Ducati Monster Forum

Hey All,
 Looking for some advice. I love my S2R 1000 but the scheduled maintenance intervals are just too short to be practical for me. It was fine when I lived in the NW, but since I've been in AZ I'm up for my second valve check in a year. The closest place to get it serviced it about 200 mi away in Phoenix and I shudder to think what would happen if I tried to do valves myself, the price of failure is just too high. So I'm looking for suggestions on a bike that has the feel ( I guess the V twin grunt) of my Monster but with lower service intervals. I was thinking of the Hyperstrada, but it might be too tall. I have learned to ride dirt bikes recently and I'm comfortable with just getting a toe down, but for everyday riding and longer trips it just gets to be a pain in the ass. I would like a 4 gallon tank if possible and the lighter the bike the better. Hard luggage option would be a bonus.
I'm actually nervous writing this lol as I told myself I would never consider getting rid of this bike, but I can by a lot of gas and tires for the cost of one belt change and valve service. I guess I want the best of both worlds-a fun bike that brings a smile to my face yet is basically maintenance free ( I know no bike is maintenance free, but a 20,000 mile valve interval is a lot easier to handle than a 6,000 mile one)

Am I out of mind or are there some practical alternatives?

M1100 in any flavour . . . S or EVO

If you're ok with getting a second bike, just get a SV650 as your daily ride and keep the s2k as the fun ride.  Or the Vstrom if you're looking for more practicaility.  Both of the earlier gen models can be found pretty cheap.

Just a thought, but what about learning to do basic maintenance by yourself?  It can be intimidating at first, but if you are a lifetime bike owner it's an advantage to know how to do basic-to-moderate maintenance.  Not just for the duc, but all bikes.  Makes you a more savvy used bike buyer, too.  You still will need to save the tough stuff for the shop 200 miles away, but those should be infrequent.  Doing your own maintenance is also helpful in monitoring your bike condition and noticing problems before they become real problems.  Anyway, that's just something to consider that may not be appealing now, but have long term benefits.

Also, it's worth noting that the 6k mile value interval can be extended after the first two, so that becomes less of a burden.

MBP valve collets also at least double the interval in my experience. No half rings turned quarter rings either.

aprilia tuono?

Monster821, about the same power and maint at about 18,000 miles.

MV Agusta Brutale?  Personally I prefer the 4 cylinder versions, but the three cylinders are nice too.

Yamaha FZ09?

Before we get too far off to outer space.....

What kind of riding are you looking to do with this 'alternative'?

Commuting, city riding?
Highway commuting?
Weekend long distance touring?

For low maintenance and low cost (comparatively) you want something from japan.

This would be a do everything bike. But I'm having second thoughts now after re reading some Duc maintenance items. The big thing that was getting me was 6,000 mile valve inspection. The bike has almost 22k on it now and from what I have read the valves don't change much after about 10k. So If I can get away with belt change and valve inspection/adjustment every 12k that makes things a lot easier to handle. Does that seem reasonable or  am I asking for trouble with course of action?

You should be fine with that plan.

I'd ask whoever adjusts your valves to set the closers as close to 0 as possible.

The bike will run smoother and the adjustment will last longer.