Shopping for a Ducati

[MotoSook]

For the longest time, I tried to sell my '93 900 SS/SP for a mere $4500, and no one called with a cash offer in the Chicago market. Finally, I decided to keep it and throw money at it. I bought a Powerbronze headlight kit for it and a set of FCR carbs. Now I've got too much money into it to get back out...so it'll stay in my collection.

Anyhow, I'm surprised at the prices you mentioned about the Ducatis in Seattle. $9-10K?! I see 900SS go for less than 4K on Ebay frequently, and I've seen a couple of FE bikes advertised locally for less than $6K.

I really wouldn't spend more than $5K on a Supersport. You're getting into 916 and 748 territory when you're looking to spend $5K. I've ridden a 748, and it felt more sporting than my 900SS. Of course they are two different beasts, but the point is that if you are going to spend a lot of money on a 900SS, look for a 748 or a 916 to compare prices too.

Here is an old post from years ago: (notice the gas price! LOL!)

Originally Posted by Souk

Post subject: In Torque I Trust! Misc rambling...

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Gasoline jumped an astounding $.50/gallon today, so I gased up the Jeep for the last time probably, with gas that is less than $3/gallon. I was driving around today for work, and noticed prices going from $2.99 to $3.51 within hours! So I pulled in to the last station that hadn't changed it's prices on my route...11 gallons or so, and the charge was ~$35 for! of 87 Octane...

So! I said screw that! My Jeep is not a lumbering SUV, but it's still poor on gas mileage. My 911's get better mileage! But they are out of commission

So when I got home I pulled the motorcycles out of the dark dusty corner of the garage. I'm determined to ride two wheels as much as I can until it gets too cold. Even with a twitchy throttle hand making my bike scream in the upper revs as much as I can w/o jail time, I get better gas mileage on them than any of our vehicles.

So! The Ducati was first to get warmed up. I went around the neighborhood at a good but sane pace so I wouldn't get reported, then hit the main route, rolled the throttle to full open...and off I went! WOOOOHOOO!O! OK.. Down shift back into the hood...pop pop pop as I downshift. OK...I need to tune it. So what ? It scares the kids

Now, it's getting dark, but I have to make sure the Ninja will still fire up when I get ready to go to work tomorrow. So I hurry up and roll it out of the garage on its stand..and pull the choke to let it warm up. A couple of cranks and WROOOOM! Let it warm up a little...then off I go, this time heading straight out of the subdivision.

Hmm...something doesn't feel right. Doesn't seem to have much power..might still need to warm up a bit. Sometimes it misses on one cylinder if it's not warmed up. OK. At the stop before I'm out of the subd'n I clutch in and rev it. Hmm all firing. OK. Lets see.....roll from the stop, lean left and crank the throttle WAHHH WAHHHHH WAHHHHHHH! Bam! All the way to 9000+ RPM before I feel the rush.

Geez! I never rode the two bikes back to back like that before, but wow! What a difference between the two....WHAT A DIFFERENCE THE V-TWIN TORQUE MAKES!

The Ducati with its torque felt faster and was more rewarding at low revs and low speeds. Sure I have heard people talk about it before, but never beat up a bike(s) to find out for myself!

The Ninja's four cylinder is smooth and almost too quiet compared to the Duc. And that's with a Muzzy canister that's about blown all the batting out of it. Smooth it may be, but it feels down right mundane at low reves....but not when I crack the throttle at high speeds and high revs! It's scary pass 8000 or 9000 RPM...all the way to 12500! Before I know it, my face (sorry I wasn't thinking I'd go anywhere but around the block!) is fluttering in the triple digit breeze and bugs are smacking my face to commit suicide after getting a closer look at it! What a rush! The rush I needed after a hellacious week so far!

So! Back to the subdivision...and the Ninja still feels slow. OK! That does it! Torque is KING! But I won't give up my high revving Jap 4. I love the scream on the open road of those frenzied pistons...

I hate the lazy twin pistons at high speeds...it's better at 30 MPH through the hood when the sound bounces off the houses and makes your lungs pulse with the energy..

SO! I have found a new love for TORQUE! Now I want to build a torque monster for my 911! How's that for Porsche content?!

[serge944]

900SS not comfy enough for more than 30 minute rides? Time to hit the gym and get into shape .

I have no problem doing 200-300 mile rides on my 999, with a much more aggressive seating position.

