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headlamp as part of the restyled nose fairing, height-adjustable bars (1 higher than the original ST bars, can be lowered back to original position) and perhaps most significant of all, a comfortable seat. The ST3 also has the 2003 ST4s upgraded accessory power socket. All new three valve per cylinder Redesigned gel seat 20A power socket CAN electronics New windscreen and headlamp design Height adjustable bars Remote headlight adjuster
Colours available: Red, Yellow, Metallic Silver Frame Colour: Metallic Grey ST4s and ABS models: Many of the improvements for the new ST3 were also introduced to the ST4s Redesigned seat CAN electronics New windscreen and headlamp design Height adjustable bars Remote headlight adjuster Adjustable levers are stock and aluminium in color. Handle bars mount to fork tubes below the top triple clamp. (Previous models mounted onto the top of the triple clamp.) Top triple clamp is gullwing shaped to allow more room for the different handlebar mounting above Instrument cluster is shaped differently. It now holds the immobilizer components. The instrument surrounds are now eliminated. The clutch and front brake master cylinders are coffin shaped and similar in size. Rear tire hugger is now plasticvs Carbon Fiber on previous ST4s models. New 5A accessory fuse in main fusebox. Listed for heated grips Colours available: Yellow, Red, Metallic Silver. Frame colour: Metallic Grey

1.2.9 2005

In the 2005 model year, the ST3 and ST4s got wet clutches. Controversial among many owners of previous model year STs, Ducati says it changed to a wet clutch to decrease clutch effort and lower noise. LT Snyders 2005 ST3 review for Motorcycle Consumer News noted that the clutch of his demo bike was slightly grabby, as though the plates were sticking due to hydraulic adhesion, and hard to find neutral. 2005 also saw the introduction of improved fairing fasteners, as a direct result of ST owner feedback.
ST3: Improved fairing fasteners Wet clutch Rubber trim on the windscreen gone. Seat improvements over 04.
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Colours available: Gloss Black, Red, Metallic Silver Frame Colour: Black, on the gloss black model, metallic grey on others ST4s and ABS models Improved fairing fasteners Wet clutch Rubber trim on the windscreen gone. Preload adjusters of the forks are wing nut in style. Seat improvements over 04.
Colours available: Gloss Black, Red, Metallic Grey with red wheels Frame Colour: Black, on the gloss black model, metallic grey on others

3.11 Thermostat

Checking the thermostat, from John Dean (in response to an overheating problem reported by a member): First, it's a bypassing thermostat exactly like the one used in almost all Italian cars. It's hooked up to the hoses in the cooling system, lying on the left side of the engine just in front of the engine case. What it looks like is an aluminium casting with three pipes coming out of it. The pipes are hooked up to the hoses. The way it works is that when cold, the water pump circulates fluid through the bypass section, without sending anything to the radiator. Thus, the coolant circulates all the time. When warm, the valve opens to allow coolant to flow through the radiator, and closes the bypass. To check the system, you really have to have the fairings off. First, take off the radiator cap to check the fluid level. Look in the radiator -- the fluid should be right up to the top. Fill the system, if necessary. The plastic bottle should drain when you remove the radiator cap. If it does not, then the little tube from the bottle to the radiator is blocked. Start the engine from cold, and feel the water connection on the side of the engine (that's the water pump), and the thermostat. They should almost immediately start to feel slightly warm. This means that the bypass is actually circulating. As the engine warms up, the engine, and all of the small hoses connecting the heads to the water pump, should start to get hot. The radiator may begin to get warm too. At some point, the thermostat will open and suddenly the radiator will get really hot. I don't know the exact opening temperature, but it's probably about 160 to 180 degrees F.
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If you have a stock EPROM chip, the fan should come on at about 220 F, and shut off at about 200 F. There are two identical temperature sensors in the system -- one for the temperature gauge and one for the fuel injection. The rear one (if I remember right) is for the fuel injection. This temperature information is also used to control the fan, through the computer and a fan relay beneath the seat. It is not necessary to use an expensive tester to check the temperature sensors, since they are simply variable resistors. Also, since they are the same, you can swap them if that helps you in testing. Here are the resistance values as I measured them, for these sensors (I have not found a specification for this): 60 F -> 3.1 K Ohms 130 F -> 800 Ohms 220 F -> 180 Ohms If you don't have proper circulation, the most likely cause would be an improperly filled system. This system is easy to fill, because there's very little to it and it's supposed to be self bleeding. To help things along, I would bleed it anyway. Remove the upper hose from the radiator, and pour coolant into the hose to fill the engine. It will flow down through both heads to the water pump. When you can't get any more fluid into the hose, put it back on loosely, and fill the radiator. Bleed the radiator by pulling the upper hose back until fluid runs out. The whole system, including the reservoir bottle, takes about a gallon. I'd use a high-quality antifreeze intended for motorcycles. I hope this is helpful. If the system is filled properly and there is no circulation, then I would be looking into the water pump.

