So the wife want to ride on something more comfortable than the monster.

I can obtain a 2001 ST 4 for a very reasonable price with 31 000 km on the clock.

Anyone here have any expierance on these bikes ? What must I be on the lookout for ?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

by most accounts, the ST4 is a pretty swanky ride. it has the same mill as the 916, so you'll probably want to ask about the rockers, whether they've flaked, and if it's been taken care of. though with that 31K on the clock, it seems as though it would have been found out by now. still, ask...

i've no personal experience with the ride, so i can't give you any more than that, but i know there's at least a few folks on the board that have ST bikes of various flavors.

Is it an 's' model?

Heck, it doesnt matter if it is or not, the ST is a great bike. You'll love it. I've put 17,000 miles on mine in the 21 months i've owned it and so far it's been trouble free except for a burst fuel line.

Quote from: FatguyRacer on August 18, 2008, 05:57:33 AM
Is it an 's' model?

oh, yeah... the 'S' model has the 996 motor, among other things.

Not an S model, slight cosmetic damage on the right hand side ( 2 fastener holes are cracked ) I will repaint the bike in any case if I buy it though.

Selling price the equivilant of 5400.00 US Dollars.

In general, you should look for the same things on an ST4 that you would look for on a Monster or any other Ducati.  If the cam belts are more than two years old or 12,000 miles, you'll need to replace those, which should be factored into the price.  The price sounds reasonable, by the way.

If the bike has the Ducati Designs headlight upgrade, that is a definite plus.  It should come with the hard bags.

I bought my ST2 at the end of 2003 as a "temporary ride" until I could find the right Monster to replace it.  But after taking test rides on at least eight Monsters I finally realized that I I like riding the ST2 better than riding a Monster and stopped looking.  It's a great all around bike, good for long distances or short runs through the twisties.

If you want an ST-specific forum, the best choice is the Yahoo ST2_Owners list.  There are people there who can answer any possible question about the bike.

Thanx Scott, BTW love the 888

I had an ST3 and absolutely loved it. Fast and comfortable.

Keep in mind if you're thinking of getting a backrest for the missus, your choices are limited. As far as I know, the only options are the top trunk w/backrest and the Corbin seat w/backrest. I didn't want a trunk and went with the Corbin. Big mistake. Hardest, most uncomfortable thing I ever sat on, and it never broke in like their website says it will.

Sargent is the seat to go with. I havnt heard too many glowing reviews about the Corbin seat. It even costs a great deal more than the Sargent too. I spend 8-12+ hr on my moto working bike races on the weekends as a USA Cycling moto marshall and my butt thanks me for buying the Sargent.

I've ridden an ST2 and ST4 and both are not a patch on the newer ST3.

get the suspension done.  get a later model ('04 onward) seat - it's much better - or an aftermarket one.  i always thought they were the taxi of the range until i owned a st2 with good suspension. i really liked it.  i could have ridden it a lot except that it was much faster than my 600m and therefore unhealthy for my licence.  great wheelie bike.

st4 tend to be rather unloved in terms of resale, so buy low.  they're more expensive than the st2 to maintain, but not as "desirable" as the same maintainence st4s.

st3 does go well, and by now those who bought them will have absorbed most of the inevitable st series fast depreciation.  they are painful to get the fairing off tho.

get the suspension done whichever one you buy.

Quote from: zarn02 on August 18, 2008, 05:27:00 AM
by most accounts, the ST4 is a pretty swanky ride. it has the same mill as the 916, so you'll probably want to ask about the rockers, whether they've flaked, and if it's been taken care of. though with that 31K on the clock, it seems as though it would have been found out by now. still, ask...

Quote from: ScottRNelson on August 18, 2008, 08:33:22 AM
In general, you should look for the same things on an ST4 that you would look for on a Monster or any other Ducati.  If the cam belts are more than two years old or 12,000 miles, you'll need to replace those, which should be factored into the price.  The price sounds reasonable, by the way.

If the bike has the Ducati Designs headlight upgrade, that is a definite plus.  It should come with the hard bags.
<snip>
If you want an ST-specific forum, the best choice is the Yahoo ST2_Owners list.  There are people there who can answer any possible question about the bike.

The above pretty much sums it up, but I will add that the 2001 model doesn't have any of the recalls or electrical issues of the '98 ST2 and benefits from the 12mm engine bolt upgrade from the 10mm of the '97-'00 models. The possibility of flaking rockers is the main issue with the ST4.

Quote from: brad black on August 20, 2008, 05:28:10 AM
get a later model ('04 onward) seat - it's much better - or an aftermarket one. 

This seems to be the common opinion, and one I completely disagree with. My advice is to buy the bike and ride it several times to see how the seat fits to you. I have no problem with day rides up to 1000+ miles on my stock '98 ST2. I bought a second ST2 with a Corbin and had a difficult time riding it the 100 miles back home without my a$$ getting sore, so it was immediately yanked off the bike and replaced with a stock seat....and the Corbin is currently on eBay.

Quote from: brad black on August 20, 2008, 05:28:10 AMst4 tend to be rather unloved in terms of resale, so buy low.  they're more expensive than the st2 to maintain, but not as "desirable" as the same maintainence st4s.

This is so true. Lots of people like the ST2 for its cheaper/easier maintenance, lower price, reliability, and lack of flaking rockers, and the ST4s is deemed as "THE" ST to own. The ST4 just doesn't seem to get too much excitement.

Here is a picture of my first ST2....



Here is my recent ST2 purchase (for my wife)...




And here are a couple of hot ST bikes in action (neither is me, though)...

Desmo Demon,

That first picture of the ST2 looks a lot like Lake Jocassee and the out building looks familar too. Some of the best roads on the planet.

You from around here?

LA

ST4s.

The most fun you can have with your clothes on.  Period.   

Quote from: LA on August 23, 2008, 11:39:59 AM
That first picture of the ST2 looks a lot like Lake Jocassee and the out building looks familar too. Some of the best roads on the planet.

You from around here?

I sure am. I live in Easley.....the first picture is the overlook for Lake Jocassee off the jumper road between Hwy 130 and Hwy 107 in northern Oconee County (turn left on Hwy 130 just before you get to the NC/SC state line).....The second picture is the building right on the corner of Hwy 11 and Sunset Rd (about 2 miles west from the Hwy 11 and Hwy 178 interstection at the Holly Springs store). My wife and I have been regulars in the area and at "The Store" for many, many years.