Thanks Cream, I'm already on the case with him, sent him some questions and watching to see whrre the price goes and will bid nearer the end
John W, The following might be helpful. I looked into possibly buying the bike in Swindon, but it is an 1198 S Corse SE and not an R. The bike data check shows it as a multi-coloured Ducati 1198S Corse. The bike has a number of features that are not original for example wheels, decals and obviously the paintwork on the upper fairing. Also, a bike with the same miles and the same registration date was advertised on Ebay last year for sale as a race bike, however no registration number was given. I provided a list of questions about the bike and its history, but never had a reply. I suggest thorough checking if you are still thinking about proceeding with that particular bike. Also, I'm sure that bike has been discussed on the forum previously, but I can't remember when. The 1198SP in Sheffield looks to be a nice bike, but it is very expensive. They also have an 1198 Corse SE for sale which again is expensive, for a bike that is not pristine. By the way, I confirm that my 1198SP has a welded bracket for attaching the Ohlins steering damper, as already mentioned. I hope this helps, and if you need more let me know. Tom.
Thanks Tom, I won't be buying the Corse, there were just too many issues to get the bike where I wanted it, and it would still be a bike with no history. He told me he took it in (or bought it) set up as a track bike. It had a track top fairing on it apparently, so that ties up with what you saw. He sourced the top fairing. Its not an R top fairing, it looks more like an after market track fairing to me. He also had to refit headlights, all the switchgear, etc. He told me it had no fans fitted either, which he had fitted. There was no V piece in place, and thinking about it after I left I think it was a larger than standard radiator. silicon hoses fitted. The inner fairing panels werent in place either (the side panels were genuine as they had the inner panel mounting points). The tank has a mark on it that would need dealing with and re-clearcoating. It didnt have the original exhausts but a 70mm system. looked good and sounded great to be fair. It looked to me like there was a panel missing from under the seat unit too. It had carbon belt covers (is this standard ?) with one of the bolts hanging out, and various other bolts either rusty or well used. These werent great signs of a well maintained and looked after bike to me. The only paperwork it has is the V5 and a previous MoT. They Mot'd it prior to me getting there, but I was short on time so didnt ride it. When I checked the MoT it had done 50 miles since it was last done a couple of years back, so I got the impression what the guy said about taken it in and put it back on the road was probably true. I have no doubt it could be a cracking bike for someone, at the right price. As for the SP in Sheffield, I agree. If it were cheaper I would probably have already bought it to be fair. The one near Gloucester is a nice bike, and I am tempted. Again if they were prepared to do a deal on the price I would have almost certainly bought it. They won't budge on price though. Maybe it is the right price and I am out of alignment. Either way it stopped me doing the deal. I'm not desperate to spend my money, especially given the time of year now, so going to see what else comes up (keeping an eye on the ones on the bay, but they are going to finish while I am out of the country ) Now a couple of questions regarding what comes with the bike. It looks like the manual is the same for 1998 and SP correct ? Aside from the usual dealers list, service book, and manual, was anything else supplied with them ? Thanks again, John.
One for the moderators - it might be betterto rename this thread now as its moved on from 1198 R questions to SP & Corse questions
John, The manual for mine says: 1198 & 1198SP, the code is: 913.7.319.1Q. They came with the Ducati Data Analyser Kit, which consists of a Ducati USB memory stick, a software CD, and an information sheet all in a dedicated box. This allows data from the on-board bike interface plug to be downloaded to the stick and examined on a PC. Also, depending on the dealer and the price new, they may have included a rear stand, a bike cover, and an alternative set of slip-on silencers; the standard exhaust pipe o/d is ~60mm (57 + 2x0.8mm) but 70mm o/d is available. However, depending on the number of owners, some or all of these items may not be present, possibly sold separately. In many cases, the bike may not be in standard trim, and may have had aftermarket parts fitted to lighten the bike, improve the looks, or improve the performance. It's a good sign if where this has been done, the original parts have been kept with the bike, but again this is not always the case, even for expensive bikes. I suggest you try to check how much track or race use the bike has had, and look to see if extensive use is reflected in its condition. Obviously, they are intended to perform, but sometimes they may have had a hard life. This link gives a guide to price, but I think it is quite a bit on the low side for what is on offer at the moment: https://www.thebikemarket.co.uk/ducati/superbike/1198-sp . I hope this helps, good luck and let me know how you go on. Regards, Tom.
John, I am sure you know this, but I should also have said that ideally the bike should have a complete service history, with all required stamps in the service book, preferably by Ducati or a reputable alternative. Tom.
Thanks Tom, great info. Much appreciated. Yeah, I appreciate history is important. What I found odd about the bike at Gloucester is it only has the service book. It has stamps but no receipts, so tricky to actually identify what was done at each service. Maybe I am unusual but I keep all my receipts too. I would imagine trying to collect all the bits that should be with the bike may prove challenging, so having them to start with is a big bonus. I do wonder though if many bikes are still out there with all the bits any more. I've been looking for some time and not seen any of them mention the cd or USB stick for example. Exige, thanks. I did look but couldn't see an option, all sorted now
John, I have had a quick look at the photographs of the bike advertised in Gloucester and noticed a couple of things. The carbon silencers weren't standard on the SP and those on this bike look like slash cut type, which would have been fitted later. The rear pillion foot pegs/hangers have been removed and the seat cowl is fitted instead of the seat, so the hangers and seat should be with the bike as they came standard. Most of the items they list are standard with the SP, and you can check this from the Ducati specification using the link provided earlier in this post. There may be some blemishes in the paint on the tank, but it could just be the quality of the photographs, and you may have spotted this when you looked at the bike. It's an aluminium tank as standard and paintwork refinishing can be expensive. In addition to the service/warranty booklet, you should have the owners manual and the Ducati Europe booklet in a Ducati folder. You could probably buy the missing items online if you wanted them, but that would represent additional cost. My understanding is that Ducati recommend replacement of the drive belts every two years, so for a 7 year old bike they should have been changes at least three times, and be due in 2019. Also, the service book has a mileage or time limit (yearly) for routine servicing, so it should have at least 6 stamps plus the pdi and the running-in service. Although if it has been stored for a time that may not be a problem. If you take a look at the following link it should show how many of each model is available: https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/browse/ducati/ducati_1198s . The info for 2018 shows: 36 licensed and 27 Sorn. Hope this helps. Tom.
Thanks Tom, again great info. I don't believe the foot pegs or seat are with it, and you are correct, they are slash cut silencers with removable baffles. I didn't notice any marks on the tank, it all looks very clean in that respect. There were no additional booklets or wallet. The guy told me he was trying to source these. The service book shows its had one belt service, but definitely needs another now. He said they have had it a few months but the pdi record would suggest they've had it since the beginning of the year. Most I've looked at have had 3 or more owners, in fact it seems they swap hands on average every 2 to 3 years, so I guess it's not surprising all the bits get lost along the way. Interesting to see there are only ~63 bikes in the UK.
The accuracy of the data is discussed here: https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/about , and has been considered by other websites. While the data may not be absolute in every case it gives a reasonable estimate of how many "known" vehicles remain, even if it's only an order of magnitude. In any event, it's a start!
That is the website discussing itself, it has been discussed on here many times and is known to be widely inaccurate But yes, it is some kind of indication I suppose
Afternoon all, I have returned to Ducati and have bought an 1198 S Corse. And I must say whenever I look at it I have a massive grin on my face.