3.14 Putting the Rear Wheel back in
Why have a section on re-installing your rear wheel? Because if youve done it, you will realise that Ducati have put a space in which is designed to fall out in such a way that its not always obvious how it goes back in!
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Ron provides the tips: The dome shaped spacer does go on the sprocket side of the rear wheel. The domed side goes against the wheel and the flat side against the swingarm. I've always found it easier to slip the chain over the sprocket before trying to align the rear wheel, caliper and axle, then installing the axle. Also, it's a very good idea to clean the axle before reinstalling and coat it with a very thin, very light, layer of grease. This will make reassembly much easier and also helps prevent corrosion, whick mine started to do before I replaced the original tire. I've always followed the shop manual specs on chain tension. It's recommended for 30mm of free play on the bottom run of chain under the swingarm when checked at the mid way point between the counter shaft and rear axle. When adjusting chain tension I've always measured rear axle alignment by measuring the rear axle distance to the swingarm pivot, and not by the marks on the swingarm. I usually go by the center point of the swingarm pivot to the front or rear of the axle. The torque specs on the rear axle nut call for 83Nm. The chain tensioner bolt calls for 8 Nm.
3.15 Checking belt tension
There are some hints on available on checking the belt tension on ST2 without having the special tool. Please take these as provided and with all things on this page, you undertake them at your own risk. James tells us: The 5mm allen wrench trick is for the st2 only. I am not sure if it is correct, but this is the method my dealer stated they use for the st4 (not sure if ST4S is the same): When pushing "outward" on the belt between the cams with your thumb with moderate pressure, the edge of the belt should almost touch the outer edge of the flange where the belt cover meets. I was told that is is ok if the belt slightly touches the inside of the cover from time to time. I was told it is better to run them too loose rather than too tight. I hope this makes sense. It is a difficult to explain without a picture, and it is difficult gauge "moderate" pressure. I checked the belt tension on my bike at 600 miles with this method, and it was very close. At DRC, the instructor for the valve adjustment class used a gauge to set the tension for the belts, and I tested this method on the belts afterward. I found the result to be close. Please take this method with a grain of salt. If in doubt, I would let the dealer set the tension. Broken belts = $$$$ $ Bill found a site which might help: http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Track/2228/desmo.htm

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WHY DESMO? What pushed ingegner Fabio Taglioni, and everybody else at Ducati, to persevere with the desmo system? In an interview of 1989, Taglioni himself explained that, in mechanics (which means, in real life) there is not ONE best solution in absolute terms. The secret of success is to develop ones intuition with devotion, logic and ingeniousness. it was just by doing calculations that I had to conclude, at the end of a series of logically connected, very clear engineering considerations, that it was necessary to eliminate the spring preloading! Taglioni knew that it would be a road bristling with obstacles connected with designing and manufacturing, but he wanted to leave behind the two traditional drawbacks of a spring system: heavy spring loading, which meant more engine work (and the resulting power loss) valve bounce at high RPM.
In other words: To obtain good results with a spring system, it is necessary to find a compromise between heavier spring loading requirements (possibility to turn at high RPM, while preventing valve bounce) and lighter spring loading requirements (loss control, loss being the amount of work necessary to open the valves against the spring loading: it should be remembered that the camshaft is driven by the engine; and smaller sizing of the parts involved, proportional to the spring loading). These problems are all solved by a desmodromic system: smoothness (and consequently, decreased losses) at low RPM and reliability at high RPM (without valve bounce) are obtained. Ducati has consistently used its desmodromic system ever since 1956. It is the only manufacturer in the world to have applied it to anything from standard production bikes to Superbike glory: the achieved standard of excellence mirrors Ducati corporate technology.

4.10 Engine Temperatures

Many owners new to the ST range of Dukes get concerned about the apparently very high temperatures experienced while riding the bike in heavy traffic conditions. As an example, one owner (of a brand new ST4) reported that while the outside temperature was 84F (29C), the engine temperature was around 174F (79C). In traffic, the temperature went up to 226F (108C). Its not unusual for bikes to show a very high reading. Roger provides an example on his ST2: The temp thing is OK. My 2001 ST2 often goes up to as much as 105C (221F) in town riding then the fan kicks in and it comes back down again. It is really hot riding in leathers on a hot day with a hot engine in towns isnt it? My previous Duc, a 907IE Paso, also did the heat thing with no problems at all. On open roads, even short ones, the temp will come back down again, the ST2 cruises at about 69/70C (158F). The manual for my 2001 ST2 indicates that the maximum temperature is 120C (248F). If this temperature is exceeded, then the temperature indicator will start blinking. A couple of owners have made a simple (apparently) mod to their bikes to force the fan to kick in at a lower temperature. If I get some details, Ill post them here.

5.20 Rear Brake Line warning
A potential problem with the rear brake line wearing through on an ST2 was reported by Ray C: I have just noted an interesting and potentially serious problem with the rear brake hose "carrier" on my ST2.
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I'm not aware that anyone has ever mentioned this before, so maybe my bike is an isolated case, but here are the details for your information: On the ST2 there is a wire "carrier" above the swing arm which holds the rear brake hose out of harms way. It is presumably designed to prevent the free length of hose from becoming abraded or trapped by the rear suspension spring and associated mechanicals. I have noticed that the wire carrier is actually damaging the hose quite severely. In my case the hose has a chunk of rubber missing from its wall because the end of the wire has been digging into it during the natural movement of the swingarm. Although the hose has not failed and I have since "modified" the carrier slightly, there is a great potential here for unexpected failure of the rear brake. I would advise all ST owners to check the carrier on their bikes to make sure they do not have a similar problem. My Ducati dealer has put in a warranty claim and they will be replacing the hose, but it doesn't sound like Ducati are planning on changing or modifying the wire carrier. As a temporary measure I have fitted a piece of thin rubber sleeving over the wire end and also bent the wire end outwards slightly to help prevent further damage to the hose.
5.21 Spluttering and Stalling
One owner reported a problem whereby his bike would misfire, splutter and sometime stall. Stephen provides a suggestion: ".since the onset of colder weather here in the land of Oz. I have been putting up with the her spluttering sessions for the last couple of weeks and will do so until she goes in for the 50,000 km service. Feels like it is electrical in nature. Maybe a regulator on it's way out. It usually does not happen until I have done at least 20 km and then she will splutter and misfire and sometimes almost die. It was one of the temp sensors that was intermittently going bad. The Mathesis should pick up that straight away, my extended episode with it was due to my mechanic/dealer not having a Mathesis. Once I had it diagnosed on the Mathesis it was obvious. Check the connections to the sensors first, they may just need some attention.
5.22 Cylinder base gasket leak
A few instances of the gasket at the base of the rear cylinder leaking have been reported. Fariborz did some research: After all the posts about the leak, I decided to call Munroe Motors to find out why the gasket leaks and what is the solution. This is what the service guy, Rick, at Munroe said: Ducati has changed oil passage ways on the vertical cylinder for better lubrication on the 2001 and 2002, 4 valve 916 engines (Monster S4 and ST4). As part of this modification, the gasket was also redesigned to accomodate the changes. Anyway the new gasket design leaks on some new bikes (Do not know how many). The solution is to remove the cylinder and put what they call gasket goop for lack of better term, and let it dry for overnight. According to Rick at Munroe, this is a two-day or three-day job (need to let the goop dry out). No drilling of any kind is required. The good question is why did Ducati Modified the oil Passage way to the vertical cylinder for better lubrication! You do not think it has to do anything with the FLAKY ROCKER problem, do you? Noooo. ~8O)

