Hi Guys I am a massive fan of the ST4s range but had to sell mine last year due to redundancy. Now i might be in a position to buy another bike. Dont expect to buy new and from what i read a 2013 onwards seems to be the way to go. If i buy one it has to be Ohlins shod, so... What to go for, and i expect there will be a number of ex ST owners that have taken this route so tell me all, warts 'an all. Thanks
I rode an ST4S for 10 years and only changed for a Multistrada 1200s in 2012 which I still ride with a great deal of enjoyment and pleasure. I have a 1098R and a 748R but the Multistrada is my forever, go to bike. Sadly the only Ohlins shod model in the twin spark and the DVT is the Pikes Peak. Andy
I loved my 4S, unfortunately had to give it up with sore wrists and neck after riding, and i rack up the miles. Went to 1200S skyhook twin spark. Absolutely love it, the twin spark feel reminds me of the trad Ducati engine charecter found in 4S and the 900ss i loved. It is all day comfy, has more performance than 4S, but all had their neck rung. To be honest the 4S gave me something satisfaction wise the MTS doesn't, MTS is a mighty fine bike though and i cannot yet find a suitable replacement, but if my neck and wrists were 25 years younger i would be on the 4S with a few go faster bits added, better brakes and headlights!!!!!!
I had a ST4s for over 7 years and did 49,000 miles on it. It was a brilliant bike and suited me perfectly apart from the headlight. When the MTS came out I thought they were ugly, I still do, and they were too high. Eventually in late 2012, with ST4s getting on in miles I decided I needed something newer so bit the bullet and bought a 2010 MTS1200 ABS with 15,000 miles on it. I adapted to the high seat height and did a lot of miles around Europe and it never let me down. In May this year I test rode the new MTS and the Supersport 939 back to back. It was a revelation. I instantly felt at home on the SS and it was so much lower and lighter and easier to maneuver at a stand still. The Multi was just more of the same. It has the power and all of the gizmos but I don't need that. I ordered a new Supersport along withthe pannies and heated grips. So far it has taken me through the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany and it has been fantastic. Ergonomically it is similar to the ST4s and the old carbed 900SS, giving a slightly sporty riding position yet excellent comfort. For me it is the new Ducati sports tourer. Incidentally, I sold the Multi with 43,000 on it. The new owner has done another 4 ,000 on it this year including a tour that took him round France, Italy and Germany. It is still on the original battery. And the current owner of the ST4s has put another 5 or 6 thousand on it with no problems either. So who says Ducatis aren't reliable?
Excellent post, I would also mention my 4S went over 50000 miles when sold, TS on 30000 now, generaly the 4S had less issues. Maybe i should try the 939 but I worry it might not have enough oomph?? And having said that, one of my all time bestbrides was going up the Pyrenees flat out ona road similar to the mountain in TT on my 900ss, with way less power than the other bikes.
I dont want to spend more than £10k if i can help it, but i would increase that rather than compromise on the bike. One of the reasons i have held off from replacing the ST before( well, before i had to) was because i heard so many stories when the multi first arrived of niggly little issues with the clever electronics. Keyless start, electronic Ohlins etc. Oh and the porous heads of course. The kind of thing i need to know now is things like, are the panniers totally waterproof and as roomy as the ST, is the wind protection as good. Will the pillion cope. Thats probably the most important factor to be honest. I know that the engine on the multi is brilliant and i like the idea of rider modes. ABS is a must now for my 2 up riding.
In my opinion the ST is miles better for a pillion, the fairing protects as well if not better than MTS, but hand guards are an added bonus on MTS. I have hardly ever used the panniers myself, but not many complain about MTS panniers on here.
As a passenger, my wife hated the Multi. She didn't like the height and being up in the breeze. She referred to it as the "Multistorey" The LH pannier is about the same size as the ST ones but you lose some space in the RH one due to the exhaust cut-away. I never had any problems with water getting into them.
I have owned several ST and still have a 4S as well as a Multistrada DVT i find the ST4 riding position uncomfortable now. The DVT riding position is very comfortable and the engine is amazing for me there is to much electronics on the DVT. The ST4 is a brilliant bike but the Multistrada is better
Interesting to hear what you say about the ST pillion seat being better than the multi's,how bad is its pillion perch? This is one of the bad details of the ST. My pillion passenger (wife) suffered greatly on the standard ST but i cured the issue with a custom design tailored to her.
Surely all this pillion conjecture is not relevant as it is a personal thing dependent on weight and height etc, and so the only way to know what your wife thinks of the MTS back seat, is to stick her on one and go for a blast ??
Agreed. My wife didn't like it because she felt high up and exposed but it will be very much a personal thing.
