Hi , new here and currently ride a 2017 r6 which i have taken a deposit on so will be looking to scratch my Ducati itch. i have always fancied the 748/916/996 so that will be my next bike. my question is the price of these seem to have rocketed since i last looked in 2017. i will do the occasional track day and only ride in decent weather and am not quick by any means .There are so many different models any advice would be great. my budget is 9k which by looking i could probably get a 748 r or a base 916? or a later 996? What would you guys suggest? i want to jump in before the prices increase and make it difficult for me to justify getting one. i do love the 3 spoke design which i believe is the earlier model and would prefer red but would consider anything really. Looking online seems a minefield with prices all over the place so any advice is appreciated . cheers
Im open to anything within budget mate. Is it a case of the later the better in terms of engineering and reliability?
+1 for a well maintained 998 (or 998S) both in terms of reliability, power delivery and best value for money
cheers guys , is there any difference in maintenance costs for s/r model bikes? Am i likely to get a 998s with my budget as a quick look says no lol
I wouldn't underestimate your budget yet it will take patience and some serious searching (ideally from offline sources or non-mainstrame websites) to source a 998 or 998S within same. The routine maintenance costs tend to be same amongst the 748/916/996/998 range these days. Taking into account your immediately prior motorbike ownership as well as your budget, I would perhaps suggest - if I may - that a 1098/1098S would be a more prudent choice overall (unless you have been enchanted by the Tamburini looks of 748/916/996/998 range).
From the potential ability to need early attention to premature rocker and maybe even camshaft wear compared to later 998 engine, I would have to disagree with that Nick, from the engine point of view alone. Desmoquattro vs Testastretta.
Trust that the operative term in my earlier reply Chris is "routine" maintenance costs. Personally, I wouldn't regard rockers and camshafts as part of the "routine" maintenance costs.
well i would! shimming/checking is affected due to possible early wear on Desmoquattro also Nick, as I'm guessing you've done both - would prefer to do rocker and valve gear work on later engine over Desmoquattro anyday, wouldn't you? - earlier certainly takes longer.
Yes mate, i have my heart set on the 748 range. i sat on a 1098 earlier and then a 748 in my local showroom and couldn't believe the size difference. the 1098 seemed huge. i still have a few 2 strokes i.e rs250 and tzr250 so I'm used to the smaller lighter bikes.
The bulk of the rocker issue is mainly concentrated on the 1999-2001 time period, due to poor quality providers. So 996, mostly. Now, any 996 with over 20.000 miles probably has had rockers replaced sometime in it’s life. Other rockers issues are usually related to poor maintenance (Desmo service not done or incorrectly, use of poor quality oil) or poor engine operation by owner (high revving when cold or WOT below 5000 rpm)… My 1996 916 biposto, with 36.000 miles was still going strong with original rockers when I sold it last year. Also, I seriously doubt that £9000 will get you a well preserved 998 bip today. 998S even less likely… If three spokes is what you’re looking for, I’d look for a well maintained and preserved 1999 996, with a solid maintenance history record including rockers. With some patience, £9000 might get you a correct 916 bip as well. As a beginner in the Tamburini world, I would personally stay away from 748s as these are the most demanding in terms of both engine maintenance and operation. IMHO, these are more Desmoquattro savvy people oriented bikes. Just my 0.02. Hope this helps.
Indeed it does Chris (only just though) which is why - amongst several other reasons - my 2p would go towards the Testastretta engine any given day. That being said, having owned a 996 produced within the major year of concern (1999) for rocker flaking and driven same for around 30k miles (before moving on to an EU deep sump 998S), I never faced any rockers (or camshaft) issues. Not saying that its not a concern here, but not as frequent as presented over time (particularly to owners that opted for a patient warm up procedure and frequent quality oil changes).
You might have seen a cheap 748R currently for sale within your budget. I would issue caution. 9k should get you a decent 916 or a 996, or a showroom beauty queen 748 (that you probably won’t want to take on the track).
i have spotted a really smart 748 in the classified ads on here and seems very reasonably priced and well maintained. i have enquired about it so lets wait and see, all be it yellow it is well within my budget and would allow me to jump on one for the summer and see how i gel with it over the summer. i will keep my options open and hope someone loses a big poker game in the mean time and has to sell there 998 r overnight
early Desmo Quattro did fare better it's true, re rocker issues, but still can't be ruled out as a generalisation over the whole Desmo Quattro range and adding up with the time it takes to work on both types of cylinder head, overall service time comparison comments still apply beyond any doubt, just my one ha-penny worth. Some people still resort to taking cylinder heads off a Desmo Quattro to do rocker and camshaft work for goodness sake, I think the next time I do one I probably will now give myself that luxury.
sorry Nick, just for truthfulness on a public platform, there is no "only just" about it, if rockers are found to be worn on earlier engine during a routine service, access and work is far more difficult. Even "routine" shim adjustment is far more awkward as there is no conventional rocker cover that can be removed. I don't care if someone comes up with official Ducati Service time quotes that say different. This is of course, only my opinion but needs to be said.
