A ‘93 750SS has popped up locally. Advertised at £1500 but has been off road for twenty years, no service history. I’d be happy to work on it but would sell it on afterwards. Opinions?
All I have so far is the displayed milage, the lack of service history, and that it’s not been on the road since 2002 (i.e. it’s been off longer than on).
Almost certain to become a money pit, and if you're already planning to sell, before you've bought it, I'd pass. Now I'm not immune to the "buy it and fix it up" compulsion. I do it all the time! I have cars, bikes and boats all around my house. But I have to want the thing and have a plan to to use it -to make it all worthwhile.
Given I already have bikes that I don’t ride enough, having another as a project rather than to ride doesn’t worry me. As for “worthwhile”, I’ve yet to carry out a project where I recovered the £ outlay! Perhaps that’s down to me being a useless spannerer, or a useless salesman, but my joy is in rescuing things. But as I recline in the sere of my years, I *would* prefer not to leave my inheritors something they found too difficult to sell.
Please don’t think I’m rejecting any of the opinions expressed on this thread. As I’ve said before numerous times, I value all (well, most) of the opinions and advice given on the forum. It all goes in and helps me reach decisions.
As others have said you’d be very unlikely to recover your outlay in money but that said they are interesting and engaging to work on and will certainly while away any spare time you have on your hands That said once you have factored in replacement belts, filters and a battery it will get an expensive hobby, the fuel pump and lines will also probably be toast not to mention the possibility of the tank being rotten at the base seams I’m not trying to put you off the rebuild as I always enjoy this type of thing but it can get expensive
The pictures certainly help. Storage conditions are rarely perfect but I would say that storage conditions for this have been very good overall considering the time span and it even shows clear signs that it's been out of the sunlight, another bonus. I thought the tax disc shows "07" for the month? (so 16 years) but I could be wrong. i'm stating the obvious maybe, but lovely to see one looking so original and I prefer single disc on a 750. How many do you still see with standard exhausts these days? and the other tell-tale clues show that this really has hardly been touched at all which go hand-in-hand with the mileage. Lots of people put all these barriers in the way when it comes to getting a bike on the road, why is it always taken for granted that the buyer will do a full restoration? Of course it is a gamble that could go wrong, but even at that price it could be okay except the fact that you have said you're not a spanner man means I would agree overall that this is not for you, at that price.
I must have not made myself clear. Apologies. I’ve restored and re-engined a number of bikes, ranging from Honda ST, 748SPS, NSR250…so happy to do what’s needed. All except paintwork and sand/vapour blasting. I thought of making an offer in 3 figures-£900? But the vendor has seen an eBay advert which sold at £1800… Still contemplating.
From my own experience......money pit. If you are OK with putting some money into it, then it could be a very nice bike, another one back on the road. But it could get quite pricey, quite quickly, so factor that in if you do make an offer. A 750 will never be as sought after as a 900 SS.
a brand new Ducati is a money pit - it's just the brave and the.. others out there. Let's face it - none of us on here can say accurately how much will need spending on it, is the bottom line. https://www.gumtree.com/uk/srpsearch+ducati-750
No, I get that, but I'd be prepared for the worst. It also depends on how much a new owner wanted to do to it, as some minor issues could be lived with. I just know how my projects all go beyond what I thought they would. Its been off the road for 20 years, so it'll need a fair bit doing. I class myself in the second bracket of people you mention
OK so reading through this thread and especially your replies, I think you should definitely buy it. You like the looks of it You can wield your own spanners pretty competently You have other bikes to ride so no hurry to get it done You are aware that you'll probably spend far more time and money than is fiscally sensible You do have a "worthwhile plan" -it is to sort out and repair/ restore the bike You don't have any reason not to follow your instincts and have fun. I bet he will allow it to go for £1050
Given your experience and circumstances I think I would be at something like £1050 opening gambit, £1250 if the shock and fork surfaces are good all round, it turns over and the tank isn’t too rusty, £1450 if you are going to lose it otherwise and want to get a project started. (Not up for a Laverda 668 /KTM 640 project bike are you? ) Shame it isn’t a 900 but if you are happy to do the work and the money is secondary, I would get stuck in!