[MotoSook]

The thing that I find uncomfortable on the 900SS is the handle bar angle. I can actually sit almost upright on the bike and still reach the bars. And when I'm blasting away on my favorite back roads, the bars are just right....good attack position. In traffic, the bar angles create a strange bend in my wrist that gets annoying fast.

The reach to the handle bars on my Ninja actually feels further away, and I find I put more weight on my arms when I'm ridding the Ninja. My wrists don't hurt on the Ninja like they do on the Ducati when in traffic.

I hear and read guys discuss back pains and such when riding a sport bike, but I've never understood ther problem. I don't use my back to support my torsal when ridding. The weight is on my arms. And if my arms get tired and I'm not in traffic, I'll rest my left elbow on the tank with my left hand close enough to the left bar for evasive maneuvering.

Sometimes my legs cramp up from the rearset being so high....but I stretch them out periodically, and keep on riding.

[nostatic]

With me the discomfort is in the tight leg position (knees) and also weight on the hands/shoulders around town. I rode the ST2 to work today (Aprilia is still in the shop) and love the bike when I'm on the open road. The problem is that when the road isn't open it sucks. That and my right hand tends to go numb after 30 minutes or so due to the position and vibration. If I could get another 1" up and back it would likely be pretty good, but Helibars quit making bars for ST2. When I put the peg lowing kit on it gives me more legroom but then I scrape in the twisties. No free lunch...maybe I'll just keep it, put a Ducati Designs headlight in it and do more situps to try and deal with the position.

[HardDrive]

Not to thread Hijack, but I figure all the Ducati heads are looking at this thread.

Any opinions on the price for this bike? Owner claims the belt service was done at 9,000 when he got the bike. Seems a little evasive when I asked him about documentation. Obviously No papers = No dice.

I'm thinking $4200.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/mcy/802057947.html

[javadog]

Let's see. It has cracks and scuffs in the plastic, dents in the tank, and the swing arm and exhausts have been replaced, with new, stock parts.


Why?

There are too many clean bikes out there for me to consider one with this *sterling* history.

I've never heard of a bike needing a new swing arm.

JR

[NICKG]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

Jeff, the bike below is available locally (Queen Anne, Seattle). I went and saw it, and the pictures don't lie. Its very clean. I checked it for frame cracks, and my amateur eye could not spot any. Beautiful exhaust system. The owner is asking $5500. I loved it, but having not been on a bike in 12+ years, I want something that already has some wear and tear. This bike is basically pristine.

I am in the market for a Ducati as well, but will likely go with a later model fuel injected SS/Monster. I seem to be one of the few people on earth that likes the later model 900/1000SS bikes. Their look is a bit over the top given the modest power on tap, but I think they look cool.

I'll PM you the owners phone # in just a moment.

i bought a 03 1000ss new...amazing! rare bike, i just love the looks but had to sell it 2 years ago to help with the house

[HardDrive]

Originally Posted by javadog

Let's see. It has cracks and scuffs in the plastic, dents in the tank, and the swing arm and exhausts have been replaced, with new, stock parts.


Why?

There are too many clean bikes out there for me to consider one with this *sterling* history.

I've never heard of a bike needing a new swing arm.

JR

Hah! The back fender is cracked as well. The guy claims the suspension bottomed out when his girl friend was on the back. This guy is 6'4"+. Gotta wonder what kind of 'loads' were on the back.

[javadog]

Maybe he got rear-ended. Bottoming wouldn't bend a swing arm but it would do a world of good to the shock...

JR

[jhynesrockmtn]

Nice Jeff. Next thing you know we'll be going to bike school at PR together You'll be dragging your knee through turn 2 doing 90!

The white frame one looks really nice. I had emailed that guy before I bought the VFR but didn't hear back. I had a guy in Portland wanting to trade me a 93 Ducati SS for my CB, it had 50,000 miles on it. He finally sold it for around $3,000 and he's buying the CB. I'm trailering it with my race car to Portland to deliver it to him over labor day when racing at PIR.

[greglepore]

Originally Posted by serge944

900SS not comfy enough for more than 30 minute rides? Time to hit the gym and get into shape .

I have no problem doing 200-300 mile rides on my 999, with a much more aggressive seating position.

My 749 (identical to your 999 other than engine size) is MUCH more comfy than my 900ss was. The wrist angle is different, plus its much easier on the **9 bikes to use your thighs to support your weight.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by Souk

For the longest time, I tried to sell my '93 900 SS/SP for a mere $4500, and no one called with a cash offer in the Chicago market. Finally, I decided to keep it and throw money at it. I bought a Powerbronze headlight kit for it and a set of FCR carbs. Now I've got too much money into it to get back out...so it'll stay in my collection.

