Ducati Monster Forum

Hey guys!

I finally took my 2005 S4R out for a spin today. The bike has 2800 miles and everything is like new and completely stock, but the only mod is that it has cored pipes. The previous owner did it himself. He shortened the length of the pipes by 3 inches as well. It sounds very loud!
What I noticed is that the bike is jerky(hiccups) if I am riding slow under 3k revs on first or second gear, but anything above 3k revs and the bike has no hiccups and pulls smoothly. Is this because of the cored pipes? Any help will be appreciated!
THanks
 [thumbsup]

are you saying it surges/chops out under light throttle?

You only mention 1st/2nd gear what about freeway speed?  that should be in the same rpm range.

Does it still have the O2 sensor?

Sounds normal. S4R are not happy under 4.5k rpms really. Do you have a 14t on the bike yet. If not that will helps things.

I have only noticed this under 3k revs when trying to go slow but not walking slow without using the clutch only the engine and it feels like it looses power and then gets it back.. hence the hiccups. At freeway speed it has no problem. I don't know if it still has the o2 sensor.

This is my first monster... I tried an S2R 800 before buying this one.. the 800 was really smooth and easy to tame. I find myself fighting with the S4R either with the hard to pull clutch or the hiccups in city traffic.
What would the 14t sprocket do for my bike? Will it make me switch gears less than with a 15t? I mean.. will I be able to keep 2nd gear for longer and for faster speeds?
Thanks for the input!!!!!! [moto]

It will bump up your Rpms about 500 or so and make it more easy to ride at slower speeds in First gear.
Its one of the cheapest and best mods you can do for your Monster  [thumbsup]

The S4R will just lug at 3k rpms and be really jerky specially with the stock 15t.

Yeah the S4R is not a smooth bike compared to the S2R800. Its not as forgiving and much harder to ride in the city. The heavy clutch combined with all its torque makes it not best suited for those riding conditions.

You can try the 14t with feathering the clutch method to keep the Rpms higher at slower speeds which remove the jerky-ness if that is really what your experiencing.

I really don't want to regret buying the S4R vs an S2R or the 696.. I really want to make this a smooth ride and I don't want feel like I am fighting with the bike.

Never heard of feathering the clutch.. will it make it not as hard to pull?

Do u think that the cored pipes are causing the hiccups? I am reading about cored pipes to learn more.. I will also look at the clutch issue..
Thank you for the reply!!

How does the bike feel in first gear at about 5k rpms?

Should be pretty smooth and responsive.

You really cant ride a S4R at 3k rpms. Just not going to happen with out you lugging it.

At slow speeds you can give the bike more throttle and not engage the clutch completely. I use that method in parking lots.


I do not have any experience with this but I am sure someone else maybe can chime in for this.

Ducatis don't like to go slow..... They are in their "happy zone" when riddien above ~3500rpm, and the reason that so many people run  a 14T front sprocket is because most Monsters seem to "lug" a lot when ridden at low speeds; whether in traffic, or in a congested downtown area....The smaller front sprocket alleviates a lot of the bogging down that occurs at low speeds.....

My S4, when putting along in 1st at 10'ish mph, exhibits a lot of jerkiness.....It's almost like the bike is telling me "c'mon man, twist the damn throttle already!!!   [roll] "

Remember, Ducs were designed for the racetrack FIRST, and the streets second....Thats' not a gimmicky marketing scheme, it's actually the truth.....you'll find that the harder you push the bike, the happier it will be..... [moto]

I agree with that. It feels like the bike is telling me to open the throttle when I'm going slow!

BUT HOW TO MAKE THAT CLUTCH A LITTLE LESS HARD TO PULL? It makes it really difficult to be on 1st gear while I'm at a stop light.

14T front sprocket is a very popular mod, and for good reason....Just do it, and you'll thank yourself later!!

as far as clutch pull?? there are 2 ways around that....buy an aftermarket clutch slave cylinder (Yoyodyne and Evoluzione are 2 very good ones), or take 2 springs out of your pressure plate....A new clutch slave would be the best decision though, because the OEM one on most Ducs is kinda crappy... :-\

One thing you could practice is putting your hand further out on the the handlebar grip, so that the ball-end of your clutch lever is closer to the center of your palm.....this gives you more leverage and causes less fatigue while sitting in traffic.....So instead of letting your fingers out to engage the clutch, you are sort of openning up your fist, letting the ball-end of the lever slide in between your thumb + index finger....

I have heard that all though aftermarket slaves help they don't make a big difference.

Maybe with the combination of pulling 2 springs out might be the ticket.

I bought some Adjustable CRG levers and put them on the closest setting. I know the S4R come with adjustable levers but I thought the aftermarket ones felt a little better. Perhaps less of a reach for me. Maybe its all in my head.

I would not get your hopes up if you think your going to make your S4R feel like your old S2R800  :-\

thanks for the replies about the clutch.. but what about the cored pipes? Any chance that if I buy and install the stock pipes (will be cheap) the bike will be smoother at lower rpms? I am trying to see if the cored pipes are causing the hiccups.

