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Technical
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Ducati ST4S
|
. |
Make Model |
Ducati ST4S |
Year |
2001 - 02 |
Engine |
Four stroke, 90°“L”twin cylinder, DOHC, desmodromic 4 valve per cylinder. |
Capacity |
996 cc / 60.8 cu in |
Bore x Stroke | 98 x 66 mm |
Cooling System | Liquid cooled |
Compression Ratio | 11.5:1 |
Lubrication | Wet sump |
Engine Oil | Synthetic, 20W/50 |
Exhaust | 2 aluminum mufflers with catalytic converter (non-catalytic on USA version) |
Induction |
Fuel injection, 50 mm throttle body |
Ignition |
Marelli electronic |
Spark Plug | Champion, RA59GC |
Starting | Electric |
Battery | 12V 10Ah |
Max Power |
85.3 kW / 117 hp @ 8750 rpm |
Max Torque |
98 Nm / 10 kgf-m / 72.2 ft-lb @ 7000 rpm |
Clutch | Wet multiplate with hydraulic control |
Transmission |
6 Speed |
Final Drive | Chain; front sprocket 15; rear sprocket 38 |
Gear Ratio | 1st 37/15, 2nd 30/17, 3rd 27/20, 4th 24/22, 5th 23/24, 6th 24/28 |
Primary Drive | Straight cut gears; ratio 1.84:1 (32/59) |
Frame |
Tubular steel trellis
|
Front Suspension |
Showa 43 mm fully adjustable upside-down front fork with TiN surface treatment, |
Front Wheel Travel | 130 mm / 5.1 in |
Rear Suspension |
Progressive linkage with fully adjustable Öhlins monoshock with remote control preload adjustment. Aluminium swingarm |
Rear Wheel Travel | 148 mm / 5.8 in |
Front Brakes |
2x 320mm discs 4 piston calipers with abs |
Rear Brakes |
Single 245mm disc 2 piston caliper with abs |
Front Wheel | 5-spoke light alloy 3.50 x 17 |
Rear Wheel | 5-spoke light alloy 5.50 x 17 |
Front Tyre |
120/70 - ZR17 |
Rear Tyre |
190/50 - ZR17 |
Rake | 24° |
Dimensions |
Length 2070 mm / 81.4 in Width: 910mm / 35.8in Height 1274 mm / 50.2 in |
Wheelbase | 1430 mm / 56.3 in |
Seat Height | 820 mm / 32.3 in |
Dry Weight |
202 kg / 467 lbs |
Fuel Capacity |
21 Litres / 5.5 US gal / 4.6 Imp gal |
Consumption Average |
4.8 L/100 km / 20.8 km/l / 50 US mpg / 59 Imp mpg |
Standing ¼ Mile |
10.7 sec |
Top Speed |
249 km/h / 155 mph |
Introduced in 2001, this sporting version of the ST4 has uprated suspension, chassis and engine components, and offers a much more dynamic package. The 916 engine of the ST4 is replaced with a larger-capacity 996 engine, a variant of the 996 superbike engine. Different valve timing and lift and revised fuel-injection give the ST4S engine a broad spread of power - peak torque of 72ft lb occurs at 7000rpm, and there is 60ft lb available at just 4000rpm. This strong bottom-end performance allows fast, easy progress, even with a pillion and loaded hard luggage. The enhanced chassis features uprated suspension and lighter wheels to improve dynamic performance. Stickier tyres supply extra grip to match the engine's power.
The ST4S bristles with our best race-derived components combined with all-day riding comfort. The awesome Superbike 996 cc Desmoquattro engine ensures maximum power. Of course, a great engine can only reach its potential when matched with an equally advanced chassis and suspension.
Ride Review
Firing up the Duc it is loud,
properly, disturbingly, frighteningly loud… Car alarms go off, children burst
into tears, and dogs howl as the pipes set a deep, bassy, and strangely refined
V-twin cadence. The backup band is the dry clutch, plates rattling like “a
chronic masturbator with a pocked full of change” as a friend puts it – more
like pockets full of pipe wrenches we’re thinking. And while it’s not an
overture, the sound set by the big V-twin is music all of it’s own.
