hi i new here, im thinking of buying a ducati as they look beautiful but i wondered how reliable they are and what are the pros and cons of owning one? thanks in advance GRANT
Hi Grant, Good that you found the Forum. There are a few threads you might find in a 'Search' that will help you. Mine have always been reliable but you have to be on them like a dose of salts just to make sure. Hard to generalise as we don't know which one 'floats your boat' but there have been issues with low grade wiring and connectors suffering from corrosion in the past plus starter leads often not man enough for the job. If you haven't ridden one then some are a bit of an art to ride at sub-3K revs in traffic and bike tends to 'chug' until you get the knack.
thanks chris thats the helpful kind of specific info im after im looking for a desmoquatro....750/916/998 or something similar. from around 1994-1999 because i prefer the styling on the older bikes.
Why not try the SS for size Lovely retro looking bikes not that I'm biased Hello and welcome by the way I joined ducatisti before I bought mine and read lots and asked questions They are a helpful bunch with the odd moment Enjoy
wise words from chris as always, after many brand new sports bikes I decided I,d buy a 12 year old 996, love the bike so much its going to be a keeper, lavished many pounds on it but I cant think of any bike ive enjoyed more, just something about it, the sound , the ride, the feel, the style, think ducatis are a bit like marmite, love or hate, me just love the 748-916-996 range, mines been reliable after 2 years in, few small issues but its 14 years old now and the money ive spent is more to enhance it like brake upgrades, styling etc, kev
Hello .. Once you have owned and ridden one you won't want to ride anything else ! Although I also ride a CG .. That's the hack for work!
i passed my test last june and i didnt intend to get a bike because i can ride my dads triumph sprint st 955 but after going to the isle of man to see the manx TT i saw a few of these bikes and fell in love. iv never even ridden a superbike.
Good Day Grant How reliable the bike is will depend on how mechanically minded you are......will you be able to spot the early signs of faults as they crop up (they will because its a man made machine) have fun Andy
Welcome in, very very basic rule of thumb is the older they are the less reliable; or at least less advanced in terms of development. Best advice is to find yourself a clean one but also make sure you have £500 set aside and get it straight to a really trustworthy independant who will go over all the usual things and make sure it's as good as possible and fix any of the known issues such as alternator wiring being too flimsy or alternator nuts coming loose on early machines. Many on here have had years of wonderful service from there Ducati's but they absolutely do need looking after, this includes optimates and being on the case for any possible issues as soon as they develop.
Full. Service. History. If you don't have a mechanical bent, or even if you do, these are the words you need to search for. Ducatis have a unique character and are the most satisfying bikes to ride, but older ones need a fair bit of TLC - not a major problem in these internet-driven days, but something you should be aware of. Someone should also mention servicing costs...
thanks guys......this is really halpful, im very mechanically minded and i would know if something didnt feel or sound right. id always fix something myself instead of pay to a certain degree. i wouldnt change piston rings put it that way haha but id change a radiator, brake pads, clutch or anything like that myself.
hi mate welcome, been a while since ive had my 98 916, bought with 2k on and sold 15k later, only problems I ever had was an oil pressure switch and brake light switch, do all my own maintenance, will be purchasing another ducati soon but not made mind on what yet, maybe a 1098 streetfighter , had many bikes from gsxr's r1's aprillia factory and to be honest the 916 is the one I miss
