Ducati ST3 servicing
2004 to 2007 · 992cc liquid-cooled three-valve Desmotre V-twin · Greenwich, London
The Ducati ST3 and ST3s ABS, built from 2004 to 2007, are serviced and repaired by Ray Petty Meccanica at its independent Ducati workshop in Greenwich, London. The ST3's three-valve Desmotre engine has its own set of known faults, from loose alternator nuts to worn rocker coatings, and RPM checks for them as it works through the bike.
About the ST3
The ST3 replaced both the ST2 and ST4 for 2004, and its 992cc Desmotre engine was new: a liquid-cooled V-twin with three valves per cylinder, two inlet and one exhaust, worked by a single camshaft in each head. Ducati's aim was the ST2's low-down response with top-end power closer to the ST4's. It kept the ST family's steel trellis frame and touring fairing. Early bikes had a dry clutch, and Ducati fitted a wet clutch from 2005. The ST3s ABS followed for 2006 with ABS as standard, a fully adjustable Showa fork and an Öhlins shock, where the standard ST3's suspension has much less adjustment. Both stayed in production until 2007.
Servicing your ST3
Bennetts' buying guide says the ST3's cam belts should be replaced every two years or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first, and the valve clearances need checking at the intervals Ducati sets. The known faults are well documented: the alternator nut can work loose, the coating on the rocker arms can wear, and regulator rectifier failures are common. Jerky low-speed fuelling on early bikes was often cured by an ECU reflash, water getting in behind the front fairing can corrode the clocks, and Ducati recalled bikes over clip-on risers that were overtightened at the factory. RPM has the latest Ducati diagnostic software for fuelling and fault work, and calls you before doing anything outside the agreed job.
Book your ST3 in
Tell us the mileage and what's due, and we'll arrange a date.
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Saturday: 10am to 5pm
Sunday and Monday: closed