Ok, 2004 ST3, 653 miles. Michelin Pilot Road tires. What's your opinion of these tires? Mind, I'm 5'10" 200 lbs. Tires seem very compliant, smooth out road ripples etc. But I do feel wiggling in rear occasionally. Been adjusting rear Sachs shock every day, trying to get it right. I've started saving my pennies to buy an Ohlins or Penske (Traxxion Dynamics) rear shock. Dealer, says to change to Metzeler MEZ4 tires for better ride over Pilot Roads? Anyone have ideas on this? I rode MEZ3s on my 2000 Monster and they were great, like riding on rails. Also, want to find out about Bridgestone New Battleaxe BT014. it's getting good write up's in the Brit Mags, wonder how it will work on the ST3??
Anyone hear of a higher touring windscreen, let me know. I ride on highway a lot and it could use a slightly higher screen. Had it up to 125mph this am on an open stretch of hiway here in STL area. Bike felt smooth, controlled and safe, I'm keeping it below 7000rpm as stated for running in. Only complaints so far: when side bags are off nd pipes in up position, I keep burning my heels on the cans. Ducati needs to create a carbon or metal heat shield for that. Headlights. Have tried the electric beam adjustment...I can't sem to get the light to shine where I want it too. Also, why is high beam just one light, while passing flasher is both bulbs? The high beam doesn't do much more than light up the trees and the side of road, needs to direct light straight ahead.
I have the Roads on my 99ST2 for over 5K miles. No complaints. I have tried many tires on the bike and they all feel about the same, even on the track, which is excellent. I am 5'11 200 lbs. If the 3 is anything like the 2 and 4's the back end is undersprung for your weight!!
Before spending the $$ for an Ohlins or Penske, try another spring. I have a Hyperco..went from a stock 525lb spring to a 800lb for my weight (it's perfect)
BTW, you might want to experiment with rear ride height.
I don't think it's your tires IMHO
I woouldn't use the BT014's for sport touring, they will not last. I have gone thru two sets of them, one 3500 miles, the other 4500 miles. I have gotten 10000 out of BT010's. Try the BT020's for sport touring. Or try Avon, or Continental Road Attacks for Sport Touring
I cut an pasted this entry I made earlier this date in another thread on Pilot Roads. I believe my shock is set up okay, ie approx 35-50 mms of sag from static.
"After further consideration and research, and a few occassions when I've personally felt what I believe were mild rear wheel slides, and after getting some feed back from other ST ryders who confirmed they too felt slides, one stating he experienced two nasty low sides, I'll be replacing my Pilot Roads in the spring with another brand. I'll try lowering the air pressure to 36-38 in the mean time, but I don't want to risk a get off. I appreciate tires are a personal choice, and experiences vary greatly, but I've lost confidence in these tires after feeling them slide. YMMV."
Not decided on which brand yet, but I'm leaning towards Avons st 45/6, or Dun D220s.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by st ryder »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I cut an pasted this entry I made earlier this date in another thread on Pilot Roads. I believe my shock is set up okay, ie approx 35-50 mms of sag from static.
"After further consideration and research, and a few occassions when I've personally felt what I believe were mild rear wheel slides, and after getting some feed back from other ST ryders who confirmed they too felt slides, one stating he experienced two nasty low sides, I'll be replacing my Pilot Roads in the spring with another brand. I'll try lowering the air pressure to 36-38 in the mean time, but I don't want to risk a get off. I appreciate tires are a personal choice, and experiences vary greatly, but I've lost confidence in these tires after feeling them slide. YMMV."
Not decided on which brand yet, but I'm leaning towards Avons st 45/6, or Dun D220s.
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Would like a clarification: You guys are getting rear end slides while riding on the street? I have used Mich. tires (not the Roads) on the ST on the street and track and have never got a slide yet...and I push hard on the track..but not the street!!
Whats gives??
I've got 5k on a set of Roads... zero slippage. I run them around 36/40 and at those pressures they stick and the treadwear is moderate; I'd expect to get around 10k on the rear. There's some chatter out there about Roads being lousy tires but in my (street) application they're fine. The ride is excellent and there's no sliding even at a brisk street pace.
