Hi, I'm getting my motorcycle license next weekend. I am looking to start riding here in the next month or so. I am currently looking at a 2004 S4R and a 2010 696. The S4R has some nice modifications, and is listed at a good price, which is tempting to me. I would like that bike, but I'm trying to decide realistically if that is to much power for a novice. I have heard mixed things from people. Some say power doesn't matter when you are a novice. As long as you respect the bike, and don't go open throttle on it at first, you won't kill yourself on it. Some say you are just destined to kill yourself even if you do 'respect' the bike. What are your opinions? I'm 5'11 and 250 pounds. I think the 696 might be to slow for my size, but i'll listen to your opinions.
Thanks for any help,
-Chris
the 696 will make you a better rider...
the S4R is not easy to tame under 3,500 rpm, she bucks a lot. for a guy your size though it is my opinion the 696 is too little. ride them both and see.
696
Hello!
So here's my opinion FWIW.
This is from a pure power perspective, not accounting for the comparison between parts (brakes, forks, rear shock...) Oh, and I'm 5'7" 150.
I have an 09 696 and i love it. It was and is my first street bike but not my first motorcycle, been riding since the age of 4 when I got a honda 50cc with training wheels..
Since may of this season I have put 4,000mi on the od. My feelings on the 696, GREAT all around bike, super fun in the twisties and great daily rider. I don't regret the decision AT ALL.
My Gripes with the 696: To start, if you do ANY sort of highway riding, even just 2-3 hours a MONTH for any more than an hour at a time it's going to suck. At ~80mph you will be in 6th at about 6k rpm (stock gearing). Considering I commute to and from school monthly thats about 4-8 hours a month I spend on the highway. In terms of power: top speed on a 696 is limited due to gearing again and in 6th at redline you will be lucky to hit 120, especially with your weight. Not that top speed matters much unless your on the track, I'm just putting it out there. You will probably feel yourself "outgrowing" a 696 within a few (very few) seasons even though it will most likely just be overconfidence. It's doubtful you will be riding to you maximum potential on the 696 but you will want more cc's. Then again, who really ever outrides their bike these days, you can always push harder, we're not professionals despite what some may say. Ask Ung and the numerous others who owned their 696's for a brief period of time.
If it's within you budget, I would recommend the 796.... solely for the better forks you get. The weakest link on the 696 is suspension, and the forks are the worst part.
None of this takes into account your current skill. Only you can asses that.
Thanks for responding guys!
I would like a new 796, but it's just out of my price range (11k). I can either do a new 2010 696 for 8k, or a 2004 S4R with 2k miles for 7k (has 7k in mods alone.) I feel like I would be passing up such a great offer on the S4R, but am worried about my ability to handle the power, which is why I am asking you guys who have ridden the bikes and know them well.
Quote from: Scotty_Wheelz on October 08, 2010, 09:56:13 PM
Thanks for responding guys!
I would like a new 796, but it's just out of my price range (11k). I can either do a new 2010 696 for 8k, or a 2004 S4R with 2k miles for 7k (has 7k in mods alone.) I feel like I would be passing up such a great offer on the S4R, but am worried about my ability to handle the power, which is why I am asking you guys who have ridden the bikes and know them well.
It's hard to make recommendations without knowing you personally.
Everyone told me not to get my CRF250... then 2 years later everyone told me not to get my CRF450.... three years later everyone told me not to get a 696... a year or so from now everyone will be telling me not to get an 848.... after that an 1198....
If it's your first bike ever, think long and hard. It takes a cool head not to show off, go nuts, and ride beyond your limit. Can you keep your cool ALWAYS?
Quote from: Veloce-Fino on October 08, 2010, 10:03:11 PM
It's hard to make recommendations without knowing you personally.
Everyone told me not to get my CRF250... then 2 years later everyone told me not to get my CRF450.... three years later everyone told me not to get a 696... a year or so from now everyone will be telling me not to get an 848.... after that an 1198....
