Anyone own a 748?

[garth]

Or a 916 etc for that matter.

After opinions. Not interested in buying just for the name etc. I know SH is a must and belts need to be changed regularly, and electrics were slightly dubious on the early ones.

Please spare me the "It's a ducati it will blow up" / "My mates Dads brother in law has one and it's shit" comments.

Thanks.
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You ain't a has been if you never was

[Blau Zedong]

My boss has had one for a couple of years and been to Assen etc on it. Only faults have been a few random oil leaks.
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[Klause]

I only really have knownledge on the 2 valve ducati's. Zimbo should be along shortly with some good info.
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Current bikes: 1960 Triumph 5ta x2, TTR600RE, KTM200EXC, Cagiva Elephant 900ie.

[kestrel]

I own a 2003 748, had it almost three years and done about 8,500 miles, never had any problems with it. Servicing by dealers is expensive but after the two year 'Big One' which involves belt changes I now take it elsewhere.

Once the warranty expired I opted to have the servicing done by a reputable race bike technician rather than the Ducati dealer, costs less, work is of the highest standard and still gives me a letter headed invoice for the service history.

One thing to watch out for is the rockers, there was some problem with them, mine were changed out on the first service under warranty but if you need to get them done they work out very expensive. 'The Ducati Rattle' is something that you get used to, it's nothing more than wear in the clutch basket slots and nowt to worry about.

The 748 is a nice bike to ride, handles extremely well but a little bit short on power unless you keep revs up. Factory suspension settings are very hard, having them adjusted by the tech who does my servicing transformed the handling.

The bike definitely isn't much use as a daily commuter with the head down arse up riding position but it's a blast at the weekends, hence the low mileage.

[MattEMulsion]

I saw a 748 yesterday being pushed across the A46 and into a layby. I can only assume it had packed up on the poor bloke who was doing the pushing. And before you ask why I didn't stop, I was driving a 65ton low loader and there wasn't enough room to pull over.
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Yamaha YZF-R6

[Jack_Cheese]

They're very different bikes. The 748 is designed as a revvy little motor to be worked, the 916 was designed to be the typical big lazy twin.

Thats my
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[crm250]

Do a search for some of my posts, i try and defend the ducati honour against all those "my dads mate heard they breakdown" brigade.

infact here is one i copied and pasted


Well here's my 2p's worth if it helps any.

I have one of the very first 916's and have owned it for years. It took me 6 months to grow to love it after my old RRX blade as it felt stiff, slow, and expensive. However after around 6 months it suddenly clicked with me, and 24000 miles later i love it more and more. Sure its been a pain in the ass, left me stranded twice and given garage bound evenings of grief but there is something quite magical about them thats for sure.
I sold the blade as it was too damn fast up top, and handled ok, but not exactly dainty, and i always loved the look and sound of the ducati. I test rode a early 748 which i liked, but as mentioned they rev a bit higher, are just as fast as the 916 and lack a bit of grunt over the larger cc bike. Then i tried the 916, loads of grunt, slightly different sound to it and much lazier than the 748. Then the 996 which was a fair bit quicker over the 916 and felt very good. never tried a 998.
I plumped for a 916 and one of the early ones, something about the early decals that does it for me. the later ones are tough to tell apart to the untrained eye, and the silver framed versions are much easier to keep looking good as the older gold frame models can age quickly making the gold look rough. however this was my own choice and i am glad i did too.
Tried the 749 and its a lovely bike to ride, quicker than the 916 by far but felt a bit on the cheap side which in all fairness the 749bp is unlike the over engineered 749r motor.
The 999 is a beast of a motor, loads of grunt, very civil to ride but seriously quick up top and that power just keeps on coming too.

Back to the 916, off the mark its rapid, but runs out of puff at around 130. they say the book is around 155 but in the real world i would be surprised if it ever saw over 145. I think my little NC30 would give it a pretty good run at the top end but then thats not really what its all about is it ? It will cruise all day at 90 and in surprising comfort too.

Reliability - ah that old chestnut. Well there are issues as with most bikes, and as you know by know electrics can be a cause of concern. however no worse than a NC30 and easier and cheaper to fix too. I have lost 2 rectifiers on mine. 1 left me stranded 10 miles from home near chester and was a recovery job, second time was 100 miles from le havre in france after a grueling 2200 trouble free miles around spain in 85+ degree day temps and sure enough the gene and rectifier died again.
I also stripped the top ends at 27000 miles to replace all the valves and seals as a matter of course. I am lucky to have a good mate who is an independant ducati mechanic ( www.wlracing.co.uk ) who specializes in the RS's and not the normal tame road fodder. Worth noting is the rocker issue, the current trend seems to favour the early model rockers (pre 97) for durability also 748's do seem to lunch them much quicker than the larger cc bikes. If a bike is stood for a few weeks all the oil can drain out of the top end and once started can take upto 90 seconds before upto pressure and full circulation. On the later stretta motors this is still around 20 seconds but far less damage can occur obviously. dont let this scare you, as once started just dont be tempted to rev the nutts off it and ride off. allow a couple of mins before riding off. Belts are not a problem either now. with the modern kevlar belts then 2 years / 8000 miles is the norm. i do mine every 12 months regardless and change oil and filter every 2 - 3k max as its cheaper than rockers at £90 each (and there's 8 of them)

