My 2004 Ducati Monster S4R 1000 and a Supermotard...

[TT]

93'000 Swiss francs... yes, I asked, just in case

[TT]

So, I got the new coil today, installed it and rode some 50 km. The problems seem to be gone, but let's wait some more to party...

[TT]

The S4 is going strong, no complaint at all... I need to change the rear tire, as the dual compound Pirelli doesn't seem to like hot temperatures and is melting away quite quickly lately. But it's really good rubber and I will stick to the same tire.

But soon I'll risk to have to take a difficult decision: you know I was dreaming of the ultimate Monster since a while now, in the form of a S4RS, possibly a Tricolore...

well, the guys at the MV Augusta dealer that lent me the F4 and Brutale the other day found me a new one? It never left the dealer and it's just waiting for a loving owner. Depending on how much I'll get from my S4 and the final price they can place on it, I could consider another bike swap

In an ideal world, I'd like to keep the S4R and only use the Tricolore on special occasions, but I doubt it will be possible...


http://www.webbikeworld.com/ducati-motorcycles/monster-s4rs/monster-s4r-s-testastretta-tricolore-side.jpg

[danidmas]

Good luck with the Tricolore mate! It's the bike you've been looking for for a while, so don't let her escape!

[TT]

No dedicated topic right now as I didn't take delivery yet, but after some weeks of search I found my second bike. As I can't find so far the S4RS or RS Tricolore I want to replace my S4R, and as the Streetfighter S seems out of reach for now, I decided I need two bikes in the garage. I turned to the Supermotard world, and today I finally found a good one for sale in my village.

It's a Honda-Monnier XR650 R. Basically an Honda XR650 SM modified by a Swiss guy (ex Dakar rider and such): smaller tank (7 liters), different seating position, racing exhaust... the engine is new (300 km), but the bike is pretty beaten up, as I wanted it to be, as it must be a fighter bike, or sort of.
A 650 Supermotard should grant plenty of fun!!!

I'll take her home next week: I hope to have some pics to post soon!

It looks more or less like this:

[danidmas]

 

[wackary]

Fun choice TT! I have the moto-bug again lately myself. Ever since I sold my little SV track bike I have been missing riding really bad, especially in the spring and fall which are really nice here. My thoughts have run from getting MX bikes for myself and my boys and maybe racing in the VET Class- I used to race when I was younger and I miss it. ...but then I have flashbacks as to why I quit, I got tired of getting hurt all the time! So then I thought maybe a Supermotard bike, always wanted one of those as well.... or maybe a new Ducati Superbike....so many nice machines out there! I really do love the sound of an inline four street bike as well, that howling F-1 car scream!
Still on the fence...I may just get MX Bikes for my boys and get them into racing like I did when I was a kid.

[TT]

... and then you can always borrow them!!

The moto-bug is a bad beast I swear! I really love my cars, but well, the bike is the bike, and now the bike is becoming two bikes

I should take her home in the next couple of days, and have it registered and get a plate next week... then I'll have to wait 100 more days to get my license back

[TT]

2009 round-up time for my Ducati, just in case somebody is interested in its running costs.

So, this year, thanks also to the new cars in the stable, and the fact I was without my driving license since the end of July, the Ducati covered only a few km. 6'600 to be precise (4'100 miles).

It used almost exactly 400 liters of 98 octane petrol along the way, with an average consumption of 6.07 liters / 100 km (38.75 MPG).
Sadly 2009 wasn't really a cheap year, petrol aside. I had to change belts and rear brake in february, and a big service carried on when the bike had around 12'000 km in march (valves check and so on...). We're talking about some 1'700 Swiss francs in total. A new battery, new coil and also a couple of Michelin Pilot Power 2CT. In total, petrol aside, it costed 3'800 Swiss francs (2'570 euros). Cost per km was still pretty low at 0.67 swiss francs, but all in all, 2009 wasn't cheap at all.

I hope 2010 won't bring so many big services, maybe just some tires...

[sentra_dude]

Damn TT! She's an expensive girl to keep happy!   

[Thamar]

I hate SM's, sorry but I do.
The noise that they generate is horrible...

[yeckmohr]

wow, i always like dirtbikes, this one should be very interesting, hope to see some pics soon maTTeo 

[wackary]

Damn TT! She's an expensive girl to keep happy!   

Buy some good tools, get good quality manuals and roll up your sleeves! You can save soooo much money doing it yourself, even if you only do the basic maint, you will save many $$$$$. Those mechanics you pay are just guys, people like us, sure they have more experience and better tools/equipment, but we can learn and getting into the mechanical side is really fun too!  What one man can do another man can do. To me it is an almost Zen experience, working on bikes and cars.
I never liked working on cars until i got my STi, now I really enjoy it. I  used to be intimidated by cars, but then i realized that I have been working on my own bikes since I was 10 years old (rebuilt my first two-stroke top end at 13 years old!) and ultimately, they are all the same, in terms of how things work. Not only that, but once you build your confidence, you will find that no one will look after your car or bike as well as you will. No one will care as much and that really makes a difference. There is so much information out there, available to all of us via the internet, it is easier than ever to do much of the work yourself. If you don't have the tools, then just buy what you need for each job you do....before you know it, you will have a serious set of tools. I have all of my tools from when I was a kid and have built up quite the toolset over the years! Since getting into cars, I have added even more. Many jobs are actually cheaper to do yourself even if you have to buy the tools!

[TT]

So... apparently in september it will be like: "the King is dead, long live the King!"