Kitted S4Rs versus a stock Streetfighter S

[corndog67]

Anything over 100 hp or so and it's all the rider.   You can have all the HP dyno charts you want, reading what you want, and if some superior rider goes riding with you, even on an old toaster tank BMW, he'll be able to hand your ass to you.   I see alot of people putting in cams, the expensive ECUs, the loudest pipes you can buy, real expensive grips, shocks, forks whatever, and a real good rider will hand it to them riding an old piece of sh_t.   

I went to Laguna yesterday and saw a guy on a 1098 on Ducati Island, firing up his bike, and just turning the throttle until the bike was just bouncing off the rev limiter, over and over and over.   I guess he was trying to impress someone or another.   Can anyone tell me a reason for him to be doing this, other than alerting me that that is a bike I will never buy from him?

[kopfjäger]

He was excited

He was calling his girlfriend

He has ADD

He is hearing impaired

He wants a bigger motor

[TAftonomos]

I second the guy 2 above....

Buddy of mine who I recall is a VERY good/accomplished rider.  Been around bike forever, done ALL of the schools.  Raced/etc...
Told me a story of when he was in the mountains running semi hard.  Some dude riding 2 up with a chick goes around him on the OUTSIDE of a corner....staying within the lane.

Catches up to the guy at a scenic site about 5 minutes up the road......leathers say "SHWANZ"....and it was. 

it's all about the rider man.

[Speeddog]

I vote for "It wasn't his bike." 

Seriously, I'm just fine with ~100HP at the rear wheel on my S4, I can go plenty fast enough in a straight line for me.

The lighter weight I can go along with, for sure.

[DoubleEagle]

Anything over 100 hp or so and it's all the rider.   You can have all the HP dyno charts you want, reading what you want, and if some superior rider goes riding with you, even on an old toaster tank BMW, he'll be able to hand your ass to you.   I see alot of people putting in cams, the expensive ECUs, the loudest pipes you can buy, real expensive grips, shocks, forks whatever, and a real good rider will hand it to them riding an old piece of sh_t.   

I went to Laguna yesterday and saw a guy on a 1098 on Ducati Island, firing up his bike, and just turning the throttle until the bike was just bouncing off the rev limiter, over and over and over.   I guess he was trying to impress someone or another.   Can anyone tell me a reason for him to be doing this, other than alerting me that that is a bike I will never buy from him?

You'll get no arguments from me about " over 100 hp, it's the rider ." My balls are growing each time I go out and ride a stretch of tight,curvy road faster than the previous time .

I can't take my 1098 R out and run the twisties full bore with the power it's got now but I can run it at 1/2 to 3/5ths in the curves ...but when I hit a 3/4th mile straight I like to light it up. That's where I want the extra HP 'cause then I'll blow that old toaster into the weeds  and anything else I may come across.

It's possible that my S4Rs couldn't handle 160 RWHP. I'd like to find out !

The ergos of the S4Rs are about right. I know now if I quick shift it with no clutch the front end comes up in 2nd and 3rd so w, 160 RWHP it would be almost impossible to keep the bike down.

It's the same thing now w, the " R " in that any hard accelerating brings the front end straight up ! I've had the front end come up at 110  MPH in 4th and that was short shifting from third at 7000 rpms.

As far as the guy revving his 1098 ....he's an Idiot !

Dolph    

[MadDuck]

If I were you I would get some new rearsets and converti bars for the 1098R.

Yeah, but you have to find the rearsets you like that also go lower and maybe rearward of the stock position. Pardon the pun but that's a bit of a stretch.

[DoubleEagle]

Yeah, but you have to find the rearsets you like that also go lower and maybe rearward of the stock position. Pardon the pun but that's a bit of a stretch.

  I can still ride the " R " ok it's the pain afterwards and the next two days that the new rear sets will hopefully help.

Dolph

[thruxton]

....
Ergonomics?  I'm only 5'7 with a 30 inseam, I cant flat foot both moto but the SF is much taller (reminded me of when I owned the Daytona 675) a good 1.5 to 2 inches higher but im used to riding a motard so that was not a problem for me.  ...I also want to add that the foot positioning on the stock rearset is good (i wear a 9), not too high and not too low. 

Do you think the Streetfighter S is a better bike by a S4Rs plus $10,000?   I spent nearly 10k on mods for my Rs and I have to admit that my standard SF outperforms my Rs in every category.

great write up  i rode out to modesto ducati today and while getting new rubber i was checking out the streetfighter. definitely a modern looking motorcycle. one minute i think very cool and the next i just can't deal with it; especially the front light.

sat on it and was glad i didn't have a 1.5h ride home on it. the seat sucks. i do think i could get used to being tip toe, rather than flat footed as on my monster.

[thruxton]

Do you think the Streetfighter S is a better bike by a S4Rs plus $10,000 ?

Dolph

one other observation. while i was at the ducati shop this morning, i ran into a nice chap who had THE most beautiful ducati i have ever seen: 1098R with BST carbon wheels etc etc... he traded in a tricolor 1098s and another bike + cash (and then additional $$$$$$$$$$$ in mods) to get it.

"was it worth it?" isn't really a question that can be answered by anyone except the man (or woman) with a big grin on his face as he rides  [moto]

[Michael Moore]

I haven't owned an S4Rs, but I did get to ride one for about 12 days in Italy. I really liked the bike, but it did feel a lot heavier than my old 900. Also the brakes felt binary - off or on, not much inbetween. It handled well, but the tires were kind of cooked, so I didn't go crazy on it. And yeah, there's a long reach to the bars, and the pipe forced my right foot out until I found a place to hook my heel. Unfortunately I hooked my heel so that it touched the pipe and I melted a big U shaped chunk out of my boot.

I really though about getting one, but could never quite pull the trigger.

