[Micko]

Ducati opened a new showroom in Dublin a couple of years ago. 2 lads in work bought monsters and both have had only minor problems. I stayed well away from the showroom as I knew what would happen. However last summer I wanted a tourer that was above all reliable. Heart was saying Ducati, head was saying Honda VFR or BMW. I tried a VFR, very impressive although the Vtech banging in at 7000 rpm on a bend on a wet road was worrying. I had a blast on an ST4 and while the suspension is better it was hard work to ride in town. After some deliberation in the showroom (all of 5 minutes!!!) the deal was done and I was the proud owner of a new red ST3 with panniers.

I thought the speedo was reading in kilometres on my first spin. Grinning from ear to ear in the ****ings of rain over the Dublin mountains, what a bike. Open the throttle at 30mph at 3500 rpm, the torque sends a shudder right through the bike and you, that gorgeous exhaust note deepens into a growl ( I don’t wear earplugs any more), you wait that millisecond for the power to transfer to the rear wheel and you are gone. You quickly change up at 6000 rpm because it’s still running in, don’t what ever you do look at the speedo and fire it into the next bend! Life is not meant to be this good.

The engine is dead tight for the first 500 miles but soon loosens up so you don’t have to slip the clutch in town. In 8 months I have travelled to London and toured Wales on the way back, did Scotland and all over Ireland. The bike is also used for my daily commute. She uses no oil, does 180 miles to reserve and has never failed to start. The only problems were very minor, a bolt fell off the exhaust, started on one cylinder once, started it again and everything was bang on. The lcd screen tends to mist up slightly in the wet. The numerals on the leaver adjusters show signs of rust. I have left the suspension on the standard settings as I never felt the need to change it. It’s a sports tourer not a 999.

Comfort is first rate. The new 204 seat, peg and riding position allow you to do 250 miles in comfort. I have done Dublin to Cork in a day, a total of 380 miles. Wrists were a bit sore. Faring gives great protection in the bad weather. Needs heated grips. I keep it clean and use wurth chain wax which does not fly off onto the back wheel. I have only adjusted the chain once. I use Shell advance silicone spray on the paintwork and plastics. Tickover seems a bit low at 1200 rpm, I will get it raised at the next service. It takes a while to get used to the dry clutch and it does rattle away. But it is part of the character of the Duke. The tyres have still a fair bit of thread on them.

All in all I am delighted with the ST3 and would highly recommend it to anyone. It looks terrific, goes like a rocket and has never let me down. But most importantly it still gives me a smile from ear to ear when I wind that throttle open!

Micko.