Ducati ST 4 S 2004 — Specifications

We remember a time when Ducati, already a master of sportbikes, also wanted to seduce touring riders with machines capable of devouring asphalt without torturing the rider. The ST4 S of 2004 is the result of this quest, a hybrid proposition that smells as much of circuit leather as it does of adventure. It arrives alongside the more accessible ST3, but doesn't settle for that: they graft the heart of a 996 Desmoquattro onto it, that 121 horsepower V2 that shone in the 916. The bet is bold, almost provocative. Who wants to install a purebred engine in a grand touring frame?

The answer is found on a winding national road. With its 98 Nm of torque arriving frankly at 7000 rpm, the beast is not gentle. Compared to the ST3's more supple engine, this 996 is a precision weapon, demanding and brutal. You have to make it sing in the high revs to extract its quintessence, an approach that somewhat contradicts the "touring" philosophy where suppleness is appreciated. The weight, 212 kg fully fueled, is felt in slow maneuvers, but once launched, the magic happens. The trellis frame and the 43 mm Showa inverted fork, coupled with an adjustable Öhlins mono-shock, offer handling of absolute rigor. This is where the ST4 S crushes its more placid Japanese rivals: it doesn't just transport, it engages.

But this sharp character comes at a price, both literally and figuratively. At more than €13,000 at the time, it cost a small fortune. And its major flaw is precisely this fiery temperament, little inclined to compromise. For a long journey, the position, although protected by a large fairing, remains sporty, and the absence of standard ABS on such a fast machine weighs against a Honda VFR800, for example. It is a machine for the passionate who refuses monotony, the sporty touring rider who accepts negotiating with the mechanics to obtain pure sensations. It is neither the most versatile nor the easiest, but it is undoubtedly the most charismatic in its category.

Ultimately, the ST4 S remains a coveted object for the informed enthusiast. It embodies an era when Ducati tinkered with concepts without a safety net, preferring emotion to sterilized perfection. Today, faced with more refined and electronically overpowered modern touring sportbikes, it reminds us that travel can also be a matter of impulse. A collector's item with an untamable soul, much more than a simple means of transportation.