5.24 Bike runs poorly, wont rev over about 5000 rpm
The following eui (extremely useful information) comes from John Clifton. Sounds like he found out the hard way. Numerous ST owning friends of mine have had this problem occur, usually after a service where the fuel filter has been replaced: Symptom - bike runs very poorly, refusing to rev over about 5000rpm. Cause - one of the fuel lines in the tank attached to the fuel pump has come adrift, usually due the pipe not being reattached properly after having the fuel filter changed during a service Remedy - remove tank, lay upside on ground (hopefully on something soft, say your pillion's jacket - they can put up with the petrol fumes.), remove fuel pump from tank, be careful as the seal can make it a bit of a struggle, re-attach offending hose, stop, now recheck the hoses to make sure they are all going to the right outlets, replace the o-ring seal with that spare one you carry under the seat, grease the o-ring with a little chain lube, carefully put the pump back in the tank, tank back on bike etc. Ride away cursing the useless mechanic who failed to attach the hoses properly in the first place.
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5.25 Rusty Steering Head Bearings
Some owners have reported that Ducati is pretty lousy when it comes to putting gread on the steering head bearings, resulting in some noticeable rusting. Dave Harhay: I just finished inspecting the 03ST4s steering head bearings. Like everyone says there's not a lot of grease on them. FYI there is a seal, so the chance of water and crud getting into the bearings is small. I am not sure of the other models however. I put in a liberal amount and retorqued the special nut. From Ron Ginter: I've got rusty steering head bearings! They will be replaced under warranty (phew!), but I wondered if anyone has had a similar experience? My dealer says that Ducati doesn't grease them very well because they don't consider that we'll ride their touring bike in the rain <g>, so I immediately wondered if anyone in the soggy Pacific Northwest has had this problem? From d888spoltd: Sadly, your dealer is correct. I don't think that's any different than many other manufacturers however. Check out this months RoadRacing World for a commentary on bearings and lubricating them. I took apart wheels, steering head, and swingarm pivot on both my Ducatis when I bought them and each were fairly starved of grease. It never hurts to take them apart, clean and regrease. Bill Anderson says: I posted the rusted steering head bearings question on the UK ST Yahoo site because of the similar climates of the UK and PNW. I got an e-mail from a gentleman in Northern Ireland who replaced his at 35,000 miles because of rust. From Darren George: Mine were stuffed at 20 thousand km, I was not happy, the boys told me they HAVE to be re-packed at 1000km`s or they rust, as apparently they go sparingly with the grease at the factory dear [expensive[ little buggers too!! Now I re-grease them every 10 thou or so. I was told at the local dealership, they do their own things as well as factory procedure, and theyve found in the past that the head bearings need re-packing at the first 1000km service, so that they last at all.and having to replace mine @20,000, Im not going to argue, as apparently they mustnt have been packed maybe its more like a grease top-up, more than an actual re-pack. Sandy Thompson: My 2002 ST4s had rusty lower steering bearings at about 4000 mostly sunny miles. From Robert Mohns Over the past few months, I'd noticed that the bike wasn't handling quite right. I wasn't sure even how to describe it, but when I was in a couple weeks ago to have a new front tire put on, Eric gave it a test ride and said that he thought the steering head bearings were in bad shape "dry", he described it. So he pulled them out, and sure enough, they were not happy campers brown sludge. The upper "seal" doesn't really fit closely enough to seal, so water and dirt can leak in. The bottom is sealed fairly well, though so water and dirt get in and mix with the grease around the bearings, resulting in the bearings moving in what looks and feels just like mud! The upper bearings weren't nearly as bad, but weren't good either. Two new bearings were $48 each, and the bike handles like it's supposed to again! If, like me, you ride your bike in the rain, you might want to consider checking and if necessary replacing the bearings as your mileage mounts