If it's your first bike ever, think long and hard. It takes a cool head not to show off, go nuts, and ride beyond your limit. Can you keep your cool ALWAYS?
I can keep my cool, i'm a very laid back person. That's why i'm thinking the S4R will be ok. The bikes operate the same for the most part from what I have read, and if I just take it easy on the throttle, I don't see what could go wrong that would be any different than riding a 696 or any other bike.
Quote from: Veloce-Fino on October 08, 2010, 10:03:11 PM
If it's your first bike ever, think long and hard. It takes a cool head not to show off, go nuts, and ride beyond your limit. Can you keep your cool ALWAYS?
Are you giving advice, or asking questions?
Quote from: Scotty_Wheelz on October 08, 2010, 09:22:57 PM
I have heard mixed things from people. Some say power doesn't matter when you are a novice. As long as you respect the bike, and don't go open throttle on it at first, you won't kill yourself on it. Some say you are just destined to kill yourself even if you do 'respect' the bike.
Interesting and very realistic take on the matter. I had a friend that bought a 08 cbr1k for his first bike, typical squid bike and all, but he rode it very very very conservatively.. kept it for 2 months/4k miles and sold it. He's still alive. A year later he drove back my sv650 and shamefully admitted that it had plenty of power and is even contemplating picking one up. (similar power to 696)
Realize that a 696 might do ~45-50 mph in first gear where as the s4r will probably do upwards of ~75(?). I haven't test driven any powerful bikes, but even the first gear on my sv650 was(and still is) tricky in certain situations. I just picked the bike up a week ago, so i am no expert, but its fun to beable to get on the bike with out tripling the posted speed limits in just one gear. S4 will also probably do wheelies with out much effort.(negative point, imo)
While the 696 is no rocketship of a bike, it still has a ton of nuts(no idea why you'd need any more power tbh).
Quote from: kopfjäger on October 08, 2010, 10:10:32 PM
Are you giving advice, or asking questions?
I'm advising him on what questions he should be asking himself. ;D
I guess what i'm asking is, If I can control myself and ride this S4R in Grandpa mode at first, would it be any different than learning to ride on the 696?
If you are learning to ride, as in you never have. A smaller 250 would be the way to go. If you have ridden, you could learn the S4.
Another thing to consider is maintenance on the s4r will cost more than a 696
The S4R has basically the same engine that won a few WSBK titles a couple of years prior. Different cams, and intake are the difference IIRC.
YOU ARE NOT READY FOR THIS BIKE.
Get a ninja 250, beat the piss out of it for a few months, drop it plenty, sell it for what you bought it, then make the jump.
Getting an S4R as your first bike is like getting a 355 Spyder for your first car, just a bad idea, plain and simple.
Quote from: El Matador on October 08, 2010, 10:42:44 PM
The S4R has basically the same engine that won a few WSBK titles a couple of years prior. Different cams, and intake are the difference IIRC.
YOU ARE NOT READY FOR THIS BIKE.
Get a ninja 250, beat the piss out of it for a few months, drop it plenty, sell it for what you bought it, then make the jump.
Getting an S4R as your first bike is like getting a 355 Spyder for your first car, just a bad idea, plain and simple.
If I get the 250 and ride it a few months, can I jump straight to the S4R?
Quote from: Scotty_Wheelz on October 08, 2010, 10:45:21 PM
If I get the 250 and ride it a few months, can I jump straight to the S4R?
I vote a year. If you have never ridden a street bike.
Quote from: Scotty_Wheelz on October 08, 2010, 10:45:21 PM
If I get the 250 and ride it a few months, can I jump straight to the S4R?
I wouldn't recommend it but it would be a hell of a lot better idea than without any prior experience. I'd give myself a 10k mile learning period. After that, you'll have learned enough about riding basics that you can probably handle most of what the road will throw at you without killing yourself on the torque monster that is the S4R.
Hell, 10k miles is nothing, you can bang that out in a few months if you're as feverish about riding as I was when I first started.
