I want to know what maintenance is required for a monster : 695 or s2r. Those are the two I'm considering. I just keep hearing how expensive it is to own a ducati and I'm wondering if it's just hype from the old days so if someone could just list what one of these would need to have done for maintenance I could figure out what it really costs since I will most likely do all the work myself. Also if there are other things tha maybe break commonly and are very expensive or something worth mentioning I love to hear about that too. Thanks.
That's a very broad question, but I'll throw ya a bone.
I own both of those bikes and have done some service on them, but neither is above 10k miles yet so they are still pretty new.
Download the user manuals from the Ducati website and you can examine the service schedule for either bike.
Both bikes have plastic gas tanks, which expand, distort and cause headaches. Both bikes also have 5 year emissions warranties that do cover the tank.
Without having the DDS or VDST, you will be up shit creek trying to get any electronics maintainance done on either bike since they are fuel injected and have ECU's.
With the proper special tools, a lot of the services can be done in the garage.
I know it's more expensive, but overall, hands down, I love the S2R more than the 695.
I have the S2R and I love it. However my second fuel tank is beginning to warp. Getting the fueling adjusted properly has been a bit of a pain in the ass. Once you get it dialed in it's a sweetheart. I blame the EPA for both the tank and the fueling, not Ducati. Other than those two issues the bike has been rock solid reliable. If you don't maintain them however, you will probably have issues. So treat them with respect. When it's time to do maintenance or repair, do it immediately and do it properly. Do not defer the maintenance on these machines or you will definitely pay the price.
Which S2R? I'm assuming the 800.
Basically, they are same at the end of the day for maintenance. In the later years they pushed the valve checks to a longer inerval, so that may make a difference. But overall, they and many Monster share a lot of parts and maintenance concerns.
As far as the costs, both bikes will be about the same. And as far as being expensive... not really. Yes, they do need their valves looked after more often than something like a CBR or GSX-R. But woe be to you if you have a bike like that when it comes time to do the valves. Where a 2v duc might be 3 hours in skilled hands, that i4 is 15+ hours for teh valves.
Other maintenance stuff for a Duc is the same as just about any other chain driven bike - the only real big difference is the desmo valve train
Thanks guys. Great info. It seems that the one thing everyone keeps bringing up is the valve adjustment. I'm not worried about that too much as I am a tech by trade. I looked it up online and the procedure looks pretty simple. Just like M3 valve adjustments with the shims.
The tank issue sounds pretty common and unavoidable. I'll have to check out the price of a new tank. If it's plastic I would imagine it's cheaper.
I'm assuming you have seen this sticky thread?
http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=25074.0 (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=25074.0)
I'm hoping there is a solution here eventually. Monsters have 5 year emissions warranties covering the tanks. If you do get a plastic tank monster, join the group and fill out a DOT complaint form if you notice any problems... :-X. Look at the tank bottom bumpers alignment to trellis frame, clearance for the front center latch to the ignition cyclinder assembly and any waviness or warping along the sidewalls for tell tale signs of deformation.
Yup Monsters might need slightly more care and feeding but - more expensive?, I doubt that, unless you end up unlucky.
I'm thinking the expanding tank issue largely caused by ethanol carrying moisture being absorbed by the nylon lining in the tank (acording to info reported by ducatiz iirc) - avoid that and you may be good.
I noticed by tank returned to normal this year using non ethanol (has slightly expanded).
No longer available so I'm trying the marine grade Stabil to see if that keep moisture away.
2V motor valves are a snap.
The plastic tank expansion problem is not limited to Ducati,