Firstly i must say any and all of these bikes when maintained and loved etc are fabulous, however there is the shadow of one-up-man-ship ,i used to have a nice 1969 mk11 cooper s and when i took it to mini meets you have people telling you that the stitching on the seats should be this or the tartan red was wrong for that year etc ,most of these pundits didn't even have cars .....My old BSA gold flash was gold of slightly different shades on the different panels , arrgh say the experts thats not right . Turns out back in 56 lots of parts were sent out to be painted so it was conceivable that there would be variations in colour . We all know what the italian lads are like ,so i wouldn't get too tied to the build spec of particular bike or year ...................just a thought . but mainly enjoy your bikes DS.
Hi Guys.....after scouring the forum I thought it only right to join in. I can see that there's a couple of inmates I already know, Nelly for sure has helped me out with my bike over the years and he has encouraged me to research its history in the past. So I have now got round to doing it properly by contacting the factory etc. Background - I bought it new in July 94 having ordered it that February - the money had been set aside for a house extension but having seen the 916 at the NEC show in Nov 93 bricks didn't really have the same aesthetic appeal! I remember standing there still staring at it when they were turning out all the lights and closing the hall! It was one of the first to arrive at Sports MC, one of 6 originally allocated to my dealer at the time, East Midland Superbikes. I was second on the list there. Just the one bike arrived at the dealership in mid/late June but the guy never came and collected it, I think his eyes were bigger than his wallet, so after much badgering I jumped the queue and got it....the extension did get done, just delayed for (quite) a while. The factory have confirmed that it was a Varese built bike, build date 2nd June 94. If anybody wants to know what a genuine, one owner, UK spec, 916 Strada should look like I guess this is it! There are a few additions but I have retained all the original parts so easy to return to bog standard - Termignonis with matching chip, carbon clutch cover, carbon vee panel, SP levers, all of which were Ducati official options at the time + it has a pro-bolt lightweight fastener kit fitted and an aftermarket slave cylinder - every original fastener has been retained. I can confirm that the original levers were not span adjustable, I've just checked them in their box, that's one of the reasons I switched to the SP's + I thought that they looked better. All the other stuff listed by others for an early Varese build is present on my bike. I've got every scrap of paperwork/original docs that go with the bike, even the owners manual has been signed by Foggy back in his hayday. Its been pretty well bomb proof its whole life, no matter how long its stood it always starts first time, and always a great ride, if not entirely the most comfortable place to be at slow speed or in traffic. Only recurring problem common to the first generation I have had is the airbox cracking, the first was changed under warranty, the 2nd went the same way but Ducati wouldn't change it again so I got it plastic welded - fortunately it was internal so no impact on the original paint. I'm now stumped on value for insurance - I've got it on an agreed value policy but with folks keep telling me how special and rare it is I worry its not enough - and now this 'Varese' factor has developed momentum its hard to keep track. IMHO the Varese thing is more to do with the 'mythology' surrounding the 916 and Ducati story in those days, and there's probably no reason to believe that as a piece of mechanical engineering its any different from a bike built at Bologna, but, regardless, and like it or not, its now seems to have taken root as a historical datum point for the bike. I'll see if I can post a few photos.
Yes, pretty much, but on the inside out of sight other than the screen. It was the right thing to do in 1994!
Looks just like the picture I had hanging in my flat hallway for many years, my favourite - if you ever fancy an original 2002 ST4 as a straight swap I could do you a favour
Your probably right for that period intime,as they were stealing washing in those days just for kicks.
Due at the end of the month - I'd chuck that in as a favour just for you even though Boris has extended it for 6 months