Quote from: kopfjäger on October 08, 2010, 10:47:58 PM
I vote a year. If you have never ridden a street bike.
I lean more towards mileage. You'll learn more in two months and 5k miles than a whole year with 3K miles.
Thanks for everyone's honest answers.
Quote from: Scotty_Wheelz on October 08, 2010, 10:56:37 PM
Thanks for everyone's honest answers.
Just looking out for you, man. My first streetbike was a CBR600 and it's a genuine miracle I lived to tell the tale.
Quote from: El Matador on October 08, 2010, 10:58:19 PM
Just looking out for you, man. My first streetbike was a CBR600 and it's a genuine miracle I lived to tell the tale.
I know man I respect that. I will probably pick the bike up it's such a good deal and throw it in the garage until i'm ready for it. I will pick up a 250 for a grand or something for the mean time.
IMO a pretty good deal for the low mileage S4R. If you can swing the S4R AND a 250 beater bike, all the better. I've been riding for almost 2 decades and I wish I would've gotten a Ducati earlier. I've had to learn (still learning)how to be smooth on the throttle on my S4RS while my other (Japanese sport) bikes could forgive a little clumsiness. If the S4R doesn't have frame and axle sliders already, get some on order now.
Can you honestly tell us you are gonna buy the S4R AND a beater, and just leave the Monster sit in the garage??? [roll]
Anyway, my first bike is my m900, and I don't think I would recommend anything faster than that for a first bike. There have been a few times the low-end torque almost got me in trouble. FYI, the S4R has about another 40 hp on top of my 900. That being said, I completely agree with what El Matador said.
Quote from: El Matador on October 08, 2010, 10:42:44 PM
The S4R has basically the same engine that won a few WSBK titles a couple of years prior. Different cams, and intake are the difference IIRC.
YOU ARE NOT READY FOR THIS BIKE.
Get a ninja 250, beat the piss out of it for a few months, drop it plenty, sell it for what you bought it, then make the jump.
Getting an S4R as your first bike is like getting a 355 Spyder for your first car, just a bad idea, plain and simple.
I have to full heartedly agree here.
If you're dead set on getting a monster right away, go find a 620/695 or 750. After a few years/ few thousand miles upgrade to one of the 4V monsters if that's what you want to do. If you go buy an S4R and a two fiddy you will want to ride the monster immediately, and it is an unforgiving bike.
you may also consider a 620 or an older 750 Monster. These are very forgiving and pull out of corners easily is you are in the wrong gear.
Quote from: muskrat on October 09, 2010, 07:26:26 AM
you may also consider a 620 or an older 750 Monster. These are very forgiving and pull out of corners easily is you are in the wrong gear.
+1, you're gonna be bored with a 250 in a matter of weeks. A s2r 800 or sv650 wouldn't be terrible choices either. The learning curve will be slightly steeper, but sometimes you need to make compromises.
Quote from: matt922 on October 09, 2010, 07:44:46 AM
+1, you're gonna be bored with a 250 in a matter of weeks. A s2r 800 or sv650 wouldn't be terrible choices either. The learning curve will be slightly steeper, but sometimes you need to make compromises.
it's not about being bored, it's about building riding experience on something that is less likely to bite him in a very bad way.
Times have changed, that's for sure. A bike like the 696 would have practically been a superbike when I started riding in the early 80s.
My first bike was a Honda CB 400. It was also my second bike and my fourth. It was a great bike to learn on, with enough power to be fun and still be forgiving. I rode it on trips from southern california to the bay area multiple times. Today a bike like that wouldn't be considered for most folks. My wife wants a first bike and when I recommended a SV 650 she said "isn't that too small"? She's never ridden, but that's a common mentality. I think it's way off and driven by the squid mentality.
