Newbie with some Silly Sport Classic questions - sorry...

1) Can't comment, I ride a GT1000 - but this is an excellent bike for pillion duties.
2) This is reported to be linked to petrol with a higher ethanol content & appears to be more of an issue in North America (at the moment). My GT1000 is 6 years old & the tank is ok.
3) Opinions differ. Some people on various forums will tell you the suspension is poor. I switched to Hyperpro progressive fork springs simply to cope better with our local bumpy roads. I still have the original rear shocks on the bike, they work fine - especially with a pillion.

I also swapped the OEM spoked wheels for 5-spoke Marchesinis for a number of reasons. The Marchesinis are lighter & also enable me to use tubeless tyres.
In addition to the practicality of being able to use a plug/repair kit in the event of a puncture, the lighter wheels reduce unsprung weight & this does enable the bike to turn a little faster. The spokes on the OEM wheels do have a tendancy to corrode & take more effort when cleaning.

If you want to retain the spoked wheel look & yet still run tubeless tyres, there are manufacturers who make spoked wheels that run tubeless tyres - but they aren't cheap!

The DS1000 motor is a nice torquey unit. I mainly ride on country roads so I swapped the 15-tooth front sprocket for a 14-t sprocket. This has made the bike a little livlier in the lower gears & I can also ride in 6th on dual carriageways without being too far over the speed limit.

Like all air-cooled Ducatis, the engines can lose paint from the front of the sump/starter motor area. This is only cosmetic & may not have such an effect on a bike that hasn't been used through winter. Some owners in warmer climes have reported issues with the regulator, but I haven't heard of this affecting too many of us in the UK.

I have found the GT1000 to be comfortable, fun to ride & no more expensive to run than previous bikes from Germany & Japan.

 

1. Yes it can be done... it will cost you a few quid though - they've got different swingarms, exhaust, not sure about the subframe and then the obvious - seat, pegs etc. Bear in mind that monoposto version was available for only one year (2006) and it's more sought after and tends to fetch higher prices. So yes it can be done but you're much better off looking for a biposto version.
2. As said above.
3. DS1000 is a pretty simple engine... and even if something does go wrong it should be reasonably easy to fix. Suspension may need tweaking, there were problems reported with a regulator/rectifier and fuel connectors on the base of the fuel pump are a bit shite and sometimes fail (there's a better aftermarket part available)... nothing too scary :wink:

 

Hi Triang.I have owned both the GT1000 and a Sport Classic S,enjoying every minute with them.The GT1000 was used for touring and was very good.The only fault I had was a Rec/Reg fail after about 5000 miles.The Sport was used for shorter runs,mainly because the riding position had me aching after about 50miles.However the previous owner had toured Europe on it.He was a bit taller than me,I too am 5'8".
Both of them very nice bikes.

 

Some GT1000 owners in North America have fitted lower handlebars to the GT1000. You could also fit rearsets to a GT1000. Might be an option worth considering?

 

If you're taking a pillion I can recommend the Ventura grab rail/rack options. I have the grab rail fitted to my GT & Her Indoors is quite happy as she prefers to hang onto a grab rail behind the seat rather than the handles fitted to the side of the seat on some bikes. There is a Ducati Performance chrome rack, but I have heard that it is prone to corrosion. No such issues with the Ventura kit - I've used it for almost 4 years now.

 

Hi Triang. I have a 2008 SC1000s in red which i have owned from new. I suffer with a bad neck and although my wife advised me not to buy it, i could not resist the gorgeous looks. I am thinking now that i may have to sell it and think it must be worth 6k. The bike is in Leics. don't know if this is what you were looking for?

 

Conversion from bip to mono is straightforward , I have all the parts in my shed (will swap or sell ) .
Forks , wheels and brakes are all the cheapest ducati could find , and are rubbish . Perversely this adds to the appeal of the bike as fixing these problems is fun . Engine paint is rubbish , all ducatis of this period are prone to it falling off.
I think that there are more monos in the uk than bips , as ducati usually sell more of a model in its first year . In fact the shop I worked for at this time sold more PS1000s than std bikes . (Always be wary of Italians selling limited additions !)

 

Thanks for the info , didn't know that web site , what did I say ... "Always be wary of Italians selling ltd editions ! " .... Far more desmosedici in the uk than sport classic 1000 bips !

 

Not as good looking as Zard's full system :wink:

 

I don't think so , by this time all officially imported ducatis had the documents to register the bikes printed by ducati uk . This means the homologation code for the bike and model name is done via the frame number and the factories records . Karen at ducati uk is very keen on making sure there are no errors . Very few sportclassics were "grey" imported new into the uk as they were cheaper here than anywhere except USA . Some are now coming into the uk second hand as the price and demand in the uk is quite high .
As for termigs , they are expensive , but tend to retain a strong second hand value . They are no longer available from ducati so this helps maintain second hand values . In my experience the main advantage is mid range gains . They come with an ecu that allows the removal of the O2 sensors so fuelling is much better if the CO levels are set accurately .
The Zard " trombone " system is a matter of taste , don't like it much myself and it sounds awful . It will not fit biposto models .
If you fit aftermarket pipes , I'd suggest that you buy a ducati race ecu or get yours reflashed so your engine runs for performance instead of euro daftness . I think Wilf at moto rapido can do a reflash for you . If you fit a race ecu remember to open up the top of the air box .