Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > Sport Touring: ST4 / ST3 / ST2 > buying st4s

[ratchet]

thinking of getting rid of my monster and getting an st4s,
around a 2002/03 model.
what if any probs should I be looking for ? mods to avoid etc.

[Rushjob]

Do it!
Problems... the only gripes I've had with mine was warped front discs when I first bought it ( 2yrs old & 10K miles ) along with a rocker needing replacement and then at the last service the head bearings were shot ( 4yrs & 22K )

As regards mods, mine has fully floating Wavy discs with P34 4 pad calipers on the front.
ST4 gearing - 15 / 43 ( great fun ! )
Lightened flywheel
Opened up airbox
Techlusion TFI injection module
SilMoto carbon cans ( quiet ish ones though..)
Wavy rear disc
Sargent seat
Evoluzione number plate relocator.

I can't think of any mods to avoid other than garish paint jobs like Yellow

[YMFB]

I have a ST4 and love it, yesterday at Oulton Park a 996 parked next to me and I was thinking coor look at that and the guy got off and looked at mine with its panniers and top box and said that looks like a thinking mans ducati - high praise indeed.

Get it - I am intending to get a carbon fibre hugger and uprated rear suspension - both are standard on the ST4S I believe.

[HW]

I had an ST4s for about a year, troued France on it and had a brilliant time. I really wanted a 749 or 999 though and ended up trading it for a 749S (which I also love a lot).

I've seen front disk problems mentioned a few times, and after mine was traded in I was it in the workshop and asked waht was being done. Besides having some carbon cans on it, apparently it needed steering head bearings and the front disks were warped (the mounts were not true). Strange that the same dealer had it for a 2 year service only 2 weeks before I traded it in and never noticed either of those issues. Probbly it's not on the service schedule, but you'd be tempted to thin kit was all OK if just had a major (and expensive) service.

I ended up with ST4 gearing (I think) when I bought new chain/sprockets. I found the front wheel had a tendency to come off the ground if I pulled a way smartish which was .... different. Didn't half go though.

They wold definately benefit from some more open cans and filters. Save a lot of weight too, you;d not beleive how heavy the std exhausts are.

Bottom line is, ST4s is high on my list of bikes I'd own again.

[Edited on 12-9-2005 by HW]

[YMFB]

I have a ST4 and love it, yesterday at Oulton Park a 996 parked next to me and I was thinking coor look at that and the guy got off and looked at mine with its panniers and top box and said that looks like a thinking mans ducati - high praise indeed.

Get it - I am intending to get a carbon fibre hugger and uprated rear suspension - both are standard on the ST4S I believe.

[lemans]

Hello....is there an echo in here?

Go for it!
I bought an ST4s last year and love it. Toured Northern Spain and Portugal this year. Brilliant bike for touring. And when you get home you can take off the panniers and you get a great sports bike too!
Mine is complely standard - so far. For me the performance is enough....I still get a silly grin when opening the throttle. And when I get used to the bike and want a bit more I can do all the mods. First up will be a new chain and slightly livelier gearing.
Daryl

[ratchet]

need to make sure I grab big handfulls of front brake to make sure discs wont be as issue on test rides then.
judt one thing Rushjob.............. only seems to be yellow ones avail at present in scotland.

[YMFB]

Originally posted by ratchet
need to make sure I grab big handfulls of front brake to make sure discs wont be as issue on test rides then.
judt one thing Rushjob.............. only seems to be yellow ones avail at present in scotland.

Dont rush into a yellow one a nice faster red one will soon be available Im sure

[chrisw]

Like HW after over 3 years of Ducati ST4S ownership I hankered after a 999 and part-exchanged it for one at Ducati Leeds. I just wish I could have afforded to have both. You will find that most second hand ones owned by enthusiasts will have had any problems sorted. I toured Northern Spain and travelled from Holland to Mugello on mine without missing a beat. Got 220 miles to the tank as well.

My old bike is for sale at Ducati Leeds

http://www.ducatileeds.co.uk/dl_used...ikes_leeds.htm

PS. It's the grey 2001 51 plate

[Edited on 12-9-2005 by chrisw]

[HW]

I reckon, and it IS only my opinion mind you, that the red (and yellow) look better on the superbikes. My ST2 was silver, and that looked a bit "sensible". The ST4s was the "matt grey", or as the Americans called it on the Yahoo ST group "bat barf grey". Nice! It is not a problem to clean, as was feared, I just washed with car shampoo and chamois dry. Done. Bug splat came off easily too, and I live in rural Lincolnshire so there si a LOT of that!

Pic of my ST4s

[Edited on 12-9-2005 by HW]