I currently have an S4Rs, which is a great bike. To be honest, it has too much power for me, and I've been riding for almost 30 years. I can't use all its power. I think it's overkill for the street for most responsible riders, though it's handy (and fun) to have that power in reserve just to touch on when desired. [evil]
If I were you and those were the only two choices, I'd go with the 696. To be honest though, I'd probably go with something like a Suzuki SV 650. Much cheaper, a great bike, and easy enough to mod if desired. Buy one for $3500, ride it for a year, sell it for $3250. I may actually get myself one, in addition to one for the wife. I tend to enjoy a bike I can wring out more, and I simply can't do that on my bike or I'll get in over my head. Quickly. Like by redline in second gear. I'm not sure if I'll keep this bike, to be honest. But it's definitely not a learner's bike.
I also agree that a 250 could be good to learn on, but I'd persoally rather have a bike with a little more oomph for freeway riding. Hence the SV.
Good luck. REgardless of which bike you get, it takes a lot of self control.
Not to beat this to death, but here is my last bike before the S4Rs. A 1986 Yamaha SRX-6. Air-cooled single, kickstart only, modded, but still slow compared to virtually anything modern.
(http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac67/billyzoom1/SRX600.jpg)
I loved it. If the engine hadn't died I'd still have it. More enjoyable to me than my S4Rs, to be honest. Torquey, light, narrow. Most importantly, FUN. And sexy as hell, at least to me.
It's all about what you want out off your bike, but to me that's putting the cart before the horse. I recommend learning to ride first on something forgiving.
And I'd say buy used, especially if you think you'll want something different down the road. I've bought plenty of bikes I essentially rode for free. Found a great deal, rode it for a while, sold it for the same price.
Joel
Quote from: derby on October 09, 2010, 08:16:40 AM
it's not about being bored, it's about building riding experience on something that is less likely to bite him in a very bad way.
derby uses a very good adjective in this instance...bite.
It doesn't take much of a mistake for a 996 to put a serious hurt on you.
New riders, no matter how sensible, make mistakes be it with speed, braking, or the throttle.
A big bike amplifies all of those.
Start with something smaller.
Thanks for everyone's advice! You seem like a cool group of guys willing to help out.
I will let you know which direction I go in later this week.
[beer]
Thought I'd add just one more thing.
My bike is 2005 S4R. Earlier S4R (996) is harder bike to live with than later S4R Testastretta.
Many people who bought these bikes new sold them with very little miles on them. Go figure ...
(previous owner of my bike, who's actually a friend /coworker of mine, rode it only 500 miles... his loss, my gain. Similar stories are everywhere. This bike is not for everyone.)
Quote from: S21FOLGORE on October 09, 2010, 12:33:32 PM
Thought I'd add just one more thing.
My bike is 2005 S4R. Earlier S4R (996) is harder bike to live with than later S4R Testastretta.
Many people who bought these bikes new sold them with very little miles on them. Go figure ...
(previous owner of my bike, who's actually a friend /coworker of mine, rode it only 500 miles... his loss, my gain. Similar stories are everywhere. This bike is not for everyone.)
Thanks for adding that. The one i'm looking at is an 04 with only 2k miles exactly on the odo. It's a good deal, which is why i'm having trouble passing it up...
there will always be good deals if you are looking for them
Quote from: Scotty_Wheelz on October 09, 2010, 01:28:47 PM
Thanks for adding that. The one i'm looking at is an 04 with only 2k miles exactly on the odo. It's a good deal, which is why i'm having trouble passing it up...
2k miles in 6-7 years would concern me. That's a lot of sitting unridden over the years.
I agree with the recommendation of a 250 or a used sv650 for a first bike.
It's probably a bit easier to ride a slow bike fast than it is to ride a fast bike slow. I'd go with a smaller and cheaper bike. No warranty on the S4R either. Wouldn't be the easiest to live with for a new rider. You may end up becoming an expert mechanic though.
Hey man, if you're going to pickup a "beater" 250R, don't get the Monster just so it can sit in the garage and depreciate away.
