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[ST] Comparo : ST -v- ST4s



- ----- Original Message ----- > Questions
> 1. Any current ST rider with experience of ST2/4, or
> better still ST4s, and would like to comment?


I ride with a fellow that has an ST4.  We just finished a trip of 1200 miles
poking around NW Arkansas and I was able to ride his for several stretches.

The mid-range torque of the Ducati is a myth.  At least with the ST4 you
have to rev it more like a 4 cylinder to get power.  I am 210 lbs, the ST4
rider is 170.  In a straight heads up drag race he can flash up to high RPM
and pull me about a 1/2 bike length with every gear - not a lot, but you
know who the winner is.  Drag racing is a sport of peak HP and weight - on
both he has the edge.

In the real world mid-range torque is the key to happiness and this is where
my friend puts on the sad face.  At ANY mid-range RPM in the same gear I can
pull him embarrassingly.  On straight highway, 50, 60, or 70 MPH, in the
same gear I can literally walk away from him in a roll-on.  These roll-ons
were done well past 110 MPH and he never caught me or even narrowed the gap
significantly.  The lower the speed the worse it gets (because he can't use
that peak power).  To test this I used 6th gear, he used 5th for a roll-on,
they are then fairly evenly matched - I still pull him ever so slightly.  If
I use 6th and he uses 4th he can pull me and continues since he is well into
his power band.  In 5th or 6th gear roll-ons the ST4 will throb a lot and
the fairing shakes noticeably,  the ST doesn't.

In the corners this equates to being much easier to ride the ST on torque.
He will be shifting often when I am just rolling on the throttle to stay
with him in corner exits...or even backing off to not run over him.  The ST4
felt much stiffer and doesn't drop into corners like the ST.  Can't say much
about this because I wasn't able to adjust anything on his bikes suspension.
After 50 miles of corners the ST4 didn't feel so strange and was easy to
corner with.

Gauges:   ST4 MUCH easier to read than ST.
Seating:   Very similar, peg to seat distance may be slightly more on ST4.
Bars:        He has Heli-bars which make them similar but at a different
angle.
Wind:      The ST fairing/windshield is a bit wider and covers shoulders a
smidgen more.
Suspension:  ST4 much better and very adjustable.
Bags:    Very similar, I think the ST comes off quicker.
Mileage:  Very similar, I usually put in a couple of tenths less at every
fill up.

That's all I can think of for now...except he paid $15,000.00 and I bought
used for $7,500 off this site :-)

PRW


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