Ducati ST3

Although they stopped making this amazing bike.......buy one. Sure you can have the BMW "sport" tourers with their smooth delivery, comfort and quiet. But after riding for almost 40 years I need to feel and hear the bike. The viseral............ the huge torque, the crazy roll on speed. This bike tours like a GP bike with bags. The first summer I owned this bike I went on a 9000 mile road trip. It was completely reliable and always exciting. This bike is more sport than any other ST bike out there. It will get up and jump. So, around 107 hp stock and 120 hp with a new chip and termignoni pipes at 470lbs wet compared to a Harley with 55 hp and 800 lbs that won't corner or stop worth a damn. Oh ya, and the HD and the BMW are thousands more. Ducati should have marketed this bike much better.

I have had the ST3s for 8 months & have previously owned a GPX600,ST2,ZXR750 & ZX6R.Having just returned from 7 days in France,Spain & An dorra and covering 1625 miles all I can say is how fantastic this bike is as a sporty tourer it is so comfortable & still great fun in the alpine twisties, the only thing that is negative is the slight vibration felt through the bars but it is a v-twin ! Mine has hard panniers & top box which are on & off in seconds & once on you forget they are there. This bike is plenty powerful enough without being too extreme. Servicing is expensive but you can pick up a ST3 Or ST3S for sensible money mine is an 06 with 16000 miles and was 4750- Well worth it - Highly recommend go for it & you wont regret it- Top class components on a top class exclusive type sporty sporty tourer- so much more classy than VFR, ST1050 etc.

Before I start Ive also owned the st2 st4.

The power feels slightly down on the st4 though i think thats due to the smoother delivery of the st3s.

Adjusting the bars makes the ride on the st3 easier to ride long distance.

Wind protection is better and the fuel delivery/wet clutch makes lighter work around town.

I think its a superb sports tourer and can't think of a bike i would change it for.......LOVE IT.

I have had my Ducati ST3 for 3 years, before which I had the ST2 for a further 3. The reason i changed (apart from an MOT induced habit) was the st3 had the fixes for the st2 - Better lights, lighter clutch, adjustable bars and levers. For free it is also more powerful, and economic!! its also got a cute speedo display with nice functions and a immobiliser built in (that doesnt drian your battery)

To my taste I think the ST2 headlight looks better and I believe the handling was also a little lighter. Im sure these are matters of taste and riding style.

Although my wife is not very heavy, I ride 2 up a lot and there is pretty much zero impact on ride.

However overall it been a win, Ive had zero problems with either bike, its still a super ride, all my st2 bits (custom seat, noisy cans and hard luggage) fitted and given the absence of a direct replacement I will keep it for the foorseeable future.

If you want a quick handling, responsive touring bike with a race-proven power plant the ST3 may be for you. Great suspension & front brakes (esp. the ST3S). More electronics than really need; some may like to quiz the trip statistics while on the superslab. The bags come off EZ and come with the bike (note to BMW). Lights are improved over earlier ST models. A class ride. Well thought out. Eager performer. comfoftable. Very EZ on the eyes.

06 ST3s ABS...simply magnificent. My first Ducati, I just love it, I absolutely love it. Now the chip, pipes, intake...lovely. The sound, the feel is why a Duc is a Duc. There is truly nothing like it anywhere in the world. When you get a Duc you are just 0.6% of all motorcycledom, but now you have arrived. This bike draws the devotion out of me, it beckons me, it strokes me, it literally get inside of you and changes you...for the better. There is something so deeply satisfying when you ride, hear and feel this bike. This bike is a design tour de force, rolling artwork. The "Ducatisti" are the result of one word, one reason...PASSION. You'll see.

This bike can cruise interstates all day with the big hogs but really yearns for the curves and twisties. Set it up the way you like for the ride you want. I'm one up only and run it a little stiff. Not as many aftermarket goodies for the ST but not much is needed with out of the box top of the line components.

A 996cc/107 HP power 3-valve plant with a 445 lb dry weight; do the math. The power to weight ratio is perfect in a no-frills, sport tourer application. Price to play is better than BMW and not much above the Triumph ST. Lighter than the jap tourers with out all the BS-power gagets. Q - When will Ducati discover the kevlar belt? To clean and lube a chain is a too frequent and messy job. Take home message....if you want a SPORT tourer; take a ST3S home! If, that is, you like to ride a motorcycle and not a two wheeled Winnebago.

I've owned and ridden a 2005 Ducati ST3 for over 33,000 trouble free km. For a Sports Tourer this bike has it all. This is a classic motor cycle that will endure.

Rides great, must be the sportest tour bike on the market. Seating position allows me to ride for hours.

I've had my 04 Ducati ST3 for a year now and I can't praise it enough. It does everything I ask of it reliably and comfortably. I replaced the stock pipes with a set of Leo Vince SBK's and can now set off car alarms at will with a flick of the throttle........endless fun! The cost of servicing from Ducati is a bummer though, but hey............no pain no gain. Buy one and you won't regret it.