2003 ST4s ABS
The ST range was Ducati's answer to the "line of succession" question once the Ducati Paso had run its course. The Paso was a Cagiva design, which underneath the bodywork contained one ugly motorcycle. The ST capitalized on the 851-style frame and featured bodywork by South African Pierre Terreblanche. Ducati never sold many sport-tourer's, though the market segment is important to Ducati to retain its position as a bona fide motorcycle manufacturer rather than as a niche supplier of sportbikes. All ST's, like the Paso's, are liquid-cooled.
The ST4s sits atop the ST range. The ST2 used the Paso's 907ie engine but set it in Ducati's famous tubular frame. The ST4 used basically the same setup, replacing the 2-valve 907ie with a 916 desmoquattro engine. The ST4s was an incremental improvement which transformed the bike, using a slightly-modified 996 motor for power and adding some farkles such as Ohlin's rear shock and some carbon-fiber. In 2003, an ABS version was added.
The arrival of the ST3 in 2004 as a dedicated sport-tourer sounded the death-knell for the ST4s. The ST3 provided the enthusiast with a more humane service interval than the 4-valve heads require, with nearly all the performance. 2007 was the last year for the ST range, having been eclipsed (if not replaced) by the Multi-Strada line of air-cooled twins.
Complaints
Service people will tell you that removing all the bodywork from an ST makes them more costly to service. Also, the stock headlight is insufficient to the task. Stock seats can also be uncomfortable, though the collective wisdom is that in 2004, the seats were much improved. With respect to my machine, the previous owner replaced the seat with a Corbin, and I plan on making the headlight upgrade just as soon as finances allow.
Literature
- Ian Falloon, 2002. Ducati Desmoquattro Superbikes, MBI Publishing.
- Mick Walker, 2002. Ducati Illustrated Buyer's Guide MBI Publishing.
Links
One of the problems of so small a community is that informational resources are scattered among different groups, where the 750 Sport is seldom the sole focus of attention. Some of the forums require registration to view entries, while others allow viewing but require registration to post or view photos.
- My 851 page
- My 750 Sport page
- Garage Pictures: Albuquerque
- Garage Pictures: Saint Paul
- ST Forum at Ducati.ms
- One Year Review: ST4S
Certainly, if you find other pages, forums, etc that are helpful to owners of these somewhat rare machines, please send an email to ericatmayorericdotcom .