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early-model ST2 pipes to ST4s. It is not clear whether these were factory (restricted) pipes or aftermarket (unrestricted, free flow) pipes. 6.1.1.4 Product/Brand Reviews & User Experiences
6.1.1.4.1 Fast by Ferraci
From: David Bennings I purchased fbf carbon slip-ons (manufactured by sil [Sil Motors]) from ebay ($390 delivered, exc. Condition) for my ST2 and the sound has been deep and welcome. I would have liked to have gotten them cheaper, but they were perfect. I suppose price has a lot to do with your question, how much you are willing to spend. The stats and the terms are not cheap. Good luck.

6.1.1.4.2 Sil Motor

From: Robert Mohns I had Sil Motor carbon fiber pipes on my ST4s (and will again, when they're fixed). very mellow, deep, pleasing sound. None of the harshness of Termis or Ducati Performance pipes. (Also, the clear coat carbon fiber sils look really nice!)

6.1.1.4.3 Staintune

From: Darren George Go for Stainless Staintunes,I have them,and no matter how covered in burnt on gunk they always polish up like new,and look fantastic,I think a better option for the road than CF.youre not trying to get a second off your lap time are you? I attack the pipes with a buff on my drill coated with Autosol and they come up gleaming. Sound great too. Dont forget to re-chip. From: Justin Berth I've had the Stainless Staintunes - and won't say a bad word against them. Extremely well finished / repairable (scratches simply polish out) / great fit / great sound / not too loud (in fact street legal and stamped so in Australia) and even after several long sessions on a dyno (I'm talking 4 DAYS.) which makes them turn a bronze colour, you simply polish them up with some linishing cream and they come up like new. From: Perry Rosenboom I love the Staintunes I ran with opened up standard cans for a while, but these things are so much better. The sound is awesome, and the oval cans I have look sensational. A big feature of the Staintunes are the steel plugs which can be locked into each muffler to reduce the noise level
6.1.1.4.4 Ducati Performance

Content needed!

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There is a notch in the computer chip. Take note of where that notch is located on the stock chip before you pull it out. The new chip should have that same notch, so orient it just like your stock chip. With the right handlebar switch in the 'run' position, turn the ignition on. You should hear the fuel pump begin to cycle, and your lights will come on. If you don't get this, turn the key off and check the install of the chip.

6.1.3 Airbox and filters

Many owners modify their airbox by drilling largish holes in the lid (to get better airflow and a bit more noise). Details of this can be found in the archives on the list (Ive not had time to research it yet). Other options open to you are specially designed replacements. There are also a number of after market, washable filter elements that can be used. There are two from K&N, one of which requires some trimming of the lid to fit. The other (part #du-9098) should fit without any mods. Justin provides more detail: The centre divider of the airbox lid usually has to be removed when fitting an aftermarket air filter, such as a K&N, which is a lot deeper (and hence more filtering area) than a standard filter. It's not removed to produce more noise, although more noise might be the by-product. I managed to fit my K&N by only removing the very ends of the divider in the lid, but I have to be careful when replacing the lid and filter to ensure a correct fit. By the way, fitting an aftermarket filter does not give an increase in performance (I've spent enough time on various Dyno's to know this), but allows you access to a filter which is cleanable, and hence reusable. LARGE holes in the rear face of the airbox lid Will give you an increase in performance though. The filter itself is not the restriction - rather the lid is.
6.1.4 Combining Opened Airbox, Pipes and Trim Adjustment
ktkt_200 asked: I've had my airbox drilled at the back for better flow. Fixed on a Ducati Performance Exhaust. Had the trimmer on my 99 ST4 richen by 45 degrees. Do I need an aftermarket EPROM or would the trimmer adjustment suffice??? From Fariborz: To really know the answer you need to put an exhaust analyzer in the mufflers and measure the CO content. Anywhere between 3% and 6% should work but closer to 6% is preferred. But using a less scientific method (aka seat of the pants analysis) from a cruising speed of lets say around 55 mph in 3rd gear going down on a small incline, chop the throttle completely. If you hear the exhaust popping sounds you are still running lean and might need a new chip.

