Like the original but on steroids, the Monster S4 grasped bare-biking from Bologna by the bars and took it into the new millennium. But are there any bugs? Used-bike fact hound Bertie Simmonds finds out.
Ducati's evergreen favourite, the Monster had been around for seven years when - in Y2K - the S4 was launched.
This was a much-needed shot in the arm for the Monster family, which by this time had been overtaken by the opposition, such as the TL1000S-engined Cagiva Raptor.
Out went the venerable ol' oil/air-cooled two-valve motor to be replaced by the 916's V-twin liquid-cooled eight-valve marvel. The frame wasn't from the Monster family either, but instead from the ST4 tourer. If the purists moaned that the plumbing made it look like a dog's dinner, then the people who wanted performance didn't give a toss, as the S4 was blessed with good top-end.
In 2003 the S4R came in with much tastier looks, courtesy of a single-sided swingarm, upswept single-side pipes and those oh-so-cool Shelby Cobra stripes. Although by now the butch Aprilia Tuono had come on the scene...
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