[cornercarver]

I'm shocked at that price. Carbon fiber bits, mag wheels, Ti-nitride forks, all for $13.5K? That is a very un-Ducati price (almost too good to be believed, actually). Aprilia is going to have to think fast on its Tuono pricing, which lacks the CF, wheels, and Ti-Nitride but maybe packs a tad bit more punch than the Duc motor. Normally, comparing equivalent performance between Aprilias and Ducatis reveals at least a couple of thousand dollars of advantage to the Aprilia. Add an Ohlins/Penske rear shock and $500 Ohlins valve kit to those front forks and you'll have something to take on the Tuono Racing for several thousand dollars less, if that price is correct.

 

[detansinn]

The S4R doesn't come with Magnesium wheels. Per Ducati, they are "light alloy" -- aluminum.



I've seen the bike in person. It's a looker, but compared to the MV Brutale, it looks like ancient technology.

 

[edfedup]

I disagree completly. The Ducati V-Rod. This is the ugliest Monster made. The pipes just don't fit the bike--they don't really fit ANY bike. And the paint scheme also doesn't belong on a Monster. What the hell is Ducati thinking?! What next, solid wheels on a Monster? I'll take the air-cooled 1000 please.



Oh, and MO, WHAT'S UP WITH THE POP-UPS? Not a good thing.

 

[rider_md]

ill take the 1000DS instead of the s4r



a naked bike IMHO should be clean... ie no wires, no hoses or crap like that in the guts. otherwise, what's the point of a naked -style bike? i'll just put on more comfortable grips for the superbike if thats what i wanted.



the exhaust is love it or hate it. i love it, but i can see where people are annoyed. again, CLEAN. same with the catalytic converter (WTF?)

 

[edfedup]

The tester/author makes that S4R look so lame. If there was anyone who could make a Monster look so uncool, it would be him. I guess a motorcycle can't make everyone look like a winner.

 

[bmw1959]

A blue Ducati? Ducati's should come in any color you want, as long as it is red or yellow.

 

[33992]

I saw one a few months ago at my local dealer. No thank you, I prefer my S4 which is really a sweet ride with the usual mods. Either is no contest compared to the Brutale in the styling department, but the Agusta is not a V-Twin. The S4R is Ducati's competitive response to the Tuono, but the Tuono is more exotic.

 

[33342]

There are no pop-ups on MO. If you're getting pop-ups, you're infected with adware from some third-party.

Pop-up adware blows goats. Get Mozilla, www.mozilla.org and you can turn popups off globally.

 

[33992]

Blue is for Yamahas. White wheels? NO WAY. The Monster Dark is way cool and is the best scheme since it contributes to the streetfighrt look. Having said that, the red/white Foggy S4 (also Ducati Performance red tank and bodywork for the aircooled models) is simply stunning.

 

[edfedup]

Thanks!

 

[35244]

Hmmmmm....looks like Two Wheeled Viagra to me. Tasty!

 

[13630]

Or matte black...

 

[okartguy]

Looks like I'm gonna have to tidy up my beloved M750 dark and put it up for sale... I went and looked at a Brutale S a couple weeks ago; it's a sweet ride, but at roughly the same price as the Duc I think I'd go for the S4R. I'd even take it in blue! I do hafta wonder if FBF has CF pipes in the works yet...

 

[maynard]

As far as looks go the right side is just ok, the left side looks like after the get off. I notice your photos lack a full view left side. I vote for the air cooled 1000ds as the looker.

 

[45239]

The Google Toolbar has a pop up blocker and it's easy to install into IE if you have install privliges. Makes searches a little bit easier too w/o having to go to google. Both the Google Toolbar and Mozilla browser have pop up exceptions that you can define for any site that you intentionally want to allow pop ups.

Too get rid of adware, or spyware, you may have, install Ad Aware (works like an AV program) from http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/. There are other spyware elimination tools but Ad Aware is my favorite.

 

[3622]

Are those passenger pegs on the back? If so, then where's the passenger seat?

 

[Kevin_Williams]

Wrong either way:

I'd actually compare the specs of both Tuono this time.



$13.5 S4R vs. $11.9 standard Tuono?

You don't get anything over the standard Tuono with this. I don't call including the front fender, side panels, radiator cover, and cam belt covers as carbon much of a value for $1.6k more. Sorry it looses though it's kinda close.



$13.5 S4R vs. $17.9 Tuono Racing? for $4.4 over the Duc you get Ohlins suspension and carbon tank, fairing, belly pan and tail, not to mention Oz wheels and an extra race only set of bodywork. Let's not forget a racing exhaust as well. Sorry again; it looses especially if you factor in the extra bucks at maintenance time for the Duc.

 

[mscuddy]

It is good to see Ducati making quality stuff.



Being an old fart, I remember the "bad old days" at Ducati, when ball bearings would shoot out of exhaust pipes, and giant finned oil sumps would empty their contents through large holes, made by exploding engine internals.



That valve adjustments stuff every 6000 miles still bothers me...and at $800.00 a crack...phew.



Nice bike though...

 

[Buzglyd]

I just got the valves adjusted (18,000 mile service) on my ST4 for a little more than $300 and that included removing the plastic.



I don't know where you're getting that $800 figure.

 

[dardas]

God, this group is becoming very conformist. ;-)



Point of interest: The first ever Ducati, the Cucciolo, was offered in light blue, and a host of other colors have graced the tanks of stock Ducatis for over 1/2 a decade.



Why on earth should they only be yellow or red?