newbie st2 questions

S

stretch

New member
Hi all after passing ma test a bought a 600 bandit which i got bored with so started looking around for a twin and somehow ended up buying a ktm duke 2 which ive had for 3 months now and ive realised although fun it doesnt really do what i want in a bike got a bad back aswell so ive took a step back and started looking at a ducati st2 or 4 there pretty cheap it seems for what u get and look pretty comfy im 6ft 6 so a full on sports bike is out and i take my girlfriend out occasionally so want a bit of grunt to pull us around would a st be a good bike for this? Oh and a bit play when im solo? Thanks for any info !
 
know what you mean about the Duke, I had one for about 6 months, great toy, good for 70 miles but nowt else :( An ST might do what you want but I'd suggest taking a multistrada out for a test ride as well, its like a comfy KTM but with a bit more grunt and is one of the best bikes for a pillion, S/H prices are reasonable.

I had 2 multi's before going for a tourer, realised i prefer high bar bikes just because of the riding position and lack of fairings to damage so went back ( to a GS just cos of shaft drive)
 
Yeah there great the dukes but just a pain on fast flowing a roads which ive realised is alot of my riding, i like the multistradas but there alot more money than a st ? c i dont do loads of miles so cant justify spending loads of cash saying that if i get a tourer the amount of miles might change? last year i only did 2000 miles and i can pick up what looks like a decent st for 2500 quid , i did read that ducatis r more reliable when used regular but mine wouldnt b so would that hurt the reliability ? i know im a fair weather rider ! know what u mean bout the high bars can u get risers for the st cos i always wanted a 916 but cant cos of my height thats the othr reason for an st its the nearest i can get to a ducati sports bike! thanks for all ya help!
 
multis are coming down in price, 03 and 04 bikes can be found at low prices at times but still more than an olderST :( you'll find you would do more miles on a multi or ST, both are great 2 up bikes so you probably would take the GF out and start putting miles on. the ST bars won't be that far away from a multi, the multi is quite sport tourer like in riding position and handling both are more comfy than sport bikes.

reliability tends to come from regular servicing and looking after, make sure belts have been changed every 2 years and as good a service history as possible the tech library in the main site has an article on buying a used ducati which may be useful.

We have our own resident ST expert on here, Derek, he knows quite a bit about ST history and will be along shortly no doubt.

V twin service in Consett should be useful if you don't want main dealer servicing.
 
Welcome to the forum Stretch.

I swore by my ST2. It was comfy, easily fast enough, had enough grunt, was very reliable and great two up. Yet if you wanted to give it some beans, lets face it, its chassis is based on the 888/Monster which won many a world championship so it handles!!!

I can't comment on a Multi as I've never owned one - at the risk of being contriversal, it's looks are an aquired taste. :)

Cider please by the way. :)
 
Oh thanks mate i live 3 miles from consett so thats v gud news where abouts is it ? ive sat on a multistrada and it felt like i was a bit close to the screen may be just me but sat on a st and it seemed alot more comfy girlfriend likes the st aswell not that that matters?:whistle: i was also told that the air cooled engines r cheaper to service than the water cooled? i always keep my bikes v clean and well looked after when it comes to servicing so hopefully should b ok ? oh might b a silly question but r they carbs or injection havent looked that closely just for when i put cans on if i can just jet it or need a power commander?
 
stretch said:
Oh thanks mate i live 3 miles from consett so thats v gud news where abouts is it ? ive sat on a multistrada and it felt like i was a bit close to the screen may be just me but sat on a st and it seemed alot more comfy girlfriend likes the st aswell not that that matters?:whistle: i was also told that the air cooled engines r cheaper to service than the water cooled? i always keep my bikes v clean and well looked after when it comes to servicing so hopefully should b ok ? oh might b a silly question but r they carbs or injection havent looked that closely just for when i put cans on if i can just jet it or need a power commander?
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...well the ST2 was a 944cc water-cooled injected 2 valve motor, but a very good one at that. And yes running costs for 2 valve engines are much cheaper. The ST4s didn't have the new 4v motor which is much easier to service than the Desmoquattro engines. :)
 
Ah now i feel silly:doh: thought they might b carb so i guessing i'll need a power commander if i change the cans or can u just change the chip? whats the tank range on em like just ive been getting used to less than 100 miles on my duke and got 150 out of my bandit?
 
stretch said:
Ah now i feel silly:doh: thought they might b carb so i guessing i'll need a power commander if i change the cans or can u just change the chip? whats the tank range on em like just ive been getting used to less than 100 miles on my duke and got 150 out of my bandit?
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you won't need a power commander, just a chip! :) Tank range depends on how you ride it! Its easily able to 150 miles on a tank unless you're very hamfisted.
 