They like to be used too, bikes well used are generaly far more reliable than polished toys. belts go brittle, so picture the scene - guy parks his ducati in september for winter, comes to it in may fires it up and alls well, takes it for a spin and the belts fail. this os usualy because if kept in a cold garage the belts go brittle and hold the shape of the pulleys so are pretty buggered and liable to let go.

So why buy one then after all this - well its hard to say, you either like them or you dont. i now am hooked on v twins. i never really got to grips with in line 4's and while fast, they bore me and fail to provoke any kind of soul stirring of any sort (plenty of speed and bowell moving though).

If you want fast buy a IL4, if you want cheap buy a IL4, if you want something that handles, stops and sounds great regardless of cost then the ducati is for you.

And now for the killer question - "how does it compare to a modern bike ?"

Well i have a few toys in my arsenal, and here i can show off a bit, but also give you some insight to how they all feel.

A new CBR600RR5 bought in april this year, wow its fast, looks great and handles well, but christ its sooo boring to ride. after 9k it comes alive and would destroy the 916 up top with ease. yet back in the real world on real roads its a pain, uncomfy, crap on fuel and hard work to ride.

a 1990 Honda RC30 - yep the 750, well what a bike. by far the best bike i have ever ridden / owned. performance is just about right, handling is spot on (thanks to RC45 rear wheel and modern tyres). it would be the perfect road bike if it wasnt so expensive, ran as hot in summer, and didnt use oil like an old taxi. The oil levels drop with little warning and this is by design allegedly. super bike though.

Couple of NC30's - value for money cant be beaten. granted look a bit old but still are quick bikes and great fun.

Few other odditys like gag bikes and so on etc etc.

Well i bought the CBR to keep me from riding the ducati and RC30, i wanted a modern jap reliable bike i could tour on, ride in winter if i wanted, but still i keep going for the ducati keys when off out for a spin. crazy i guess, its slower than the others, is pretty old and quirky but there has to be something in that i suspect.
Would i sell the 916 ? - never, i would rather run it into the ground before restoring it and parking it for the rest of its life with the others.

[garth]

[G]

The 748 handling is pretty 'stable' in my opinion and didn't particularly excite me. It wasn't terrible, but nor was it particularly evocative.
Definitely far from something like the RS250.
The engine, while revvy for a twin, is still quite flat, which the goose also is.

Had you considered a SV650? - add aftermarket suspension (about £500 for both ends, second hand) and you'll have a bike that should handle better than the 748. Less power, but then not sure if you will enjoy having massive amounts of power if you liked the Goose.

[crm250]

a well setup ducati will still over 10 years on feel so much fresher than most bikes of today. the stock settings are not great. needs more ride height and a 70 front tyre over the stock 60, also dont even think of using a 190 rear.
The standard showa kit is not bad at the front. a bit harsh but a rebuild and revalve will have it working well for not alot of money.
the rear showa is rock ard and will break your back. again a re-spring and valve will ensure it does whats needed.
Once the ride height is setup correctly it looks quite alarming on the standard lolly stick sidestand and it will end in tears unless you buy a 1" longer cyclecat aftermarket item. the original stand is dog poo just like the oe rectifier.
Brakes are ok, the oe bendix pads are wank quite frankly and made from some recycled lino or something. a set of sintered will make a huge difference no matter if 43mm or 60mm caliper types

[garth]

[Zimbo]

[G]

Zimbo:
With an ohlins shock and fork internals, I'd say so yes - and no, but am just about to .
With standard suspension I'd fully agree the SV is pretty terrible. However, in my experience aftermarket suspension is a big equaliser.

Garth:
Think I mentioned an R6 before.
What about a TRX850 for something a bit different? Though, as standard the suspension really isn't that great, so would need work if that was the most important factor.

[kestrel]

[twpd]

[twpd]

[craigs23]

[twpd]

Perhaps you can tell me then? But whatever the reason it won't be because of an SV's performance which is about 30bhp and 25-30mph shy of a 748bip, let alone an R or SP or SPS.

Like I've said, I've owned, ridden and raced both. I know which performs better by a long way and holds world championship titles.
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[G]

[craigs23]

[MarJay]

[garth]

[MarJay]

[G]

Fair doos, while the 748 is quite revvy for a twin, it's still got quite a bland power delivery and 'stable' handling.

A long time ago I wanted "something a bit different" - then I realised that you could generally get more fun for less pounds if you went with the more common stuff - usually they are common because they are good value for fun .

[Zimbo]