Ducati St2
DUCATI ST2
CW RIDING IMPRESSION
THE FUTURE BEGINS HERE
ALAN CATHCART
DUCATI IS BACK IN BUSINESS. AT A GLITZY PRESS CONFERence near the Jerez race circuit in Spain, the Italian marque’s takeover by American financial giants Texas Pacific Group was sealed with the revamped company’s first model, the ST2.
Conceived during Cagiva ownership in the Varese design studio by M900 II Monstro creator Miguel Angel Galluzzi, the ST2 is the first bike to benefit from TPG’s multimillion-dollar investment plan, which has already seen 200 new workers added to the Bologna workforce and an increase in overall production to 140 units per day. It’s an exciting venture, one that combines Italian design flair with transAtlantic business expertise.
For all the TPG input, the ST2 is still a Ducati. Only difference, buyers are likely to take delivery on time and be satisfied with build quality. Moreover, the ST2 represents a move into the sport-touring market, a step planned some time ago. Forget the previous Paso and 907, warmed-over fashion-conscious styling attempts that were never serious sporttouring options. The ST2’s more restrained lines identify a focused, capable motorcycle, minus any quirkiness masquerading as character. In fact, the ST2 is a true allarounder, a Ducati that’s practical as well as sporting.
Credit for this advance must be shared with Galluzzi for his attention to detail. Also to the R&D team, led by Claudio Domencali, for transforming the two-valve engine to suit. This is not a slightly sanitized 900SS with higher handlebars and a taller windscreen, but a well-honed machine developed with touring in mind. Even so, it retains enough sport to satisfy any red-blooded Ducatista.
Just sitting on the bike confirms this. The riding position is relaxed and upright, with footpegs that are relatively rearset. The stepped seat is comfortable-at least for the 100mile jaunt into the Andalusion hills that constituted the riding portion of the launch-and the windscreen’s concave sweep gives excellent protection at high speeds without buffeting. Not just aerodynamic, the mirrors set a benchmark for function. The outer third of the glass is distorted aspherically for a greater field of vision. Full marks also to the mounts, which are stiff enough to eliminate shake, even at triple-digit speeds.
Indeed, the ST2 is a smooth operator and very quiet, satisfying strict 80-dBa Euro-noise regulations without sacrificing that trademark exhaust note. Performance hasn’t been lost, either. Whereas a carbureted 900SS runs out of breath around 7500 rpm, the 944cc, 82horsepower ST2-using liquid-cooled cylinders and heads, a brand-new camshaft design, lightened flywheels and Weber/Marelli fuel injection-has a genuine appetite for revs. It pulls cleanly in top gear from as low as 2500 rpm, and will spin past 9000 rpm, although such exuberance seems foolish considering the engine’s substantial midrange torque.
All of which makes the ST2 an excellent partner, perfect in traffic or winding along country roads. Clutch take-up is improved thanks to an altered primary-gear ratio, and clutchless upshifts are a cinch. Finding neutral at stoplights is still a hit-and-miss affair, though, and the gear lever is a bit too close to the footpeg. Also annoying is the non-locking sidestand, which is more suicidal than usual. It’s impossible to use without first dismounting, and the return spring is so strong every deployment is a tug-o-war. Fortunately, there’s an excellent centerstand.
To accommodate the added bulk and weight of the engine, the 916-esque tubular-steel frame is new from the ground up. Rather than the 916’s cast-alloy single-sided arm, though, a conventional extruded-alloy swingarm pivoting in the engine cases is standard. The bike does, however, use the 916’s shock linkage, but with a more progressive ratio. Showa suspension is used at both ends; both 43mm inverted fork and reservoir-equipped shock are adjustable for compression and rebound damping, and spring preload.
Ducati certainly didn’t sacrifice anything in the handling department, either. Chassis dimensions closely mirror those of the 916. Rake is 24.0 degrees, trail is 4.0 inches and wheelbase is a scant 56.3 inches. On the road, the stubby ST2 handles like a modem Ducati should, which is to say very well, and easily outshines the 900SS’s cantilever rear end thanks to the much more compliant rising-rate linkage. New Metzeier MEZ4 radiais were fitted for the introduction, and grip was impressive, even on the racetrack.
For all its handling poise, the chassis’ most impressive feature is braking. New four-piston Brembo calipers combined with 12.6-inch stainless-steel rotors provide stupendous stopping power, even under extreme conditions. Development engineer Andrea Forni credits increased caliper stiffness, wider fork-leg spacing and a revised pad compound. Though not adjustable, the lever is nicely shaped, allowing for one-finger braking when appropriate.
Ducati plans to produce 3000 ST2s in 1997 (U.S. deliveries should begin in early ’98), and hopes to attract riders who have never considered owning an Italian motorcycle. What they will find is a versatile streetbike with the allure of a Superbike champion. As for the rest of us, Ducati finally has an honest-to-goodness sporttourer in its model line. The ST2 is a down-to-earth Desmo that combines brio with common sense, style with function, performance with practicality. A fine way to kick off Ducati’s second half-century.
