Hello. I'm trying to buy a Ducati 1098 from 2007 year with 35K kilometers on dashboard, price is 5500EUR/5900USD The seller mentioned that: - Valve service has been done - Belts service has been done When I asked him for the oil, he said that "It was changed" and I was like "Which oil did you put in" and he answered "I do not know but when bike goes to the mechanic service, they always put new oil" and I started to think this is a scam. So I started to think the bike was stolen from EU because of such low price (I paid my Ducati 848 Evo 2011 6700EUR with 14K on dash) Since my country isn't in European Union, you can drive the stolen bike without problems even if the local police stop you. You're only in danger if they send the stolen bike to special inspection and your game is over. After I told him what I had on my mind, he sent me chassis number & engine number. So now I'm a bit calm down but still I'm not sure If Interpol has opened case for this bike in earlier days. And about mechanical things, what should I know about them for the 1098 ? I already have in garage my Ducati 848 Evo 2011, I had it for 4 months, bought it with 14K Km's and ride it until I had crash with 20K, the 848 Evo never had any issues at all so I'm not sure what should I watch out for 1098 since it has 35K and I don't know how it was maintained before (I even doubt it was) Let me know your way of thinking for this bike and whole situation, I should pick it up by next week. Here are some pics down below.
Not everyone knows what brand of oil their mechanic uses as they trust them to use the correct grade. The price is a little lower than comparable UK bikes for sale but the mileage is quite high. 36000Km is a major service where valve clearances should be checked, belts should be changed every 2 years. All this should be recorded in the service book or at least have receipts to verify it. The engine internals and gearbox on the early models had a reputation for being weak and the 1098 like your 848 has a plastic petrol tank which swells up over time due to the moisture content of the fuel that contains ethanol. If the steering damper mounting point is very close to the tank, it has swollen from which there is no easy way back from. As @RickyX says, if you have any doubts, walk away. Andy
also my observation would be to factor in a preventative engine strip over winter to check internals, if you planning on keeping the bike. it sounds a little OTT but after pulling apart my 996 with 30k on the clock there was a lot of minor wear and tear.
