916 buyers advice

[jd]

I am thinking about getting a 916.  I have had a couple Monsters, and a bunch of cruisers.  I was thinking of getting a true sport bike, and I do not necessarily need all the performance tweeks of new Japanese liter bike, I like the looks of the 916, and the prices I see on Ebay look affordable.  I do some of my own work (although I have never done valves).

Any tips or words of wisdom in terms of what to look for?

Thanks,
JD

[MadDuck]

Go over to ducati.ms or ducatispot and do a search. There's lots of stuff there.

That said, in general get one as new as possible with as few miles as possible which has seen regular documented service at a reputable service shop/dealer. Buy L.T. Snyder's (Desmotimes) book that covers this model.

Rocker arms flaking, cam belt ages, rear sprocket drive wear, radiator & fan, cylinder base gaskets, yada, yada, yada.

They are a far greater commitment than Monsters. Enjoy it!!

[lawbreaker]

+1 on Ducati.ms for superbike info..

Neufunsix(?) on this board also has some info on what to look for...

Good luck with your hunt

[fastwin]

I have a '97 916SPS and a '99 996S. I have other bikes both Duc and Jap but I can't stop staring in awe at those two. Twenty years from now I will still be knocked out by them and staring. And they are fun to ride too! [moto]

They do have their issues as mentioned previously. Do your homework, scheduled service and care is everything. Make sure whoever you buy from can provide you with service records. It's usually pretty easy to see how a bike has been treated, it's hard to hide a thrashed bike. My tip is to look into some Heli-bars or Ferracci replacement clip ons, they really help in the comfort area and detract zero from the sporting side.

Good luck in your hunt.

[fastwin]

2 seconds on Ducati.ms turned up this:

"Ducati Desmoquattro Superbike FAQ – So you want to buy your dream bike…"
http://www.desmoclan.org/news/?p=25

Spectacular... everything I wanted to know.

Thanks!

Wow, that's a great link! Even as a Tamburini owner I have never read that, good info there for sure!

I will add something to the side stand info, some are spring retracted and have an engine cut off switch from the factory. Get rid of it!! You can't start the bike and warm it up while it's sitting on the side stand. Also, as soon as you move the bike upright the stand will snap up under spring pressure. With riding boots on it's hard to fish it out of the bodywork with your foot. But the main point is if you aren't used to this "feature" you can think the stand is still extended when you move the bike and when you release the bike's weight back onto the stand (that's now retracted) the bike will execute the classic garage drop and subsequent damage. My 916SPS had the classic scuff marks on the left side lower fairing as evidence from the previous owner.

[gregrnel]

916=Lots of issues. Too many to list. Keep a back up monster around if you really want to ride. On the plus side, I want a 916 as well, to me, it's still the best looking bike ever, just THE classic superbike. Have fun! [moto]

[fastwin]

I agree. 916 =  back up ride.   [moto]