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characteristics are similar to a Gel cell so in my book it can be called a sealed VRLA or Gel cell and it doesn't really matter!; A Gel cell has silica (mostly) added to the sulphuric acid and this forms a gel like electrolyte, the cell is also sealed and generally valve regulated. Corn-fused now? You will be! ;o) For the next bit lets simplify those groupings into three if we can. Flooded, Sealed Wet (this is what most people refer to as "Maintenance Free"), Sealed Gel (this is what most people mistakenly refer to as "Dry"). Flooded types are the least sensitive to charging levels provided you top them up with distilled water periodically. Sealed wet cells are more sensitive to charge and generally have a maximum life of five years if treated well. Sealed gel cells are very sensitive to charge levels (particularly overvoltage) and experience shows they mostly start to degrade badly after three years although they can last for five years in some environments, Gel cells are best suited to "standby" applications. Its worth pointing out that the biggest advantage of the Gel cell is that it is smaller and lighter than other types. Of course it is also "maintenance free". Now here we come to the important stuff: The type of battery starting to be fitted in most modern motorcycles is the AGM battery. It is small, light and maintenance free, it is valve regulated and the sulphuric acid is suspended in a media, it is non-spillable. Most people are referring to this as a Gel cell and thats okay, technically its not but we don't need to split hairs. An AGM battery likes to see an absorption voltage in the range of 14.4 to 15.0 volts and the float voltage should be between 13.2 to 13.8 volts. A true Gel cell likes an absorbtion voltage range of 14.0 to 14.2 volts and a float voltage of 13.2 to 13.4 volts. As you can see the tolerances on the Gel cell are lower than the AGM but a float voltage of 13.2 to 13.4 is good for either type. If you are using a "battery tender" or other similar charger with bulk, absorbtion and float modes you should be able to switch the charger on and just leave it. If there is something wrong with the battery or the charger then you could have a problem, but assuming everything is okay you can leave the charger on float permanently over winter and just let the battery maintain a full charge. Bear in mind that once the cell reaches full charge it will be putting out the same voltage as the constant voltage float charger, therefore no current will flow and so the battery cannot be overcharged. So why do people have problems?? Well, in my case the batteries I "lost" over winter were all flooded types and in every case it was because I didn't maintain the fluid levels adequately whilst leaving them on charge.in my defence, when you have fourteen motorcycles and three cars in your garage it can be difficult to keep up on the maintenance :o> I've never had a problem with an AGM or Gel cell hooked up permanently to a constant voltage charger operating at 13.2 volts all winter long. So what do the ST bikes have? They appear to have valve regulated AGM cells and they can be float charged continuously at 13.4 volts (my personal ideal setting for this battery). Again, a battery tender or similar charger will do the job perfectly. Now what about the concern that you have lost many batteries by leaving them hooked up to the battery tender? First of all I would have the charger checked to make sure it is working properly. Next, if your other batteries were of the flooded type, you may have experienced a problem where the lead sulphates that occur during natural battery discharge did not recombine properly with the water during recharge, either the fluid

