Hi, as the title says, looking at chopping my '07 Daytona 955i for a 2003 749s with 9k on the clock, full s/r, v nice condition, alarm and termi's for £4.5k First ? - does that sound about the right price? Second - don't know a huge amount about these bikes, so any pit falls, things to look out for or reasons to buy or not? I had a big head on 3 years back, which left me with a left side bracchial plexus injury (servere nerve damage = weakened left arm / hand) - although a subjective question, would you say the 749s has a massively heavy clutch (any heavier or lighter than the 999), and is there a reasonable cost fix to lighten the clutch if needed Hope ok / makes sense and would welcome your thoughts. Thanks, Andrew.
I have a 2003 749, had if it for a few months and admittedly, it hasn't been smooth sailing since purchase. The clutch is meant to be quite heavy, but mine was very light with master and slave cylinder constantly needed bleeding and not being able to get it into neutral. It transpired that the clutch push rod wasn't doing what it was supposed to and was causing the issue and led to the slave seal busting and leaking. It's the first thing you should check, push rod just needs greasing. I now have a new aftermarket slave cylinder and a lot of the aftermarket ones reduce the pull and it's super light. Haven't had to bleed it since too! :smile: The fuel pump relay is a small one which can cause a few issues. Make sure you protect that one, only costs a fiver anyway. :smile: I've learnt recently that the 2003 coil on the horizontal cylinder needs swapping to the older model 749 coils, as the older models had an issue with picking up grime and corrosion due to the front wheel spraying water etc on to it. All easy to sort out if you know about these things, I didn't but I've learnt! Hope you have better luck :smile:
Clutch is identical to 999, they are heavy compared to most other bikes and can be a pain round town even to a seasoned ducati owner. An aftermarket slave cylinder(Oberon is 1 make) makes it considerably lighter (30% is quoted) and will lighten your wallet by approx £100, easy to fit yourself (1 hour max) if you can bleed hydrolics. Price is about right from a dealer, provided its been serviced and belts changed recently, the belts are about £135 and should be changed 2 yearly regardless of milage, a full sevice with belts and shim check is £500+ and thats from an independent so you don't need that straight away. The 749/999 series are great bikes, I've had my 999 5yrs and love it, I do quite a bit of touring and find it comfortable. I have raised bars fitted which made a lot of difference. A common mod is to swap the bars over which has the same effect.
Hi and thx for replies. Seems that its a good bike that needs a bit of tlc? Cant do the slave myself but sounds a worthwhile mod even at dealer prices. Bike would be serviced plus belts by manchester ducati before delivery. Any views on thesr guys? Thx again.
The guys at Ducati Manchester are ok. I've had a couple of issues with paperwork on the new bike I bought, that are presently being sorted. However I did get royally bummed by them the other day for the cost of two bolts for the heat shield which needed replacing after they shook out at the weekend. I didn't want an argument with the parts manager but in view of the paperwork issues I've had I will be taking it up with them next time I'm in there.
Welcome Andrew. Sounds like a nice choice at a resonable price. The 749/999 are really getting rightful recognition nowadays after a very polarising reaction at launch. My only advice is to think twice about keeping the alarm - maybe I've just been unlucky, but the alarm on my 748 caught fire and nearly burned the bike to a blob, and the alarm on my 1098 was the cause of starting/ignition problems so I had it removed. Maybe an alarm makes sense for where you store or leave the bike unattended, but if not, I'd whip it out asap. Enjoy.
Apols for banging on - any opinion as to which is best aftermarket slave to get. Oberon as mentioned seems good (30%) not to be sneezed at. Thx, Andrew.
Doctorw I'm considering selling my 749S 2004 Full main dealer service history, oil changed every 3k with Shell Ultra 4t, with lots of carbon for £3,500. Pm me for contact details if interested and I will give you the full spec
