Taking the plunge

Talking of which, you've been awfully quiet about taking out the Monster in this fab weather.

Or have I missed something?

 

Our breath is bated.

You can do it!

 

Might it not be a good idea to hire or borrow a scooter for a couple of weeks, or a very unintimidating 125 or something to ease yourself back into powered 2-wheel transport to get your confidence levels up before tackling the Ducati?

Just a thought.

 

done.

 

Went to look at a 2001 ST3 in Black. 28K miles for £2400 from a delaer. When I actually got there and looked at the bike I spotted straight away it wasnt a loved Ducati. Broken and cracked fairings, broken wing mirror, rust, dirt , grime....yuk. Dealer said "its a tourer, that's how it is".
So i walked out in disbelief.
Today I picked up a MY2001 Red ST2, panniers,datatool, lovely condition, full service history, the works, with only 13k on the clock......£1300. Dealers eat my dirt.:tongue:

 

This is the advantage of Fugly bikes and the proof that the ST series was fugly.

You get a lot of bike for your money.

Ducati's failure to address this market segment, but simply stating "We do the Multistrada, that's the sports tourer" and basking in its sales success, misses the point that the STs were great bikes that not many people wanted to own because of the way they looked.

If they produced a beautiful ST - ie a real sports tourer and not and "adventure bike" - I bet they'd sell plenty. It's not as if the Honda VFR hasn't sold, or people abandoned it in droves for BM GS or Mutleys.

The 907ie was a great bike and I liked the way it looked, although it was clearly too radical looking for most Ducatisti at the time. If only they'd produce an updated version. I'd be first in line.

 

I know I should say hello in the Newbie section, and I'm certainly not trying to hijack the thread with my first post(!), but I just thought I'd poke my head above the parapet and say 'hello!'.

Picking up my first Ducati, an(other!) ST3, tomorrow. Can't wait!! £2700 off eBay for an '05 model in good condition, with 15k on the clock. A lot of bike for the money, indeed!

And I don't think they're fugly, far from it! Nowhere near as fugly as the original Multistrada - THAT's a fugly bike.... ;-)

My ST3 will be joining a somewhat, er, eccentric garage of vehicles which includes a Sunbeam S8, several weird and wonderful cyclemotors, and my Alfa Giulietta SZ race car (always had a soft spot for Italian machinery).

Anyway, I look forward to learning a lot from this forum, and 'be gentle on the Newbie'!

 

Fugly is perhaps not the word. Lets say they are fairly bland looking - not recognisably Ducatis from a distance. But they are typical Ducatis to ride, luckily.

 

The original ST was a bit "bland", especially from the front... The Original MultiStrada, I always thought, had a sort of weird charm about it. I saw one at the NEC painted bright orange - looked great ! (well, I thought so anyway...). The 907ie was definitely ahead of its time, and I can't help thinking that Honda copied the concept with the CBR1000 and, to some extent, the original CBR600R... Hopefully, fugly and tatty as it is, my ST4 will be on the road in the not too distant future - once I get back to the UK I just need to sort out the MoT, and the insurance, and the tax, and get it serviced... Then happy days !

 

I just did the same thing, but took the plunge on an ST4
I'm sure you will love the Duke. I'm loving mine at the moment, find it slighly tall on the gears so might drop down to a 14t front sprocket. Welcome to the FAST YELLOW CLUB

 

Cheers, Folks.

Thanks for the welcome, and I look forward to contributing a bit more!

Now becoming fully acquanited with the concept of 'farkle', but am resisting the urge to splurge on any carbon fibre or anodised tat...for now. :wink:

James

 

Much better to go more teeth on the rear sprocket.Far less stress on the output shaft,amongst other factors.

 

Makes a lot of sense going up on the rear sprocket as you suggest, but how many teeth can I add before I start running into chain length and wheel position problems? Standard ratio is 15t to 43t Need to go to 45t rear for the same effect as a 14t front - I guess thats do-able?

 

I am interested in the rack that you have fitted - I think your luggage is the same as mine - the original Ducati ( Nanfango ) luggage. I have the rack also but have not fitted it yet - Could you tell me which points on the bike your rack is bolted too?
Cheers

 

I am thinking the same - originally I was going to put a 14t front sprocket but as has been pointed out this loads the transmission a bit more although many have gone this way - the larger rear sprocket may require 2 or 3 more teeth to get the sam gear reduction. Problem then is we might require a longer chain?