100%. However I don't want a base model bike. From many angles it doesn't make sense, but it has to be sps or r
Of course. Completely irrational, but so is buying any aging Ducati when I can get a newer jap doing everything better for less money.
Correct. Who can use the last 5% anyway. My Ducatis' are base models but that means I can afford more of them (not e3asy for an OAP on the basic State pension) ant that means that I don't have to go to the shops on a 748, I use the Monster. Long distance are better on the ST2 andthe 600Ss is er.. great for looking at. :wink:
The other positive of a cheaper model is you can bling it up to your choice of spec which isn't so easy to justify on an R or SPS.
Personally I think you have balance outlay against condition, spec. rarity etc. If you pay £3,000 for a base 748 it is more likely to go down than up over a period of time. I paid £3650 for my 748SPS of which only 20 were genuine UK imports and one of them is mine. So for £650 extra as an example I got a better spec. bike for not a lot extra and it is likely, I hope, to remain more stable in value. So far values do seem to be at least stable or even potentially set to rise. I could have bought a base bike and spent more than that getting it how I wanted it. An Ohlins rear shock secondhand could have cost me £250 to £300 alone and that's only one item. If you then get into fitting "go faster" items like SPS or R cams and pistons it's going to end up being more than a base 748 and someone has to do the work on the engine so there is gaskets and labour to take into account. That's my take.
You got a great deal but it is not fair to compare your experience with the general run of things. Taking you deal with mine... My 748bip cost me £2,300 so yours was £1,650 dearer. My 748 and my M750 Monster cost less than that together. It also depends on what you use your bike for. If it is for Track Days the higher spec would make sense but because of the value you would not be so keen on adding special bits. On the other hand a 748bip may have had an easier life and the insurane is cheaper. Is is a case of 'Horses for couses' and the depth of your wallet. Whatever....................... ENJOY
^^^ A base 748 does not ride the same as an SPS or an R as they rev a lot higher and pull in a different way, so it will always be difficult to compare and that may be a deciding factor, I like the revvy nature of the higher spec. 748's. Then of course, yes, you could get a cheaper bike but it's possibly likely to be older or maybe has a higher mileage. As you say you do indeed pay your money and make your choice.
You got an exceptional deal, Red. But when you see people asking £6k for 748R's you have to wonder what they think they actually own. I cannot for the life of me so how they are worth that sort of money. But as i said earlier, there are far better ways of investing your money than any motorbike. Were we to have an oil crisis, like the 1970's, then all petrol powered vehicles would lose huge amounts of value overnight.
^^^ I agree I was lucky, but when I bought the bike I actually paid the going rate at the time for it as it was a couple of years back and prices had not gone up at that point. I do doubt that anyone was aware of how rare it was, even me. It was only when I researched the bike a bit more that I realised how rare it actually was. As far as mechanical things are concerned, most are not an investment I would agree, for me It would be about limiting the loss more than anything else. 748R's are overpriced certainly as far as the full Ohlins spec. model goes but the earlier models go for quite reasonable prices, however the servicing costs are much higher due to the belts having to be changed every year. I also built a 748R engined 748S last year by buying a complete rolling chassis from a track bike and then putting an R motor in it. The total cost was under £2800 and that did work out very well. It can be another consideration, I got the crankcases that matched the frame with the chassis so I could even have a matching numbers bike If I wanted to. It's actually a very nice conversion using the R engine with the smaller 748 injectors.
Well it's not intended as an investment as such, however I prefer to have money in nice toys rather then in the bank Even so I do think the rarer Ducatis or and even nice early boggo 916s will only go up in price if kept in good nick. But the best you can ever hope for is that appreciation eats up running costs.
See I would spend more just to get the best example, for me it's not about buying it SUPER cheap and spending money getting it up to scratch. A mate just spent £3250 on a 1997 Ducati, and tbh, I would have spent out another £1000 and got a much much newer bike.
That almost always makes sense when buying classics / semi classics imho I am Looking to spend 5-8k ish I think. Some interesting bikes out there from early 916's a few sp's and sps's in the top end. 748r at 4-5k seems to make a lot of sense. Even seen some 996r's edging in around 12k but looking decidedly dodgy Need to make my mind up at some point
Classified in this months Practical Sports bikes: "996biposto 2150mls.as new, needs 'recommissioning, belts and battery. Ran fine before lay up, not used in 14 years. Owned from new, not even been thro mot £3000. Lancs." I don.t know enough about them to know what a risk it would be. There are no photos shown in the add.p.m. me if you want the phone number.
Yeah that's pretty nice looking, if it checks out it could be worth it. It's still 7k though, part of me feels that's too much but I think it's because my exposure to the SP/SPS/R
