DUCATI MONSTER S2R 800 EXHAUST QUESTION

[jdliquid]

Greetings to all 

i have posted here before with some great success in everyones help in responding.
Thank you to all.

As the weather has been getting warmer, I've been getting the monster on the road again 
Before the winter, I swapped out the original exhaust for and identical (appearing) racing/performance exhaust
that the seller included when I purchased the bike. After riding with it for a good 6-7 months, and more recently
being able to take longer rides, I notice that the vibration or the hum that the overall bike is making at HIGH speed
is causing me a headache. I was wondering if this is common for monster 800 owners. Or do you think it could be the
exhaust is too loud? When I take long (say 30-40 mile) rides, it's pretty exhausting. It's come to the point where I'm
wearing earplugs each time I ride.

WIth that said, if it is indeed the exhaust, is a simple exhaust change something that can be done at home? or would a
mechanic be needed for this job? Would the ECU be needing to be remapped? or adjusted? that is my only concern.
It's not a FULL exhaust system upgrade that was put on, it was only the 2 mufflers. The bike is visciously loud. I love it,
but it does become an issue to me when riding too long.

And can anyone recommend where to buy aftermarket parts, such as new smaller side mirror etc. Basically cosmetic upgrades

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Cheers to all.

[Dirty Duc]

I wear earplugs. 

My bike is loud, but the wind noise is far worse for me...

What kind of exhaust is it?  Some aftermarket exhausts are louder than others.

As far as cosmetics, to the left of this space is a box labeled "Sponsors."  All good places to start shopping for bling.

[jdliquid]

Thanks for the quick reply!

One other thing that I would like to ask about, and to see if this is commonplace amongst 800 owners is, when I hammer the throttle,
in higher gears, I feel there is a delayed response to the action. Once the action kicks in, it doesnt react as a smooth power band....rather
it reacts as an untamed beast. Similar to a turbo lag in a car. Any suggestions on what this could be? I went riding with my buddy who
owns a Yamaha R6, and when he accelerate to higher speeds, it seemed much smoother. I was just wondering if this was a common thing
with Monster 800's, or is it something I should have tested out by a mechanic.

Thanks a million. I think I'll be swapping out the exhaust for noise reduction. You think this is doable by a layman mechanic? (me lol)

[Dirty Duc]

Ducs will never be as smooth as a 4-cylinder bike.

But in your case, I suspect you are lugging the engine.  You say "in higher gears," which gears, and at what speeds?  Ducs aren't very happy below about 4k rpm, especially with large throttle openings.  For better response, try down-shifting... it will make it easier to keep the R6 in sight.

Whether or not the exhaust is doable?  Again, depends on what you mean and how patient you are.  You still haven't answered which system you have... and inquiring minds (mine) would like to know.

Slip-ons (assuming you still have the udder) are pretty easy... anything that requires removing the rear stubby header can be a little frustrating if you are an impatient sort.

[jdliquid]

I will have to take a photo as I do not know which system it is. I do know they are just slip ons, and they do say DUCATI on them....look identical to
the stock exhaust. Previous owner claims they were performance exhaust.

I seem to experience the lag in 5th gear, from 80 to a hard 120. I've done the downshift lol, believe me, or else like you stated, the R6 would be gone.

Love this forum BTW. Always amazing.

Was considering getting a DUCATI sport bike. Wish list would be the Panigale. I'm curious the ride is like in comparison to the Monster.

[Dirty Duc]

If they look identical but are much louder... it's probably OEM with the baffles removed (search for "cored mufflers" or "cored exhaust")

If your speed is in mph... that's about all it's got.  You can gear it down for quicker acceleration, but it really doesn't want to go much faster than that.  If your speed is in kph... you are in too high of a gear in 5th.

SBK vs. baby S2R?  SBK is faster and less comfortable.  By faster, I mean a lot faster.  So fast that you will be traveling at "do not pass go, do not collect $200" speeds to get the same riding enjoyment as the Monster... and the SBKs kind of suck at anything vaguely resembling reasonable speeds.

