Ducati Monster Forum

Just wanted to get the opinions of s2r 800 owners.  I found a good deal on a used one.  Owner won't allow anyone to test drive it.

Wondering if people out there that own a S2R 800 are satisfied with the power or do they wish they had a bigger engine?  

Anything about your experiences with this bike will help.

Thanks

what bike are you coming from?

perspective means alot



empirically, the m800 motor falls somewhere between rebel 250 and... hayabusa  ;D

After a while I started wondering..... what if [evil]

It goes 0 - 60 mph in about 4 sec and tops out at 135+
That's enough.

My opinion is that the better suspension and brakes make a S2R1000 worth the extra money. Then you'll get a dry clutch and 35% more torque as bonuses. Also, you'll avoid the disturbing "what if".

i've had my s2r800 for about 2 years now.  Love it more than when I first got it.  It was one of the "smallest" ducatis offered in the '06 model year, but it hauls my little ass around very well.  I'm not yet itching for more power.  Sure, more is always nice, but my little 125lb ass can still fly on this sucker.

One day when I really itch for more, I'll snatch up a 4 valve ducati.  Even then, I will keep my s2r800.

I'm quite happy with mine, and I think I got a pretty good deal , but I also got to test ride it.

Frankly, if the guy wont let you ride it, walk away. 

i agree with this plus the better brakes too BUT i really wanted the wet semi-slipper clutch because i mostly commute on it and i didn't want the oxygen sensor issues of the s2r 1000s if i wanted to mod a little.

however i really like it and to be honest, it has plenty of power to have fun on.

I had one (05 Dark) bought new, problems free for two years awesome bike, I never felt I needed more power till I rode the S4Rs. Then I sold it to a friend in New Jersey who has been riding it, still promem free for 3 years now.   
 

I think you'll be very satisfied with the 800.  

I did the majority of my riding on the 620 in the city and was happy with it for 7 years.

Where do you live anyway?  What kind of riding will you be doing on it?




 

Just like Grifo says.. [thumbsup]

I bought my S2R in 2005 (my first ducati) and was in love with its easy going manner and sweet motor but in 2007 I rode a S4R.. [evil]
I know that I didn't need the extra power as the S2R was quite quick enough for this old fart but you know boys and thier toys and when I saw the tricolore I was hooked.. [bow_down]
In my opinion the air cooled monsters are much nicer to look at (un cluttered) but the S2R is in need of a better pair of forks and rear shock and alot of you guys find the brakes alittle on the weak side but I found them OK for my pace of riding.. :-[

 [coffee] it's mr "TEA"  ;) ;)

Does it have balls? It's an 803cc V-Twin. It has some decent balls. It's no thousand, but it still rips pretty hard.
The nice thing about the 800 is it's powerband. You can use EVERY ounce of throttle in everyday riding, and not worry too much about blowing the rear loose in a corner. It's a very useable and fun motor with plenty of power to get you in you in trouble. From what people who have ridden mine have told me, it runs relatively similar to a Suzuki SV650, so if you have any experience in that department, might be something to base it on.

As stated above, however, the suspension and brakes are a bit lacking.
I just finished swapping in 999 forks on mine, but that was one of the more expensive routes of fixing the problem.
Brakes aren't THAT bad IMO. I would call them "forgiving." The bike was meant to be an entry model option for people who wanted the single sided swingarm. The brakes will lock the wheels up no problem, just requires a little more pull than your now-standard radial monoblock super-duper brakes. That way if a new rider were to incidently grab a handful of front brake, the front end won't immediately wash out.

The slipper clutch is awesome, and saved my ass at least once  [thumbsup]

I love how people always think they need a literbike on the street.

I used to pass cars in VT going 85-90 all the time with no problem on my 620...

I want to thank all of you for your opinions.  I think you have all made it clear how you feel about your 800's.  I guess the negatives are the brakes and suspension.  What makes the suspension so terrible?  Is it because they are to soft or too hard?
How does the 800 on the highway?  Is it smooth?

no adjustments i believe ( or is there only rebound?)

brakes are undersized compared to an S2R1000. But otherwise they still work fine if thats what your wondering.

