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Originally Posted by Mika
Steve - I'm curious as to why a ST* would be considered better than a BMW touring bike. I'm curious as the BMW has shaft drive which is less maintenance for long trips. Not that I'm serious or anything.
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Shaft drive is the way to go if you plan on just staying on the interstates. Most shaft drive bikes have some amount of "shaft jacking", when you get on the throttle, the rear end rides up on the gears in the rear end and raises the rear end, changing the geometry of the suspension. This can be interesting mid-turn. ;D
From what I've read, the new Moto Guzzis are probably the best at eliminating this.
The ST has a center stand so squirting a bit of chain lube every 500-600 miles on a trip isn't any big deal. The other advantage an ST has over a BMW is weight. An ST probably weighs 100-200 lbs less than a BMW sport touring bike. Not having ridden any of the Beemers yet, my guess is that the ST*S with the Ohlins rear probably handles far better than the BMW does when the road gets twisty.
Who knows, if I can't get my hands on an '05 ST4S when I'm ready to get another bike, maybe there will be a Beemer in my future. They were my backup plan when I test rode a M800 if I didn't like the Monster.
Paging Scott..........
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