Did you ever regret getting that 748?

[RC1]

So apart from the fact it's not a 996/916 etc did you wish you'd never bought one?

Am considering getting back onto 2 wheels after getting rid of an r6 7 years back and now hankeri g for something with more character and drama.

Will likely be a garage queen with fair weather Sunday miles plus the obligatory starts and mini runs in the off season just to keep things oiled etc

[curlie467]

Probably not an ideal bike to be used in that manner.

[slider2]

Short answer. Yes.
A 748 SPS no less, came up rather a bargain. Yellow. Mint. Term is. The lot. So I bought it. It was the most uncomfortable bike I've ever owned! And it's wasn't as fast as a car 600 it turned out... A 92 blade and even an MV agusta were more comfy and significantly faster. I'd say they were superbikes and the 748 was a sports bike.
Nah

[Tasmin200]

No, but I do regret selling it. I think you either get Ducati's or you don't. If you want the fastest, flashiest bike then you won't like it but they are lovely things. Don't forget they are over 20 years old (in design) so they won't keep up with 600's, but on the right road you will smile. Don't commute on it. I'm 6'2" and found it comfy but you do need to be tramping on a bit before the wind blast takes some of the strain off your arms.

[RC1]

curlie467 said:

Probably not an ideal bike to be used in that manner.

I believe a lot are and more are sorned than on the road or at least close. I think as long as they very well maintained with decent slush funds should be fine

[bass gt3]

RC1 said:

curlie467 said:

Probably not an ideal bike to be used in that manner.

I think as long as they very well maintained with decent slush funds should be fine

So why ask the question in the first place??

The real question is whether you know what you're looking at re the 748 to 998 series. And why a 748 In particular?? Unless it's an R or at the very least an SPS they just aren't that special. In fact they can be a serious money pit once you get going. And as said above, they're hitting 20 years old so get ready for troubles.
The best advise if you really do want that iconic shape is to get the best bike or latest bike you possibly can with reams of documentation from a reputable workshop. Even then you might need to adjust your thoughts on what you call a sufficient slush fund...

[LoonR1]

bass gt3 said:

So why ask the question in the first place??

The real question is whether you know what you're looking at re the 748 to 998 series. And why a 748 In particular?? Unless it's an R or at the very least an SPS they just aren't that special. In fact they can be a serious money pit once you get going. And as said above, they're hitting 20 years old so get ready for troubles.
The best advise if you really do want that iconic shape is to get the best bike or latest bike you possibly can with reams of documentation from a reputable workshop. Even then you might need to adjust your thoughts on what you call a sufficient slush fund...

Boom. Never fails to amaze me how many times people ask a question when they've already decided and are just looking for a group of us to start cooing and masturbating over their choice. I on obviously won't, as I don't think much of Doocardees

[Biker's Nemesis]

LoonR1 said:

Boom. Never fails to amaze me how many times people ask a question when they've already decided and are just looking for a group of us to start cooing and masturbating over their choice. I on obviously won't, as I don't think much of Doocardees

Doo-cat-e.

[slider2]

Apparently, Doo-cart-ee
The issue with comfort was that it just seemed too short, when I got on it my hands seemed to be to positioned too close to my body and head stuck out to far over the clocks. Was a weird position and one I have not found in any other bike.
I sold it and bought a 888 SP5 and loved it. If I hadn't moved to NZ where the roads are all like Welsh goat tracks is still have it! (It's Ktm all the way now)

Made loads of lovely mechanical thrashing sorts of sounds and the termis sounded like some sort of bomber plane

[counterofbeans]

I had one from 1997 to 2000 and loved it. Looked and sounded great, never let me down and had more than enough performance for me at the time (it was my second bike, after a 900 Superlight and before a 996 SPS)

[kev b]

Quite a few friends and acquaintances have had Ducatis, all have sold them without regret (apart from the money lost). The main reasons for parting were lack of comfort/burned legs/no steering lock but mostly the large amount of inconvenient fiddly expensive maintenance required.

Official dealer costs are eye watering and non franchised shops are reluctant to touch them, with good reason as every trivial job seems to require a total strip down and a heap of special tools.

Ducatis are like pet tigers, they look cool but would you really want to own one?

[curlie467]

RC1 said:

curlie467 said:

Probably not an ideal bike to be used in that manner.

I believe a lot are and more are sorned than on the road or at least close. I think as long as they very well maintained with decent slush funds should be fine

I am sure there are many used in this manner and are well maintained.
Slush fund or no slush fund, nothing will pee you off more than getting ready for that sunny Sunday ride and the bd thing won't start.

