| Hmmmm... Sort of agree. All of us ST owners know how underated they are, but I can see how they've dropped the 4S.
If you look at Ducati's engine range, the older engine designs like the 996 are getting harder to get through the tightening emissions regs.
If you think about it, Ducati now just make the latest generation two valve engines for the Monsters, Multistrada's and SS's, a three valve variant of that for the ST3 and the testastretta's for the 749/999, and now the S4RS.
So that just leaves the S4R using the 996 lump and my guess is that when next years bikes (for 2007) are announced, the S4RS will become the S4R and the 996 engine will be quietly dropped to rationalise production.
I also think that Ducati don't quite know what to do with the ST range. My ST2 and the first generation ST's were always more sport than touring, which is why, I think, they make such fantastic all-rounders. I don't think the later bikes with their bigger 'honda-esque' fairings quite appeal to the sports inclined rider so much, especially now that panniers come as standard, because Ducati have taken them more towards the Touring end of the spectrum. But, they don't appeal to the touring fraternity either 'cos they'll stick with their Pans and Beemers.
So I think the ST range is a bit lost at the moment, neither one thing or the other, and it's even got internal competition from the Multistrada. To be honest, even though I love my ST, I reckon the Multi is the better all rounder, and panniered up with a corbin seat on it, I reckon it would make a better tourer as well.
Who knows, maybe once the S4R gets a testastretta, Ducati might see fit to producing an ST with one as well.  |