[ST] ST vs ST2/4

[Kevin Smith <ksmith955@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Today I had a two hour (80 mile) ride on a new (300
mile) Ducati ST4S
from the local dealer.

I swapped mounts with a ST2 last year for the 18 mile
playground going south from Newtown (Wales), which is
the A473. Consensus was that the Duke was more nimble,
and quicker into turns.  Also seemed to be more
responsive at low/mid-range, but that was before I had
the race can fitted.  ST felt more "planted" on bends,
especially sun-rippled ones.  Grips were easier on the
hands, and instruments easier to read (for what its
worth.)  Duke started to run out of breath at
(ahem)115 -120 (Veglia-indicated, that is) while ST
was still pulling like a train, but that's what you
would expect with 20 or so more horses.  Pillions
preferred the ST.  (We were solo on the A473, just in
case anyone starts getting concerned!).  ST's brakes
had more feel, but performed about the same as the
Duke.

A return match in June, now with race pipe, gave the
ST a more noticeable overall advantage, in that the ST
would haul the Duke in on the straights very quickly. 
Seeing as I am only 10 stone, I don't quite have the
confidence or strength to really chuck the ST about
(unlike some -- that means you, Cameron!), so tend to
chicken out on the hard late braking stuff, even when
doing fancy advanced vanishing point monitoring.

I suspect that the ST4 would give an ST a very good
run for its money.  However, as the ST2 is on its 4th
alternator in 12k miles (as previously reported),
there must be a big ? over reliability for me.  Also,
the new ST4 three phase cannot be retro-fitted to the
ST2 because the crank ends are different.

The ST2's flip-up gave me (5'7'') more buffetting than
the Nuovo double-bubble on the ST.

However, I still would not swap the ST.  Last night
proved (yet again) that the A420/A4 from Bristol to
Reading can be done as fast on a decent bike on a
Sunday evening as the same route on the motorway in a
car. There is no traffic, people!  Go and play!  The
uphill chicane out of Ford on the 420, and the
stretches on the A4 past Silbury Hill, Avebury and
assorted Bronze Age heritage and through and past
Savernake Forest are what the STs are bred for.  The
green gunge all over the front of the bike is the
proof.

Kevin (Reservoir Dawg)
London. Uk
99 ST

 

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