Ducati Motocross Bike reviews

Overall, I am very happy with this bike. Comments are given left and right and it has gathered several crowds at work. Aftermarket parts only include Arrow carbon fibre tailpipes (which match the rest of the carbon fibre on the bike) and an open clutch cover (having found that clacking sound very satisfying). The only drawback in my opinion is the placement of the mirrors. They are perfectly position with the height of suv/truck mirrors, and so make squeezing between two such vehicles difficult. It really is uncanny at the number of SUV's in Los Angeles (where style offsets the practical), let alone how often these fuel cows stop right next to each other.
Still, the mirror problem is minor, and simply fixed by rotating the handlebars past the adjacent mirrors, though it often means having to come to a near stop to do so. Show less

I bought my 2003 yellow ST4s after I totaled my 2003 HD Sportster. Let's see why I would have considered the Ducati. Better bags, better handling, superior brakes (which I could have used before), performance beyond belief and looks that strike envy everywhere I go. Only folks who equal the attention my bike gets is my BMW friends. The other day I was at Portland International Raceway. About 200 bikes where there and immediately a crowd gathered around my bike. Okay, the chick who parked her Honda next to mine might have something to do with it. Show less

I bought the 2004 model in July '04 and rode it for 4500 miles until low-siding the bike on a little gravel in an Arkansas switchback in September '04. The bike only had cosmetic damage and I rode it 900 miles home, but the insurance company totaled it! Warning, Ducati plastic and gas tanks cost LOTS OF MONEY. Despite those problems, I really liked the bike so I went out and bought the 2005 model. I've used these bikes for the majority of my transportation needs on a seasonal basis. I ride to work, run errands, go for weekend rides, and have taken longer tours. I initially found the bike to be a little hard to handle around town, with this being related to the gearing and fueling. My previous bike was a Speed Triple which was much more a "city bike". However, after a little time on the bike I understood the quirks of riding around the city. Anyway, this bike was designed for sport touring and that it is what I bought it for. On the highway this thing is solid. I find the riding position to be just about perfect for me, and it is easy to ride from gas stop to gas stop without taking a break. I absolutely love the stock seat on the bike in terms of comfort, but it is a little hard to shift your weight from side to side. As indicated in some of the bike mag. reviews, the suspension is a little soft for hard riding in the corners, but during my weekend and tour riding I only push hard a small fraction of the time, so it doesn't bother me much. The bike turns into corners well and holds a nice line through the apex. I find that the bike does want to stand up a little early coming out of corners and I've adjusted for that. I really like riding this bike through the twisties at any speed except "stupid fast". The bike shines at multi-day touring and the hard bags are excellent. I rode the '04 bike 2800 miles to Arkansas and I rode the '05 bike 3300 miles out to the Tetons and Yellowstone and had a ball both times (except for my little mishap). The bikes just ate up the miles and I was smiling the whole time. As for reliability/maintenance, my 2004 had a fuel leak that was covered under warranty, and I have had no problems at all with the 2005. The stock tires on the '05 lasted 7000 miles and I have to replace the chain and sprocket now at 13500 miles. As everyone knows, the scheduled service costs for Ducati are higher than typical, but I believe the riding experience is worth the extra cost. That being said, I will buy another bike in the near future to handle my day to day riding, and will use the Duc only for longer rides. Show less

Great Bike. I toured with it for 8 days and 3000 miles with one 800 mile day, the other days were all 300-500 miles each. I love this bike, it's reliable, comfortable, has smooth power and sexy styling. I use it for commuting as well as touring. I looked at the Triumph Sprint ST, BMW R1200 ST, and BMW R1200 RT. I chose this one because it is sportier than the RT and more comfortable than the BMW ST. It was a toss up between the Triumph and this bike... the sound and sex appeal won out. All of the bikes I tried were excellent. Show less

When I first got the bike I took a 200 mile trip with it to get used to it, it ran superbly, the sound and feel is exhilerating, hadles superbly, the way a Sport Touring machine should. Plenty of torque to get you there in a hurry, with great looks and comfort. There are some modifications that need to be made, as well as any bike would need, I think the Corbin Saddle would greatly enhance the long distance aspect. A set of bar risers would be nice as well, aftermarket exhaust, chip, K&N Filter and possibly a 14 tooth front sprocket. The only complaints I have of this bike is the low RPM operation in gear, you constantly have to ride the clutch in traffic because of the gearing, I think a smaller front sprocket would fix that. Another thing is the lighting, stock it is not the greatest, I took the headlight apart, cleaned the film on the inside, replaced the bulb with a Sylvania Silverstar H3 and added some small driving lights under the front fairing, that has increased the lighting tremendously. Show less