Remember, it's tough to be patient now but there WILL ALWAYS BE GREAT DEALS
Once you "outgrow" or get bored of your 250R, there will be newer, better bikes available or older ones at better prices. No point in purchasing two bikes now.
Good luck
it has very little to do with the absolute power in my opinion...
bigger bikes, and in sportbike thought "sharper" bikes are less forgiving in lots of ways.
grabby on/off clutch versus lots of slop.... makes turning from a stop harder... running into oncoming traffic because you're running wide on a right turn from a stop is no good.
brakes that are one or two finger strong versus whole hand.... quick stop in a parking lot or panic and touch them in the wrong time in a corner and it's much less forgiving.
throttle.... I can absolutely grab a handfull of G's 620... it goes from 1 to 10 like this 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10. grab a handfull of one of the bigger bikes and it goes 1.9.10. depending on where you are that is less forgiving for rookie throttle applications.
weight... even though you're a big guy, the first time you come to a stop at a light downhill and off camber and you put the left foot down because you didn't realize your right leg was the uphill one.... it'll be exciting to catch the bike.
'beginner bikes' (and certainly there are Ducs that fit in here although expensive to fix if you care) have more slush in them.
remember too that even a slow bike makes a pretty fast car look slow. If I rode G's 620 around at full throttle all the time I'd be in jail pretty quickly.
Quoteremember too that even a slow bike makes a pretty fast car look slow.
Good point. Even bikes that are considered "slow" compared to other bikes will still give you the performance of a supercar.
You also only have half the rubber of a car, and a beast of a bike (S4r) putting a lot of power down, and you can get in trouble in a hurry.
Quote from: matt922 on October 09, 2010, 07:44:46 AM
+1, you're gonna be bored with a 250 in a matter of weeks. A s2r 800 or sv650 wouldn't be terrible choices either. The learning curve will be slightly steeper, but sometimes you need to make compromises.
Nothing boring about a Ninja 250, especially for twisty riding. One of the best local riders in the SF bay area rides a 250 and he can ride circles around almost anyone I know. I take the twisties faster on a 250 than I do on an S4R or a Brutale because it is easier to ride and to turn.
I did a
review of a friend's 250 (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=2613.0) a while back, I was able to get it up to triple digits, passed liter bikes in the twisties on it, took on-ramps WOT. I wish I had started on one, in fact I wish I had one now (after >35K miles ridden in 3 years). Very newbie friendly, very forgiving of pretty much any kind of mistake you can make at it. Lots of fun.
You can "respect power" all you want but it won't help with basic coordination issues when you are first learning to ride a bike. Let out the clutch slightly too fast, grab the brakes slightly too hard, accidentally roll on the throttle a bit while turning the bars - all easy things to do when you are first learning. On an S4R or other big bike you will get into trouble extremely quickly. On a 250? It'll just feel a bit jerky, but you will stay upright.
Here's an excellent post from another board about beginning bikes:
http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5380523&postcount=8 (http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5380523&postcount=8)
the first bike i bought was a yamaha r6. i bought it before i even finished my msf course.
did i crash it? no. did i ride balls out each time? no.
you know yourself the best. get the bike you want that will make u happy. if its a fast bike, respect it. and yes, it will take you longer to learn how to control it than a smaller bike, but buying a smaller bike and then upgrading later to learn the faster bike will also take time itself.
my second bike was a monster 750.
if i could do it again, i would have started with the monster 750. more power doesn't mean better. more power means just more power. will u use it? only until you get too many tickets if you don't use your noggin'
i enjoy utilizing more of the bike and more of the rpm range.
also as many have noted, if money is an issue, definite consider the fact the s4r will cost more to service and may possibly need more service b/c it has more miles.
on the other hand, the s4r is pure sex.
seriously, both have their benefits. neither is a bad choice. get what makes you happy. and be happy.
see u on the road
Quote from: Scotty_Wheelz on October 09, 2010, 01:28:47 PM
Thanks for adding that. The one i'm looking at is an 04 with only 2k miles exactly on the odo. It's a good deal, which is why i'm having trouble passing it up...
just buy it or always regret it
also buy a cheap small bike and flog that around the streets for a while , its also useful for commuting etc
I would get the 696
I went from a 620 only putting 3k miles on it and then jumped into a S4R
All though I never had an issue with it other than riding through some oil at an apex of a turn and low sided at slow speeds and I put 50k on it before I sold it... It was a pain in the ass to ride with little experience especially in foul weather.
