I know all black/dark versions retain the grey frame but I have seen a few 05 red bikes with the new black swingarm but still have the grey frame ?
Probably the transition period...using up the silver frames ,I've seen a couple of 2004 54 plate bikes with black swingarms and silver frames,and I've seen a 2005 05 plate bike with a red frame and grey swingarm!...personally prefer the silver frame models...Classy
Ducati produced 60 'hybrid' 749s. They had 60 grey frames left when they stopped the yellow (slower) paint job. So they put the new swingarm, revised fairing & uprated engine on the grey frame. I preferred the grey frame so brought one - only negative was the black wheels looked better than they grey wheels it came with.
Just like the one I got for sale... which is a hybrid model on an 06 plate with the silver frame and the new swingarm etc.
I think bitsa in italian means individuality / character / special parts or it could be this will / yes that fits / looks fine to me. Still a great bike in whatever version.
Over here in Germany, the dealers were given new swingarm s and also fairing kits to help shift the early model stock that was sitting in the showrooms. They also fitted ohlins forks to some 999 base models to help sales. So there are a few grey framed bikes with black swingarms and 05 fairings out there
For example mine. Everything is m.y.05, only the frame and the wheels are grey. Production 2004/October.
It looks like it had an update kit fitted which would have included the v piece and matching cam belt covers, Even the front mudguard is the newer version. If I remember rightly though all the 999 models had the deeper sump engine, unlike the 998 where the S and basic motor was different, but I could be mistaken
'03-'04 base model has a shallow sump engine, all the others (base '05-'06, all S, all R) have deep sump.
