s2r or 695?

hello. new boy on here looking for which bike to go for? both low miles, termi's fitted. service histories etc. but which one? 47 year old , fast days are gone now. not ridden for 10+ years. love the retro look of the monsters. any opinion's. the bikes not me.

[Darren69]

Personally I would choose the S2R which one are you looking at the 800 or 1000? While both S2R and 695 are pretty decent, think the 695 is a much revvier short stroke engine but I think it had the most power for cc of any air cooled engine ducati had built up to that point but was only in production a relatively short time, which probably makes it rarer, but was the entry level monster at that time. The S2R 800 on the other hand will probably deliver a more traditional ducati riding experience being closer to the more traditional ducati torquey big bore twin, the 1000 even more so. I'm sure people who have owned both of these bikes would be able to offer more helpful advice, but I don't think there were many known faults with either of these models unlike some of the earlier bikes. Also worth considering is the S4/R which still to me represents great value, as you get a lot of bike (100+hp 4v, 996cc in a very rider friendly package) for your money and some bargains to be had, although inevitably the 4v engine has slightly higher service costs, but not too bad in the scheme of things as most Ducatis have fairly high service costs compared to other manufacturers (unless you intend to do DIY for most tasks?)

[Saint aka ML]

Simple 695 is more revy and has similar power as early m900.

It has same brakes as m900 did and rest is basically the same. m695 is an early m900 with same power but less cc and torque. You shift gears a lot alone or two up.

s2r 800 (we are talking entry level here right) has worse brakes as it is a true entry level Ducati of the time, more torque and yet again similar power to m695 just bit more so basically as old m900. Looks are more modern and in my view worse.

s2r 1000 has a DS engine so more power then early or late m900, more torque, smoother it has better brakes and suspension.

[Darren69]

Lukas Does the 695 have a plastic tank?

Personally I would avoid plastic tanks given the problems with modern fuel, which is unfortunately only going to get worse with the inevitable introduction of E10 fuel. The brakes on the SR800 are seen as a weakness but can be easily upgraded as many owners do.

[Saint aka ML]

Yes 695 is plastic. Last metal was 620ie.

S2R 800 for me, then again I'm biased . not the fastest bike out there but buckets full of fun

Alan H

Originally Posted by Fatal

S2R 800 for me, then again I'm biased . not the fastest bike out there but buckets full of fun

Ditto single sided arm, shotgun pipes, hmmm nice (in jazz club voice)

[Dave G]

S2R again, the prettiest monster....evah!


I bought one, on looks, when they were first intoduced. When something catches your attention like that you know it has that extra something that makes them stand out.

(If I'm to recommend one I'd probably suggest the 1000 purely for the better cycle gear but the 800 engine is really good and the aptc clutch is a boon and I just upgraded the parts rather than the whole bike.)

[Funkatronic]

but they are fairly similar bikes so just down to looks really
s2r all the way for me , single side swinger and shotgun pipes are lovely but not to everyones taste

695 and s2r 800 have same brakes which are ok for the power of the bike but can be improved easily enough

both are perfect road bikes, well mannered enough for easy handling, but with enough boot to make you grin, and with open pipes the soundtrack is sublime

[S4R Dude]

S2R, better bike.

[SteveP]

I bought an S2R only a few weeks ago so can only offer a limited amount of views on this, the 695 I know very little of. I also have not been riding for 10 years due to back problems,work etc, so reluctantly sold a Laverda triple last year. Being short and big boned the Monsters looked good with the seat height and size, I had £3500 to spend and looked at several aircooled 750's, 900's before discovering the s2. I did a lot of homework before parting with my money,a lot of hours spent on this forum, the knowledge and advice from people on here is superb. Performance is plenty without needing to rev it too much, no power band as such, just smooth pulling up to 120 or so, it's satisfying, not overly quick but enough for me, I'm not a fast rider anyway.Front brake at first seemed really good, now I'm getting used to the bike it does lack feel, used hard in the wet it can lock the wheel, but it's not bad by any means and can be upgraded apparently. Rear brake is poor, will look into this, may just be the pads. Clutch is very light although I have read tales of woe on the forums, no point in worrying about it as it works well now. The plastic petrol tank is the one issue that concerns me,it has swollen so the catch rubs on the ignition and the rubber pads don't sit on the frame, still opens though , providing it does not worsen. Mine has a full service history and all the keys, many do not, I would avoid these. Overall, very pleased, very easy to ride,non bikers admire the looks (red/white stripe) early days but would not hesitate to recommend.

