Hello from sunny Ireland,just got my 1st ducati.Its a 1998 916 biposta.I also have a bmw k1200r as well as a few 2 strokes ie rg and rd500 plus rd350 and a few dt175 projects that i ll prob never finish.I have a number of questions which I will ask in the relevent section.The bike needs tidying up but is running lovely.As a bit of a 2 stroke nut I find a lot of 4 strokes sound similar but wow the bark off this bike on the over run is addictive.Roll on summer 2015.Regards Gene.
Thanks for warm welcome lads i m glad to be here now,Bootsam I have to ask why you think the 98 model is best of 916 bunch? I have to say I really know very little about these bikes only a few articles in mc mechanics and practical sportsbikes is about my level.
Indeed. I have no empirical evidence other than its toward the latter stages of the 916. Then came the 996 which is not a 916 and the 998 which again suffers from not being a 916. The fact remains that the reputation Ducati enjoys stems from the 916 in most peoples eyes. (even though the 888 was a winner and the 999 won plenty). The 998 has no fairing scoops thus looks only 98% as nice as the 916. The 996 has the scoops but is not a 916 so is only 99% as nice as a 916. The 916 is the essence of Ducati Superbikes and it remains today the most recognisable superbike on the planet. Dont get me wrong it will drive you nuts most of the time. But when its sweet... Change the battery and get a new one. Change the reg/rec before it blows to one of the mosfet ones. Search on here. Other than that mine has never so much as fainted. Most, if not all, the above is true. Maybe. Oh, yes my 916 is a 1998 Bip too. They are becoming fewer. They are a cult bike. I said cult...
These two were at Boxhill yesterday. I'm very tempted to get one but they are very expensive these days for a bike that I would want to track regularly.
For me the 998 is perfect as it has the 916 look (or at least, 98% of it...) with the Testastretta/999 engine. But I get what you're saying here and it made I chuckle.
Interesting to note that the two bikes above both appear to have cast iron fully floating discs and 65 mm calipers so they may or must be later bikes as certainly in 1999 the 748 Biposto was still running on 40 mm calipers and didn't have cast iron discs. I am not sure when they changed on the 916, although a quick look in Ian Falloons book looks like they didn't and the 65 mm calipers only came in with the advent of the 996 in 1999. The 748SPS did have 65 mm calipers in 1999 and came as standard with cast iron discs as well.
It's unusual that the last of the line is worth more than the first, but 998's are for exactly that reason - especially the Yellow ones
Welcome along I'm also from sunny Ireland , did you buy the 916 that had yellow wheels that was up for sale in Dublin not so long ago
Yes Dave thats the one although those yellow wheels are gone forever.They are away for powder coating tomorrow.Was going to just paint bellypan and wheels and sell again but have become fond of bike so its getting the full treatment.Did you know the bike or previous owner?The fella selling it used to work for Ducati.