If I did it all over again I would gladly welcome a 696 :)
Thanks for everyone's responses!
I rode around on my friend's Yamaha 650 yesterday in the neighborhood. I have a good understanding of the the clutch now and got a good feel for the friction point on it. I was pretty well balanced. That being said, I didn't go over 40 and I took turns at about 20mph, but for my first time on a bike, i'm pretty pleased with how it went. I may try and find a 750. I love the single sided swingarm and the upgraded suspension it has, vs. the 696. The 650 had plenty of power. In fact, i'm quite intimidated by the thought of the S4R's power and how it will deliver it.
Quotejust buy it or always regret it
... don't say that. ;D He's probably torn between the idea of getting something more sensible and buying S4R (which seems to me what he really want).
Anyhow, I strongly recommend getting something more forgiving than S4R for your first bike, just like so many people already said.
At the same time, I can kinda understand your feeling. It seems like you really want to get that S4R (at least in your earlier post, it sounded that way).
IF that particular bike has something really appeals to you, makes you feel you have to have it, .... when you feel that way, it's very hard to pass up the kind of deal you found, and steer yourself to something more sensible / practical (but boring) option. It's like telling yourself that the girl you like the most is out of your league, better look for someone else, more realistic option ...
So, I'd give you just a few examples of what my friend (previous owner of my S4R) felt uncomfortable with this bike.
1) Launching the bike
Combination of ultra sharp throttle response (that's how it feels to you if you're a beginner ) and short lever stroke + "grab fast" clutch action makes even just launching the bike somewhat challenging for some riders. And three will be times that you have to stop at steep hill, start and turn right after. (Engine stall in this situation, it is almost guaranteed that you'd drop the bike. )
2)U-turn
Turn the handle bar of S4R lock to lock (while not moving) , see how much front end turns. Then, turn the steering to left (full lock) and push the bike, see how big the turning radius is, how much space you'd need to turn. If you are a beginner, that much space is needed to turn around 'cause you can not lean over the bike and u-turn. (again, stall = dropping the bike, doesn't matter if you are a big guy or not.)
3)Tight corner, especially down hill
S4R, earlier 996 ones especially, has tendency to do bucking bronco at lower RPM. (this can be cured, BTW). Also, the bike feels unstable at lower speed range. At the tight corner, when the bike starts to lean, it leans faster than you'd be comfortable so you'd feel like as if the bike is falling, instinctively push the inside bar (try to stop / slow down the bike leaning), thus the bike runs wide.
(People with big muscle are, often, more prone to "wrestle" with the bike. ) you may over run into oncoming lane, or would be kissing to guard rail. Get panic and garb the brake, you'd be sliding on the pavement. If you are lucky, you just get scared.
Lucky for me, he rode only 500 miles and before doing any harm to the bike (and himself) decided it's not for him, and sold it to me.
and to think I started on a 50 Trail Honda.
If this S4R has all the goodies you want and you don't think another will exist then buy it and buy a cheapo bike you don't mind tearing up until you are ready. Many here have multiple bikes so don't let that deter you but the above statements are true. Ducati's turn like shit at slow speeds and the bucking bronco analogy is spot on so you better have good reflexes and synchronicity. There are tons of 620's and 750's if you're dead set on a Duc and at a reasonable if not ridiculously low price. Cash is King!
Meh-you don't outgrow a 250. Your ego does.
Smaller is better for actually getting a clue.
Quote from: MrIncredible on October 10, 2010, 09:18:02 PM
Smaller is better for actually getting a clue.