[black-k1]

LoonR1 said:

bass gt3 said:

So why ask the question in the first place??

The real question is whether you know what you're looking at re the 748 to 998 series. And why a 748 In particular?? Unless it's an R or at the very least an SPS they just aren't that special. In fact they can be a serious money pit once you get going. And as said above, they're hitting 20 years old so get ready for troubles.
The best advise if you really do want that iconic shape is to get the best bike or latest bike you possibly can with reams of documentation from a reputable workshop. Even then you might need to adjust your thoughts on what you call a sufficient slush fund...

Boom. Never fails to amaze me how many times people ask a question when they've already decided and are just looking for a group of us to start cooing and masturbating over their choice. I on obviously won't, as I don't think much of Doocardees

How to make people considering a return to biking feel welcome in the PH BB forum!

[dern]

Bought one as a weekend toy as my blade was my main commuting bike and was starting to feel less than special after a couple of winters. It was ok, looked great, sounded pretty good, just didn't enjoy riding it that much... preferred my blade and moved the 748 on.

[Baryonyx]

RC1 said:

I believe a lot are and more are sorned than on the road or at least close. I think as long as they very well maintained with decent slush funds should be fine

Sounds like you've already made your mind up.

I've always loved the look of the 748, and the idea of grabbing one for around £3500 was a tempting motivator to look at them in detail. I mean, there aren't many better looking bikes, for any price! I managed to find a very, very detailed guide to their foibles which I've tried to dig up since, without success. It was American, so obviously the indicated prices to fix various issues were irrelevant as they were presented in dollars. The guide was a wakeup call though, and that's what put me off them. Ultimately, I wouldn't want to splash out on running costs like that and the fact that even the most ardent fan would not stake their reputation on the bike starting or running right enough to be a reliable daily bike was given consideration too. It may be worth trawling the American forums to see if you can find this piece, focusing on the 748 and the related bikes.

I expect that they are a tremendous thing in working form and if you've got the funds and the time to ensure that is maintained, go for it.

[Simes205]

Timely thread as I'm thinking about a 748. I mean it can't be anymore comfortable than my current Nc30?

[dibblecorse]

kev b said:

Official dealer costs are eye watering and non franchised shops are reluctant to touch them, with good reason as every trivial job seems to require a total strip down and a heap of special tools.

Not convinced by that, there are loads of well respected independents that look after Ducatis all over the country .... my 996 went from 11,000 t its current 50,000 miles without going near a Ducati dealer and has wanted for nothing or suffered for it.

[Mr2Mike]

slider2 said:

Short answer. Yes.
A 748 SPS no less, came up rather a bargain. Yellow. Mint. Term is. The lot. So I bought it. It was the most uncomfortable bike I've ever owned! And it's wasn't as fast as a car 600 it turned out.

What's a car 600?

[LoonR1]

black-k1 said:

LoonR1 said:

bass gt3 said:

So why ask the question in the first place??

The real question is whether you know what you're looking at re the 748 to 998 series. And why a 748 In particular?? Unless it's an R or at the very least an SPS they just aren't that special. In fact they can be a serious money pit once you get going. And as said above, they're hitting 20 years old so get ready for troubles.
The best advise if you really do want that iconic shape is to get the best bike or latest bike you possibly can with reams of documentation from a reputable workshop. Even then you might need to adjust your thoughts on what you call a sufficient slush fund...

Boom. Never fails to amaze me how many times people ask a question when they've already decided and are just looking for a group of us to start cooing and masturbating over their choice. I on obviously won't, as I don't think much of Doocardees

How to make people considering a return to biking feel welcome in the PH BB forum!

If the pair of us have put him off, then it's probably for the best as he'd be way too precious to ride a bike.

Mr2Mike said:

slider2 said:

Short answer. Yes.
A 748 SPS no less, came up rather a bargain. Yellow. Mint. Term is. The lot. So I bought it. It was the most uncomfortable bike I've ever owned! And it's wasn't as fast as a car 600 it turned out.

What's a car 600?

It's pretty obviously a typo / autocorrect for a CBR600.

[RC1]

interesting responses!

head says stick with a jap bike and id rather have an r1 but ive always wondered what the dukes are like (perhaps because i had a cagiva mito in the early days....)

preference for an 01 or 02 S and its the 748 and not the 996 due to budget

im not the most accomplished rider so not bothered about chasing lap times so happy to settle for a bike with outdated tech by todays standards