+1 on the 14t, i have the 04 s4r,did the same thing till i changed sprockets and it fixed the problem.Now she's very happy in the streets. :)

I will do the 14t ASAP! thank you for reassuring me on that. How much will a shop charge to install it? and what brand should I buy?
Thanks again

The 14T will help.  The clutch itself ala reduced springs / aftermarket slave (do your research before buying!) helps.

But given you have owner "cored pipes" -- I'm curious if more "owner service" was done also?  Sometimes a tune-up on a Ducati is only as good as the mechanic himself and the tools / software he has available and his experience.  When was the last service done and was it done by someone who knows what they are doing? The last S4R I rode was like an electric motor around the parking lot / slow speed roads -- only driveline lash itself.

I wouldn't worry too much about the cored pipes.  My guess is that you just need to get used to the bike.  Mine has never been super smooth in first gear at a crawl.  But I think thats just the driveline lash thing.  The stock clutch can be a pain if you have to sit in rush hour traffic often.
JP

I'm sorry forgot the name of the sprocket,and the price of installation is not so bad where i live.Cheap down here in the philippines. ;D

I really don't think it's the cored pipes - sounds like stock standard low rpm lugging. I still have a 15t sprocket on the front - I just tend to feather the clutch at low speeds/revs. I live in a small town, though.. so not a lot of stop/start traffic.

As for the clutch itself, I've just gotten used to it. Mind you, my left forearm would now freak out Popeye. :D

I bought my S2R800 with cored stock cans. The udder was still present, and it idled at around 800 rpm, which is not right. Seemed like it was going to stall at traffic lights like that, but never did. It also wasn't terribly smooth off the line, but not terribly rough either. Then I put a Quat-D midpipe on it and got rid of the udder. Now, it idles much lower, like 500 and WILL die at traffic lights if I don't have the idle lever pulled forward a tiny bit. I've also noticed the endcaps on the cans are secured by only one rivet on the back, so the reduced backpressure wants to blow them out a little bit and I'm always pushing them back in place after a ride. I've noticed less low-end and midrange pull as well. So I've got some work to do, like securing the endcaps on the can with a couple extra rivets on the back and maybe some hi-temp RTV or JB Weld to the endcap flanges to make them stay put, and also taking the bike in to have the TPS and fuel trim adjusted. My guess is that in my case there is too little backpressure right now. I may end up having to buy a DP ECU to smooth it out, though I want to avoid that expense if at all possible.

I took it out today and it really sucks to have it jerk me back and forth when going slow. It feels like it loses  power and then abruptly gets it back rocking me forward. I really don't see how the 14t sprocket will help with this. I doubt that ducati will put a 15t on their bikes and expect people to be happy with a jerky bike. This must be something else. Any other ideas?

Find a reputable shop and have it checked out it could also be too much freeplay in the throttle.

I think you might need fuel injection work done (set up) due to your "hiccup" remarks if by this you mean it is backfiring or poping in the airbox the bke is too lean at low throttle settings and a good fuel injection set up will fix this.

that sounds more like it. I will take it to the shop this week. Thanks Ducvet!!!! 
Also, can you lead me in the right direction to find a post showing or explaining how to remove the 2 springs to reduce clutch lever pull? I've looked all over the old forum.. but I can't find HOW TO REMOVE them. Thanks

Just remove the clutch cover. Unbolt 2 springs across from each other and put the bolt back in minus the spring.

Seriously though if you riding your bike at 3k rpms its going to be jerky specially with a 15t.

Put on the 14t and let us know how it goes  [thumbsup] Also try the clutch not fully engaged method when going really slow.

If you were local to me I would swing by and see if it feels like my S4R. Where are you located ?

I read that putting the bolt back could hurt the clutch if it gets lose.. others put loctite? Why not just leave the bolts out?

I live in Nashville.. I thank you for the offer.. I wish I knew more people here to go riding .

Here is how to adjust the throttle: (I'll post in another thread also)

Adjust Throttle Cable Play (http://www.webbikeworld.com/ducati-motorcycles/gt-1000/throttle-cable-adjustment/)

Worse I have seen is 8mm play.  Typically 4mm via the factory.  Spec is 1.5mm-2.0mm.

I usually adjust them to almost zero.  It takes a bit more fiddling to make happen though.

I think the bolts naturally tighten them selfs also with the centrifugal force.

Some correct me I am wrong but I don't think they commonly get loose or fall off.

The bolts do not tend to loosen.
The only reasons I can think to putting them back would be for a cosmetic (symmetry) look.
Or to keep the threads in the clutch hub from getting corroded. They are small 4mm bolts so be careful not to overtighten them if you put them back in. If you are unsure how tight then thats when adding a little (blue medium strength) loctite helps.

+1 to motocreations on throttle play. The factory does spec a little but that is their safety net. I set mine as little as I can get (close to zero if possible), you just need to balance that with turning the bars lock to lock. If the idle raises when you turn the bars it could be dangerous (slow speed full turn accelerations usually) enouh to cause a tip over.
It is not that hard to set them correctly and just make sure going to full lock on steering does not raise the idle and you will be fine.