opinions? S4RS or M1100EVO?

[caferacermike]

Originally Posted by cgir

Ok If I still lived in New Zealand or Hawaii Id ride everyday. But living in Canada would be a pain on any bike, especially without a fairing.
Give me 80+deg everyday and Id always ride naked

Well it's closer to 110+deg most everyday round these parts. A bit of a break now. Last week was 83, this week mid 60's. So you aren't saying that the bike is uncomfortable or just too unruly for a daily point A to B bike? Cause I'm 8 days away from buying a Tricolore.

[65218]

After riding both a 696 and a s2r1k on a scenic 500 mile ride from LA to San Fran, I have to say my 696 is a much better ride. It handles better- more balaced and predicatble in corners and under heavy braking. The riding position is better on my legs. The wet clutch is more forgiving in traffic. Night and day difference on the turning radius! The older bike feeels like I'm trying to navigate a bus through parking lots. I keep hitting the end stops in tight places and bobbling the bike. I had to put two opening shims in the s2r at 12k miles, valves weren't checked before that. can't say on the 696 because the heads were already torn apart when I got it. After having both bikes torn down, I think the build quality is better on the new bike. The harness is better insulated and secured, the triples are more solid, the weight savings is very noticable, even the brake lines are routed better, The headlight works better. Even the kick stand feels more secure. My overall impression of the older bike is that they spent way too much time, weight, and money making all these funky brackets and castings because they didn't think it out before they built it as opposed to the newer gen monster where everything seems purpose built (short of the fugly peg brackets). I like the s2r (yes not the s4, but same bones) but I prefer the 696 so much so that I'm building another with a single sided swing arm and selling the s2r. (i've got an 848 corse on order for my high power bike)

[kiwi_madmax]

You could save yourself the grief and just buy a Triumph . . . LoL


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[caferacermike]

You know honestly I would but Triumph just doesn't produce any "WOW factor" bikes. They finally began to sell the Speed Triple in a "R" series with some quality components but the price is ridiculous for a Triumph product. I had always wished they would put Ohlins and Brembo on the Thruxton with maybe some tuning mods to squeeze out a bit of attitude. The Thruxton looks great but just lacks pizzaz.

[kiwi_madmax]

Originally Posted by caferacermike

You know honestly I would but Triumph just doesn't produce any "WOW factor" bikes. They finally began to sell the Speed Triple in a "R" series with some quality components but the price is ridiculous for a Triumph product. I had always wished they would put Ohlins and Brembo on the Thruxton with maybe some tuning mods to squeeze out a bit of attitude. The Thruxton looks great but just lacks pizzaz.

Yeah I know what you are saying Caferacer You get more "looks" on a Ducati and other bikers seem to take more notice, though sometimes not in a good way . . . I traded my S2R for a 2011 Speed Triple though I'm finding the S3 to be more refined and much quicker than my dear old Duc
A pity there were no Streetfighters in stock I may have paid a little extra . . .




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[Nubeaddict]

New monsters looks so ugly next to s4rs

[kiwi_madmax]

Originally Posted by Nubeaddict

New monsters looks so ugly next to s4rs

Nube I disagree with that! the new 1100 EVO is a beautiful piece of kit (except perhaps that ugly massive twin pipe) add a fender eliminator and maybe a single SC Project/GPR style pipe and instant stiffy . . .


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[Nubeaddict]

Front modern light I reckon an eyesore. Like older looks, but looks def subjective

[caferacermike]

Well I gotta say that 75% of the board agrees with Nube and myself that the new gen of bikes is just not hitting it out of the park. I feel the headlight is the biggest obstacle. Thankfully the 1100evo has separate foot pegs for the rider and passenger, that old alloy thing was the single biggest put off for the 1100S and why I didn't buy one. I think the 696 and 796 just look silly with that obtrusive hanger. At least when I saw the 1100evo for a minute I thought it was a new bike altogether. While not a huge fan of the exhaust, it isn't something I can't live with. I just don't like the "peel and stick headlight". It looks comical. There is something about how a motorcycle looks with a nice bucket out front, you know, kinda like a motorcycle. I'm from the wrong generation of bikers I guess. I will always want a bucket on a stripped down bike. I can see how a younger set of eyes just getting into bikes would see a new Monster and how every bike in their future will need to stack up against today's bikes. Being as I have a shed full of Triumph's, Norton's and '60's Japanese bikes, I just need a bucket to feel right. From the feedback I've been getting is that people that have been riding bikes for years all feel the last generation of Monster was the nicest on the eyes, people that just started riding in the last 3 years or so seem to love the looks of the new generation. I think it has something to do with what you were exposed to at the time you started riding. My first bike was a Triumph Bonneville T140V 750 so every bike I now buy gets compared to that bike.

So as the polls sit, 75% of us agree with Nube, while 25% agree with Kiwi. It's all opinion and has nothing to do with anything in the real world besides whether Ducati makes a profit or shows a loss.

[65218]

Then again, if you're buying it to be a daily driver, who cares? Buy the one that feels the best to ride on. You've got a whole shed of bikes to get people to look at you on. This one is to get you from point a-b and the biggest issue is how the bike feels, handles, and handles your pocket book when you put the miles on it.