About 4 weeks ago I placed an ad on Facebook Marketplace (free of charge) saying I was interested in buying any old Ducati that needed renovating/refurbishing. My plan was to get a donor bike as a project bike. I was very surprised with the response, especially as Ireland is such a lowly populated country; I was also very surprised at how many old Darmahs, 750 & 860GTs, 900 & 600SSs were just stashed away in people's sheds. I was not surprised at some of the asking prices though, people asking top dollar because that's what a mint one is being touted at on DoneDeal or eBay or Carandclassic Anyway, after about 2 weeks a fella pops up with a 1998 ST2, 56kkm, got new tyres, just had the belts and Desmo service done 1500km ago (allegedly) and just spent a load on a new generator, reg/rec and battery - asking €1600. Worth a look in the flesh. A 400km round trip later, a quick tyre kick and test ride, it's not at all bad for a 22 year old bike, and it's mine for €1300 A week later it arrives. It needs a lot of TLC, I don't think it's been cleaned as long as the previous owner had it - 2 years. It smelt 'hot' when I test rode it. Check the coolant level - needed a litre adding. The oil level doesn't even appear in the inspection window and the inspection window is all misty. The latter I'm not worried about, just lack of use over the past few months as he'd bought himself an ST4S, but it did need >1/2ltr of oil adding. The low coolant and low oil, plus the black, opaque, brake fluid in the reservoirs make me think it perhaps was not serviced 1500km ago as he told me, so a full service is about to be undertaken. The good points are it starts, goes and stops just as it should. It runs really sweetly and smoothly. The tyres are almost new Avon Storm 3Ds. It is perhaps the easiest and smoothest bike to ride I have ever ridden. There is no transmission snatch, fuelling issues, jerkiness, just smooth power delivery, even from 30kmh in 3rd, without having to slip the clutch. I can't even ride my Monster 1100S in first at 30kmh without having to slip the clutch. After topping up the coolant & oil and checking the tyre pressures and giving it a good look over I took it out today for a 200km ride, not a single problem at all, it just does what it should and very comfortably so. However, I now have a bit of a conundrum. I was going to chop it up and use it as the donor bike for a cafe racer styleee thingy - a bit of fun and a learning exercise for me, but I actually quite like it and now I'm thinking maybe I should just refurb it as originally as possible, give it a damn good tidy up and a full service and keep it as a tourer. As my strip down and service progresses I will post what I find here so all can see what a 22 year old, 56,000km, Ducati with sketchy service history looks like and the problems one might face.
Nice ... I concur , just give it freshen up and use it with all its history on display ... Or ... sell it to me for 300 quid and I’ll sell it you back in July
The inside of the rear light will fall apart if you ever need to change the bulb. Take the headlight apart and clean the inside of the projector lens with a cloth on a stick and the dip will be twice as good. Check out the older pages on this blog. ducatistbike.wordpress.com
If you are hoping to do some touring, I'd not worry about cosmetic, just get it safe, working and enjoy
Nice idea, but it’s on Irish plates so not straightforward. This one has a Scottoiler in situ and thus has a very well oiled chain with more oil flung off around the front sprocket area than gets pumped out of the North Sea each day; I am, therefore, assuming rust & corrosion around that point will be non-existant and I won’t have the same problem I had with my 748. Famous last words
I have a headlight unit for an ST2/4/4s in pristine condition which could be available if needed. It was removed from my 2002 ST4s at less than 2 years old and has a 3M protective film on the lens.
Now you're fekked Paul, you rode it before chopping it ST's are surprisingly useable bikes and don't come up for sale for that reason - you won't go wrong putting it back to standard and keeping it The Monster will be useful for the odd hooligan blast
I think you might be right Harry. I went out again this morning on it, for another couple of hours, after having given it a good clean. It's definitely growing on me. I'm now thinking what I'll do is tidy it up, ride it this year as is whilst I slowly buy the parts I need for my project and then see what happens over next winter
Hmmmm..... Do you want a tourer though? Will chopping it up a little or a lot make it uncomfortable? These and other questions like this should be anwered in the next thrillling installment of St Paul makes a custom bike (or not). Stay tuned sports fans, there's simply bound to be a sprocket removed soon.
Were there ever decent aftermarket Termi's for these ST2's. Asking for a friend who's got a bog standard dark blue ST2.
Looks like a great deal and a solid bike. Shine her up so I can borrow it when I'm back in the summer.
I guess so, the fella I bought it from had an ST4S which had Termis on it. I guess if they fit on an ST4 they’d fit on an ST2.
It was another fine day today so a good clean and degrease was in order and a check over various parts. Firstly, this bike’s fitted with a Scottoiler, now whilst I can see the benefit of them in keeping the chain nicely oiled, they do also keep everything else on that side of the bike oiled. Under the seat, all over the frame, the exhaust, the pillion foot pegs, everywhere, what a mess This is it part way through bring degreased. Someone in the past has also effected some home-made repairs on some of the body parts, in this case the fillet panels that infill the rear of the nose fairing and hide the fuses on the left and coolant tank on the right. I’m going to have to keep an eye out for some cheap replacements. I also inspected the clutch today. The vendor did give me a set of new friction plates as he’d told me they probably need replacing and he’d bought some but never got round to fitting them. However, upon inspection, sure the friction plates are worn but there not out of spec yet. What’s more worn is the basket itself so that’ll have to be replaced. Also the clutch push rod was coated in oil. Clean oil mind you, but still coated where it shouldn’t be. I’m guessing the O-rings on the slave cylinder side need replacing; can’t see how else oil could get there. Ah well, a few more things to add to the service parts list.