6.7 Luggage and storage

The Ducati panniers which fit onto the bike are generally considered to be good quality, reliable items. They are large enough to take a helmet (some of them!). One of the questions which comes up quite often is around their ability to withstand the weather. Evidence from all the owners on the list is that these units are waterproof, and solid. Owners have ridden through hours of rain, and used high pressure hoses to clean the panniers, and they appear to remain water tight. Take care when opening though puddles of water which collect near the lock can enter as soon as you open them! As far as the mounting brackets go. There are two different attitudes to those. Some people dont mind the look of them, or else will always ride with the pannier attached. These people leave the brackets on permanently. Others will use the panniers infrequently, and will fit the brackets each time they need to use the panniers. Experienced owners can fit the bracket and panniers in about 20 minutes. Of course, when the panniers are not on the bike, you can raise the pipes slightly (standard ones, anyway), to improve ground clearance and looks even if the brackets are left on. Pannier warning: Some pannier bolts were too long and struck the swingarm on full compression of swingarm. The solution was to shave end of mounting bolt flush with welded nut on end of bracket. Occasional brackets were bent and hit swingarm. Many dealers appear to have not read the mounting instructions and do not use the thick black spacers and long bolt when
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mounting bags.

6.7.1 Tankbags
Tankbags are a personal thing you love em or hate em. If you love em, then you swear by the magnetic ones, or the strap on ones. These comments come from one of the liSTers: I have a Ducati Performance tankbag, the one made for the STx. Its a really great bag that I have had no problems with, and its a lot better than the BMW stuff I used to use. The one caveat is that the safety strap that holds the bag if the magnets should ever let go is a pain in the butt to attach. All in all, thats a small detail though. A suggestion from Ian Ellis for mounting DP bag safety strap What I did was to buy another plastic buckle and 12 inches of black webbing at the local fabric store. Lift the tank and wrap the webbing over the frame tube just right of the steering tube. Thread female half of buckle on and tie an overhand knot in the webbing so it is tight on the frame rail. Trim off the loose ends and melt the frayed ends (I use a soldering iron with a rope melting blade). Close tank and it is permanently there ready to plug the bag leash into. It is unobtrusive and easy. I dont remember how short I made the leash on the bag but I left the female end attached for a second carrying strap. Another option for tankbags which gets a glowing review from a liSTer is RKA luggage.

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6.14 Seats

Again, sets are a very personal thing. Many people say that your butt gets used to the standard seat, and can do many hundreds of miles in a day. Others swear by replacement seats. Two of the major replacement seats are discussed below.

6.14.1 Corbin

Corbin seats have been around for a while, and have a replacement seat specifically for the ST. The seats have an optional backrest, and different piping or Italian flag logo. These seats fit like stock, because they transfer the mounting hardware from your existing seat. Many owners (and their rears!) swear by them. although you will notice that they weigh more than your standard seat. Consider the length of the rider seat when ordering. Corbin's standard seat moves the rear of the saddle back approx. 1 ". One suggestion is to send then measurement from nose of saddle to where you want the back of the seat to be, along with your order.

6.14.2 Sargent

Sargent Saddles have a variety of seats for all types of bikes, and some owners have said that they prefer the Sargent over the Corbin. Options include leather or vinyl. http://www.cyclesaddles.com/home/Saddles/images/WS-ST2-ST4.htm

6.14.3 Russell

Russell all day saddles have also been mentioned on the list, and are favoured by iron butt competitors like Gary Egan http://www.day-long.com/
6.14.4 Rich's Custom Seats
Richs are a Seattle based shop that does custom fitting http://www.richscustomseats.com/photodisplay.asp?id=euro14 Other makes of seat suitable for an ST include Russell.
6.15 Windshields (Screens) and Lips
Some riders find it worthwhile fitting an after market screen to either raise or lower the flow of air around the neck and helmet. Ducati Performance have both a lower and higher screen. An alternate for a higher or lower screen is Zero Gravity. Some listers have reported fitting these screens with good results. http://www.zerogravity-racing.com/whatsnewduc.htm

11.2 Quotes 11.3 Accolades 11.4 Magazine Back Issues
Should you wish to read any of the above reviews, we would suggest that you contact the very helpful back issues departments of the above magazines. Even if the issue you want has sold out, they can usually arrange for you to get a photocopy of the article you are interested in.

