A friend picked me up on the Lower East Side early yesterday morning, and within minutes I was hanging on to a Versus pillion, admiring the view crossing the George Washington Bridge, but struggling with the nervous sensation of relinquishing control, as I haven't sat on the back of a bike in years (and never to weave in and out of traffic).  An hour later, I had a beautiful bike of my own between my legs though, cruising down the salty thruways of of I287 and I78 towards Allentown, then down 29 towards St. Peters, PA.

An ST3 is a "SportTouring" motorcycle, but I have to say it's way more "Sport" than "Touring."  The bike has a very thin profile, and the rider sits in a quite aggressive (albeit quite comfortable) position.  At nearly double the horsepower of my Monster, twisting the throttle at 80mph provides a completely different sensation and result than I've become accustomed to at 600cc's.  And, the bike seems incredibly nimble; not what I would expect from a typical touring bike, though I didn't try anything crazy on salty, sandy, crumbling March roads. 

When we finally arrived, my family's driveway had turned to a several hundred foot slick of 4" thick ice covered in water, that I could barely stand upon, let alone ride.  Very carefully, I walked the bike forward, to push it up to the barn.

To me, it's a brand new 2004 Ducati ST3.  The 1000CC 3 valve cylinder Ducati engine with custom carbon fiber cans and a dry clutch give this motorcycle a loud, deep throaty rumble, and that classic Ducati "marbles in a coffee can" make the bike really purr.  

Ducati modifications, such as adjustable suspension, aftermarket levers, cruise control and a custom seat make this bike incredibly sporty, though it does come with matching removable panniers