[Chain]

(If anyone cares... sorry, I'm excited, what can I say?)

Random Monster S4 observations then, in no particular order:

a) The seat is pretty damned hard, but it's wider and flatter than the FZ's perch, so it's more supportive. (Still, the Airhawk will go with me on rides over two or three hours.) It's really a pretty comfortable bike on total, and ergo layout is superb. Perfect forward cant to take stress off my back, clip-ons positioned just so in the risers, better legroom than my FZ1 too.

b) The motor is a peach. I've kept it below 6,000 rpm, but the sucking noises from the airbox (I removed a Velcro'd under-tank blanket and opened the airbox to discover twin polished velocity stacks inside - tres cool!), the muted but pleasing exhaust note, and the mechanical cacophony (which I'm quickly growing accustomed to) is grand. Can't wait to get an open carbon clutch cover to let that dry clutch rattle come through! Very flexible power. Eager to sample more. About 20 hp down on a stock FZ, but within a couple lb-ft of the Yamaha's torque in a much lighter, more flickable package. This Monster pulls from the basement, and feels like a highly overpowered dirt bike on the road.

c) Related to the above, I'm apparently the rue of local wildlife. Birds get up hundreds of yards before my physical arrival. I'm sure after carbon cans are added, the level of abuse I'm subjecting these animals to will rise exponentially.

d) The instrument pod and flyscreen shake alot at idle. I'm not sure if this is bothersome or appealing. I'll go with appealing for now.

e) Harley guys still don't wave.

f) The pessimistic low fuel light comes on just as I was told it would, at 150 miles (its supposed to illuminate when the 4.3 gal tank is down to its .9 gal reserve). My first tank of gas returned 52 mpg efficiency. I was surprised to say the least - 200 mile range with this Duc? I was only getting ~35 a gallon on the Yamaha, but I was riding it a little harder too.

g) Another surprise to me: the bike has a factory alarm, well, a "disabler" as its called. There is a blinking LED in the dash that warns passers-by not to meddle. If the bike is molested in any substantial way, the computer renders it dead (motor will not start w/o computer chip equipped owner's key).

h) The Dunlop Sportmax 207's I thought I had aren't garden variety 207's. They're 207 RR's (for "Race Replica"). I could have read the sidewall I guess, lol. A local track bud says they're still made and are fairly popular track tires at MAM. They seem to perform quite well, though before I bought this bike I knew less than nothing of this rubber.

i) Speaking of rubber, the rubber grips on this Monster are so thin and supple it's almost a shame to wear gloves. They are soft as a baby's butt. Okay, maybe not that soft, but you get the idea.

j) There is no underseat storage to speak of, an ass of an excuse for a tool kit (one very cheap screwdriver and an equally shabby plug wrench... this has got to be some sort of bad joke by the Italians, the stuff isn't as nice as the bargain bin crap you find at the local hardware store), and the bike turns over at startup more slowly than a Japanese I4, as in, you'd think the motor was being spun by a 70 year old woman on the end of a Model T hand crank. I'm told this is totally normal. It does rumble to life after just a moment or two.

k) My clocks do that neat diagnostic sweep from pin to pin when you turn the key on. I love that about modern, computer controlled fuelies.

l) I got three keys with the bike, two black, one red. The red one is the "Holy Grail" - replacement cost $1,800. Really. I was told to put it in a safety deposit box at the bank, that it has something to do with the computer, resetting some crap or somesuch, something mentioned about theft, yadda yadda. I could give a hoot less about understanding it, I just want to ride it.

m) I have not read the Owners Manual yet. Can anyone tell?

n) I feel much less taxed by the wind at a 75 mph slab speed than I did the half faired Fizzer. Strange, eh? Even though I dislike the look of an FZ with a cut down screen, I think guys who do that (or retain the OEM Yamaha stubby) are onto something. No buffeting, period. You're in the air, yes, but it's clean air. Damn, I love naked bikes.

o) Ducati must have shaved apes working the assembly line. I have to put a breaker-bar on any bolt I need to loosen, even the mirrors. They are that tight. Super-Mario on the assembly line guys???

p) KLR 650's are butt-ugly. I strafed by one on Omaha Trace Road a couple days ago and had to chuckle at myself for considering one. Ick. Maybe as a fun second bike.

q) Speaking of strafing, I did not realize how flexy and "numb" my FZ was until I rode the S4. Merely think about adjusting your line and the bike does it. You feel every tar snake, every pebble, right through the front end. Ultra communicative. More so than any bike I have ever been on.

r) And speaking of the front end, it feels like you're riding on top of the front wheel. Like a unicycle. But then with a goose in 1st you're riding on the back wheel. Like a unicycle. What a gas.

Holy cow, damn near through the alphabet!

That's about it for now.

-Chain

[freq]

e) Harley guys still don't wave.

ah, Chain, you're STILL a cop. They know. Just kidding I'm sure they're all RUBs anyway. No "true" outlaws or 1% ers.

Congrats again. Kinda' like going all the way with a new woman.

[Chain]

[CBRVFR]

Are you still going to go ride it to the Hoot, or the gap or whatever? Or is Grattan a possibility now that you're out of the sport-tourer business?

[Heavy-Dee]

Sounds like a really fun bike. What kind of suspension is on that thing? Any plans to upgrade. That could be the explination of feeling everything through the front wheel.

HD

[ND4SPD]

The wordy sumbitch is baaaaaaaack

[HondaGalToo]

Did you sell the FZ, or is this an addition?

[ConqSoft]

Originally Posted by HondaGalToo

Did you sell the FZ, or is this an addition?

LIAR

[Dookie]

Originally Posted by HondaGalToo

Did you sell the FZ, or is this an addition?

Yeah, I wanna know too!

[tigerblade]

Originally Posted by Dookie

Yeah, I wanna know too!

Um, click on the link in the post above yours.

[Sirkbac]

Originally Posted by Chain

and the bike turns over at startup more slowly than a Japanese I4, as in, you'd think the motor was being spun by a 70 year old woman on the end of a Model T hand crank. I'm told this is totally normal. It does rumble to life after just a moment or two.

Everytime my friend on the M900 thumbs the starter it sounds like we'll have to bump start it. It's like 1 rev a second.

[NinerPilot]

Originally Posted by freq

ah, Chain, you're STILL a cop. They know. Just kidding I'm sure they're all RUBs anyway. No "true" outlaws or 1% ers.

Hehe, on that note, there is some sumbitch around town here on a harley that is probably jumping up and down to wave to sport bikers. I pulled a guy over for doing 35mph or so with a flat (0 psi) tire and was slightly intoxicated. It was Christmas Eve, so I got him a ride under a few circumstances. 1) If I ever catch him with so much as a whif of alocohol on him, he's going to jail, and 2) (He was wearing Harley boots/jacket/belt with a HD sticker on his truck, and we got to talking bikes a bit while waiting for his ride.) I told him that I rode a sport bike and was damn tired of waving to Harley riders to get shunned by them. He promised that he had always and will wave to sportbikers.
Chris

[asiliat]

Man, that sounds fun. I happen to like downshifting to scrub speeds, but it's so much more damaging on a dry clutch. I dunno if I could enjoy that little aspect of it.

I also don't like naked, because it gets tiring fighting the wind after a while, and I keep thinking that a windshield can prolong my riding seasons by a couple of days simply b/c I have the option to tuck.

But I'm glad you're loving the Monster. Italian machines are to die for! I'm so jealous.

[abtech]

Originally Posted by Sirkbac

Everytime my friend on the M900 thumbs the starter it sounds like we'll have to bump start it. It's like 1 rev a second.

Sounds like my RC. I have no faith in the starting system even though it has never failed to start. The first revolution takes about 15 seconds and then everything stops for about 4 seconds . . . Then it starts every time.

[Dookie]

Originally Posted by NinerPilot

Hehe, on that note, there is some sumbitch around town here on a harley that is probably jumping up and down to wave to sport bikers. I pulled a guy over for doing 35mph or so with a flat (0 psi) tire and was slightly intoxicated. It was Christmas Eve, so I got him a ride under a few circumstances. 1) If I ever catch him with so much as a whif of alocohol on him, he's going to jail, and 2) (He was wearing Harley boots/jacket/belt with a HD sticker on his truck, and we got to talking bikes a bit while waiting for his ride.) I told him that I rode a sport bike and was damn tired of waving to Harley riders to get shunned by them. He promised that he had always and will wave to sportbikers.
Chris

Ha! Thats one way to bring us all together. I get the same thing here in Vegas. They all act like they don't see you. I still wave though. Every once in a while one will wave back or give the macho head nod.

[bwhip]

Originally Posted by Chain

...and the bike turns over at startup more slowly than a Japanese I4, as in, you'd think the motor was being spun by a 70 year old woman on the end of a Model T hand crank. I'm told this is totally normal. It does rumble to life after just a moment or two.

Oh good, then it's not just my 749 sounding like the battery is a fading AA.

[NinerPilot]

My RC uses so much of the battery to crank it over that it resets the trip meter half the time... though I think that has something to do with the seller giving me a battery so dead I couldnt even fire it up before I took it home....
Chris

[HondaGalToo]

Originally Posted by ConqSoft

LIAR

Yeah, thanks, I saw that post after this one but I was too lazy to go back and edit my response! I was away all weekend, so I'm behind!

[Chain]

Originally Posted by CBRVFR

Are you still going to go ride it to the Hoot, or the gap or whatever? Or is Grattan a possibility now that you're out of the sport-tourer business?