12. Useful Contacts

12.1 Internet Resources
Ducati official sites http://www.ducati.com.au/ http://www.ducati.de http://www.ducati.co.jp http://www.ducati.co.uk http://www.ducati.com/
Australia Germany Japan UK USA
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North America

http://www.ducatiusa.com/ Other Web sites http://webpages.charter.net/strysnie/ducati/index.html http://www.users.waitrose.com/~paso/ http://www.io.com/~duke/QuackFAQ.htm http://www.dropbears.com/bikelinks/ducati.htm#tech http://www.safetyalerts.com/rcls/category/autosub/d-f. htm#ducati http://www.onewest.net/~ckirk/Bikes/STowners/ SThome.htm http://www.ducatisuite.com/ http://www.ducatitech.com USENET newsgroups nntp://alt.motorcycles.ducati/
Richards Excellent modifications pages David Harveys Ducati Site Ducati Frequently Asked Questions General Ducati links: US Safety recall site: Chris ST Owners Pics and information DucatiSuite DucatiTech
Mailing Lists & Bulletin Boards ST2 Owners Group (includes ST4 and ST4s http://groups.yahoo.com/group/st2_owners owners) http://www.eGroups.com/reg/Ducati_ss Belt drive SS models http://www.micapeak.com/lists/ Beveldrive Ducatis: Bevelheads General Ducati list Paso & 907 www.ducati.net http://www.ducatipaso.org
http://www.mostro.org Ducati Monster Note: if you find any of the above links invalid please contact one of the email ducati_st_faq@bike-gizmos.com

12.2 Real World Contacts

Anyone care to put their phone number in here?

13. Owners Clubs

Ducati Owners Club of Victoria (Australia) Ducati Owners Club of NSW (Australia) Desmo Owners Club Northern California Owners Club Ducati Owners Club of Great Britain Owners Clubs http://www.docv.org http://www.docnsw.org.au http://www.ducati.com/doc http://www.norcalstdoc.com/ http://www.docgb.org/
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http://www.perryr.com/DucatiSTFAQ.html (99 of 101)10/28/2007 2:53:22 PM
natural instinct for food overtook him. Meanwhile those three wacky races who were left were passing the fifth floor and still accelerating. At the fourth floor window Red slowed to appreciate the short skirted receptionists, but luckily this is a trait present in all Ducatis so there was no penalty. At the third floor Blue appeared to be a little worse for wear and friction bubbles were beginning to appear on his nose cone. With his aerodynamics badly affected Blue span sideways, began to slow dramatically and was basically no longer a contender. Red and Yellow were neck and neck at the second floor. Now Yellow, now Red, Yellow, Red, Yellow, Red. Almost at the first floor and Yellow in a superlative burst of acceleration took the lead and sped towards the finish with his front wheel off the ground and his left fist raised in triumph. Red valiantly tried to catch up but just didn't have the legs for the finish. Yellow hit the pavement first, bounced up one story, performed a double roll with arms outstretched, blew a kiss to the girls at the window and landed back on the pavement. Red finished second, bounced forwards out onto the four lane road, sideways off of a 328i BMW windscreen, through a red traffic light and was last seen explaining himself to the local constabulary and pointing towards the roof of the building. Blue finished third hitting the pavement and bouncing high into the air and landing on the top of an eighteen wheel semi-trailer. He was spotted laying there on his way to Melbourne with little wisps of smoke coming from his nose cone. Grey was never seen again but workers leaving the building late at night swear that a ghostly shadow often swoops at them from above emitting an eerie 'duc duc duc duc' (which the invariably do). Conclusion In a free fall situation Yellow has less wind resistance and ipso facto more acceleration. Carrying this over to the real world, with agreement that this experiment occured in an almost cartoon like environment, it can be assumed that if all else on the bike is comparable then a Yellow Ducati paint job will certainly make you go faster, look more attractive, have bigger biceps, more hair (my personal favorite), a bigger bank balance and a milkier latte. All those present at the testing agreed however that no matter what the colour nothing is as sexy as a finely tuned Ducati. I hope that this clears this question up once and for all ;-) Garry PS The control eraser painted in Honda Racing Red is still finishing and was last seen passing the third floor.