i love my st2. i am ham fisted and regularly see as little as 92 miles to the tank but i have seen 152 with still a bit left in the tank when i finally found a petrol station.
as ed says its plenty fast enough. ive been out on runs with guys from here and not had any problems keeping pace with them. all round a fantastic bike ,very useable and very good handling :D
 
Oh that sounds more like it a happy owner some days i like a bimble along looking at the view others i like a blast just depends so the st sounds great for that it might sound funny but my bandit wasnt fast but it could overtake a car at 70 and carry on to 100 happily but the duke couldnt and it gets v frustrating having to pick your pass so carefully and two up forget it on either bike thats why i wanted more grunt not top speed aslong as it'll cruise at 80 and a bit more im happy!
 
That sound more and more like the bike i want just gota sell my duke now after i fix the front wheel! What kind of insurance u lot paying im 30 this month and have 2yrs ncd i know it'll vary but which companies u using?
 
gordj65 said:
i love my st2. i am ham fisted and regularly see as little as 92 miles to the tank but i have seen 152 with still a bit left in the tank when i finally found a petrol station.
as ed says its plenty fast enough. ive been out on runs with guys from here and not had any problems keeping pace with them. all round a fantastic bike ,very useable and very good handling :D
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Gordon must be extremely hamfisted indeed or his bike needs a service :D
The tank is 21 litres and assuming there was say 3 litres left then, 92 miles is only 23 mpg :eek: and even 152 miles is only 38mpg.
My bike is an ST4s, which admittedly has the bigger 996 4 valve engine but it regularly gives me 50+ mpg and recently I ran it to 210 miles before filling up, there was only a litre or so left in it mind you.
The ST2 is reckoned to be better then the ST4 for bottom end torque but runs out of steam at the top end. The 3 valve ST3 has similar performance to the ST4 but with a bit more bottom end grunt. The ST4s is the best one all round with more at both ends :) as well as TiN Showa forks an Öhlins rear shock.

If you are thinking of an earlier bike watch out for breakages of the rear engine mounting bolt. Up until 2001 the engine bolts were 10mm but there had been a (very) few cases of the the rear bolt breaking. This can result in a broken frame or cracked crankcases. From 2001 Ducati increased the engine bolt size to 12mm across the range, not just on the ST. Nichols Manufacturing in the US do an uprated bolt kit but is very expensive.
The early ST2 had a single-phase alternator which wasn't really up to the job. For '98 the alternator output was increased but was still single-phase and inadequate. These '98 models had a recall for the alternator which involved fitting an alloy spacer with a hole in it which threw oil over the stator to help keep it cool. They also had a different rectifier/regulator from any other Ducati. From '99 3-phase alternators were fitted with a 580W output and these are generally reliable.
I think, that for the last year or 2 of production, the ST2 no longer had fully adjustable suspension but I'm not 100% sure on that.
The ST series, like most Ducatis is generally overgeared and will benefit from going up 2 or 3 teeth on the rear sprocket or down 1 on the gearbox sprocket.
Oh yes and the headlight is crap.
As Gizmo say a Multistrada will fit the bill for most of what you want but they are taller and plug ugly IMO :p
 
...so the moral of the story is basically don't touch one from the last century!!! :p

These later ones also had a 'proper' sidestand! anything pre-21st Century, had that stupid dog-leg sidestand which aided dropping the bike on it's left side!! :rolleyes: :)

Mine was a 2001 bike which NEVER let me down. Before it even left the 'PDI' workshop we set up the suspension (admittedly not as good a quality as Derek's ST4) and left it alone, doesn't need playing with, if you go 2-up just up the rear preload a tad. :) We also altered the gearing as Derek highlighted.

Funnily enough, I just thought, I don't think I ever rode the thing at night so Can't comment on the Headlamp! :)
 
I was looking at a 2001 onwards anyway thanks for the heads up ! Im gona take a friend with me who know alot more about em than me when i go to buy hes had loads of various italian bikes including ducatis and is in the trade ! Want ma new toy now ! Just gota get ma duke fixed its going to the wheel repair place on sat then on ebay or pistonheads?
 
Better Save Up For Dealer Service, Belts Service £500 Plus, And Standard Service Just Been Quoted £380. 2valver! Sod That.
 
Hey try a multistrada. I have a 620 one and its great. I've done (wet) tracknights on it and 400 mile days on euro tours. I'm typing this from a hotel in Milan having ridden here on my multi.
Cheers
Steve
 
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