ST2 My first Ducati, had it a week and it's in bits already chasing a misfire. I thought that I would upgrade the headlamp bulbs while I had the plastic off but I am slightly confused. Can anyone confirm that the "fisheye" is dipped beam and fitted with an H3 bulb, (with a short lead)? The "conventional" reflector has an H1, (male spade), bulb and is wired for main beam. On page 237 of the manual the graphics are the same as my ST2, (dipped on the left), but the text on the same page says the reverse?? I thought that it might just be because it is a translation from the Italian, ( for right dipping headlights), but then I would have expected the graphics to be the other way round too. The wiring diagram shows dipped to the fisheye but is also says 21Watt bulbs! Whatever they're not good are they?
So that's don't ride it in the rain or the dark then? :Happy: Thanks for the feedback, I think that I have finally sussed the lights, they're actually designed to be that bad!
Unfortunately no matter what bulbs you put in it makes virtually no difference, the poor beam I'd due to the headlight lens pattern.
As with many Italian motorcycles, the headlights are rubbish. The best way to improve them is to use the original switches to drive relays (instead of the lights themselves) and run new power leads to the lights. Gives much better results than any kind of bulb upgrade. And Michel - the ST headlights are 100% better than the ones on my 750 Formula : at least there isn't half a second of darkness between dipped and main beam...
Aha yes the cibie lights,I always put them on my bikes in the 70's and 80's. And they were good. How is it that headlights are so shit now!
Which is why you have to make the very best use of what the system actually can put out - use relays and decent wiring... That way more of the power arrives at the lights and doesn't get wasted in the resistance of switches and poor cabling.
Excuse me being a thicko, but could you explain running new power leads? I'm assuming that there are bigger cables involved somewhere; in my head I'm seeing the high and low beams being powered from the switch to two relays, then from the relays to the lamps in bigger cabling? Any help in clarification would be very much appreciated.
Usually the power to the headlight goes : main fuse - handlebar switch - headlight - earth, quite often with a few plugs / connectors along the way. Each connection has a resistance that lowers the actual voltage arriving at the headlight. The optimal way to go is to use the existing wiring to turn a relay on and off, not the actual headlight bulb. Then run new, good quality, cables that go : main fuse - relay - headlight - earth (with one relay for main beam and one for dip beam). That way there is as little voltage drop as possible over the whole system as the resistance is as low as it can be - thus better output from the headlights... Basically run new cables that supply power direct to the lights via relays, and use the existing wiring to switch those relays on and off. Hopefully that makes sense now...
But the battery will still go flat as the charging system cant cope with the two headlights on together. Ride on dipped beam everywhere and the charge "just" balances..
If you use two relays, turned on and off by the original switches, there's no reason why the lights would operate any differently to what they did originally. I am not sure what the ST2 does, but I do know that the ST4 has dipped and main on together - and I have never had a problem with it flattening the battery.
The ST4 uses a much better generator, it copes perfectly, The ST2 has a single phase alternator that is simply inadequate and when both headlights are on, so is the charge light, unless the battery is in top condition. You can add the "upgrade" rectifier unit, but I can assure you that if you use your ST2 daily in the dark, as I did, then it will need a top up charge every third week or so. Precisely the reason that I sold mine and now have an ST4.. I guess it is possible to upgrade the alternator but looking on the various forums the cost is more than its worth . Its quite sad to think that Ducati, knowing of this problem, didn't recall all the ST2's and rectify it.
It will also get you an overdraft! If you can find one now as they stopped making them a while ago. Agreed a good light though,reminds me of the good old days...
