top upgrades: what would you upgrade if you had a $1500 budget?

[hydra]

hello folks,

i have a stock S4 Foggy that i just got...
i have a budget of about $1500 including labor to do some sort of upgrade. i was leaning towards a slipper clutch. i'm new to the whole ducati world 'cause i've only had the bike for a week. so i'm just starting my research and was curious what other ducatisti's top upgrades might be.

i really like the performance but i can't help thinking how good a slipper clutch might feel on this bike.  and i also don't want to compromise reliability and efficiency of the motor. i like the tuning as it is for now and i'm going in for an 18k mile service on wednesday so i know the bike will feel really crisp after the service. but maybe something without having to change mapping.

so with that said, if you had $1500, what would you upgrade? let's NOT include exhaust and bling. could you please explain what the benefits are, the model # and manfacturer.

thanks

[jimboecv]

ergos.  suspension.  rideability.

Make it fit.  If you can't move around you'll be compromised.  Bars/clipons, footpegs/clipons, seat, rideheight, etc.

Get your springs right and put fresh oil in'em, minimum.  Does the foggy have ohlins?, I don't remember.  If not, get one or similar.  Revalve the forks.

Powercommander makes the bike sooo smoother it's stupid.  Adjust the controls, both foot and hand.  Mess with the ride heights.  Change the levers to something else. 

Some of these (ohlins) are expensive and will blow the budget right away but springs and oil will set you back, what, $500 or so?  A bit more gets a revalve.

Start with bar risers and mess around with that.  Rear sets are in the budget too.

[55Spy]

1 Fresh tires, chain, gears, grips (all the wear items)
   theres nothing that make s bike feel fresher and removes theis stuff from the thought process of how old and what if
2 Suspension
   This will make the bike yours and allow you to dial it in for you and your style of riding/weight etc
3 rearsets
  Adjustability here make a difference in long rides and overall ride comfort
4 bars
  Sore wrists/back make any bike suck
5 Aftermarket seat
   comfort again
6 Wheels (lighter)
  the main contributor to rotating mass on the bike which effect turning, acceleration etc.

[LUKE]

You’ll probably spend that all for your 18K service.

[Qfactor]

ohlins shock and fork rebuild...

OR suspension rebuild and fresh tires...

OR hookers and beers and waste the rest on use less stuff...

OR save it for gas money...

Q

[CDawg]

If not exhaust&bling, then definitely suspensions to get sag rights.  If you have $ left over and still not exhaust&bling then comfort (gel seat, levers, rear sets)...maybe HIDs if you still have stock headlights.  Stocker are not bright enough for my taste.

[aprilmaybe]

Advanced training.

Seriously, making the rider better allows you to get more out of the bike. the S4 is already a pretty stellar bike, set the supsension for you and ride the thing.

http://www.superbikeschool.com/

[johnster]

Advanced training.

+1....I'd go to a few track days for sure... 

My bike had a lot of the same mods as a stock Foggy (also running DP Cams), but other things I would do??

-Definitely Rearsets....I don't like the big, bulky "rider/passenger" footpeg bracket on the S4....They just look cheesy to me.... 

- clip ons under the triple would be nice, but not easy to find for '01 S4's....

-New Michelin Power Race tires for when mine wear out...They're the med-softs, so it will be quicker than normal compund tires....

[hydra]

hey all,

thanks so much for the input everyone

so i'm bringing the bike in for the 18k mile service. i bought the bike from Pro Italia and they agreed to include the 18k mi servicing as part of the deal as the bike had 17.5k mi on it.

sorry for all the questions...

-what is included in the full service?
-will they replace all the belts? how long do the belts usually last?
-how long does the chain usually last?
-this bike is an '02, what are the things i should ask them to make sure they inspect that is not included in the service?
-this bike's got showa 43mm upside down adjustable fork and Progressive linkage with fully adjustable Sachs monoshock in the rear. it's 6 yrs old and i don't know if the PO had done anything to them. i haven't dialed them in and i was going to adjust them after the servicing and have the techs inspect them.
-is a revalve on the forks a big job or can it be done in a couple of hours?
-i'm already saving up for ohlin's so springs and oil will have to do for now.

as far as risers i'm happy with my set up now...i believe this is the only monster to come with clip ons???

[dlearl476]

+1 on riding school.  IMO, there's not a single thing you can do to a bike for $1500 that will benefit your riding more than a two day school.


-what is included in the full service?

That should be in your manual or warranty book.  Generally oil, valve adjust, fork oil, check and adjust levers, joints, sensors, etc.  Just about anything else is on your dime.


-will they replace all the belts? how long do the belts usually last?

See above.  IIRC, the rule of thumb is two year or 30,000.  My mechanic suggested 20,000.  Belts are a lot cheaper than heads, valves and pistons.  They "last" 5 or 10 years, that's not the point.  The point is to replace them before there's a snowball's chance in hell of anything going wrong.   

-how long does the chain usually last?

