ST3 vs. Monster 1000S2R v.s. Multistrada 1000
Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2006 2:18 pm
I had the opportunity to ride all three of these bikes yesterday and it was a blast. It was an out of town test ride put on by a local dealer and although they all share a similar engine, they couldn't be more different.
The Multistrada was first and I've been drooling after one of these for a while(yep, I know the looks put a lot of people off but I like it
). It was a nice ride but the seat was a little hard and the wind-protection was lacking for that type of bike. Getting used to cornering with those long legs might take a few minutes
Next up was the S2R 1000. As I rode Jens S2R 800 out to the event I was interested to see how this one felt. The big put-off for all of these bikes has been the dry-clutch for me (don't mention this in a Ducati forum!), and surprisingly they don't sound too bad when they are stock. Why everyone puts the open clutch covers on them so they sounds like cuttlery in a blender as soon as they buy them is beyond me. The suspension felt great (likely seems better as Jens has been lowered), and the extra torque was nice. Make mine a black and white please....
Last up was the ST3. The looks of this bike are quite bland and I hadn't even planned on riding it until an opening appeared. This was a NICE bike to ride. The engine felt far more refined than the others, the wind protection was great and it maintained the narrow Ducati-feel while providing the cushy ride. I love this bike but DAMN I would be an old geezer riding it. I better snap out of this one quick! The little punk-azz squid in me still wants the Monster
The Multistrada was first and I've been drooling after one of these for a while(yep, I know the looks put a lot of people off but I like it
). It was a nice ride but the seat was a little hard and the wind-protection was lacking for that type of bike. Getting used to cornering with those long legs might take a few minutes Next up was the S2R 1000. As I rode Jens S2R 800 out to the event I was interested to see how this one felt. The big put-off for all of these bikes has been the dry-clutch for me (don't mention this in a Ducati forum!), and surprisingly they don't sound too bad when they are stock. Why everyone puts the open clutch covers on them so they sounds like cuttlery in a blender as soon as they buy them is beyond me. The suspension felt great (likely seems better as Jens has been lowered), and the extra torque was nice. Make mine a black and white please....
Last up was the ST3. The looks of this bike are quite bland and I hadn't even planned on riding it until an opening appeared. This was a NICE bike to ride. The engine felt far more refined than the others, the wind protection was great and it maintained the narrow Ducati-feel while providing the cushy ride. I love this bike but DAMN I would be an old geezer riding it. I better snap out of this one quick! The little punk-azz squid in me still wants the Monster
