Please don't tell me my bike tops out at 137mph!

[fouramdesigns]

I purchased a 01' M900 S4 with 12,000 miles last month, came with Termi exhaust, ECU and BMC chopped filter box. I've had the chain and belts replaced at the Nashville Ducati service center 3 weeks ago. I made the 6 hour ride from Mississippi to Nashville today, I hit the straight away above Birmingham, and of course, I goosed it seeing what the Duc could do. I was left a little thrill less. I went from 5th to 6th hit little over 130, then tried 4th to 5th to 6th almost hit 140. Just doesn't seem right, not as quick as I remember when I first purchased but was too afraid to see what it could do. Now I'm comfortable with the bike, and am capable of pushing it, and I'm disappointed. I called a buddy who owns a few Kawi's, he said with it being a 900, it should easily hit near 160 depending on the gearing/sprockets. I'm thinking it may be the ECU in need of a remap, cause the bike smells of gas out the exhaust, so maybe it's too rich?

[♣ McKraut ♣]

i could be wrong...but running a little rich doesn't = +/- 20 mph....

[Popeye the Sailor]

Your buddy may not be familiar with the early 900's, or the 900 twins-iirc, that only makes about 80 hp or so. I'm not sure you can go a whole lot faster with the wind resistance you would experience, either.

[El Matador]

You see, you have this thing called a naked bike. That means that there are no fairings to deflect wind.

Then again, your buddies with the Kawasaki's are the experts on all twin engines, they obviously know that any bike with a displacement bigger than a 600 will easily do 180+ fo sho.

The problem with having an aforementioned naked bike is something called aerodynamics (*pronounced arrow dynamics*).

As your speed increases, drag from wind resistance goes up exponentially. (Refer to a middle school math textbook to learn about this), which means, that you need plastics to reduce something called "drag coefficient" on your vehicle. Seeing as your monster does not have fairings to do this, you have to expend much more power fighting the wind resistance than  your squid buddy in his kawazukihonda.

Oh and Btw, there is no such thing as a M900 S4. M900 is a 2 valved engine, while your S4 have 4 valves, hence the 4 on *S4*.

Squid

[erkishhorde]

Do you really WANT to go 160 on a naked bike? How many times are you going to have the opportunity to go 160 safely? Wouldn't you rather put your friend to shame by smoking in the twisties instead? Any idiot can go fast in a straight line and the only thing that factors in is your bike. Twisties require skill in addition to bike performance.

I think 140 sounds about right for the top speed of the '01 m900. It sounds like you would appreciate a Suzuki Hyabusa much more than the Ducati. It'll go a lot faster in a straight line.

Also, El Matador is right, there is no such thing as a m900 S4. I think your bike is an S4 but that would put it's size at 1000cc, not 900.

[MrFryMoto]

if you are going for top-speed you bought the wrong bike
a while back i seem to remember someone posting a wager that a monster will not break 140mph.

Your buddy has a Japanese Inline 4 - although Engine CC's may be equivalent, just the nature of a twin vs. a high-revving I4 is different.

if you want top-speed go buy a hayabusa, leave your bike to those who enjoy torque

[Popeye the Sailor]

Ain't you guys being a little harsh on the newb?

[Spidey]

Holy crap!  Randall bred.  



Run.  

For.  

Your.  

Lives.  

[Spidey]

Ok, seriously now . .

Your buddy sounds like he doesn't know very much about different types of bikes and engine configurations.   (Edit:  coupla people said this already while I was typing)

916cc twin is different than 900 I-4.
Naked bike is different then a fairinged bike.
Ducati is different than Kawasaki.

I'm sorry to say that if you're looking for straight line speed, you bought the wrong bike.  A Japanese literbike or a 'busa or zx14 is a much better choice and can be had for relatively cheap. (Your Kawi buddy is also used to bikes whose gearing screws up the speedo (unlike Duc speedos).  Those bikes can always do 180+  ).  That said, we have a fine, upstanding gentleman on this board says he make the beast with two backsed Paris Hilton and went 140mph on a 620 Capirex, so mebbe we're wrong.  <shrug>

Ok, tech stuff . . . If you're smelling gas, there's a chance it's running too rich, though it has nothing to do with it running only 140.  The nice thing about a naked bike is that the spark plugs are really easy to pull.  Take 'em out and examine 'em.  Then come back and tell us what you found.  You're looking for black/brown carbon.  Do they smell like gas?

Other than your concerns about top speed and the smell of gas, is there anything else about the way the engine delivers power that feels off?  If not, it may just be a fuel mixture problem.  There isn't a need for whole remap of the ECU.

[erkishhorde]

Ain't you guys being a little harsh on the newb?

I tried not to be. I also tried to be helpful though.

Wow, I also found this cool link while looking up information on his bike.
http://www.ducatimonster.org/faq/faq_model_comparison.html

[Chchadder]

Anything over about 110 on my monster and I feel like I'm going to fly off the back or get shaken to death.  I think I've had my 695 up to about 120 indicated for about 30 seconds or so, and then backed down to about 90.  Top speed on any Monster is not what they are about IMHO.  Nothing beats a Duc in the twisties.  It's the first 100mph that are the most fun anyway.

[Spidey]

Wow, I also found this cool link while looking up information on his bike.
http://www.ducatimonster.org/faq/faq_model_comparison.html

I've got an updated version of that for the DMF that I've been working on.  I'm pretty sure it'll never get completed, but I hold out hope.   

[erkishhorde]

I've got an updated version of that for the DMF that I've been working on.  I'm pretty sure it'll never get completed, but I hold out hope.   And booooooo on you for linking to a VS site.   

I hope that your list is never completed since that could mean that they stopped making monsters. 

Oh, and where's the link to YOURS, huh? 

[Speeddog]

I recall some sort of Ducati documentation saying M900 S4. 

I recall seeing about 140 indicated on my bike about 5 years ago up in the desert.
Very windy.
Haven't cared to go anywhere near that fast since.

[Spidey]

Oh, and where's the link to YOURS, huh? 

Right here . . .  www.Iamapedophile.com  

Go ahead.  Click on it.  Preferably on a work computer.     

I recall some sort of Ducati documentation saying M900 S4. 

I recall seeing about 140 indicated on my bike about 5 years ago up in the desert.
Very windy.
Haven't cared to go anywhere near that fast since.

I think you're right about the name/model, Nick. 

And the idea that 140 bugged you of all people, Speeddog, is crackin' me up.