im pretty sure compared to any other current model monster sold at a dealer or here, his is an R
nice paint sir!
Current letter designations are following this trend:
S - upgraded forks and shock to Ohlins (or equivalent) mid-level components, add a piece or two of carbon. Depending on model line, the non-adj. damper is swapped with an adjustable unit (Superbikes - the SF retains the normal non-adj damper on the S model, and the Monster continues to go through life with no damper on any showroom floor model), likewise some models get lighter forged aluminum wheels.
SP - standard motor internals, but with lots of upgraded accessories like aluminum tank, fancier paint scheme, high end suspension, traction control, quick shifter, clutch setup, a few bits of carbon, the forged aluminum Marchesini wheels, etc. the upgrades are all *external* to the motor
R - titanium valves, titanium con-rods, different pistons, different cams, different crank, etc plus a lot of the other features (like high end suspension, Corse traction control, paint scheme, everything is carbon, aluminum tank, still the forged alu Marchesini wheels, etc - some "street" features like passenger pegs are gone for good), huge difference in power - the major changes are the big internal differences.
Its much closer to an SP with external changes like swingarm, some carbon, clutch & clutch cover, brakes, etc, and with some creature-comfort/aesthetic personal touches like the bars, etc. Wouldn't be an "R" using Ducati's nomenclature (or an SPO or SPS for that matter), without at least a minimal change to cams, hi-comp pistons, and something as small as a lightweight flywheel - its a far shade from an R. An "R" build in true Ducati fashion would have the cams and pistons PLUS upgraded con rods and lighter crank, and the valves would be lighter if not also up a size as well.
Its one of those things some non-authorized dealerships will try to pull by putting a few DP parts on a bike (like a slave cylinder, mirrors, clutch cover/pressure plate, and monster-Art body kit), and then calling it a special edition of one type or another. That ain't "special", its simply 'rounded-out' - in the car world, that would be "dealer installed accessories" rather than a modified model (if you were to compare to something like a Yenko or a Lingenfelter, etc etc etc)
not bagging on his ride at all, it would be a beyond a hoot to ride and I'm excited to see the final product or final of 'phase 1' (and its net weight sans gas to see how it fares against the published dry weight #'s), but I am certainly going to egg him on to drop the motor and build it up some more: Arrick could grab an OEM evo lighter weight charging system, lightened/balanced crank, +2mm bore & high compression, port/polish heads, thermal/ceramic coat exhaust port in head, Ti valves, DP/Nichols/Fox-machined lightweight flywheel, lightweight Z=20 roller kit (all 4 pulleys - 2 for cams, 2 for layshaft), lighten the primary gears, etc. That'd be very much an "R" model by any measure.