Italians have a word for it “pompone”, and on our tester it’s a stampede of 120
charging horses, footfalls all in V-twin rhythm through mellowing carbon fibre
pipes. To me though, it has a stronger sense of percussion, more like 120 stout,
shirtless and sweaty men drumming in time on large ancient bass kettles,
thundering to a primordial mechanical beat. Every time you turn the throttle the
beat picks up and speaks that much more to a passionate part of your inner
being. Painters, on hearing the ST4s pass, have been known to weep wishing they
were poets so as to express themselves. Then they stop, compose themselves, and
ask if the clutch really is supposed to make that sound – sarcastic lot.
Luckily you can easily show them the rear tire. With the a chipset and carbon
fibre pipes our tester developed around 120hp, not shabby, but then neither is
the stock ST4s ABS as Thundering Desmoquattro twin drums pump out 117hp at 8750
RPM, and 66.7 lb-ft of torque at 7250 RPM according to specs. While developing
that torque the engine, lifted from the 996 of Ducati Superbike fame, issues a
growling induction snarl leaving you grinning in a primal way and cognisant of
its race roots. Pull is from 3000 RPM through to 10000, it only fades off for
the last 1000 RPM approaching the 11,000 redline. If you’re looking at the
current crop of litre bikes the horses the Duc develops seem a pittance, until
you consider this is a “bagger”… and for such a steed it’s fast and light.
At 542lbs wet (lighter with the pipes gone all carbon-y) the ST4s isn’t a
feather weight by sport standards, but it’s a different story for the
sport-touring set. The wet weight is only eight pounds up on the VTEC VFR, and
at conservative estimate there’s more 20 hp at the rear tire. But those are just
numbers, meaningless statistics meant to placate armchair riders and they really
don’t do this bike justice, so lets just say it the ST4s ABS rides fast…
Sinfully fast, immorally fast, especially in the corners. You’re in a corner,
smirking evil, and you just keep pouring throttle all the way to the red, then
shift and do it some more. You don’t need to shift much though, the tall gearing
ensures illegality by third, and chomping at the bit in traffic. It’s almost sad
because the dry clutch lets you slip through the cogs with a delightful
clattering ease. The taught trellis frame and suspension are up to cornering and
laying down the power throughout the twists. It’s first-rate and you keep
wondering to yourself “Is this really a sport tourer? Should I take it to a
track… I mean just for the spectacle of riding like this with the bags on?” Of
course you should, just give some quality time for the Michelin Sport-Pilots to
do a slow warm-up before gripping properly.
Part of what’s working so well here is that Ducati doesn’t know the meaning of
the word “skimp” when it comes to the suspension. Up front the ST4s ABS is
sporting inverted 43mm Showa nitrided forks, fully adjustable for pre-load,
compression and rebound damping. In the rear Ohlins are doing the duties and are
adjustable for compression and rebound damping, along with remote pre-load
adjustment. It all works decadently well, and gives you the nod to really get
out there and corrupt some suggested corner speeds.
DEVOuring the twists like a fat kid on a Smartie, the handling isn’t “fast” or
“nimble” but stable, confident, and maybe even a bit slow steering. But
regardless of how you choose to pilot, be it counter-steer, weight shift, trail
braking or any combination thereof, the bike is there. It’s not an effortless
tip into the corners, but the ST4s ABS feels solid all the way. It’s a more
rewarding sensation than the handling on a lot of track-bred bikes and in that
sense perhaps the “s” is for satisfaction. The impeccable composure through the
turns is almost a bit too much, it simply begs you to push, and push some more.
A bit more throttle, more drum to the sound track, a bit more speed… and worse
the ST4s lets you get away with it.
There was no moment when the thin grey Duc said, “Well, I’ve had enough, you’ve
gotten on my nerves, pushed me too far; I’ll have to be killing you now.” Which
is why I shouldn’t own one. I’d be without a license in my first week. This is a
problem because as a sport tourer and first week out riding, puts me having to
hitch hike home from… Vegas. And even if you have hit that point of “enough”,
the ABS is there to comfort.
Admittedly, we didn’t have the
opportunity to feel it pulse much, as our test ride became more focused on
acceleration than its antonym. The braking system is the result of a joint
effort by Ducati and Brembo resulting in an ABS that is tuned for sport, and
“designed to only become active when either or both wheels are very close to a
complete lock up – in keeping with the sporting nature of the bike.” Being
thoughtful the Italians have provided a switch for those who want to defeat all
the money spent on this option, a manual override allowing you to switch the ABS
off. The system utilizes braided lines and hard pipes to maintain efficiency,
though braking did feel like it lagged a bit despite the twin 320mm (with 4
piston callipers) Brembo’s giving good feel.
