Actually couldn't agree more ( just turned 60, rowing the Atlantic in January) which adds to my dilemma, I no longer ride it. Maybe I would?
Once you return from that sort of rowing you'll have arms like Popeye's, plus a very strong back & leg muscles, so a Ducati's a cakewalk. Park it up 4 the moment then decide much later.
The SPS should be with sand cast cases - If I remember well, the engine cases were not painted?? There are quite a few SPS around the £16k advertised and I guess that the deals would be lower as some of them have been kicking about for a while. I am not sure that you'll get into the £20k even with a top job. It is down to whether you have the time and the incline for this sort of work (including engine). Doing it at dealer price would be a killer. And if you have, you should have the purpose of doing it for keeping the SPS and riding her. If it is for a return, I would not place my hopes very high in the upcoming market.
Yes sand cast casings. But at this age and how they only seem to have become classics in recent years, I’m sure you’ll see a few that have been modded in all sorts of ways
Had mine since it was 3 years old (2002) reasonably sure the cases are painted, I haven't painted them, so painted from manufacturer, I'll check though
Just been and had a look, the crank cases are definitely painted, but the 'block' might not be .. And it's definitely an SPS
What are you calling the "Block"?? the crankcases are the main engine cases in the middle (come in 2 halves). Those are generally painted on standard cast engine and unpainted (as far as I know) on sandcast. The side casing are the alternator cover and the clutch housing - those are always painted (except the mag one on race bikes that tend to be only chromatted).
I suggest that you have a convo with the chap who is keen to buy to see if you are close on a value for the bike. You've had it twenty years and done feck all with it for most of them but stand to make a bit of profit on the original cost just by helping load it into his van. He gets a new resto project that will fill hours of his time and probably owe him more than its resale value while you gain some cellar space and your bank balance gets a healthy injection. Win/win.