Fast forward a couple of years and I had a free afternoon and decided to drop by the dealer and see if I could take the SF for a spin on a weekday when the shop was less busy and less traffic on the road.  I got the SF S and rode it out a road I know well, and was instantly smitten. It is a very, very good bike.

Here's what I like:

The handling feels a lot lighter and more precise. Where the S4Rs felt big, fast, and heavy, the SF feels more nimble, and I think the power comes on a bit more gradually. On 1100s I've ridden, when you're off the gas the engine braking is pretty much like you just threw out an anchor, not so with the SF, which makes it easier for me to be smooth in the twisties.

Despite looking like a big heavy bike, when you get on it, it feels surprisingly compact, and really comfortable, from the ergos to the seat. I'm an old guy too, and my R6 was a pain in the neck (literally) and absolutely no fun at all on the street, at least for me. But I could see doing occasional track days on the SF.

The only negative ergonomic issue is the same dumb pipe placement as the S4Rs, which forces your heel out if you ride with the balls of your feet on the pegs. But now the heat shield means I can't cook my boot!

The braking on the SF S feels much more progressive than the S4Rs. I haven't had to do any panic stops, but I think I'd be less likely to lock the front on the SF.

As for power, I dunno. I'd have to take it to the track to offer any reasonable opinion. They're both very fast bikes. I think the S4Rs might have had more low end grunt, but once you get above 6K on the SF you'd better hang on and have some clear road ahead.

For the kind of riding I do, which is mostly very twisty mountain roads, the SF is perfect. I think if I was doing a lot of high speed, long distance work I'd miss a fairing.

On the question of the SF S vs. the regular SF, the Ohlins sold me. I guess I just really like their stuff ever since I upgraded my M900 many years ago. Interestingly, I thought I'd never use the traction control (DTC) but when I plugged in the data aquisition to my PC I discovered it kicks in way more than I ever thought. (I don't spend a lot of time looking at lights on my dash.) Now, I decided to set mine on a conservative setting, until I get really used to the additional HP (inadvertent wheelies will happen), so at a more aggressive setting it would engage less. But in actual use, the effect is subtle. For example, when you go over a painted line when you're on the gas and you get a momentary slip, the bike just seems to settle itself. No drama, nothing like hitting the rev limited, it just gets sorted. Nice.  Oh, and I like black too, which only is available in the S model, so there was that.

So yeah, I'm really really happy with the new bike, and hoping to keep my driving license for a long time.

[REDUC]

My .02.  I have a "kitted" '07 S4rs, and have put about 8k miles on it.  I recently rode a SF, and here are my impressions:

I'm a bit biased towards the monster, as I feel it's one of the most gorgeous bikes ever made.  That said, to me, while the SF is certainly cool to look at, it's a little too busy and just not as captivating as the old bike.  The SF feels very tall in the saddle, like you're sitting on it rather than in it, and the rock hard seat pad is angled very high in the rear. I was constantly having to scoot myself back to keep my nuts from being crushed on the tank.  Luckily that same tank is wonderfully shaped and very narrow, and is easy to grip between your thighs.  I did really like the extra leg room (I'm 6'1".).  The bike is very nimble, and I immediately felt like my S4Rs was a truck in comparison.  I remedied the situation by extending out the rod on my rear suspension.  Now my bike handles more like the SF, but now I have to find a longer sidestand.  Oh well.  As for power, while the SF obviously has a lot of power, it builds very progressively.  Dare I say slowly?  The S4Rs with the full kit seems almost violent in comparison.  I came away from the SF a little let down in that regard.  All in all, a fun bike but I'm not about to trade up. Just doesn't quite light my fire like the S4Rs.   

[LA]

That is a beautiful motorcycle!  I would ditch the Termi stickers though.

Much like a Norton commando or an XKE Jag. that bike is beautiful and will never, never get old.

Do you find yourself just standing and staring at it?

I've always said if ya don't, you bought the wrong bike.

[DoubleEagle]

My .02.  I have a "kitted" '07 S4rs, and have put about 8k miles on it.  I recently rode a SF, and here are my impressions:

I'm a bit biased towards the monster, as I feel it's one of the most gorgeous bikes ever made.  That said, to me, while the SF is certainly cool to look at, it's a little too busy and just not as captivating as the old bike.  The SF feels very tall in the saddle, like you're sitting on it rather than in it, and the rock hard seat pad is angled very high in the rear. I was constantly having to scoot myself back to keep my nuts from being crushed on the tank.  Luckily that same tank is wonderfully shaped and very narrow, and is easy to grip between your thighs.  I did really like the extra leg room (I'm 6'1".).  The bike is very nimble, and I immediately felt like my S4Rs was a truck in comparison.  I remedied the situation by extending out the rod on my rear suspension.  Now my bike handles more like the SF, but now I have to find a longer sidestand.  Oh well.  As for power, while the SF obviously has a lot of power, it builds very progressively.  Dare I say slowly?  The S4Rs with the full kit seems almost violent in comparison.  I came away from the SF a little let down in that regard.  All in all, a fun bike but I'm not about to trade up. Just doesn't quite light my fire like the S4Rs.   

Gorgeous example of a fine S4Rs.

It's hard to not like the ageless lines and beauty of this " Monster."

Dolph...

[REDUC]

 [thumbsup]Thanks, Gents, it IS my dream bike, and yes, I do stop and stare every time I walk by.  I kinda feel like the Termi stickers are part of the deal.  I had them off for a while and had to put them back on.  I have an article from Cycle World, 07/99 on the wall of my garage with this beautiful yellow M900, with Termis.  That was the bike that really got me interested in Monsters, and that's the way, to me, a Monster should look.

[CougarSlayer]

All I can say is the SF is a great bike reading this makes me want one more.  Thanks for sharing.