THE Ducati S4R never really caught on. Even the mouth-watering prospect of the S4R one-make race series that was scheduled to support the British Superbike Championship collapsed due to lack of interest, writes Tom Rayner.

With a 996cc engine, it had raised exhausts for better ground clearance, a gorgeous single-sided swingarm and those incredible five spoke wheels what a machine, so what went wrong? The S4R was just too expensive, too exotic and far too hard to get hold of.

Learning from its mistakes, Ducati has now released the S2R; basically a replica of its big brother with a smaller engine and, most importantly, £2,300 shaved off its price tag. It replaces the now defunct Monster 800, which is unlikely to be too sorely missed considering how much better the new pretender is.

The S2R is a marvel to look at and it retains all of the features that made the S4R so desirable. It's hard to believe Ducati has put it all together for under £6,000. The aluminium single-sided swingarm is an engineering masterpiece. It could be displayed in a museum as a fragile work of art, yet it's strong enough to bear the brunt of 77bhp.

The paint scheme incorporates a solid stripe of colour that runs from the tank to the rear cowl. It looks particularly impressive in acid yellow with a black stripe, however, the classic red/white has been retained for traditionalists.

The oversized tyres and ultra-light Marchesini wheels allow a confident rider to ride hard and on the limit. Lean angles, never before possible on a classic Monster, are now achievable thanks to the raised exhausts. The S2R is the perfect fun bike for track for novices and intermediates alike.

The tiny front fairing does its best to deflect the worst of the wind. It won't be comfortable for long distance motorway work but if you're prepared to duck low to find the bubble', then it does offer some temporary relief.

The six-speed gearbox offers good acceleration while keeping high-speed rpm as low as possible. The S2R does not have the torque of its rival from America, the Buell City X, but it is a lot quicker at the top end.

The 803cc L-twin motor works well and the fuel injection system is crisp and responsive. There has also been a conscious effort from Ducati to keep the engine efficient and economical. The APTC clutch system that Ducati is so proud of is essentially a slipper clutch to prevent the rear-wheel from locking on aggressive down changes. It's a safety measure that I'm sure riders will appreciate.

The S2R is well priced and I can see it selling very well. The Ducati badge has an iconic status and it's one of the cheapest ways to buy into the brand credibly. The S2R is a great bike to ride and even better to look at.

FACT FILE... Price: £5,995. Engine: 803cc, L-twin cylinder, 2-valves per cylinder, Desmodromic, air cooled producing 77bhp at 8,250rpm. Weight: 173kg (381lbs). Transmission: 6-speed. Seat height: 800mm (31.5in). Fuel capacity: 14 litres (3.1 gallons). Brake: front 2 x 300mm discs with twin piston callipers; rear 245mm disc with twin piston calliper. Tyres: front - 120/70 x 17in; rear - 180/55 x 17in. Top speed: 120 mph (est). Fuel consumption: 40mpg.