Road test of Ducati944 ST2 1997 Suitcases for Ducatists

it's sunny, it's hot, everyone's at work, except my apple... who's got his butt on a Ducati 944 ST2. Eye shock: this Ducati has a surprisingly soft design from the Italian manufacturer; inspired by the sport-GT philosophy, the design is sober, light, but pleasant to look at... pleasant, quite simply. But the essential shock on an ST is the driving position: very comfortable compared to the rest of Italian production. You'd almost think you were on a Japanese sport-GT, but with a firm seat and a certain amount of pressure on the front that only becomes noticeable after a few... muscular kilometers on mountain roads! Very slender in the legs, the machine can be squeezed in an embrace that's essential because Ducatis need a special kind of riding, where the rider must be at one with the machine (see the900 SS test ). The twin with 2 valves per cylinder emits the usual Desmo symphony: a husky, cavernous sound, but surprisingly discreet (sport-GT philosophy). Vibrations are present but pleasant. Just like Ducati! Let's get out of town. It's a bit of an ordeal, as a twin is by definition not very supple at very low revs, especially an Italian with character; what's more, the turning radius isn't very formidable (long live the lessons of the plateau). Fortunately, the road to Currienne is just around the corner, and that's going to wake the beast up. BBRROOAAA...!!!! The twin is particularly torquey and gives you a good kick in the ass every time you change gear. The gearbox is excellent and the suspension filters the road quite well, as long as it's not too rotten! The mill just doesn't want to be pushed to the top of the rev counter... you need a desmoquattro to get the horsepower to the top, and that means an ST4. The chassis is as rigid as you could wish for, and the machine feels like it's on a rail once you've entered the bend. Braking is effective, less so than on a hyper-sport, but more than adequate for the beast's performance. Even if the control lacks a little smoothness, it provides a very good feel and dosage of the front brake. Forget the rear; on a twin, it's rarely used. As you go around corners, the machine's stability gives you confidence, and its readiness to place itself wherever you look is a real pleasure. This chassis is a delight! Once on the freeway, the protection offered allows you to maintain a respectable cruising speed (over 160 km/h), but the lack of power becomes noticeable above 200 km/h and the machine becomes lazy... but those who buy an ST2 are not looking for the performance of a Hayabusa or a Blackbird. Is the ST2 a good machine? Certainly; it offers the character of Italy with a certain idea of tourism... it doesn't follow in the footsteps of the VFR because, although it's positioned in a similar niche, it has a much lower price and much less power, but an unrivalled character.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos