Well....I'm bummed

[TAftonomos]

I just ran the VIN on that ST4S that I was buying, it's not an 03, it's an 02.

I wonder what else may or may not crop up if I fly 1300 miles to go see it.  Was the owner going to just say, oops, you're right it's a year older?  I dunno, but it changes the deal with me, and it's made me quite a bit "stand-offish" about the whole thing.  I searched prior posts of the owners on ducati.ms, where he was talking about swapping the ohlins off the st4 to his s2r monster.  I wonder if that bit was left out on the deal as well.

The 02's were apparently right in the thick of the flaking rocker isssue as well.  Might still be a good deal, or might need 500-800 worth of bits when it comes back.

Unsure if I should continue with it, or be patient and keep looking for another deal.

[Raux]

I just ran the VIN on that ST4S that I was buying, it's not an 03, it's an 02.

I wonder what else may or may not crop up if I fly 1300 miles to go see it.  Was the owner going to just say, oops, you're right it's a year older?  I dunno, but it changes the deal with me, and it's made me quite a bit "stand-offish" about the whole thing.  I searched prior posts of the owners on ducati.ms, where he was talking about swapping the ohlins off the st4 to his s2r monster.  I wonder if that bit was left out on the deal as well.

The 02's were apparently right in the thick of the flaking rocker isssue as well.  Might still be a good deal, or might need 500-800 worth of bits when it comes back.

Unsure if I should continue with it, or be patient and keep looking for another deal.

seems good bargaining chips you have there. i would call him up and suggest a come to jesus meet on pricing

[DoubleEagle]

I don't like the way this one smells !

Dolph     

[rockaduc]

Plenty of other fish in the sea, amigo.

I just walked away from a Husky dual sport last night b/c it was in very rough shape (looked good in the pics on Fee Bay though): blue exhaust smoke(on a 4 stroke), couldn't be kick started, only bump started, clutch was fried, many places on the frame had rust, etc. you get the idea.  I walked away b/c I know i'll find exactly what i want if i am patient enough.

[junior varsity]

Point out the issues, and your findings about the forks, and let him know why you are backing out so he educates himself in his attempts to sell it in the future. That would be courteous, but most likely the majority of people just bail, which is why people get mad about "time-wasters" and "tire-kickers" - though often rightly so.

meanwhile, you go find another bike.

[cduarte]

judging from the pics he posted, the bike still has the ohlins rear shock on it, and the showa front forks. I don't know how much you put down as a deposit, but it still might be worth going out there to see the bike. Get a round trip ticket, they're usually cheaper than a one way anyway so you'd be covered if you don't take the bike. It does sound like a shady deal though, with the misrepresentation of the bikes age.

[junior varsity]

Its kind of like the craigslister that has a 96 900ss which is advertised as having a "926" motor. Really? It has the big bore 851/888 4v motor kit on the 2v 904cc motor?  Prove it.

[RetroSBK]

Actually Memphis, back in the day, you COULD get, from Gia.Ca.Moto, a 924 big bore kit.. I know.. WHY? but they did it.. along with a 964 big bore kit.

The one thought that comes to mind... is 02 the year of MFG, or the model year? Often you will find that the model year starts production in the previous year, and the model year may be a 03, the check digit says 02. Need to find out what month it was made.

If the rocker thing is a issue, pull a couple of valve covers. You dont need to take anythign apart to see it, simply call your local snap on or mac tools guy, and buy or borrow a bore o scope (snapon has a killer one with a LCD sceen and a light for $400) and take a look at the rockers. The whole thing about having to disassemble the heads was a scam being pulled by a few guys out there, when a cheap tool solves the entire issue. Not to mention that you will use that tool a LOT once you have it.. Combustion chamber inspection anyone? lol

That all being the case, if you dont trust the guy, then dont do the deal, you will never be happy with it.

[junior varsity]

Actually Memphis, back in the day, you COULD get, from Gia.Ca.Moto, a 924 big bore kit.. I know.. WHY? but they did it.. along with a 964 big bore kit.

Stroke stays the same:
851 - 92x64
888 - 94x64
926 - 96x64

904 - 92x68
924 - 93x68 - Seems worthless really. Still not a 926 though.
944 - 94x68

For the 2V, I thought it was a 966 kit? BUT, 95x68 gets 964.1cc
I know there's the 944 kit and I could have sworn I saw a 966 2V Monster. (Example)

[junior varsity]

Oh. There was also the possibility of a 984 2V out there. jeebus. One example: http://www.visi.com/~moperfserv//mf984.htm

[RetroSBK]

A lot of rounding up going on.. .lol

Doug and I have both dont eh 984 motors, I have doen several 999 and 1026 motors on the 2v platform, I think he has too.

[junior varsity]

Seems like one would be on the very limit of wall thickness with a 984 (or 985 if we like to round...) That's a 96mm cylinder (68 stroke), and you are telling me  its possible to go all the way to a 98mm piston for 1026cc's(68 stroke still)?? WOW.

i must be missing something. That, and i haven't taken apart very many duc engines to see what could be made to work where.

[Speeddog]

~~~~snip~~~~
If the rocker thing is a issue, pull a couple of valve covers. You dont need to take anythign apart to see it, simply call your local snap on or mac tools guy, and buy or borrow a bore o scope (snapon has a killer one with a LCD sceen and a light for $400) and take a look at the rockers. The whole thing about having to disassemble the heads was a scam being pulled by a few guys out there, when a cheap tool solves the entire issue. Not to mention that you will use that tool a LOT once you have it.. Combustion chamber inspection anyone? lol

That all being the case, if you dont trust the guy, then dont do the deal, you will never be happy with it.

How do you see through the cams?

[RetroSBK]

See thru the cams? huh?

If you loo at the rocker from both sides, and simply turn the motor there is less than one MM you cannot see.. and the ones I have seen have a nice stripe where the chrome is gon...

Ya see, the rocker contacts the cam in an arc based on the fulcrum of the shaft.. ohhh wait.. you know all this already..

Ask your snap-on guy...

Memphis, a 966 is really pushing it, and cannot be used on some model years.. but its been so long, i couldnt tell you which... have Falicon offset grind your crank, or use a JHP or now even a Poggipollini crank, and you can build a monster motor.. that for huge money cant really disapate the heat of more than about 100hp.. so why bother...

but back in the day, my dual plugged 999 2v motor was a lot of fun... Went about 12k mostly track miles over 2 years before it went to its new home...

Will

[junior varsity]

spending [sic: wasting] money on the ol' battle tank is what i do. (not so much in search of hp, but more because it is there to be tinkered with. methinks its time to just buy another bike so i won't tinker one time too many)

note: its still fun to read about what has been done, gives good ideas for what could be done to newer models, etc.