Owned an St2 before purchasing the st4sabs. Wonderful handling and sounding bike but weak electrical system and clutch. 6 and 12 thousand services can vary up to four hundred dollars difference in price between dealerships. Oh, the price we pay for Italian craftmanship, a Ferrari on two wheels Show less

A loyal Ducati owner, I have owned two 748S superbikes. I though I'd give a monster a try. I'm glad I did, the bike handles great and the power and comfort is great. My only complaint is the ugly exhaust converter , I have already ordered a full exhaust for the bike. I have many upgrades planned for the bike. I will post later when I have some more miles on it. Show less

I bought my ST3 in May and have loved it. I know of no other bike that offers such a nice combination of beauty, power, handling and comfort. The Ducati engine sounds great and it has amazing torque. This, combined with the bike's excellent suspension and modest weight (467lb.), make it a joy to ride through the twisties. Show less

I'm more than happy with my S4R. It's hard to keep the front end down in first, get pipes/filter/comp. and you can say the same thing about second gear. HARD! I drive aggressively and I think it likes me too. Oh, and it's absolutely beautiful. A work of art. The Ferrari of motorcycles. You have to be passionate about Ducati's or just Italian to appreciate them for what they're worth. And if you're both, stop reading this and buy one already! Show less

I've written several of these follow up e-mails to people contemplating the same thing. Let me tell you how I came to this bike. I previously rode a 2000 VFR800FI. Rode to work every day, rode to Daytona, rode about 2 dozen track days. Very reliable, hey it's a Honda afterall. Did it still break? Sure, but it never stranded me. Next bike had to do the same BUT I wanted character as well. See, the Honda did everything right and was smooth to a point of being "too smooth." It wasn't a looker and it wasn't scary fast. Next bike turned out to be a ST4S. I wouldn't have bought this a first bike or as a specialized bike but for what I use it for it's great. See, I do the same things as my last bike. First as an every day bike:
I have a top matching case on mine. My laptop, jacket fit. I plug my heated jacket, gloves into the outlet on the side. The blinking light on the dash has prevented theft. I have enough bungee points with the pannier bag mounts to carry extra stuff behind me. Second as a tourer:
The bags work. They detatch easily and mount back on. The passenger seat is big and my wife enjoys it better than the VFR. My 2003 didn't have the bigger fairing found on the 2004 and later but the wind deflection is adequate. You rarely use top gear unless you change the sprocket.(more on that later). You have to have a procedure for starting though. The battery on these bikes is barely enough amps to keep kicking it over. In other words, when you turn on the ignition you must preset the idle and begin. The lights are a big draw on the battery and you sometimes think you're going to run out of juice before the cold engine starts. But, you get used it. The bike stranded me once because I left the parking light on(key position) and ran it dead. I jumped it from a car but the battery was toasted. New battery $189. I've ridden this bike to Blue Ridge, Ocean City twice, Charleston SC, and Daytona last year with zero problems. Third as occasional track day bike:
I rode NESBA and Superbike school this past summer. My last bike I put a Ohlins suspension on that is the prime reason I bought this bike. You can't surprise or max out this suspension. Dial it in the middle for regular riding. Dial one turn up for 2-up. Dial it all the way and back a half for the track and smile all day. The brakes are the best, period. The 996 motor. What a rush. The bike goes fast and doesn't get upset easily. It's a hoot. Problems with the bike were all covered under warranty include:

1. Battery replaced
2. Turn signal switch
3. Clutch (impossible to get into neutral from a stop) finally replaced by dealer
4. Loose fairing screws all over. The rubber well nuts and vibration cause them to work out. Conclusion. If you've never owned a Ducati you always fear what maintenance and reliability will cost you. After 600/3000/6000/10000 mile service I've had 2 shims replaced, belts. Service is about 600 average per service with the first two under warranty. I still don't think owning a Ducati is more expensive than others of equal performance. My Ducati gives me more smiles per mile and gets more looks than my buddies BMW, Honda 919, and Aprilia. If you're tossed between the ST3 and ST4s then I'd ask how hard you ride. The ST3 would do 95% of what I want in a bike but I'd add the Ohlins because to me the ride is worth it. The ST4s has that last 5% for me to plunk down the extra money for. You've had a Ducati so you already know what many people don't, that suspension and frame must work together to give you confidence. On top of that, you have a motor that stands out like a Ferrarri in an ocean of Harleys.
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