I can only speak for myself, and as I mentioned, tires are a personal preference, with varied owners' experiences, so I wouldn't expect the same results for everybody, but for me, I have experienced a sliding feeling from the rear on two or three occassions at moderate speed and shallow lean angles. I posted an entry at the yahoo ST site, enquiring if anybody else had experienced similar feelings, and a few other riders stated they *did*, with one stating he had low sided twice, and they have switched to different brands. I have no complaint with higher speed sweepers or braking etc, but I can't keep riding them in good faith, having experienced sliding feelings that others have confirmed they too felt, one with catastrophic outcomes. As the saying goes, YMMV, but I will lower PSI to around 36-38, ride out the season, and look for replacements in the spring. Avons come highly recommended, and I think I'm leaning that way.
I agree that tires are a personal choice. In my case I like to gas it up as I exit low speed turns in first gear, lifting the front end. If my tires don't slip under those conditions I'm OK with them. So far, so good.
That said, I'll be trying the Conti or Avon tires next time. I like to experiment and a lot of people are raving about those two tires.
8K on my pilots on the ST3, I ride pretty hard, only slippage I've felt is coming out of the turns with full throttle 2-3rd gear, very minor and controlled and not much to worry about. I also put them on the Monster about 2-3k ago and am very happy on that bike as well. Regrading your question on the Windscreen, I put on a Zero Gravity and it's great! I also put on the Cycle Cat risers. - Gene
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It's about the journey, not the destination
'01 Victory Sports Crusier
'02 Monster 900
'04 Victory Kingpin
'04 Ducati ST3
Followed advice from thread on this site and bought Avon ST's a few weeks back. Put 4k miles on during Rocky Mtn vacation. Rode 2 up fully loaded for 7 days and solo for 3 more. Mountains, plains and near desert. Rain, sun AND snow (Tetons).
The objective was to find all of the fun, twisty roads from Yellowstone to Durango and back to the Black Hills and gorge myself after living in the very flat flatlands. I was very impressed with these Avon tires and they were among the most reasonably priced.
My concern with a made for ST tire was transition and maybe grip. I can say I got excellent transition (as good as the stock Pilot Sports) and outstanding grip - never once got squirrely unless I got too hard on the front brake (not the tires fault) when I was really pushing it hard on my solo days.
So - as good as the faster wearing sport tires and better in the rain and expected to last far longer for less money. I would recommend them.
Only one issue. 700+ miles of high speed superslab two-up between SW MN and Sheridan, WY. Dealer installed tires with only about 34 psi so we already had a raised tread in the center three inches before I checked the air pressure myself at 2700 miles. Bumped that up to 42-44 as mentioned in other posts on this site. Should have got off my butt and checked to see the pressure was where I instructed - my own fault.
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2008 1098
2003 ST4S-ABS
Corbin seat w/br
+3" Zero Gravity
Ducati Designs headlight
New in 2005 are the following:
- Staintune stainless exhaust
- Spidi Ergo Jacket & pants
I have the Pirelli Diablo EMS in the shop to be put on when I take it in for it's 12K. I wanted something different than what eveybody else was doing and was more interested in a happy medium. They seem to be midway between the Pilots at one end of the grip/longevity range and the Avons at the other.
I have the Pirelli Diablo EMS in the shop to be put on when I take it in for it's 12K. I wanted something different than what eveybody else was doing and was more interested in a happy medium. They seem to be midway between the Pilots at one end of the grip/longevity range and the Avons at the other.
Bike goes in the 24th so I won't know until after that. I'm going to have to get some miles in before we leave to Barber on the 20th/21st of April for the race. Based on 5 years previous experience it will most likely be raining that weekend in the SE so I will see how they do in the rain. Planning on doing TotD on the way back so I'd better have them scrubbed in before then.
OK, finally got the Pirelli Diablo Strada EMS on and ridden a few miles on them although only a couple hundred and I'm not an aggressive rider. They present a very discernible stability and comfort on the road. They turn in well and are very stable in the turns; transition seemed to be good but don't know how they do for more spirited riding. Grip seemed to be better than the Pilot Roads that I had. I just feel way more comfortable on the bike with these new tires; maybe it's just the "newness". Maybe it was a function of tire pressures but with the Pilots the ST3 in low speed corners such as parking lots and driveways seemed to have a feeling of wanting to "tuck" the front end. Not these Pirellis; the type of corner and/or speed doesn't seem to matter, set up and then turn, like on rails all the way through. IMHO
FWIW, the new word on the street has it that the Conti Road Attack tires stick like glue and wear long like the Avon Azaros plus the reports say that they're good in the wet. I just picked up a set but can't give you any real world experience on them yet as I'm waiting on some new wheels to mount them on. My 2 cents worth.
ST3 Tires
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