Tim and I (UKMOC) were loaned two Monster S4Rs by the factory for the week of the Motogiro
The S4R engine is a beauty, it has lots of grunt and felt smoother than my S4 with DP cans etc. My advancing years, arthritis, and colostomy bag (built in on this Monster) make it difficult to get comfortable on a bike and at first I was worried about what looked like a more extreme riding position than the S4. The pegs are higher and further back than the S4 and the bars seemed a bit higher, but it turned out to be more comfortable.
Long days in the saddle (we normally started about 9:00 and finished about 17:00, though this included 4 timing stops) were no problem, and the big bonus of the higher pegs and high level cans was improved ground clearance compared to the S4.
The single sided swinging arm is a work of art, (I think it’s the first time one has been made in welded cast ally). It looks good, and even keeps the wheels in line.
The Motogiro route took us into beautiful alpine areas with miles of hairpins bends and I think that the S4R is unbeatable is this terrain. Excellent brakes and suspension, a sit up riding position, loads of ground clearance and enough torque to pull a Fatbloke out of a cake shop.
The traffic light grand prix in downtown Bologna was the only time when things got a little bit out of hand. A big handful of throttle in first and the front wheel wants to have a look at the back of your head, and the rear wheel wants to get along side. It looked good, which is all that matters on the street in Italy, but it did cause me to change my bag more often than normal.
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Jools
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