Second hand. My friend owns a 998 and 999 S. And our discussion isn't limited to the models he currently owns and operates. We talk bikes. All bikes and what makes em great and what makes them not so great. Lol.
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Ducati
- Thread starter FaithfulThrottle
- Start date
Second hand. My friend owns a 998 and 999 S. And our discussion isn't limited to the models he currently owns and operates. We talk bikes. All bikes and what makes em great and what makes them not so great. Lol.
Squeegeekid
Member
Ive had a 696 monster for a couple seasons.....other than the first service @1k i've done my own oil changes and mods. I've had no issues outside a dead battery during the winter (trickle charger wasn't working as it should have) Duc's are no more complex than other bikes and if you have any mechanical skills you can do a lot of stuff yourself. The dealer himself suggested doing my own oil changes. I doubt i'll be touching the valves though. I have had issues finding folks that i would trust working on it (tuning the ecu without a ****ing pcv for one)
Over the years I've had a few, own one now, and will probably have others in the future. Some parts seem kooky for price and others are fine. Some models have quirks, and many Japanese and other euro have had quirks/reliability/resale issues. Its not just an old Duc situation. IMHO older Ducs just had that "hand built" Italian thing going on, and I don't think anybody imagined shipping to America and somebody wringing 50,000km out of one. OP, go find a bike you like, 848 on is sound advice unless your handy, and enjoy the brand .
If you can strip it down that far,you really should be able to check clearances.Especially on a 2 valver.It's not as hard as the haters on the interweb would lead you to believe.
One of my riding buddies is a devote to the brand and keeps a couple in his stable at any given time. He was the one that actually got me back Into riding and tried to convince me to take on a 998 a few moons ago. It was an amazing machine but the ergos were horrible.
He gives me a hard time about my overweight, over priced and underpowered machine and I give him the gears on how uncomfortable and boring it is to ride such a beautiful machine on these flat straight roads at such a low rate of speed.
We talk bikes and I stand by my comments. My response began with generally speaking and closed with it depends on the model and year.
The newer stuff has improved maintenance schedules but the price of admission is higher than "standard" brands coming from japan. So you pay either way.
Is Ducati a better motorcycle to justify the higher price to purchase and or maintain? Maybe to some. Can you purchase and maintain a Ducati at the same budget levels as others? Sure. But they typically cost more when it comes to things beyond rubber and fluids. At least if you go with oem and Ducati certified mechanic.
A Duc will likely join my garage sometime in the future. The sport classic ticks the right boxes for me.
Cheers.
After 20 + years of riding Japanese bikes I decided to go European. My choice (budget) was between an 04 Triumph Sprint and the 04 Multi that I chose initially, based on riding position. The Triumph was a little too close to my GPZ 750 in the bent over riding position. I did some research on the Multi before purchasing and found out the major issues that may plague this bike eg. exhaust valve guides made from chocolate, rear sub-frame failure under certain conditions, a gas gauge that has a mind of it's own, composite gas tanks that swell and need replacing (this only happens when fuel with ethanol is used on a regular basis).
Labour costs at GP Bikes are 15 dollars an hour more on Ducs than the other brands. Having said that, most maintenance (on the air cooled L-twins) can be performed by anyone with a basic knowledge of bikes and tools. Timing belt changes take about 20 mins (CA cycleworks sells belts for 40 bucks plus shipping), valve adjustments (after the tank is off) take about 2 hours not including the time taken running back and forth to GP to swap the shims. Every thing else is just like the Japanese bikes. i.e. oil and filter, fluid changes, brakes etc. The bike has 50 000 kms on it, 37 000 of them are mine and it has never let me down. It is my favourite bike so far. Handles fantastically in twisties, (took it to Shannonville for a couple of track days, I wasn't the fastest but I definitely wasn't the slowest) and for me I can load it up and go sport touring (emphasis on the sport) or camping. Took it to James Bay this summer and it was great. (Ride report on this forum)
There is an intangible feeling that I get when I ride the Duc that I never got when riding the Japanese bikes. Try the Duc, you only live once.
Labour costs at GP Bikes are 15 dollars an hour more on Ducs than the other brands. Having said that, most maintenance (on the air cooled L-twins) can be performed by anyone with a basic knowledge of bikes and tools. Timing belt changes take about 20 mins (CA cycleworks sells belts for 40 bucks plus shipping), valve adjustments (after the tank is off) take about 2 hours not including the time taken running back and forth to GP to swap the shims. Every thing else is just like the Japanese bikes. i.e. oil and filter, fluid changes, brakes etc. The bike has 50 000 kms on it, 37 000 of them are mine and it has never let me down. It is my favourite bike so far. Handles fantastically in twisties, (took it to Shannonville for a couple of track days, I wasn't the fastest but I definitely wasn't the slowest) and for me I can load it up and go sport touring (emphasis on the sport) or camping. Took it to James Bay this summer and it was great. (Ride report on this forum)
There is an intangible feeling that I get when I ride the Duc that I never got when riding the Japanese bikes. Try the Duc, you only live once.
slayerofsouls
Well-known member
Sometimes purchases go beyond performance, logic and costs. Its an experience, its the visceral feeling you get when you ride it... i.e., the x-factor.
Dresden
Well-known member
Lol @ visceral experience. .. that's not in any way unique to Ducati. Perhaps you mean pompous.
I'm a duc fan btw
Machine
Well-known member
Agree - go for the Ducati. I always wanted one too, so I picked up a 748 last winter and converted it into a race bike. Learned how to do all the maintenance myself (which isn't that difficult at all), and the bike has held up great. It's not as fast as a new 600, but there are a lot of redeeming / unique qualities with the Ducati that the I-4's just don't have. Life is short - ride what you love.
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