IMHO The bike is set up for a 130lbs rider on the street. It is a bit soft for most. The front and rear shock are not adjustable. This is the downfall. But the bike came at a good price. I have piloted the M620, SV650, M900 and the S2R 800. The 800 was my favorite. It had a bit more power than the 620, but not too much for the street. If you are commuting than this will be more than enough bike to have a blast on. If you are going to carve it up on the back roads then this is the perfect bike!. Lots of usable power. That being said, you will not win drag races with it. The "off the line" power is a bit nuts though [evil]

Regards the suspension...aside from the lack of adjust-ability on the fork,  both ends are lightly sprung (the front has progressive springs) and that could be an issue if you are approaching 200 lbs.  I weigh 220 (yes, this bike makes my a$$ look big) and went with stiffer linear rate RaceTech springs in the front and use 5wt fork oil, and swapped out the rear spring with a stiffer one from Works Performance (total cost was just under $200).  The result has been a big improvement, though I'm still dialing in the sag/preload.

The engine is plenty powerful for me.  As for the brakes, they function well enough, but if you are buying used I would suggest replacing the fluid and performing a thorough bleeding of the systems.

IN MY OPINION  I think the 800 engine is the best one that Ducati has made, as far as 2 valvers go.

Yeah, the suspension and brakes suck.  You can upgrade it with GSXR forks and Nissin radial calipers very easily and for not alot of money.

I think the 800 motor in the S2R and the SS has a bit more balls than an old stock carbie 900 small valve motor...

anyways...if yuo want a bike to have balls...it can have balls...just get a set -> http://trucknutz1.site.aplus.net/cgi-bin/mivavm?/Merchant2/merchant.mvc+Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=T&Category_Code=BB (http://trucknutz1.site.aplus.net/cgi-bin/mivavm?/Merchant2/merchant.mvc+Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=T&Category_Code=BB)

And, remember, the brake and suspension comments are compared to higher end Ducatis, not other M800 competitors. 

The M800's would be similar or better than a SV650 or Honda 599.

mitt

The 800 is more than enough bike to get you in trouble.  It's not a fireball, but it isn't a slouch either.  It will go when you want/need it to.  I love mine.  Great all around bike.

I think it is an excellent bike on the highway.  It has enough pop at highway speeds to easily zip, zig, and zag through the lanes.  The suspension on my bike was a little smushy when I first bought it.  I was able to adjust the rear enough to firm it up a little.  Front forks aren't adjustable, so without taking them apart, what you see is what you get.  

I do want a bigger bike so that I can keep up with my friends on the weekend mountain trips, but not enough to part with my 800.  I am probably going to ride it till it dies. 

The 800 should be able to keep up with any bike in the mountains. I could stay real close to the SBK's in my club rides with my 620 (in the mountains).

My 800 was great. Coming from a cbr600 the torque of the 800 was great even though the top end wasn't as strong. After moving to the 1000, I will say, I do appreciate the additional power but the 800 was more flickable. I don't think you'll be disappointed with the 800.

Lots of good comments here...just adding my personal two cents.  

You couldn't pay me to get rid of my '06 S2R800 dark. Love it. Removed all the restriction stuff, put on full aftermarket exhaust etc. and improved things a bit here and there and it has plenty of ballz.  

True the stock suspension can be picked on, but weigh that against where you are at personally. If you don't have much experience to compare it to, are not doing track days, and generally won't be pushing the limits much, you would probably be fine with stock. But as others point out there a many options for improving that stuff as well (swaps with used parts from other duc models etc).

I recently bought an 848 to park next to the monster and love the different qualities of each.  Very different beasts, but both bring a big  ;D to my face.

I have rode 620, 800, and 1000cc air cooled monsters.  I would say they all have balls compared to many bikes on the market.


mitt

Balls....dunno [coffee]

in 3 years and almost 30K of owning mine I have no problems with keeping up with bigger and faster bikes on and off the track.

from rides with RSVRs, 848, 1098, gsxr's and likes to trackdays overtaking 600s on the power...

it's not about how much power you have under your right wrist, but how you use it... [cheeky]

I've seen a riders do some amazing things aboard monster 750s and 620s!!

Q