Originally Posted by SteveP

I bought an S2R only a few weeks ago so can only offer a limited amount of views on this, the 695 I know very little of. I also have not been riding for 10 years due to back problems,work etc, so reluctantly sold a Laverda triple last year. Being short and big boned the Monsters looked good with the seat height and size, I had £3500 to spend and looked at several aircooled 750's, 900's before discovering the s2. I did a lot of homework before parting with my money,a lot of hours spent on this forum, the knowledge and advice from people on here is superb. Performance is plenty without needing to rev it too much, no power band as such, just smooth pulling up to 120 or so, it's satisfying, not overly quick but enough for me, I'm not a fast rider anyway.Front brake at first seemed really good, now I'm getting used to the bike it does lack feel, used hard in the wet it can lock the wheel, but it's not bad by any means and can be upgraded apparently. Rear brake is poor, will look into this, may just be the pads. Clutch is very light although I have read tales of woe on the forums, no point in worrying about it as it works well now. The plastic petrol tank is the one issue that concerns me,it has swollen so the catch rubs on the ignition and the rubber pads don't sit on the frame, still opens though , providing it does not worsen. Mine has a full service history and all the keys, many do not, I would avoid these. Overall, very pleased, very easy to ride,non bikers admire the looks (red/white stripe) early days but would not hesitate to recommend.

very helpful, thanks.

plus 1 for the S2R 800. Brilliant bike with loads of character.

[Saint aka ML]

Originally Posted by Dave G

S2R again, the prettiest monster....evah!


I bought one, on looks, when they were first intoduced. When something catches your attention like that you know it has that extra something that makes them stand out.

(If I'm to recommend one I'd probably suggest the 1000 purely for the better cycle gear but the 800 engine is really good and the aptc clutch is a boon and I just upgraded the parts rather than the whole bike.)

APTC clutch is the worst thing Ducati ever did to Ducati. You cannot set off fast without dragging the clutch or it will stall. That means you cannot set off as fast as on standard clutch. Engine braking feels well smooth and none existent. I can excuse the set off part as not all are aggressive like me but engine braking is needed for that grin factor when is squiggles, skippes and wiggles under heavy braking with just an engine.

Originally Posted by Funkatronic

but they are fairly similar bikes so just down to looks really
s2r all the way for me , single side swinger and shotgun pipes are lovely but not to everyones taste

695 and s2r 800 have same brakes which are ok for the power of the bike but can be improved easily enough

both are perfect road bikes, well mannered enough for easy handling, but with enough boot to make you grin, and with open pipes the soundtrack is sublime

Funk 695 has same callipers as 900ie/s2r1000, s2r 800 has smaller callipers.

[Dave G]

Originally Posted by Saint aka ML

APTC clutch is the worst thing Ducati ever did to Ducati. You cannot set off fast without dragging the clutch or it will stall. That means you cannot set off as fast as on standard clutch. Engine braking feels well smooth and none existent. I can excuse the set off part as not all are aggressive like me but engine braking is needed for that grin factor when is squiggles, skippes and wiggles under heavy braking with just an engine.

Never been an issue for me, I've not noticed any slippage but very much like the lightweight lever pull and stompng down gears without lock the back.
Horses for courses.



Still the prettiest though.