Anyhow, I'm surprised at the prices you mentioned about the Ducatis in Seattle. $9-10K?! I see 900SS go for less than 4K on Ebay frequently, and I've seen a couple of FE bikes advertised locally for less than $6K.

I really wouldn't spend more than $5K on a Supersport. You're getting into 916 and 748 territory when you're looking to spend $5K. I've ridden a 748, and it felt more sporting than my 900SS. Of course they are two different beasts, but the point is that if you are going to spend a lot of money on a 900SS, look for a 748 or a 916 to compare prices too.

Here is an old post from years ago: (notice the gas price! LOL!)

The exhorbidant prices are just at the dealership itself, and at another shop that has somewhat of a reputation for high prices. Private sellers are in that $4500-$5500 range for the most part. Those that aren't get there in a few weeks. They cycle through on Craigslist and other sites; typically they start out pretty proud of their bike and then get realistic. I've been watching for awhile. I'm patient, and know what I want. The rainy season is fast approaching here, so it's not like I'll ride it much this year anyway. That also means an increase in traffic on the classifieds, so I'm sure I'll find what I'm after.

I feel about the same about waterpumper Ducatis as I feel about waterpumper Porsches. I'll probably never own one. I like the simplicity of air cooling, even more so on a bike than a car. The 900 SS is in the performance range I'm comfortable with anyway; one of their Superbikes would be very under utilized under my middle aged butt.

[Britwrench]

This is my 16,600 mile 900SP (supplied by Kie)

[kiesan]

Jeff.... ring me up about this one:

[Noah930]

HardDrive,

That yellow '99 Supersport that you're looking at: I'd agree with java and deep 6 that idea. New swingarm and both mufflers seem most likely like some sort of rearend accident. Unless he's dating Rosanne, it's not likely he'd trash all that hardware. If that part of the story is fishy, there are likely other parts of the story that aren't kosher, either.

I think a reasonable price for a decent mid-90s 900SS should be in that $4500-5500 range you're looking at. I'd even think it might be as low as $4-5K. That's a bike that might not be mint, but is nice enough that the previous owner took care of it. I'd be willing to pay on the high end of that range for an FE model. For some reason, the '93 Superlight model holds its value a lot better (I see them in the $6-8.5K range). Presumably due to their rarity. But from a functional perspective, I'd rather take an FE model and keep the change.

[vash]

i had a 900CR. the bike was nice, but it got old really fast. i had a hard time getting used to the torque, and engine braking from the twin. as i understand it, there is a pricey valve adjust at 6000 miles (?)...i can remember the exact details. i ended up giving it to my brother, who sold it later. the bike was too narrow for my not so narrow arse. it was like a ducati wedgie. it wasnt the best commuter. i went mainstream, and bought a ZX-6R. again, not the best commuter, but it was damn fun.

[Noah930]

To continue (had a slight home emergency): Like Souk mentioned, anything more than about $5-6K and I'd start thinking about a Superbike. You can pick up clean 4-valve bikes like 916s and 748s in that range all day long. And if those are a bit extreme (i.e. the riding position), decent 851s and 888s can be found starting around $5500. Ergos are similar to the 900SS you're looking for, but with considerably more power. Considering that the 851/888 series were imported in fairly low numbers, and that they are the original generation of Ducati 4-valvers (and have a racing pedigree closely tied to the World Superbike racing series which started in 1987, and then became dominated by Ducati 2 years later), I think the 851/888 bikes are positioned to become quite collectable. Not that that should be the reason you buy the bike, though.

[javadog]

Ahh,

He doesn't want a watercooled bike. They make Harleys jealous, which causes them to start leaking oil on the floor, to mark their spot.

Methinks we have beat this one to death and now he needs to do his part, buy something and post a picture of it. I want to see him by nostatic's bike, so I can get some cool pictures of the trip up highway one.

JR

[Shaun @ Tru6]

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/cto/802074936.html

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by Shaun 84 Targa

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/cto/802074936.html

That 888 actually looks like a '93, not a '94. Essentially the same bike, with a couple cosmetic differences (should be a carbon front fender and gold wheels). 200 were imported in '93, and another 200 shipped over in '94. The 94s have a numbered plaque on the triple tree, also (as well as a larger diameter front axle). But in '94, Ducati also unveiled the revolutionary 916. So that made the 888 a very hard sell. 125 of the 200 bikes from '94 were shipped back to Italy, leaving only 275 bikes imported into the States over the two years.