OK. Here it is. I've made up a history/horror story of my ST4... This should give you a basic rundown of events, and if you have any specific questions, drop a note in the Guestbook.

I should first point out that I bought my Ducati as a demo with 13,000klms on the clock for $18,990. Now, one would have to assume that 13,000klms is way to much for a demo, and that someone from the dealership had taken a liking to the bike and been using it as their own, but based on the problems I've experienced with it, I get the impression that there's something much more sinister going on. Also I should point out that when I bought the bike I complained to the salesman that there was something wrong with the clutch and that I wanted it fixed before I took the bike away. I was guaranteed that there was nothing wrong and that the grinding and crunching sounds I was hearing were all part of owning a dry clutch. I was also told that if there did turn out to be a problem, it would be covered under warranty so not to worry about it. I was later to find out that both those promises were complete CRAP!

Also, please keep in mind when you read through this stuff, this is my experience only. It doesn't mean that every Ducati owner has the same problems.

 

DATE	KLMS	DESCRIPTION OF EVENTS	COST
4/11/99	14500	Replaced ignition relay and part of the wiring harness due to no effect (that means nothing at all) when turning on the key. I was without the bike for 5 days after only having it for 3 weeks. Not happy.	Warranty
19/11/99	15000	Oil & oil filter change.	$30
4/1/00	18800	20,000klm service replacing cam belts, fuel filter, oil & oil filter, spark plugs, and fixing seized cam belt adjuster. Half the required service that was paid for was not completed.	$760
21/1/00	19800	Replaced headlight under warranty due to "fogging", and had tacho checked due to intermittent function, but dealer did not replace it as they claimed to have fixed it. Also replaced front tyre with stock MEZ4 120/70ZR17.	Warranty + $239
8/5/00	24500	Replaced oil & oil filter, and rear tyre with Pilot Sport 180/55. Also replaced clutch plates and clutch basket. Unhappy about the clutch situation, because I was told at this point that it was not covered under warranty at all, and that I had ridden it for far too long while it was damaged, resulting in much more damage that could have been prevented. So I had to pay for something that should have been sorted out before I bought the bike Also replaced several other things under warranty such as clutch cap, clutch piston assembly, tacho (which had not been fixed previously), and neutral light switch which was staying on constantly.	$782 + Warranty
26/8/00	27500	Replaced battery due to slow starting and eventual failure.	$120
10/10/00	29600	30,000klm service completed. Additional items I chose to have done on top of standard list because of my concern that they weren't done at 20,000klms: * Fork oil replaced * Tank cleaned out and fuel filter replaced * Front brake pads replaced * K&N air filter added * Brake fluids and clutch fluid replaced * Omrae exhaust system added * Chain & sprockets replaced (14 tooth front) * Rear brake light switch replaced under warranty	$1900 + Warranty
27/12/00	31500	Replaced windshield (cracked top right), air temperature sensor (intermittent fault causing coughing and spluttering), and full wiring harness and connectors (due to severe corrosion which has been the problem with the electrics since day one (See first entry) Nice to finally have that sorted out) I also wanted the side stand bracket replaced under warranty because it had worn down so that the stand was hitting the pipe and had actually worn a deep groove in the stock pipe before I switched over to the Omrae's. I didn't want the same thing happening to them. I was told that that was how they were, and that it would NOT be fixed under warranty. More crap that I had to live with just cause I owned a Ducati. I was also threatened at the time, by the dealer, who told me if I didn't shut up about the side stand I wouldn't get the $2000 wiring harness replaced, despite it's faults. Why? Because he had the power to do that!	Warranty
3/1/01	32200	New tyres front and rear. Mich Pilot Sport on both ends keeping the 180/55 on the rear. Also installed FIM UM-201 chip.	$720
28/1/01	33600	Oil pressure switch failed, pouring oil all over the engine and pipe.	$47
29/1/01	33600	Sold the bike. Traded it in on a VFR 800 for reliability. Got $11,900 for it. Total losses over 14 months including all items (some not listed above) pushed over $14,000. i.e. I sunk $1000 per month into this bike never to be seen again.

Now having listed all these things for you to read I should add my thinking and suggestions if you're contemplating buying one.

If you really read through everything I've laid out on this web site you will see that while I have been honest about the experience I had with my ST4, the last thing I want to do is be the one and only reason you don't buy one. You'd be missing out on something extremely special. I can tell you that I don't think I'll ever buy another Ducati again. Having said that, I think that my problems were not everyday ones. I think that I just happened to pick the wrong bike to ride out of the shop, and I know others who have done an extremely large amount of klms on their bikes without too many dramas at all. I also know that while my friends first 748 did 35,000klms without a hiccup before he rode it off, his next 748SP gave him nothing but problems. He's now glad he did the Ducati thing for a while but will never buy another, quite like myself with the ST4. I've come to what I believe is a fair and unbiased observation based on watching and listening to the experience of close friends, people I've met through riding, through discussion groups on the internet, and also through first hand experience...

My opinion is that buying a Ducati in any shape or form is a lottery. I believe that you never know what you're going to get from them, and given that you outlay such a lot of money for the pleasure of ownership in the first place, and then outlay so much in subsequent maintenance costs, that's just not good enough, particularly when despite all the care, attention, and money you throw at something, it just doesn't behave itself. Then it becomes something quite opposite to a pleasure, it actually becomes a nightmare to own. There's nothing worse than the feeling of dread that happens when you go to the garage thinking 'What else can go wrong today?', or when you spend the evenings wondering if you're going to be able to get to work tomorrow thinking maybe you're going to have to call and tell work you're late and getting a cab again.

Despite all that, no bullshit, when they go right they are the best thing in the world to ride and there's nothing like that experience. I think you're gambling if you buy one, but I'm not going to commit either way as to whether I think it's a good idea for you to do so, that comes down to your access to other transport and how much money you're prepared to gamble. I've made my decision and it's been about one of the toughest I've ever had to make, now it's your call. Good luck :-) 

All prices are in Australian dollars