Newbie requesting opinions and recommendatons on S2R vs S4R

[thai guy]

Hey guys, long time admirer first time (soon) owner.  I'm in the pursuit of a Monster, probably 02 - 09, but I'm seriously torn between the S2R & S4R.

Purchase price (generally) isn't the determining factor, nor would be the HP, components, etc.  I'm old enough, and had enough "sport" bikes, that I'm truly trying to reconnect more with the "experience" and enjoy the "personality" that the Italian Monsters offer.  .

I know I can maintain the 2 valve myself, but not so sure about the 4 valve.  Not being able to do it would be a deal killer; I'm really not into having others do the maintenance on my bikes and especially when it amounts to the kind of money that's typically charged by the Duck dealers.

I'm also a bit curious about the durability of the S4R's.  I know the 2 valve engines have been around forever and are pretty bullet proof if maintained, but I'm not as familiar with shortyer history of the 4 valves.  Thoughts or experiences on this?

I fully realize this is entirely a subjective question with no right or wrong answer.  With that said, I am respectively requesting opinions and  input that the members here can offer.   

Thanks for the help.

[muskrat]

the S4R 
No problems with mine, including the rockers.  I'm no mechanic so mine goes to the shop for work but I sure do know how to over tighten and bolt shit up. 

Seriously, if you've coming off a water cooled engine then the S4R will be similar but with more generous torque IMO.  The 2v are great too but I can't stay away from the power on tap the S4 has and I have both 2 and 4v

[1KDS]

Welcome to the forum.
I tend to lean to the air cooled motors.  The 2V's are simpler, better looking (subjective), cheaper initially, cheaper to maintain and cheaper to insure.  If you are looking at the S2R1000 you probably won't be disappointed in the power or power delivery.  Really, go out and see if you can ride each of them, see which one speaks to you with the look and the ride.  At this point you really can't go wrong.

[thai guy]

I appreciate the thoughts guys.

I had read a bit about the rockers on the 4 valve and it seems to be a hit-or-miss kind of thing.  Is this something that typically shows up right away when the bike is new(er), or could I potentially have to worry about this still showing up on a bike with 5,000 to 10,000 mile?  Was it contained to certain years?  Is this something that Ducati is or was taking care of (warranty/recall)?

I have to admit that the simplicity of the 2-valve is a draw, but the extra raw HP that you get with the 4 valve is difficult to turn your back on.

As I said in my original post - a subjective question.  That's why I appreciate your opinions!

Something else that I thoght of after my initial post - what is the significance of the red key and the code card?  Do I have to have these for a reason?  Can they be ordered through the dealer?

Much thanks.

[thought]

i'm comparing my xp on a 2v m796 vs a 4v sfs... not the same as the s2r/s4r but def 2v vs 4v

the 2v engine has more character, but the 4v is smoother and the power is pretty awesome.  that being said... there is something about that lumpy 2v idle, sound, and power characteristics that i like a lot still.  if you're looking for a bike simply for the duc experience... i would say it's hard to pass up on a nice 2v monster.  dont get me wrong, the 4v growl is still pretty amazing, but there really is something about the 2v that's hard to quantify.  i would suggest you testing out both to understand.

and the red key/code card is what you'll need if you ever need to make a spare key.  without it you'll need to replace the whole ignition system e.g. expensive.  if the seller does not have those on hand you can easily drop 2k off the price as that's around what it will cost to replace the ignition.

[muskrat]

You can have the bike re-flashed to rid yourself of the red key issue but I would drop the offer price, if the bike has none, by another $500-$800 US dollars.  There's a company in Portland, OR, called SOS Diagnostics that will get you a red key if you choose but you have to send in the instrument cluster.

[sofadriver]

My 2 cents..........
Forget all the S4's power. The '05 Yamaha Fz-1 I had before my Ducs would eat it for lunch for lots less money with , basically, zero maintenance.

What you get with a Monster is charachter. Nothing else looks like it. Nothing else sounds like it. Nothing else rides like it.

I love my red on red S2r1000. I think it's the best looking production bike I've ever seen. Snakey pipes. Snakey swingarm. Huge motor. The red hunchback tank. No clutter. The whole package gives me a woodie eveytime I see it.

Remember that KISS rule (keep it simple, stupid!).
Get a 2 valve.

[WetDuc]

Since you stated you don't care about the power too much and you want to do your own maintenance, I would suggest a S2R. 