I had to cancel my Hoot vacation and Grattan's out too. We're moving in late June or early July and it's just going to be too busy.

Maybe a long weekend in the Black Hills in the fall. Anyone game?

[Chain]

Originally Posted by Heavy-Dee

Sounds like a really fun bike. What kind of suspension is on that thing? Any plans to upgrade. That could be the explination of feeling everything through the front wheel

Up front is a 43mm inverted cartridge fork by Showa (adjustable for spring preload, compression and rebound damping), while in back is a Sachs shock (same full adjustability) working through that 916-style linkage. Bike's got a real live rear ride height adjuster with heim joints on either end as well.

Dialed in the supension some today, but still have some sorting to do. I honestly cannot see doing much in this regard (suspension "upgrades"); the bike is so much better than I am, and I can get the sag where I need to with the stock spring rate.

[Chain]

Originally Posted by ND4SPD

The wordy sumbitch is baaaaaaaack

KMA (how's THAT for brevity?)

[Chain]

Originally Posted by asiliat

Man, that sounds fun. I happen to like downshifting to scrub speeds, but it's so much more damaging on a dry clutch. I dunno if I could enjoy that little aspect of it.

I also don't like naked, because it gets tiring fighting the wind after a while, and I keep thinking that a windshield can prolong my riding seasons by a couple of days simply b/c I have the option to tuck.

Downshifting hurts dry clutches? That's news to me. Why would the superbike boys do it?



The wind factor is part of the reason I'm back on a true naked like my SV. Less speed is good for little old me.

[HondaGalToo]

Originally Posted by Chain

Downshifting hurts dry clutches? That's news to me. Why would the superbike boys do it?



The wind factor is part of the reason I'm back on a true naked like my SV. Less speed is good for little old me.

What?! I blip and downshift my Duc's dry clutch all the time. So do all my Duc riding buds. It sounds soooooo cool! Granted, the clutch was replaced at, I forget, 15K miles? But I doubt that was the reason. I think it had more to do with how hot the dry clutch gets. My '95 SS SP was my only bike for 4 years and it saw A LOT of trackdays and lots of weekend touring, too. She's got nearly 25K miles now.

The superbike guys probably have slipper clutches, but they still downshift.

[SomeStrangeGuy]

Originally Posted by Chain

p) KLR 650's are butt-ugly. I strafed by one on Omaha Trace Road a couple days ago and had to chuckle at myself for considering one. Ick. Maybe as a fun second bike.

I assume thats a straight, clean, smooth road? well duh
The KLR was ugly before you considered it, but thats WHY you consider it - dropping it a few times and covering it in miles of road grime gives it character. The perfect machine when you don't want your bike payments going through your head as you're dropping off the sidewalk

Congrats on the Monster, sounds interesting - didn't know about their interesting "red key" stuff. Most of the preceding I have heard before but glad to see you are learning much and enjoying it. Now you just have to stop comparing it to KLR's and Fizzers

[tigerblade]

Originally Posted by Chain

...I honestly cannot see doing much in this regard... the bike is so much better than I am...

Now where have I heard that before?

[tigerblade]

Originally Posted by NinerPilot

My RC uses so much of the battery to crank it over that it resets the trip meter half the time... though I think that has something to do with the seller giving me a battery so dead I couldnt even fire it up before I took it home....
Chris

It was just waking up from a Missouri winter is all.

[Chain]

Originally Posted by SomeStrangeGuy

I assume thats a straight, clean, smooth road? well duh
The KLR was ugly before you considered it, but thats WHY you consider it - dropping it a few times and covering it in miles of road grime gives it character. The perfect machine when you don't want your bike payments going through your head as you're dropping off the sidewalk

Congrats on the Monster, sounds interesting - didn't know about their interesting "red key" stuff. Most of the preceding I have heard before but glad to see you are learning much and enjoying it. Now you just have to stop comparing it to KLR's and Fizzers

Lol, I know SSG, you're right. The KLR is a super bike and I really would like to buy one someday for exploration of the scenic dirt and gravel trails and byways in the hills around here.

Oh, and Omaha Trace Road is actually very curvy and technical in spots with a few honest to goodness 1st gear turns and many repetitive sweepers and esses. Substantial elevation changes too. The only problem is, it ain't 300 miles long like the section of Blue Ridge Parkway I rode last summer. Only lasts about 15 minutes.

[SLODUCK]

This check this guy out on his Monster.

Monster guy

[2OHOH2]

Originally Posted by Chain

(If anyone cares... sorry, I'm excited, what can I say?)

Baaah! No one cares, because by now everyone knows that you get excited whenever Bacchus Brings a Baton or a Baster to Be Beaten By you



<===


Nice, Chain-grade (read: wordy) review At least you get to switch mistresses, and your SO doesn't mind as much, right?

[Chain]