden. They are light bikes and 150-160 HP is lots. Considering this is what superbikes were producing in the Troy Corse days on the 996R. The big difference is we have reliability :)

I love the R and love the S. It would be great to own both however choices made for one over the other get down to personal preference and needs.


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#21 ·
cool feedaback.

I've lusted after this bike since it first hit the shores. The nearest dealer called me the weekend the demos came in. THe bike was just too uncomfortable but now I hear about these changes made to it. ANother thing was I was always scared away by the ducati problems I constantly heard about, many of them on this forum, but since then like the other poster I've had the S1000R, the Tuono, yet another Speed Triple, and have not found that special something in any of them. Not for a daily rider at least. So now I'm at the point of saying F'ck it becuase even if I have some issues it would be less of a headache and less expensive than all these freakin trades I've done over the past few years. And these other bikes did not hold their value as well as a ducati. The S1000R sort of did but that was only at bmer dealers.

I would have to say in terms of usable power and character the Speed Triple R is the only thing that comes close to that feeling I got form the monster. Problem is the bike just keeps getting smaller. And more boring.
 
#27 ·
Is the r and the s footpegs the same? Ground clearance? I was checking some parts for for my bike and saw this one. Land vehicle Vehicle Motorcycle Motor vehicle Car


But the R is crazy expensive. Just worried about scraping pegs in the corners of canyons. My 2nd gen fz1 did it till I I got rear sets


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#28 ·
Is the r and the s footpegs the same? Ground clearance?
Foot pegs are different. Read my previous comparison post. I highly suspect but can't confirm that the ground clearance is better on the "R".
The "R" is a taller bike than the base model or the "S".
 
#32 ·
I think we should note that the 2012~16 Base & "S" models had less clearance than the 2017+.
Moreover, the "R" model is different from both the older and the new Monsters as follows:
Different rear-sets than the 2012~16.
Different foot-pegs than the 2017+
 
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