[Curmudgeon]

I'm comparing my xp on a 2v m796 vs a 4v sfs... not the same as the s2r/s4r but def 2v vs 4v

the 2v engine has more character, but the 4v is smoother and the power is pretty awesome.  that being said... there is something about that lumpy 2v idle, sound, and power characteristics that i like a lot still.  if you're looking for a bike simply for the duc experience... i would say it's hard to pass up on a nice 2v monster.  don't get me wrong, the 4v growl is still pretty amazing, but there really is something about the 2v that's hard to quantify.  i would suggest you testing out both to understand.

 

And this from a guy who had a Ferracci-tuned 851 for four years. The 2-valve is fairly smooth though from 5K - 8K. The 4-valve is definitely "sneaky" and more turbine-like. 

[TAftonomos]

I rode both, back to back (08 s2r 1000 and a 07' s4r)... bought the s4.    Looking back, I can't say for certain I'd do it again.  I ended up selling the 999 I had at the time as the s4r was nearly as fast, but more comfy.  Had I bought a 2V, I would have had 2 distinctly different bikes, and maybe have kept them both

[thai guy]

Thanks for all the help and opinions guys.  That's exactly the kind of response I was hoping for.  I need and want peoples experiences, highs and lows, let downs, second thoughts, etc.  I have to say it seems like Sofadrive has past experiences similar to mine.  I'm coming off a long string of inline 4 performance bikes starting in the early-mid 80's and ending with my last bike, a 2000 Hayabusa with some tasteful modifications. Fast enough to make you nose drain out your as*, but totally lacking any "personality".  As fast as the bike was, I realized that I'd gotten away from what I love about riding.  The bike was heavy, slow steering, and it took more than an hour to carefully remove the bodywork just to perform simple maintenance 

Anyway, I've "seen the light" and that light is coming from Italy.

Gotta say from what I've heard that I'm leaning toward the 2 valve. 

BTW, thanks for the info on the keys.  I never would have guess it was that big of a deal.  How far back do this procedure go?  I knew a guy who had a mid-late 90's SS and I don't recall him ever mentioning a red key or anything like that.


Hats off to you guys for helping the newbie.  Hopefully I can become involved in the near future and return the favor.

[1KDS]

The red key set up was short-lived, I can't tell you the exact years but I'm pretty sure it covers all S*R's

[thai guy]

OK, I think I'm ready to take the plunge on the Monster of my dreams.  I've weighed all the opinions and advice (a sincere thank you to the forum members who offered), re-read all the literature, tests, and pretty much anything with the "Ducati" name on it. 

I've waffled all the way from maybe trying a Triumph Speed Triple to a mid-late 90's Monster, through the S2R and S4R, gave some thought to the SS, back to the older monster, then finally went in the corner and curled up into a fetal position.  I've settled on a Ducati long ago, but other than that, this is quite probably the most difficult motorcycle decision I've ever made.  Always before there was that one "gotta have" bike.  This time, I like em all!

After coming very, very close to purchasing an extremely well kept and tastefully modified late-90's Monster with low miles (10K), I swung full circle and am ready to close the deal on an 09 S4R.  BTW, if anyone is in the market for a Beautiful, well kept 97 monster with low miles, check Craigs list in the L.A. area.

The constant between the two bikes is that I spoke with both owners and feel very, very confident that they took care of the bikes, maintained them properly, and generally were not squid-like in the riding.

That said, I am asking for a bit more advice and direction in regards to 09 S4R.  What issues or problems (potential or otherwise) should I look for as I inspect the bike?  I know the S2R's had the issue with the plastic tanks expanding - did that also occur on the S4R's?  What should I expect for keys - a red one, black one and then the code card?  Was there an issue with the cams on these bikes?  The owner was very forthright abut a starting problem with some 09's an that his experienced it twice before changing out the pipes and ECU

I'll be traveling a pretty fair distance (1200mi) to pick the bike up, so I really need to have a good list of questions answered and pretty sure I'm getting it before i make the journey.

As before, thanks in advance for everyone's help and input.

[scduc]

My guess is that you are looking at an 08', and that case it would be a tri-color? 08' was the last year of the S*R, and the only options where S2R 1K or the limited edition S4R tri-color. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Either way Congrats on the soon to be.

[thai guy]

Sorry, my mistake in "assuming" the S*R designation carried through past 08; the bike is an 09 1100 Monster. I guess Ducati went full circle from the "Monster" moniker, to the S*R designation then settling back on Monster? 

Thanks for the congrats.  It's pretty much a done-deal, but I'm assembling some additional questions to pepper the poor unsuspecting soul with again tomorrow, before I commit 100% to buying it and making the trek out to pick it up.