Ducati Monster Forum

I,m thinking of changing my s4 for a s4rs its not for the increased hp as the s4 is plenty powerful enough for my old bones to handle its for the improved suspension that the rs has. My question is would I be better to have the forks and rear shock set up properly on the s4 for me and my riding style over here the cost is approx €600 for this and spend the money saved on getting the frame and engine powder coated or is the olins suspension on the rs really that good.  the s4 currently has 26000 mls on it and I've put 13000 of these mls on it in 20 mths so I really enjoy the bike. Any thoughts or hints would be appreciated.

What's the out of pocket cost for you to upgrade from S4 to S4Rs?

I'd say to get an Ohlins (or comparable) shock and get the forks sprung/valved or sprung/cartridged will be the most bang for the buck.

Particularly if you are otherwise happy with the bike you are now riding. 

About €3000 to change.

Very happy with the bikes performance the brakes power riding position just have been reading that the ollins  suspension is a big improvement but also that you can have upgrades done to the showa forks and shock that are a big improvement over the standard setup. Is there anybody with any experience of having this done and if so what was done what and to ask for any info would be appreciated.

Lots of info here on using K-Tech parts to fix the forks:
 http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=55303.0 (http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=55303.0)

The other option is SBK forks as a starting point, they've got most of the stuff already fixed, and some have the TiN sliders.
A bit more work to fit, as they're a straight 53mm vs. 50/54.

Ohlins for the shock is good, but there's Penske too, and I suspect there's some others that are close to you, K-Tech for one.

I'd change out the shock for a Penske (or something similar) and upgrade the fork internals.

It is not such a simple question, as with the S4RS you will get not only the Ohlins suspension but also a newer, arguably sportier but also arguably less practical bike.

On the suspension front: the Ohlins fork is very good, IMO, for road use on stock settings although the springs may feel a bit soft if you are a hefty type or aggressive on the brakes. It seems very sensitive to damping fluid viscosity and these days I insist on the recommended Ohlins stuff.

A downside of the Ohlins fork is soft, low-stiction seals which can and probably will prove troublesome.

You can probably upgrade your fork internals to match or exceed the performance of the S4Rs fork, but IIRC a full cartridge kit would cost you $1000 or more plus fitting. (Don't have to go that far of course.)

WRT the shock, you can read about my experience sorting that here (http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=48794.0) and I suggest that you do.  The stock Ohlins shock was IMO poorly valved and unnecessarily harsh. It also used the dreaded twin lock-rings to set preload, and these are very hard to get at on the S4Rs even if you have twin Ohlins C-spanners, as I did.

So, don't buy the S4Rs for the shock, although it is a perfectly good Ohlins unit mechanically and if valved properly will work very well. A high-end aftermarket unit for your own bike would be just as good or better. (Not that I'm saying you won't want to revalve that also: at this level, small changes make a great deal of difference.)

So in sum, if it is just the suspension you want, then for a lot less than €3000 you could have your S4 working much better than a stock S4Rs.

OTOH, if you are not happy with the €600 fix (you don't say what that involves), you could end up spending €2000 on a shock and fork cartridges and then wonder why you didn't get the S4Rs, which would need only a couple of hundred € for a revalve (oh, and fork seals once a year  :( ).

Assuming you get the S4rs, will you leave its suspension stock or will you need to have it setup for you and how much will that cost?

Price considerations aside, ride what makes you happy! [Dolph]

The mad king the s4 is my first duc and I love it  sometimes she wont start on the first turn sometimes she will I've now got to know when it's time to hit the throtle doe's this mean it's a keeper.