Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > Sport Touring: ST4 / ST3 / ST2 > ST4S Mods

[eskimo]

Update, striped the alloy thread trying to get the ends out of the alloy linkage rod, 10 day wait for the part £30.00 for the alloy rod, the steel ends are Ok, but if l needed them, they would be £120 each end

So bikeless for the bank holiday weekend, and the weather looks good

Hope l am all sorted for Cadwell Park

[Jools]

Originally Posted by eskimo

the steel ends are Ok, but if l needed them, they would be £120 each end

Eh!!! They're only rose joints

http://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/RO...529/index.html

[eskimo]

No parts available at the moment so put the old strut back on, l use PTF tape as there still just seems enough thread left, but would not be that confident if using it at Cadwell especially if the rear leaves the ground
So l hope the new one gets to me before then.
Yes it does speed up the turn in, but it felt stiff at the rear end so wound the the preload out 2 clicks,now not too bad, but it pitch's a bit over bumps, so l have email MD Racing to get it set up properly for Cadwell

Also need some new tyres, any good deals about looking for BT016's or perelli Corsa 3, or consider something else if there very cheap

[keith_mann1959]

I know its a personal thing but when i had my st4s to go to WDW2007 on i bought Bridgestones at the fitters recomend.
Never again, they really did not suit the combination of the bike and/or me. Wore out quickly, didn't like the cold in switzerland and generally were not a patch on 208rr's. Yes i know they are not meant to be touring tyres but waaay better then These.

I seriously wish i had not sold the ST either , big mistake.

[John W]

I don't bother with corsas, diablo stradas will do everything I can throw at the bike, and last longer too.
I always use a BT020/021 on the front though.

Steer clear of Avons, they don't last very well on Ducatis.

[pguenet]

My ST4s has the wheel well off the ground when on centre stand and I don't have problems turning in. You just have to apply the quickturning techniques. The instructor at CSS was actually telling me to calm down the quick turns at last CSS.

I have to say that I would not quite know what to move to as everyday bike. I have now clocked 33,000 (catching you up Monty) and it does everything that I can throw at it. City commute, distance commute, ride out and as the 998 is not ready took her on CSS day and was well impressed. Felt everyway like a Ducati and was creaming quite a few race bikes through the day. The instructor even said at the end of the day that I was doing very well with a bike like "that". Told him that he would be surprised how good it was.

Re mods-
- I fitted a Odyssey battery. Great one and no issue with cranking the engine no more... but need to hack the battery tray and need to reposition the ECU.
- You want to put some silicone in loom going to ECU as water runs down the sleeves and rots the cable at the bottom.
- I have put some 4 pads calipers at the front. Great but need to be regularly cleaned up.
- I ran some 6 piston PFMs for a while. Awesome brakes IMO, I rate them as good as the Brembo GP stuff that I have on the track bike but too harsh for the road.
- I have tried to put 999 master cyls - forget about it. After much swearing in multiple languages I gave up. The lines bolt underneath and that conflicts with the switch gear and throttle. Trying to pivot those slightly is a mess, controls are out of place and still you have to force things in. Pivotting throttle cable 180 degres also means it becomes too short. So you'll have to fit entirely different switch gears and throttle if you wanted to go that way and the stuff from other bikes is not a straight replacement.
I'll probably fit some Pazzo racing levers, that will do.
- I will invest some day in repainting all the cases and various covers as they took some beating from the elements
- I am thinking about Samco hoses as the OEM ones are looking bad
- I am thinking about 996 Rad (ally) as the standard is looking bad, but fittings are different
- I am also wondering if 999 wheels would fit and would look good? Anybody knows?
- Thinking of ohlins forks or changing the bottoms on the Showas as they are pitted. Nice billet radials exist but then would mean changing the calipers
- Thinking about a weight loss exercise, notably on fairing panels. Thinking of trying to make nice carbon ones myself and converting the stupid fairing rubber mounts to quick release. I have not found the time to work on this yet.
- Somebody Ducman I think does some nice billet rear sets. Tempting but quite like the comfort of the standard ones.
- I will invest in some better chain adjustment indicators from Desmotime some day
- I have changed the front speedle for a billet one from Cepeedee (ebay) nice stuff but ally bolt slightly too big. I would love to find a billet rear wheel spindle too as the current one looks well rusty.

I won't play with the engine on this bike. It is more than enough for what I do with her and fingers crossed, it has not eaten any rockers so far.

Cheers
p

[Mad Dog Bianchi]

Seems like Ducati stopped making a real gem of a bike when they stopped producing the STS. I was very pleasantly surprised on my first track day and for everyday use it is so much fun (except for the bloody heat!). Tire pressures are something I always check before riding and they do make a difference.

[Monty]

Originally Posted by pguenet

I have to say that I would not quite know what to move to as everyday bike. I have now clocked 33,000 (catching you up Monty). p

I didn't know you had a '4s as well Phillippe-how many bikes is that now??
Yes you are catching me up, but only because I haven't been able to ride mine for the last 18 months-the drop and shoulder injury last year and hand surgery this year has sort of slowed me down a bit. In fact I am selling the ST4S as the riding position is too wristy (believe it or not) for my wrist's now-Sparky is going as well for the same reason.
I have ordered the new Multistrada thingy with the 1198 engine to replace them so all is not lost.............

John