Ducati Maintenance Costs?!

[Steve - RS125]

Right, I have a budget of around 3k for a new bike.
That could rise dependent on if I choose to get into debt etc.

I have always wanted a Duke 916 (Childhood dream bike and know one for sale for 4k), but I have a sneaky feeling that they will cost me £100's in any maintenance.

I like the idea also of my next bike being a Kwak ZX6 99 plate.
Have seen one for 1.5k in nice condition, average miles etc.

I however have also fell in love with a K1 GSXR1000 for 3.2K with 21K on the clock, again nice condition.

Now what I am asking is, Kwak and Gix aside are the Dukes a) Reliable, B)Rough cost of maintenance C) are they as good as they look?

I know the Gix and the Kwak are options, not sure about the Duke though.

Anyone got experience with one?

Cheers.
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Suzuki VL Intruder 125cc - September 2004 to July 2005
Aprilia RS 125cc - July 2005 to Present
Suzuki RF600RR - May 2006 to October 2006 (RIP RF600)

[Wave2k]

They cost more to service because the belts need replacing every 6k or 2 years, so where as a jap bike will have the basic brake fluid oil etc you have to pay for someone to take the side of the cylinder head off and change the belts.

I had a 749s a year ago and had a meduim service (oil, filter, brake fluid, belts and a check over) for £250, not by a Ducati place of course but a trusted V-twin specalist i know.

The Big service think its 12,000 is gonna be expensive if you need the belts done too. expect anything from £350-£500 for this.

People will spread rumours of £1000 service costs but its just not true, dont listen to ANYONE who hasnt owned a Ducati themselves.
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Ducati 1299 Panigale
2009 Corvette C6 z51
RS125->CBR400->RXS100->GSXR750K2->Ducati749S->CBR600RR5->TL1000R->DRz400->RSVR1000->Honda VTR SP1->CBR400->GSXR1000K6->Honda H100->CBR600RR3->Ducati1299

[hmmmnz]

ducatis are as reliable as everyone thinks,
too highly strung, electrics are a nightmare, and that dry clutch, is just terrible sounding. the only redeeming features are they are quick and they are dead sexy
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the humans are dead
I kick arse for the lord
Wiring Diagrams BIDNIP it bitches

[Steve - RS125]

I have hard stories of £1000 plus for a service, I was thinking jeez does this thing have an Ferrari F1 engine in it.

From what you say this is not correct, £250 - £500 whilst expensive is still a fair bit more appealing than £1k.

The Duke dry clutch is nice sounding, its different and make you stand out from the rest. I love it.

The exhaust system is the mutts also!
Only problem is I am quite a porker and they aint that massive!
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Suzuki VL Intruder 125cc - September 2004 to July 2005
Aprilia RS 125cc - July 2005 to Present
Suzuki RF600RR - May 2006 to October 2006 (RIP RF600)

[Kickstart]

[Wave2k]

[mark83]

[Paivi]

Steve, check this site for info and advice.
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My other bike's a Monster...

[sickpup]

As to the price of service items I do the following.

Oil filters £5.25

Rear pads HH rated £12.98

Front pads HH rated £12.98

Brake and clutch levers are £5.00 each

So that's cheaper than most people pay on Japanese parts anyway.

Belt replacement is a piece of piss as long as the adjuster bolt isn't seized and they don't cost much anyway.

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

If you're worried about the servicing, why not consider a mille, although I would be tempted by the Ducati.
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[hmmmnz]

boo hoo, i might just have a cry now,
in my experience with them, what i have said is completely correct.
if disagree then, thats your opinion, or experience.
____________________
the humans are dead
I kick arse for the lord
Wiring Diagrams BIDNIP it bitches

[veeeffarr]

[Kickstart]

[crm250]

god twice, once again wave is dead right.
I have an old early 1994 916 and love it dearly. take no notice of the "my mates dad used to have one and he said it was crap" brigade, seriously they will cost more to maintain and service than any jap bike. however there are certain things to think about if tempted to buy a ducati.

firstly for 3k you are likely to be at the bottom end of the quality chain. seriously you may get a reasonable 748 for 3k, but certainly not a 916, and deffo no 996's let alone a stretta.

Secondly belts are not an issue, mine are done every year regardless and they dont cost much to do at all by a good ducati independant. more important is rockers and how often the clearances are (have been) checked. Picture this, take your ducati 996 to a main dealer for its 2 year major service. so long as clearances are within tollerance they are un touched and you take your bike away. problem is, they could be out and running tight within a few days after and hammering the rockers for the next 2 years when you get a bill for some new rockers at £85 each. On the upside most good independants will shim to set them smack in the middle of where they should be which is why i would use a reputable independant over a main dealer all the time even although the cost may be roughly the same.
Service history doesnt put me off, i would rather buy a bike from an enthusiast and been looked after by himself or a good independant over a polished toy with low miles and main dealer history.

Thirdly used bikes are happy and reliable bikes, dont be put off with a bike with 20 - 30k on it. the early 4 valve motors are pretty good tbh, heads lifted before 30k is good practice, box's are good little goes wrong on road bikes, any sign of gear jump walk away.

The bikes design is superb, quality could be better true, but the design is superb even today. the chassis is like a girder, the loom is in snap in sections (handy - coming to this bit soon), parts are readily available and quite cheap too.

Electrical systems on pre 97 models wer a 2 wire charging system, and yes its crap. it works just, but replace the battery every year regardless, and ensure you put a good one on (yuasa not some cheap tat) the way the charging sys is designed if the battery is tired or old the rectifier cant cope and fails even the new jap ones. However they are no worse electricaly than your average 90's honda esp the NC30 (trust me i know) i have lost 2 rectifiers in 20,000 miles on my 916 and expect to lose a few more too - its all part of the fun of ownership. now the loom comes in sections and the part that connects the rectifier to the main loom is almost a service item on the 2 wire loom. its only £16 or so and takes 2 mins to replace.

