bdg, nice river crossing :D

Judging by the results of this mornings calls I'm not likely to get a test ride or even a look at an 04 bike for around another 4 weeks :(

I checked the luggage on the ducati main site and the panniers still clip onto brackets, but are different (shaped differently on the rear to suit the new rear end).

I got a bit of a shock though.
I'm sure I was told on Wednesday they were 270 for the pair.
Today P&H told me they are actually 470 the pair !! :o
Might have to ride over to Italy and buy the bl00dy things there.

Hmm, now there's an idea !!
:D

Thanks chaps.

I'll report back when I've had a test ride and made a decision.

Cheers,
John.

I think the panniers and frame have always been around the £400 mark. Not bad value compared to BMW for example but bloody expensive for two plastic boxes!

John, are you sure the back end of the 04 bike is different? I had a good look over it at the NEC and in the Ducati.com photos and I'm blowed if I can see any difference to the earlier bikes, and the panniers are identical from what I can see.

The good news is that this'll mean you might find a secondhand pair, they crop up on eBay every month or so.

I'm glad I've already got some 'cos rockhopper is right. £470 for two brackets that are no more complicated than a garden chair leg (albeit a sturdy one) and a couple of plastic boxes is damned expensive

ST4s
 

JOHN - sorry about coming into the discussion a bit late, but just taken delivery of new daughter and she's consuming a lot of my time - brilliant though!

Back to your dilemma: I live in Switzerland and have a Yr 2002 ST4s. My riding style is quick and long distance - 400 to 600 miles per day. High altitude (alps) or high temperatures (Portugal/Spain) have not knocked the bike out of its stride. It has never dumped me at the roadside.

Handles wonderfully well fully tanked and panniered. Braking is confidence building. Comfort is not an issue for me, even after 600mls. Headlamp is rubbish (model yr 2004 is a vast improvement).

Access is rubbish - the bodypanels are a pain to take on and off, with the oil filler cap in an awkward position as is the battery. I've had no battery problems though, but it is on an Optimate throughout the winter snow layup.

Tank range is 180 then we go on reserve - at 220miles I need a garage urgently. I've read of the "faults" that some owners have experienced but can only report that I once had a strange affair starting which appeared to be the result of water on the relay contacts. Dried off and away we go - only happened once and I've ridden through many a monsoon!

Cost of ownership - that's a personal issue as we all have different levels of finanacial pain, but I am happy with the ST4s. Tyre wear - front 7k rear 3.5k on the standard MPSports. Cam belts done after 12k each time and no disc warps.

Would I have another - YES

John W,

Would a s/h Sept '01 bike with 6,800 miles in Grey at about £5k tempt you?
No panniers though, but with Ducati Performance tankbag, Ducati tall screen, 14T sprocket, Scottoiler.

Jools,

no i'm not sure, and to be honest after my trip to CMW today I think they could be the same.
I had a look in the 2003 and 2004 accessories catalogues and the panniers are the same parts numbers, and the brackets look identical to me.

The salesman thought the 2004 panniers were slightly larger capacity, but that's not what it said in the book.
I'l keep an eye on ebay then ;)

Here's a question for those of you with panniers.
Having a look at some panniers on a 2003 bike it seems to me that the handle recess could fill up with water in heavy rain. Does it drain out somehow ??
The salesman hadn't been asked this before. When we go back for a test ride I'll be taking a jug and testing it :lol:

Stan,
no worries about joining us late, and congrats on the baby. Any first hand experiences are handy to me.

Dave,
its a possible, but I can't say until I've had a ride on the 2004 bike.
Is yours the matt or shiny grey ?
I brought the 04 catalogue home and the missus had a goo read over a cuppa.
She likes the look of it, so that's a start :D

Cheers people, have a great weekend.

Cheers,
John.

Water
 

John - the panniers do NOT differ in size (salesman!) but the handle recess will hold a very small amount if you are caught out in a monsoon - however with the constant movement of the bike being cranked over from left to right etc it will all disappear. I have never had water in my panniers.

Do not know where you are based in UK but I buy my ducs from Phil Worth at Italia Classics in Lincoln. I am sure he'll let you play with a demo '04 model and he usually has 2nd hand models for sale.

One thing I forgot to mention on my last post was the suspension. Being fully adjustable it does take some setting-up to get just right. You can do it yourself of course, but it is a black art in my humble opinion, but when it's spot on the bikes a dream :)

Well good luck in the search, but the ST4s is a great touring bike in sporting style

John W,

It's Matt Grey mate.