I've only ridden an 848... that bike wanted to go way too fast for the street, and I was less than pleased with how it reacted to bumpy, tar-snaked roads... and it was boring at "still too fast, but not so fast I can't talk the ticket down to just speeding."

[jdliquid]

Great feedback.

I will check out the cored exhausts/mufflers.

Would you say in the world of Ducati's, the Monster is the better all around choice? Would you recommend other bikes? or a particular year with regard to the Monster?
Mine is a 2006 S2R dark.

What do you ride?

[Dirty Duc]

Well... this is a Monster forum... and I ride a well-sorted, well-broken-in 06 S2R8 ... That's mine in the avatar picture.  I also have a V-Strom 1k.

I think which bike is better depends strongly on your preferences.  I've not yet ridden a new Monster, a Multistrada, nor any of the SS or ST line.  Test rode a hyper, and liked it.  Ridden a few air-cooled monsters.  I am very partial to the ergonomics of the S*R series of monster (very slight differences between the various old frame design). 

I also like not worrying about coolant...

And I like being able to pin the throttle without risking jail.

I like not worrying about fairings.  I like doing 50mph down gravel roads, and I like bombing through the twisties.  I don't have the budget or the garage space for any more bikes, and I've put too many miles on it to sell it... yep, my Monster is the best!

lots of people have very different opinions on what the "best" of anything is... ride what you like and the haters can hate.

[Slide Panda]

No ones mentioned Monster Parts for aftermarket goodies. Also Motowheels.

Regarding your throttle 'problem' - what RPM is the engine running at when you whack the throttle? I like Dirty Duc wonder if you're not giving the engine enough RPMs initially. if it's below 5K it'll lug a bit before coming up to the real power band.

but as noted, it is a different engine than your i4. You've got half as many power pulses per revolution of the engine - or less depending on what time slice we take from each engine. I know when I'm on my single, if I catch it at low RMPs at the wrong time there is a lag as it needs to knock out the Exhaust, intake and compression stages before I get a shot of power.

[jdliquid]

Thank you to you both.

From what I can remember, I was somwhere in the 5k range before putting the throttle down. The feeling is as if the power comes ALL at once instead of
a smooth power band. A test ride would be necessary to know exactly what I'm trying to describe. I want to say it sounds like a slip of some sort, but I'm not
sure how to truly describe exactly what I'm experiencing. A lag is the best way I can put it. and Only seems to happen when putting the throttle down hard (maninly
in any gear)

I visited a mechanic (non Ducati certified), and he (w/o test riding the bike, just in conversation), was suggesting it could possibly be a cluth issue.

I like the Monster. I do. I'm still getting used to it as I bought it just last year.

I was curious if what my buddy suggested would make a big difference. He suggested a power commander be installed. Does this help any?
I already have quick shift levers installed (came from previous owner)...love those. Nice rose gold color too 

[Dry Martini]

Also does the bike have the factory gearing? If so, this makes lugging the motor all the easier.  The monster is better with a 1 tooth reduction in the front or 3 added to the rear sprocket.

[jdliquid]

Thank you Dry Martini.

Interesting.

How much would that run me if I switched out the gearing? And would you recommend (strongly) to have this done by DUC certified mechanic?
I have one nearby called Cycle Depot in the BX. NOT DUC CERTIFIED...alothough All reviews say he's legit. Not sure though. I've only had my bike serviced at a different
mechanic once before, DUC certified, and i wont be going back.

[Dry Martini]

If you are mechanically inclined swapping out the front sprocket is easy. I did it to mine shortly after I bought it. I have since replace the chain sprocket set, and went with a +3 in the rear.

I think the front sprocket is like $35

PS. Check the front sprocket first. The OEM is a 15 tooth sprocket. It may have already been changed.