I have a friend who usually answers questions like this with "I don't know, how long is a piece of string?"  I'm really not trying to be a smart ass, but it depends on lots of variables.  I know guys who swear they get 25,000-30,000 miles on a chain using ATF as lube.  I know guys who will wear one out in 6,000.  Me, it seems I get pretty close to 12K on a chain no matter how well, or how poorly, I maintain it.  I think of it as "every two tire changes".  If your bike is on it's original chain and sprockets, it's probably time. And make sure you change sprockets as well, otherwise the old sprockets will prematurely wear the new chain.  The good news is this gives you a chance to gear down from the "autobahn" ratio most monsters come with.


-this bike is an '02, what are the things i should ask them to make sure they inspect that is not included in the service?

If they don't include it in the service (sometimes it's listed in the schedule, sometimes not.  Most places won't do it unless you ask.) I'd make sure they flush the brake and clutch fluids and coolant (S4R, right?) and refill it.  If it were me, I'd repack the steering head and wheel bearings, but given you're paying someone else to do the work, that might be expensive. You also may be due to lube the swing-arm bushing/bearings.  You might ask them when they recommend changing wheel bearings.   Some places will say "When they go bad".  I like to be more pro-active than that.  Nothing worse than have a fork seal or a wheel bearing go bad two days before you're planning to leave on a trip.


-this bike's got showa 43mm upside down adjustable fork and Progressive linkage with fully adjustable Sachs monoshock in the rear. it's 6 yrs old and i don't know if the PO had done anything to them. i haven't dialed them in and i was going to adjust them after the servicing and have the techs inspect them.

Might I suggest you booking a half-hour or so with the suspension guru there.  Have HIM (or her) set up your suspension.  All you have to do is sit on your bike with your gear on, with a couple of shop rats holding it up.  I'm pretty good at doing it myself, but a few guys, one of whom knows exactly what he's doing, can do it in one/tenth the time I can do it by myself.


-is a revalve on the forks a big job or can it be done in a couple of hours?

It depends, I can do it myself in about 5 hours, ride in to ride out.  I'm sure somene who's good at it can do it in less than half that. I would think if you get it done in conjunction with your service, it should add about 1.5 hrs (real time) to it.   ("Virtual Time, i.e. Flat Rate may be more than that)  It also depends on where you take it.


-i'm already saving up for ohlin's so springs and oil will have to do for now.

Good idea, then you're really appreciate the OHlins when you first get to ride it. 

[mxwinky]

Man, this is a great bunch of people here!  I'm just in awe with how many posts are all about getting the bike set up properly, advanced rider training, ergonomics and such instead of bling that won't translate one iota into a better riding experience.  Kudos.  I think just about everything here has been well thought out and productive for a new rider with a new bike.  Certainly the slipper clutch, while nice (especially for a very fast/experienced track rider or super hard-charging street rider), is not the place to spend your first budgeted cash on your new ride.  You simply will not get any serious advantage out of that mod other than lightening your wallet.  Good suspension and ergonomic setup will make the bike far more rideable and improve your performance in the twisties better than almost any other mod you can make.  And if you can save up enough to get some Ohlins you'll be in suspension nirvana.  Good luck, and keep us posted.

[Speeddog]

Assuming that the bike has been properly maintained, and is in good working order after you get it back from the 18k service....that takes tires, chain and sprockets, brake pads, filters and fluids, etc. out of the picture.

Ergos and suspension.

Your bike has the stock bars.
Under-triple clipons won't work with the stock upper triple, unless they're *really* low, probably not even then.
Depends whether you want lower bars or not.
I found the stock bars on my S4 OK on height, but the angle wasn't comfortable, and the levers and switches were pinned where I didn't want them.
Some folks like them.

Whether you want rearsets or not is kinda the same thing.
IMO, the S4 is pretty good on ground clearance, you can go too fast for the street without dragging the pegs.

Lots of folks replace the seat with a Sargent, some with Corbin, DP Gel, or a couple others.
A few folks like the stock seat.

Stock S4 forks are sprung reasonably, but they're pretty harsh on the valving.
Rear shock is not bad, but there's better stuff available.
This does depend on how much you weigh, so that's important.
If you're outside of 150-170 lbs, you would certainly be better off with appropriate springs.

If the bike hasn't been maintained properly and you weren't getting it serviced, you could probably blow the whole $1.5k getting it back in shape.

[dlearl476]

If the bike hasn't been maintained properly and you weren't getting it serviced, you could probably blow the whole $1.5k getting it back in shape.

Yeah, and then some.  I thought of that as well and forgot to include it.  Make sure you start witht he basics before anything else.

[battlecry]

Track day/riding school.
14 tooth front sprocket.
Frame sliders.
New seat.
New handlebars.
Steering damper.
Power commander.

[hydra]

oh man, this forum is the coolest place for duc's! thanks to all for all the good energy and feedback...

okay....as far as the tuning, i'm actually quite happy with it. i'm installing a 39t for the rear this weekend and that should liven things up a bit. i had a PC lll on my bmw rockster (which i crashed and replaced with the foggy) and it brought my redline up 1k rpms and top speed from 122 to 130mph. so i know that altering the mixture is a proven mod....

i'm a bit hesitant to fiddle with the tuning since it seems to be good at the moment. i think i might want to fine tune the cam timing first and see what happens.

if i decide to go further, then i'll REALLY go for it and upgrade to higher compression, porting, cams, dyno tuning, etc...but for now i'll tweak her just a bit...