Hi to everyone, Sorry for a bit of a long question. I’m seeking to buy either a 748 or 749 (if it’s have a converted exhaust) this Spring. Since last year I have seen hundreds of adverts, and have viewed a couple which seemed ‘too good to be true’ -which of course they were! My question is (and I wonder if anyone can help) are my expectations too high and my budget too low. Simply put, I don’t want to buy a dog that’s going to after a couple of weeks blow up on me, need an engine rebuild or generally give me grief for the rest of my life. Added to this, garages keep saying that average service costs are around £300, and everyone I know who take their bikes in come out with a £1000 bill… I’m scared, but should I be?
I bought my first Ducati (748) in 1997 from a dealer in Paris.....FF55000 d'ocassion, pas neuf. I was scared too. It blew up a year later and cost £1500 to fix. Quelle connerie ! Bienvenue!
Like anything...buy wisely and do your research and enjoy the ride. Good service history is a must, look for a good local independent service centre and costs can be very reasonable. Parts are not expensive Andy there's plenty of entusiasts and forum members to help.....go for it !
You can't go through life worrying (unless you are called duke) Follow your heart, but buy a clean bike with documented history and as complete a service record as possible. You'll love it.
It had a full dealer history, all receipts etc. It was high mileage though (45000kms) and had magnesium Marchesini, carbon fairings, rearsets, Termi's etc. It blew up on my first track day but I still came back with a smile on my face and still love Ducati's and trackdays! Lovely bike. Didn't put me off at all....I have 4 in the garage now! Just buy the best bike you can, don't rush.
All ducatis are expensive in one way or another be it servicing blinging extras divorce clothing the list could be endless Oh and welcome in by the way red ones are best
Great to have so much feedback from you all. Maybe to be more specific, and adding figures (although only for arguments sake) would anyone know if I was in the ‘ball park’ with finding a bike in the 5k region and 2 aside for unexpected events. Or, would I get a better chance of a superior bike with spending it all up front? I’m looking for a simple biposto, maybe with termignonis and/or other minor accessories, but nothing too special. The other important thing is that I will be buying it from the U.K- for some reason I have more confidence in the end product than buying one in France.
I would think you'd get a very nice bp for 5k. It's one of those where you don't want to rush it, but by the same token need to move quickly when a good one comes along, a bit tricky! pop an ad up in here on the wanted section for a start as the good folk will often help out with links to decent looking deals. Good luck with your search, they are both cracking bikes, I have one of each and love em.
Hi My view after 2 1/2 years 996 ownership. Chains and Sprocket, oil, filter, spark plugs, brake pads , etc are all the same if it's a Ducati or a Suzuki, makes no difference in service costs. Where a Ducati is different is new belts every 2 years or 12k mls. Do yourself and its under £100 so less than an extra £1 a week in ownership. Local independent garage would be £250 I expect and a bit more for a dealer. Valves need doing every 6k mls. This is about £350 at a good garage. So, try to buy one where valves and belts just done and if you don't do big miles should be cheap-ish 2 years Also factor that these bikes won't depreciate like a Suzuki and it covers the extra service costs. All bike makes and models break. At least a Ducati is easy(ier) to work on. They like love and hate negligence. Just my view.
Thanks again to all for their advice and comments. Will put something up in the wanted section to see what comes back. As I said, really would only buy from the UK, so living in France makes logistics and reaction speed a bit of an issue, (will need to find a solution for this) In respect of negligence (apart from ex-wive(s), ex-girlfriends etc, etc, etc) I'm normally okay, so will be ´on the ball' for servicing and maintenance. So, I have moved from scared to frightened and now to nervous...
Hi Elsa, Why restrict yourself to the smaller engine? 5 grand will buy you a decent 999 with added low-down grunt plus same weight and better suspension. As Cream Revenge says, basic servicing is easily done by a moderately competent home mechanic. It's only valve adjustments that are complicated, so they can actually be very cheap to run. Some people stick to two years for belts but I certainly don't. Belts almost never actually just fail, it's something else that causes them to break, like being too slack so they jump a tooth and the valves hit the pistons, breaking the belt. Also, poor installation can cause them to fray because they are not aligned correctly but a properly installed belt with correct tension will not break just because it has passed two years. If the worst comes to the worst and the engine does blow up, you can always strip the bike down and sell the parts on here, which would get you most if not all your money back. I would go for a clean 999S that's just had belts and valves done. Can't go far wrong and a fabulous bike.
Please stop mentioning the words ´blow up' my stress levels causes me palpitations!!! But seriously, I agree with everything you say. The choice of bike is rather more complicated. Apart from already being spanked by the insurance company here in France for a 748/749, à 999 would push the group even higher. The principal reason is rather more involved, maybe a little bit more stupid and certainly just nostalgic- and it is that I was once on a Fireblade at a traffic light about a decade ago, and up pull's up a 748 (maybe it was a 916.) It was apart from my children, my wife or Monica Belluci the most beautiful thing I had seen. It was then that I promised myself that I would one day have one- stupid reason I think you would agree?
I bought a 999 for similar reasons. If you love the 916 shape, consider a 998 with the Testastretta engine.
