Intro: HOMOGENEITY VERSUS VERSATILITY
Motorcyclists have always been divided between those, who seek machines of character, and those, who want above all general-purpose machines... and if these 2 desires could be associated on the same motorbike... A dream?... a Utopia? Not necessarily.
Presented at the last Paris motorbike show, between the sport bikes with stratospheric power and the increasingly larger scooters, the Ducati ST3 nevertheless made its presence known. The latest born in the 'Sport-Touring' segment replaces the ST2 in the catalogue and it is the 1st true general-purpose machine produced by the Italian manufacturer. To do this many modifications were carried out, to start with the introduction of a 3-valve, cylinder head.
In order to fairly judge this new ST3, we chose another machine that also incorporates the ‘ST’ in its name, the Triumph Sprint ST, which first came on the scene in 1998. The British maker shares a common bond with its Italian counterpart in the use of the number 3, because the majority of its production run is powered by an in-line 3-cylinder.
A 3-valve, twin-cylinder versus an in-line 3-cylinder... the comparison is essential !
Esthetique: JEU EGAL
The Ducati ST3 offers a new loo compared to the ST2 and ST4.
A more aggressive line with an enlarged cowling for better protection, with a new double complex-surface front light for an effectiveness that had been missing until now, a redesigned and more comfortable seat, which is much more accommodating for the rider and his passenger, in short, nearly a complete redesign.
The dashboard is also different from the older ST version. It uses the same one first seen on the 999, everything is digital, and the rev counter features a white background. It is rich in information and very readable, even if does take some time getting used to.
The frame is made from proven elements that have shown to be reliable : a tubular steel trellis, a 43mm inversed Showa fork and a Sachs rear-shock absorber... In a word, top notch material.
All of this is accompanied by a standard issue anti-theft lock under the seat, a rather complete tool kit an additional storage space also under the seat.
Beyond the changes concerning the motorization, the Sprint ST remains identical. It offers typical British quality.... Like the dashboard, for example. Rather classic but complete, even though it is showing signs of age when compared to the Ducati’s instrument panel.
With the luggage, the Triumph thus takes on a heavier line, but to make up for this, the French distributor now offers these two solid cases as standard issue. In order to do this, the exhaust pipes have been lowered, which do hide the superb rim and single-sided swingarm... A sacrifice that some have come to regret.
On the road: ITALY WINS
Under the continuing rain in Normandy, the Ducati and Triumph roll into town for their 1st confrontation... Nimbler, the ST3 is easier to manoeuvre in tight quarters. The turning radius makes for a pleasant surprise and without as much as saying so, the Italian machine is just at easy to tame as a Japanese bike.
The only negative is the engine. Softer than the 2 valve, it remains nevertheless an Italian twin-cylinder. It is necessary to use the clutch and the gearbox, a lot more with the ST3 than with the Triumph.
In this exercise, the 3-cylinders begin to show their qualities. The added torque and smoothness brought from the extra cylinder does wonders. The Sprint ST remains more delicate to handle in town. Its higher centre of gravity imposes a less user friendly quality than its rival.
Not at all easy to decide between the two, we’ll let you judge for yourself in this very tight battle.
Easy to grasp, the Ducati ST3 surprise with its comfort. The sitting position is comfortable and the cowling offers a protection clearly superior than that of the other ST models. You can open up the throttle without suffering from the wind pressure.
The Triumph, for its part, offers a greater impression of power. On the negative side, we noticed that the protection was frankly inferior. The cowling is clearly far lower than that of the ST3, and you can feel it. From 130km/h, the pressure on the helmet becomes un-agreeable and tiring very quickly, which is a real problem once on the motorway. Another problem area : for those riders taller than 1m70, the knees will begin to rub up against the flaks of the fairing and thus we were disappointed with the Triumph in terms of comfort.
After putting in many a kilometre at a respectful speed, time now to take on some twisty roads in attempt to discover the more dynamic qualities of our two machines.
In order to be fair, we have removed the cumbersome cases of the Triumph. But still little change, the Sprint ST is less responsive than its Italian challenger. Very stable once it is in the corner, however it remains handicapped by its lack of angle changing capacity when compared to the Ducati.
The design philosophy, the considerable weight and original tyres of the Triumph all contribute to a motorbike made for running smoothly and progressively through the corners rather than a more brutal and aggressive style. A shame because the motor is a source of unlimited pleasure... Loaded with torque it has tons of acceleration and is the perfect example of 3-cylinder excellence.
And as usual, Ducati can rely on a bulletproof chassis when it comes to road holding. Tight corners, large bends, the ST3 is very much at home. With simple encouragement, the machine will go where you happen to point it. Beyond its comfort, one of the top selling points of the Ducati brand is of course its enormous versatility.
So now we have seen quite clear, the Triumph has come up just a bit short in this comparison with what will be surely one of the stars of the category. Without disavowing the sporting genes that are found in all Ducati models, the ST3 proposes a very interesting compromise between performance and comfort.
Even though the Sprint ST remains a homogenous machine, it is dominated by its rival in nearly all the sectors but when it finds an advantage, the Ducati is never far behind.
Our heart is with the Ducati ST3, but the Triumph will assuredly be in for a complete makeover... and its day of revenge will hopefully come soon.
International
