Sports: Re: [DucatiST] St2 or St4

I don't think you could go wrong with either. Just get a 99 or newer ST2 if you do to avoid the stator problem. My ST4 now has 51,000 miles on it and my wife decided she'd ride with me again last year. She really enjoys the ride on the ST4 and the ST2 seating would be the same. As to service, I do my own and really the head aches of servicing a Ducati are no different than servicing most any vehicle now a days. Most Ducati dealers are just parts vendors and really know little about the particulars of the bikes. Same is true for most any
machine made now a days when one carries it to a dealer for service the motto is "beware". You might get lucky and have a good dealer near you. That's my 2 cents.

Robert McNabb
Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia
ST4 1999 RED

--- On Thu, 2/24/11, reidlj1@internode.on.net <reidlj1@internode.on.net> wrote:

From: reidlj1@internode.on.net <reidlj1@internode.on.net>
Subject: [DucatiST] St2 or St4
To: st2_owners@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thursday, February 24, 2011, 5:00 PM

Hi All

I am from South of Sydney, Australia and am currently a Suzuki RG500 owner but not for long. I have long admired Ducati's and have decided to sell of the Suzuki, which I have long desired and get a bike with touring capabilities. I have read as much as could have got my hands on about the ST2 and ST4's yet feel the need to get help from those that have had long term ownership rather than merely test pilots who have ridden the bikes for maybe a day and then write as experts.

I am leaning towards an ST4 t the moment but realise that the ST2 also is a great bike. I am so impressed with a couple of reports i have read by ST2 owners whose bikes show well over 100,000k's and still going strong.

I hope to do lots of touring in Australia on whatever bike I buy. Service costs are an issue for me and so need to know the following.

1. Are service costs for the ST4 significantly more than for the ST2?

2. Is there longevity issues with the ST4 as there does not appear to be with the ST2?

3. What kind of difference is there in the fuel consumption?

4. Which bike is better for 2 up riding?

5. What kind of k;s between servicing for the bikes?

6. Which one is more comfortable for touring?

Thank you for the responses. i hope to act on teh info asap and hopefully have one of these bikes in my garage within 4 weeks.

thanks and g'day from Lindon