+ Click to Enlarge BAD-ASS BASIC BIKE: Superbike frame and running gear, the most successful big-twin motor of its time and the bare minimum of red plastic - go terrorise the streets. Pictures: DAVE ABRAHAMS

March 26, 2002
By Dave Abrahams

Ducati's biggest streetfighter is the S4, the only Monster with a liquid-cooled motor. It's a close-coupled, short-geared hooligan bike with a bit of a temper and a distinctive character that sets it apart from the rest of the range.

Start with the engine room, where you'll find Massimo Bordi's original 94 x 66mm, 916cc 1994-vintage L-twin. It's no longer the state of the superbike art but it has proved itself over the last eight years to be a lot more robust than the naysayers would have you believe.

Even if servicing a desmo costs a bomb, the services are twice as far apart as on most Nipponese multis. In some important ways the Monsters -particularly this one - are Bologna's real-world motorcycles.

This version of the big boomer is tuned for 74kW at 8750rpm, seven less than its close relative the ST4 tourer, but maximum torque is up to 92Nm at seven thou, which translates to instant and rocket-like acceleration in any gear, heart-stopping wheelies on demand and the kind of street cred Raptor riders would kill for.

The final gearing is 15:37, rather than the 15:36 of the ST4, which is just as well because, just like all Monsters, the front end of the S4 becomes vague and wavery over 200km/h; I can't tell you the terminal velocity of the biggest Monster because I ran out of bottle at 220.

In any case, that's not what this bike is all about. It's about being quicker off the mark than a 1200 Bandit, with the precise control that only a dry clutch can give- a dry clutch, by the way, that seems to be much tougher than even Ducati give it credit for.

It's also about the kind of mid-range stomp (mid-range on this motor with its world-championship pedigree is defined as 3500 to 7500rpm) that translates to being somewhere else right now, and it's about the precisely-metered Marelli fuel-injection that is reasonably well-damped at small throttle openings but works better when yanked wide open.

The six-speed gearbox is not as breaking-glass slick as on Bologna's race bikes - it doesn't enjoy that level of hand finishing - but the one on the test bike was solid, and very positive; though with a slightly longer lever throw than on the ST4 I rode recently. Don't ask me why - in theory it's the same linkage.

You'd have to be a real klutz to miss a shift and, with the revs up, clutchless upshifts are a real pleasure.

The rear wheel rides in a 888-derived, double-sided alloy swing-arm rather than a single-sided slab like the 916; nevertheless, the final drive cush drive is beautifully damped and there is little discernable lash, just a gentle and barely audible clonk on take-up.

The trellis frame, superbly welded up from mostly straight bits of very strong tubular steel, is supposed to be the same as that of the ST4; I don't know whether it's the high bars, lower seat height or the suspension geometry, but it feels a lot different. The senior Monster can change direction like a pit bull-terrier looking to bite.

The suspension also has different valving. It's a lot more taut than the tourers' in the initial stages of movement, minimising front-end dive under braking but sometimes harsh on poor surfaces. The 43mm Showa upside-down forks are, however, adjustable for preload and damping and with a bit of time and trouble, could doubtless be set up for perfect street manners.

The rear wheel has a lot more input to deal with so the range of possible adjustments is correspondingly limited but the Sachs piggy-back monoshock coped very well with everything I threw at it without betraying itself in either patter or wallowing. I did induce a little headshake on a couple of long, very fast sweeps but I'm convinced that came from the front wheel.

The wheels, by the way, are exquisitely cast five-spoked Marchesini racing units, each a kilogram lighter than the three-spoked Brembo items on the rest of the range, probably completely wasted on this machine - but lovely to look at and worth lots of street-cred points.

The footpegs are mounted on alloy outriggers unique to the Monster, allowing the rider's pegs to be placed in the ideal position, directly below the lowest point of the saddle, while the pillion pegs are mercifully lower than on the Biposto models. The narrow motor and frame of the L-twin, however, mean that comfortably placed pegs don't have to compromise ground clearance.

Only the truly insane will ever scrape the pegs on this bike, although certain parts of the exhaust system can be made to touch down under severe provocation.

No modern bikemaker can afford to mess about in the braking department so the Monster has the same tackle as the ST4 and 916, big four-pot Brembo Goldline callipers on 320mm semi-floating discs in front, with a master cylinder to match, giving plenty of Brick Wall Effect.

The rear brake is a neat little 245mm rotor with a twin-piston calliper. It has a conventional master cylinder and brake lever that work a lot better than the silly little wrong-way-round horizontal effort on the ST4.

Cosmetically the S4 is mostly standard Monster stuff, with the familiar banana-shaped 15-litre fuel tank, dished saddle and minimal flat tailpiece. There are no side-covers worth talking about but a removable body-coloured cover hides the pillion seat. In typical Monster style the passenger seat slopes to the rear and there are no grab rails, which means the Bimbo of the Week will have to hold on tight to you if she wants to arrive at the same time (or maybe that's why that canny Argentine designed it that way - can you spell sexist?)

The S4 also comes with the classiest instrument panel yet on a Monster, featuring two understated analogue dials and six warning icons in a smoothly styled pod behind a neat little body-coloured fly screen that noticeably tightens up the front of the bike.

There's also quite a lot of the obligatory "carbon-fibre" look to reduce weight and score street points - and in this case it's the real thing. The front and rear mudguards, exhaust covers and cam-belt covers are all woven from the light stuff.

New for this year are very sexy ovoid indicators, as well as a standard-issue immobiliser that makes the bike almost impossible to hot-wire and should help your Monster remain where you leave it.

Fit and finish are generally impressive, although it's easy to see from the rat's nest of wiring and plumbing around the motor that it was never intended to be mounted on public display in a naked chassis. The quality of the paintwork is exemplary, especially on the stunning "Foggy Special" version you see here, which helps to justify the healthy price tag.

Ducati's bad-assed basic street bike has attitude, along with the muscles to back it up; its turning circle is limited, like all Monsters, but it can be thrown around in traffic with surprising efficiency. It is (dare I say this?) a very effective commuter and probably the quickest twin around off a standing start; although it seems content to potter around at legal speeds the harder you ride it the better it goes.

Thanks to Ducati Cape Town for lending me their most monstrous toy, priced at R127 230.

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