Try one first, i sold a blade for my 916 and hated it for 6 months. i wondered what the hell i had done, it was so slow, slow to turn, rock hard to ride, killed my wrists, and i thought it wouldnt make the next few miles before blowing up. suddenly in a familiar road it all became clear, the position is suited to fast road riding, handling is not slow, its planted and the chassis offers levels of feedback you wont expect, and who needs 150+ mph when the ducati makes overtaking a breeze, non of this knocking it down lark to overtake simply squeeze the throttle and your done. dont bother reving it to the redline like you do a jap bike, change up at 7k and your perfect for the next gear and use the grunt to fire you out of a corner quicker than most other bikes. All i am saying it takes a while to dial your brain into riding a ducati and getting the best from it, and there is nothing that rewards like it. I ride a new 600rr and a RC30 and a uk NC30 and some other bits, and i keep taking the keys for the ducati so what does that say ? i like a challenge perhaps. . .
If you expect to spend £400 a year in maintaining a duke then dont bother, seriously even if slightly skint and money is important then duke ownership is not for you. i dont say that to patronise or gloat, i offer that advice to save heartache as it will bite you in the wallet and you will sell it to the next person looking for a cheap duke and so the chain goes on. dropped and crashed bikes can be problems. if running on its side they stave the mains of oil, shortly after the motors dead.
I assure you they are worth the hassle in the end and i will never part with mine, its cost a fortune, broken down many times (and many are stipid niggles that could be fixed in 5 mins at home with tools and thought) and i know it will let me down again, but i still ride it. but buy a AA membership you WILL need it.
your mates will slate you and laugh while you are on the back of a recovery truck, but they wont be laughing when you ride around the outside of them, and fire out of corners quicker.
Speeds of the 916 - they say 155 ish . . bollocks, i reckon it may do around 145 tops, gets upto 120 easily, but its just not happy doing anymore and mechanical sympathy takes over and makes you back off. it will sit at 90 all day long, good on fuel, and flies from the lights to 100+ speeds. but if a good pilot on a sorted NC30 is having a go then there's not much in it up top.
748's are not much slower, but rev harder and are less grunty and peakier. i personaly dont like them. expect more issues with rockers.
996's are gruntier, smoother and faster by quite a bit actually. they also sound different too over the 916. rockers are worse again it would appear on these.
998's are superb the best of the lot. the 998s or R is the ultimate IMO
749's are shocking. avoid and all costs (expect the R) the engine components are cheap and poor.
999's are ok
1098 - yummy but quality i am not struck on. expect many write offs after slow drops due to snapping footpeg lugs from the frame and poor design compared to the older models.

[Steve - RS125]

Cheers for the help folks, most appreciated.

Been pondering the options, realistically I think the most viable option for me would be an older Kwak, save me getting into debt an all that.

However, based on what you have all said I am now gonna by a Cagiva Mito Evo and stick Ducati stickers on it.

On a serious note the 4k Ducati I saw has now gone, im presuming it must have been half decent to go that quick.

But the insight I have had from you all has made it a future option, one which I will have a good think about.

I do love em.

Cheers all.
____________________
Suzuki VL Intruder 125cc - September 2004 to July 2005
Aprilia RS 125cc - July 2005 to Present
Suzuki RF600RR - May 2006 to October 2006 (RIP RF600)

[Stevie GooGs]

I have no opinion on this as never owned one but found this image which i found to suit the subject of this thread. My g/f bro has a 748 hes not had any problems with it but he hardly ever uses it. Anyway enjoy.

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/ducati_116.jpg
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Current: 2019 Yamaha T7 -> 2015 KTM Superduke R | 2000 Yamaha R1 Past -> 2009 KTM 990 SM -> 2005 kawasaki ZX10r -> 2000 Honda CBR 600 FY -> 2002 Honda XLV 125 Varadero
Bike Pics! -> My Photography Website

[Wave2k]

A bike can get problems if its NOT used, it gets clogged up so when you run it after 6 months - year it doesnt run properly.

You get this problem a lot more on dukes because people dont use them as often as jap bikes, but i remember my CBR400 after it hadnt been used for 8 months was horrendous.
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Ducati 1299 Panigale
2009 Corvette C6 z51
RS125->CBR400->RXS100->GSXR750K2->Ducati749S->CBR600RR5->TL1000R->DRz400->RSVR1000->Honda VTR SP1->CBR400->GSXR1000K6->Honda H100->CBR600RR3->Ducati1299

[Steve - RS125]

[Paivi]

Stevie GooGs: only Ducati riders are allowed to post that pic.
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My other bike's a Monster...

[sirduke]

You have to get one for three reasons....

a) They make a gorgeous sound

2) It's great watching people admire it

Z) Did I mention the sound they make?

I've had my old 900 Supersport for 18 months and it gets used all year round, 5000 miles so far, and (touch wood) has never let me down. I service it myself (£30 for a set of belts, doddle to fit - head removal???????) cos it's just simplicity itself. Adjusting the valve clearances is a long job but if you're methodical it isn't beyond anyone with half an ounce of grey matter between their ears.

If you get a second hand one, whichever model you go for, get one with service history. Doesn't have to be a dealer history, I keep a record of every job I do on mine. OK it's not proof the work has been done but dealer history can be faked too.

Would I have another?

Too bloody right I would
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'93 Ducati 900 Supersport