As a sport tourer, the bike is definitely on the sport side of things. The bags
will fit a full face with a squeeze, but if you value your visor it’s not a
comfortable fit. The wind protection is adequate, but for tall folk like myself
the optional higher screen would be a must on long rides. Far as the ergos go,
the ST4s ABS was surprisingly comfortable, perhaps even more kind to the
elderly, infirm and girl scouts than my own VFR. The seat isn’t ample but nor is
it the offensive plastic puck sported by the supersport side of the Ducati line.
Luckily, the cushier ‘04 models seat will fit the ‘03 offering an easy touring
upgrade. The thing I most liked about the ST4s initially, the booming exhaust,
would over a longer ride become just deafening and riding without ear plugs
simply isn’t an option if you hold onto any hope of ever hearing your neighbours
complain about you starting the bike at 7:00 AM on the weekends. And if you’re
looking for an ST1300 or FJR1300 style tourer, you’ll want to move on. The ST4s
is not that kind of girl, she’ll go hell bent for leather, but she’s not silky
smooth and she’s entirely too lick-able to take home to the wife.
For the distance the engine needs to twist around 4500 RPM to give you
manageable levels of vibe and thrum… of course given that the mill will pull all
the way through to a resonant 10,000 or so, staying in cruise mode is hard to
do. Back to that losing the license issue, this bike just wants to go.
Likely you will be taking periodic breaks from the go-go-go of it all as the 21
litre fuel tank will probably be burned through every couple of hours while on
the road. The ST4s isn’t a hard drinker, but she can hold her vino, at an
estimated 39mpg (unverified). You get to watch it all go down via a cumbersome
looking bar graph fuel gage, which oddly reminded us of the Macaroni Grill’s
wine-by-the-measuring-stick. Under sane riding conditions you could get about
320km to a tank before ordering another round, and that’s fine as refuelling and
rest stops give you time to sit and admire the ST4s.
Our tester from John Valk BMW/Ducati was in the grey, and while red is our
Ducati colour of choice the darker hue grew on us. The red Marchesini alloy
rims, gold Brembos, copper hued Showa coated forks, the Ohlins peeking from the
heart of the bike, and sculpted well- integrate bags ensure that the ST4s ABS
not only looks classically stylish, but is one hell of a label queen. Adding to
it the soft and classic lines mean that the ST4s ABS doesn’t own a bad angle,
which made our photographer’s job that much more difficult… 234 photos later he
called it quits. That’s at a standstill, we were lacking in-motion shots.
“Why?”, you ask?
Riding this bike I was having too way too much fun move at a photogenic speed –
sexually stimulating designer drugs are not this passionate. A lot of bikes I’ve
swung a leg over never captivated me like the ST4s did. Normally I can be riding
along and making a mental note of “a flat spot in the power delivery at 5000″,
“brakes a bit wooden”, “suspension a bit squishy in front”, and so on.
The ST4s is different, she made it difficult, drew me into riding to the
exclusion of all else, she egged me on, and seduced me to ride with a passion
that kept me from going all analytical and Spock-like. This bike rekindles the
fire of riding… then adds more fuel. Even in the city I found myself blipping
the throttle at stops, noticing the young men looking at the “Ducati” and the
girls going funny all over inside as that base note hit them. And aside from the
attention, it is simply one of the best bikes I’ve ever ridden.
It’s amazing.
The ST4s ABS is a bagger only in name and should be a mandatory prescription for
anyone who dares slander “sport-tourers” based on a racier bias. As I got off of
it, if the John Valk BMW/Ducati gang had the papers ready to sign, it would have
all been over; a $20,000 CDN used bike on the Amex card and an insane grin on my
face. I’ve ridden by the dealer since, but I’m scared to go back! Terrified of
what I might do if I stop in.
Our test bike was 2003 Ducati ST4s ABS with:
- Ducati Carbon Fibre Pipes
- Chip Set
- Tank bag/protector
- Luggage
- 5000km on the ODO
Source Onewheeldrive
Any corrections or more information on these motorcycles will be kindly appreciated. |