This Month's Featured Bike:
Rich's Monster S4RS

I have loved the Monster ever since I saw a photo of one at a European bike show back in ’93.
Knew that I would love to have one someday.
One day, while at work (at a local bike dealership), a buddy of mine dropped by on his new ’95 Monster 900, and demanded I take it for a ride!
It was like magic, and I was now under the Monster Spell!
One of my fellow workers had a connection with a Ducati Dealer in NY, so off I went, a few days latter, to pick up my first Monster.
Had a wonderful time on it over the following few years.
Tricking it out and riding it like a…….well, was really a treat for this “Mad Dog”.

Skipping right ahead, Here are the results of my latest Monster project. It’s my 4th Monster, and I just can’t seem to keep from modifying them. Which, as we all know, something they just ask for. Took most of these photos with the ‘Wayside Inn’s’ Grist Mill or Martha Mary Chapel, in the background.

This S4Rs is real smooth, sounds great, has real good power throughout it’s power band, stops ungodly quick, plus its handling is super light.

I have had and worked on many Ducati’s previously.
I find the Monsters to be my choice, of their current day offerings, to own, ride and modify.

In my book, it is best to start off lowering the bikes weight.
A couple of the key areas are:
1 - the unsprung weight. This lowers the mass that the road acts directly upon, that the suspension and the rider have to deal with.
2 - The rotational mass. In doing this, you are actually decreasing the amount of mass that the engine needs to get spinning up to speed, when twisting that throttle thingy in your right hand, so with less of a work load, it’s similar to boosting the engines power output without having to touch it!

What has been done to this S4Rs, so far, has been much swapping of parts with lighter components. Some of the major swaps being the Carbon Fiber wheels, lighter Termignoni Exhaust system, and a smaller 520 chain w/quick change sprocket.

Some of the other area’s where a little weight saving has taken place, has been the removal/upgrade of the stock tail arrangement, front directionals, mirrors, passenger pegs, etc. Like keeping that clutch quiet, therefore I didn’t choose a cover with holes in it. Can you count all the CF parts? Gotta look close! Currently, this Monster has over 2 dozen Carbon Fiber components.

Further increased the engines performance by installing the Termignoni exhaust system/chip/air box mod. Otherwise the engine has not been touched, yet. She’s now putting out 135 RWHP and 77 FT/LBS RW Torque. Not bad for a package that weighs 410 lbs. Wet! Edging into the 300’s after the first gallon has been rapidly burnt off!

It’s braking has been helped out by installing Cast Iron ‘floating’ rotors up front. Which did not add any weight, but sure gave it noticeably better breaking, not that it was really lacking in the first place! However, this mod did improve the feel at the lever, and I like that. From past experience, I have found there to be nothing like cast Iron rotors, for feel and performance. Will soon be putting a cast iron rotor onto the rear of the RS, now that they are available. Am also considering picking up a pair of the new Ceramic rotors for the front also. Will be interested in finding out how well they perform. The new ceramic rotors are supposed to have it all – better braking coefficient, reduction in weight by about 5#, and fantastic heat dissipation.

Ok, time for a little of my previous Ducati involvement/bikes:

Got turned onto Ducati’s when I was still in high school, back when they were only making singles. A buddy of mine picked up a ’69 350 MK 3 Desmo and he used to proclaim it to be the best small displacement bike in the world (which it probably was). I had an Aermacchi (HD) 350 Sprint, at the time, and we used to have a great time riding together. Trading rides every now and then. Ok, so the MKIII had a bit more pickup, sure felt like my Sprint handled better.

I didn’t own a Ducati until they came out with the ’74 750 SS. I wanted one badly, ever since seeing a photo of one in the May ’73 issue of Motorcyclist. But my local dealer could not get one for me. So I settled for one in ’74, which was when Berliner did start importing them into the US. In ’77, I picked up a 900 SS, and a year later, added a ’78 Darmah to the fleet.

Rode that ’78 Darmah until Ducati came up with a bike that I felt deserved worthy to be its replacement – The Monster! As you can tell, I didn’t keep the Darmah quite stock either. Currently it’s under cover in my cellar. Waiting for the day……

Ya know, that 135 RWHP, Sure would have been nice to have that back in the ‘70’s when I used to Barnstorm down the back roads & tracks on my Duc SS. But I didn’t miss it. Was having such a wonderful time as it was.

Almost four years ago, DNA (Ducati North America) offered me a chance to display a couple of my old, early ‘70’s, 750’s in their ‘classics’ exhibit that was held New Years weekend at the Javits Center in NY City. This was to show the origin of where the classics came from. Was a great experience. There was everything from stunt riders to Orange County Chopper (speaking of ‘stunts’) to….. well, you name it! Plus, after the show, DNA helped get me a sweet deal on an S4R!

Just thought I’d show you a little of my Ducati ‘Roots’, Won’t bore you with all the ones that came and went between then and now.

Now in the middle of winter, with about 1.5’snow outside my window, and my lack of really using the RS, I have been entertaining the thought of putting it up for sale. But with all that work and love, plus $$ I have into it (around $25K), really makes it difficult to consider such a horrendous thought. What am I thinking? Spring will be here soon!

Hope you like my Monster toy, and have gotten some idea’s for yours from it.

Cheers,

Rich

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