I've recently returned to riding after a 17yr hiatus while my children grew up. Now they've left home I bought a few motorcycles..... I've been a cruiser rider since my first 125cc Suzuki Marauder and currently ride a HD Road King. I distinctly remember seeing a Ducati 916 at Squires in Sherburn and being completely mesmerized by the sheer beauty of it. When the 999 came out I was smitten and couldn't understand the vitriol it received. Fast forward to today and I've just taken delivery of a low milage 2004 model 749S in almost mint condition. I've never ridden a sportsbike before so I plumped for the 749 as I figured I'd be less likely to bin it. I'm certainly not a speed demo n and I fully expect to leave nice wide chicken strips on the tyres! So, my question for you is what can I expect from this bike? I don't expect I'll get a chance to ride it for quite a while due to the weather - anything I should look out for regards power and handling?
Welcome. Nice choice. I find the 749 quite comfy and roomy but then I’m a short arse. Watch out for issues with starting due to the fuel pump relay. Always carry a spare!
Good choice and intro into Ducati's, you wont be disappointed but probably quite different to what you have been used to riding!...As Ricky says fuel pump relays are a weak point, otherwise should be trouble free - enjoy
Get someone to set the suspension up professionally to suit you. Enjoy, but reflect that you should have bought the 999 variant .
Thanks for the warm welcome! I'm absolutely certain that a 999 would have been hazardous to my health given I've never had a bike with power like this before. Ask me again in a few months! Also, quick question for everyone... My battery maintainer / chargers use a different connector (SAE I think?) compared to the port I've got dangling out of the left side fairing. What charger do I need for this type of port? The battery is currently at 11.5v and is almost completely dead so I need to get some charge into it ASAP!
That's an ancient connector for most-likely a simple charger. Change it to SAE so you can use a modern battery maintainer instead.
Greetings! Prepare to be irritated by the engine paint flaking off at every opportunity. But that won't matter once the weather has warmed up and you are riding instead of fettling!
ride it as soon as despite the winter we can get some cracking days for a ride, sun out, 8 9 or 10 degrees, the drier the better obvs. one of my things is to go out early christmas day or boxing day, no one about, can be great couple of years ago christmas day to beachy head, not a cloud in the sky, sunnies on. id say get used to people just coming up to you and asking/complimenting about the bike
I would say, you will find the rate of retardation possible from pinning the brakes and the rate of turn from the sharp chassis a (potentially concerning at first) revelation. You may notice it feels like it’s on edge / like riding on ice until the tyres are warm, you will hate the relative lack of lock turning out of a tight junction (possibly needing a big trials type dab the first time you want to turn tight and the lock says- nope!) but never notice it anywhere else. You may notice that clumsy downshifts to 2nd or 1st when the tyres are cold lock the back wheel in a concerning manner until you are used to it. We all (I think) have a bit of a love-hate relationship with our chosen Italian indulgences, but you are likely to find, especially when you have a few miles under your belt on it, it will be the only bike you own that truly excites you just to get on and ride. I would advise - check your tyre pressures (esp front) before you ride it for the first time - too low front pressure and steep head angle really feels nasty, and if you find it all feels wrong after 100 miles or so, let someone who knows the model, and is not massively different to you in height and weight ride it, as a few ill chosen suspension settings by the previous owner can really mess the feel of the bike up.
That's great advice, thanks! The road king really doesn't like sharp turns from stationary and requires you to lean it over on a concerning manner until you're used to it but I expect the 749 will feel completely different. Great advice on the tyres and suspension settings. I'm getting it serviced at Luigi Moto soon so I'll ask them to check the suspension and revert it to stock if it's way out of normal spec. I'm just hoping that other than needing a new battery and belts they don't find any hidden horrors. Closer inspection shows the engine has been repainted at some point! I can't find a workshop manual for the 749S anywhere, is it easy to remove the left fairing to access the battery so I can replace it and add new modern SAE pigtails?
Removing fairing panel is very simple. Undo fasteners at bootom centre. Undo front one that connects to nose fairing. Undo one hidden in sidestand recess. Then, take care to pull front part out of hidden grommet near nose fairing and remove the two fasteners below tank on frame rail. Sidestand needs to be extended and lift off panel, threading stand through cutout in fairing.
As Chris has mentioned above, that's a Tamiya connector. Was used on various chargers/maintainers including early Optimates. So long as your current charger matches the battery (i.e. you're not using a lead/acid+AGM charger on a LiPo battery) then one of these should work.
Firstly your exquisite taste must be commended. The Pierre Terblanche model has a strong, but niche fan base who have not let their eyes decide the merits of this bike, rather the rest of their senses . Once aboard and underway that will become immediately obvious. Your model is the more sophisticated, svelte version of the pair. The bigger brother 999 is in the “unhinged” classification. As mentioned by @chrisw get that suspension seen to to. If it has been lying around unused I would ensure whoever sets it up advises whether it actually works properly or needs a rebuild. Solving this is key to the riding experience. Hopefully you are not the usual HD rider body shape and size . Tyres. If they are old (> 5 years), but loads of tread, add to list of things to replace to fully grasp the epic road holding. Remember, this model blitzed WSBK, it deserves a good set up. Then, wherever you park it you will have to tolerate the admiring crowds and selfie takers, but hey, you are a man of refined taste and deserve nothing less. Footnote: This may not be your thing, but on track the 749 is a corner junky .
