Buying 998 over the weekend any tips?

[Jwind]

Originally I saved up for a 748. But figured since I'd save this far lets go for a 998. And this week is the week, hopefully. Got enough for the bike, 2 way insurance, lojack, and a little bit left over for maintenance.

Is there anything I should look for? Aside from the obvious stuff such as different colored panels, signs of it being laid down, test riding to make sure it rides straight? Ohlins rear, Showa forks and not Ohlins right? No red key I'd have to worry about? And is $7,000 a good deal?

3 owners so far, is at 11,000 miles. Not sure if the owner has any receipt of recent maint records but he stated all services are done at Monroe motors in San Fransico. If no papers are present, should I walk? One big thing that worries me is when asked about the status of the title, he said its a dealer warranty buy back. Red flag?

Thanks for the help

2004 Ducati 998 Martrix Reloaded Special Edition - $7475 (pacific heights)


Special edition "Matrix Reloaded" dark green metallic paint. Termi carbon silencers. You won't find another bike like this at this price. Only three owners! Always garaged and impeccably maintained. Regular oil changes, cleaned after every ride, no track days and never crashed. After market rear sets and triple clamp and clip-ons that make tha bike that much more enjoyable to ride due to adjustability. Nearly new tires front and rear and a new battery. For any additional info please call ###-###-####





2004 Ducati 998 Martrix Reloaded Special Edition

[KneeDrag08]

Hi, I've seen that bike off and on fleabay for the last 9 mos or so. First thing that comes to mind is the dealer "buy back". I would certainly do your homework on this! 7k is a good price for a 998 with low miles for sure but it looks like there's a tail to be told here and maybe the reason it hasn't sold yet. From the pics it looks pretty clean. Aside from the title issue, I'd try to get the service history from the dealer. The last couple bikes I looked at needed a new clutch. No biggie if ur doing the work yourself. Take the fairings off after a test ride and look for any leaks or signs of a previous issue on the back side of the fairings. Use your best judgement and try not to look past signs of problems because of excitement. GL

[ericjansen]

I can't really help you with price levels in the States, but can tell you in general that the 998 has the least of problems from the whole range.
I know the same topic has been discussed before, and with a small search, you should be able to get all your answers.

The only thing which I encountered with one of my 998's is the crankshaft pick up sensor.
It seems to be a bit too widely spaced on some bikes.
If so, you will encounter a 1/2 sec cut-out during acceleration, while you pass the ~8.000 rpm in higher gears.
Other spacer solves the problem.

Good luck!

[mpaschetto]

Originally Posted by Jwind

3 owners so far, is at 11,000 miles. Not sure if the owner has any receipt of recent maint records but he stated all services are done at Monroe motors in San Fransico.

Jwind,

Most dealers will keep a copy of service records on file.
Call up Monroe Motors with the VIN and ask them what service has been performed on the bike.

That's what I usually do when purchasing a bike locally...

[Everfly]

I saw that one on craigslist forever. Call dealer u got nothing to loose.

[rubber duckie]

dealer buy back, does that mean it was a lemon and now has a salvaged title? either way you will have a hell of a time trying to sell that bike again. to me a clean title bike with the exact same specs would be worth double that... is it? i would not pay anymore then 4k for that bike with its title status.

think about what you are buying, it was so bad when bought new that ducati had to buy it back from the owner...

[jcns]

I, too, have seen that bike on cl for a loooooong time on and off.
You can try as suggested above and call the dealer for history; I bought my bike from them but I don't like their service department.
If I were buying that bike, I would ask the owner if I could take it to Desmoto for a PPI. I live in the city so it's easy for me. If the owner is really wanting to sell it, he should not have a problem with Desmoto checking it over. You can call Desmoto and schedule a Saturday drop off.

[Everfly]

Originally Posted by rubber duckie

dealer buy back, does that mean it was a lemon and now has a salvaged title? either way you will have a hell of a time trying to sell that bike again. to me a clean title bike with the exact same specs would be worth double that... is it? i would not pay anymore then 4k for that bike with its title status.

think about what you are buying, it was so bad when bought new that ducati had to buy it back from the owner...

4K? Too cheap eventhough with title issue like that. There is no way you can buy for 4K.

[Slower than you]

Take it for a ride and see how it runs. That's about all you can do with a used bike. As mentioned, check for service history. When were the belts changed is the most critical thing.

As all bikes, there are tweaks to make it run perfect and my 998 runs flawlessly. It's reliable as anything and is one of those push the button and ride it types. One of the tlc things you can do after you buy it is to reduce the ignition pickup gap, set the TPS, balance the throttle bodies and air bleeds. But that's down the road for you.

[Jwind]

I could've sworn I saw this posted awhile back too. Which has me thinking why is it taking so long to sell? And why the 3 owners? What are they seeing that I don't yet. Kinda has me worried. Problem is I'm coming up Sunday, and none of the shops around San Fransisco are open to do the ppi, " Thanks for the tip btw" I'm trying to get the owner to give me a vin number or plate number and run it by AAA and see what they say. Guess I'll go from there.

I mean I waited this long, whats a few more weeks right? My last bike was someones headache when I bought it, don't wanna go through that again.