That's what she said. :D
Quote from: 1KDS on October 09, 2010, 07:26:06 AM
If you're dead set on getting a monster right away, go find a 620/695 or 750. After a few years/ few thousand miles upgrade to one of the 4V monsters if that's what you want to do. If you go buy an S4R and a two fiddy you will want to ride the monster immediately, and it is an unforgiving bike.
Time to throw my $0.02 around...
My first bike ever was a '99 M750.
Three and a half years and 25,000 miles later, i still love her. I went through the "I need more power" stage briefly, but since I'm perpetually poor a new bike wasn't in the cards.
Stock, she had 62hp. Top speed 110. Quick enough to 80mph. Because I couldn't afford a bigger bike, I had to become a better rider. I can keep up with most of my friends on bigger bikes, and am faster than a couple in the twisties. Of course, they drop me when things open up, but I was never much of a straightaway hero...
The S4r may sound like the better bike, but trust me, the smaller bike will make you a better rider.
Just my opinion from personal experience, FWIW...
[bacon]
I was in the same situation a few years ago... I had just started riding, and my wife's good friend was selling her 2001 S4.
Everybody told me to get a 250 to start out on, so I did... I got a Hyosung 250 because of the v-twin engine (didn't want a ninja). The 250 is great, very easy to ride, very light, easy to flick around.
Then, I also bought the S4. My first ride on it all I thought was "WOW, I can't believe how hard this bike is to ride". Seriously, after owning the 250 for a while, I literally couldn't imagine that a bike existed that would be THAT hard to ride. Just getting into first gear is hard on the S4... on the 250 you just rev it and release the clutch, and you're off... it's a much more delicate process to get going on the S4.
In addition, the S4 is so heavy compared to a 250, you really can't flick it at all at low speeds, which means it's just not as fun at low speeds.
Eventually I learned how to tame the beast that is the S4, but it was slow going at first.
I still commute every day on the 250 for a many reasons... easier to ride at low speeds, twice the mpg than the S4, and I don't mind racking up commute miles on the 250 since the maintenance costs are lower.
I absolutely love my S4, but I wouldn't want it to be my only bike... gotta have a smaller scoot for fun around town rides.
I'm going to have to make another suggestion. Once again these are opinions...
Yesterday my father and I switched bikes and went for a ride, about an hour. Here's what we rode
Me: 2007 S2R1K with race ecu (his bike)
Him: 09 696
After riding my own bike for so long I had forgotten how the RAW POWER of the s2r1k feels. On my 696 you can flog the hell out of it and not get yourself into too much trouble. However on the s2r with a flick of the wrist you can send your eyeballs into the back of your head and the front wheel skyward.
DON'T buy the S4R, you will make mistakes, on the S4R they could be fatal, and on the 696 you will probably live to tell the tale. I have made mistakes and the small, nimble, moderately powered 696 allowed me to make corrections or ride it out. This will probably not happen on the S4R.
Just my suggestion. After riding his S2R I wanted my 696 back...
I've ridden a few bikes in my time on two wheels and I am always amazed out how the ego of the American Male gets in the way of common sense. You will have way more fun learning to ride a less powerful bike quickly and in the process, learn more, spend less, and come out the other end hopefully a better rider. On the back twisty roads, which is where one really learns to ride, you will enjoy the right amount of power for the road conditions, you'll only regret more power when you go to a track. I long for tiered liscensing in this country, like it has been in Europe forever, takes the ego thing out of the equation and provides an incentive to learn. At your size I would look for something with a little better suspension and frame than a 250, unless you look at dual purpose machine, and it should be a standard, a dying breed, but still some out there, you need real handlebars - not clipons, and sit up straight riding position. If you are set on a ducati look at older M620, or even an MTS620. Personally I think the Vtwin(Ltwin) motor is more forgiving than a multi but the Honda 519 isn't a bad choice in a mutli. And for sure sign up for riding schools and some track days. Just some thoughts - Gene