A little question about 90's Ducatis - Ducati.ms

Uncalcetindelana · Jan 25th, 2012, 12:01 pm

Hello everyone,

I'm hoping I can get some direct input from Ducati owners, specially those who have owned or ridden extensively a pre PT Supersport and a 916 series Superbike.

Since I was young I've dreamt about owning one of these superbikes, and to this day they are to me a true work of art. I will soon have the chance to buy an older Ducati, but I've been getting a little scared about buying a superbike. Not only due to problems like rocker flaking, which concerns me but whose real magnitude is not very clear to me yet, but more due to it being absolutely impractical.

I've always thought riding bikes to be quite impractical in itself, but I still take some consideration towards things like relative comfort, cost of ownership, and that sort of thing. I mean, I'm young and can get used to things for the sake of enjoying what's good about them, but I don't want to torture myself for it. I've heard the superbikes are "torture chambers"...is it THAT bad?

In this context, I've been starting to like more and more the older SS bikes. They seem like a nice blend of sport and street, and they look amazing too! I'm just a little afraid I might regret not having bought THE bike of my dreams if I go this route.

But please don't say "you have your mind made up, just buy the superbike if that's what you really like", because I haven't even seen any of these bikes in person, ever! I'm buying one with "eyes closed".

Now some context to my question. I live in a place where roads are generally a little less than perfect, where winter is usually a time to store the bike (due to some snow, but mainly just ice) and I will keep the bike I buy for a pretty long time, maybe even for as long as I ride, even if eventually I buy something else. The thing is importing one of these is available to me right now, but under some very special circumstances that are too long to explain.

I'm 5'11', and about 170 pounds, 24 year old and will do all maintenance myself. There are no Ducati dealerships in thousand of miles.

What would you do in my place, and why?

Thanks a LOT!

470four · Jan 25th, 2012, 12:25 pm

Hello and welcome!

I would personally chose an SS over a 916 for the following reasons:

Less harsh riding position - 916's make an excellent track bike, anything less than fast road use will kill your wrists/knees.

Cheaper maintenance - only 8 shims rather than 16... 916 engine's aren't easy to work on, period.

The SS is by far a better real-world roadbike, especially if your roads are bad... I would LOVE a 916, they are beautiful, legendary motorcycles - but at the minute am getting a LOT of smiles riding my '95 SS.

sirduke · Jan 25th, 2012, 12:58 pm

If I could afford it, I would have both.

I'm more than happy with my 900SS though and don't feel the need to swap it for a 916.

Joe-B · Jan 25th, 2012, 1:40 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by 470four

Hello and welcome!

I would personally chose an SS over a 916 for the following reasons:

Less harsh riding position - 916's make an excellent track bike, anything less than fast road use will kill your wrists/knees.

Cheaper maintenance - only 8 shims rather than 16... 916 engine's aren't easy to work on, period.

The SS is by far a better real-world roadbike, especially if your roads are bad... I would LOVE a 916, they are beautiful, legendary motorcycles - but at the minute am getting a LOT of smiles riding my '95 SS.

+1. Couldn't have said it better myself.

OOTV · Jan 25th, 2012, 2:43 pm

I bought my '95 900SS/SP brand new in 1995 and and I would not trade it in for anything. I now also own a Honda VFR800, and against my wife's wishes of "Sell the Ducati first", I was able to convince her that owning both would be a good thing! I use the Honda for daily commuting and the Ducati for weekend fun rides and from time to time have done some track days too. Not that I wouldn't want to ride the Ducati daily, I prefer not to put too many miles on it. I want to keep this bike for as long as I can still ride.

The 900SS is an excellent piece of machinery and as others chimed in, is much easier to work on than say the "Super Bikes" (916, 999, etc.). The riding posture is actually quite comfortable and I never had any problems on long rides either. I even took it on a 750 MI round trip from LA, California to Santa Cruz, California without any real discomfort. (NOTE: I'm 5'8" ~155 lbs. and the bike has the stock bars & foot pegs)

There is one item to mention, unless you get a 900CR with aftermarket Forks/Shock, the CR will not have the adjustable Front/Rear suspension. The SS/SP suspension is fully adjustable and should be more tunable to your riding style and roads.

Cheers!

tunnelvision748 · Jan 25th, 2012, 6:13 pm

You really need to figure out what you want.

All the guys here have valid points, the 916 is a harsher bike bottom line.

You mentioned that you will be doing all of the maintenance yourself and you live in a remote part of the world.

Ducati parts are not difficult to find, but finding the right part for the right price is much more difficult, then you have to consider shipping costs and time.

IF you enjoy working on bikes and get a true satisfaction from tearing them apart and rebuilding them I say go for the 916, its more challenging to work on, but the personal satisfaction you get at the end is well worth it.

IF you want to spend less time working on the bike and more time riding, then I would suggest the SS. Not only is it easier to ride, but also easier to work on when needed.

IF you want to that true championship bike feel and have the asphalt to play with, I would go with 916. Its not a long distance bike, but the short distances you do ride will give you just as much satisfaction in the end.

I like all Ducati's, but my favorite is the 916 superbikes, it has the styling and pedigree of a true purpose built competition race bike. I'll admit, I probably do not ride these days as much as I used to, but whenever I find a reason to take it apart I get just as excited. If your an engineer or enjoy mechanics, you will be amazed by every little functional detail about the bike from the exterior to its guts.

Nothing beats going for a ride knowing you have put your own hard work and sweat into the beast your sitting on.

I'm not saying that either bike has serious maintenance issues, like any other piece of high-end machinery, it requires an experienced individual to look after and maintain it properly in order for it to last and perform the way it was designed to.

The good thing about todays high-tech world is that its far easier to find parts and experienced individuals who are willing to share their knowledge with you. I have to say, if it wasn't for this site and other like it, I wouldn't be able to figure out many of the things I know today about Ducati's.

Special thanks to all the members on this site who have given me good advice and interesting ideas.

Flash Harry · Jan 26th, 2012, 12:29 am

The best Ducati I ever owned was my 748SP. The easiest to live with is my 900SS.

"Horses for courses."

bruce19 · Jan 26th, 2012, 2:39 am

FWIW, I loved both my 998's and if I ever get back to having two bikes again I will be searching for another. But, my current SS1000DS and two previous SS/SP's were the best "real world" bikes I've ever owned. Commute...1,000 mi. day....cross-country...month on the road....Supersport is all you need.

944SS · Jan 26th, 2012, 4:12 pm

Kind of went through the same yearning for a superbike 10 years or so ago. I'd been riding a '96SS with the common flatslide carbs & 944 upgrade when an opportunity came up to ride a 996 Superbike for a few hours. Came back from the ride entirely un-inspired. The SS was more visceral, more snarly down low and even through the mid-range with more attitude and yet somehow more comfortable and practical in real world situations. Have not ridden another superbike since.

GrandpaDuck · Jan 26th, 2012, 4:22 pm

The 916 may not be comfortable, but then again you're 24 and (likely) limber. You might not mind. At 34, you might.

I've never ridden a 916-series bike, but I have an 888, which is what preceeded it. The 888 is clearly a harsher bike to ride than the 900SS. The Supersport (particularly with Helibars) is like a tractor, in comparison. On the 888, everything--suspension, throttle, steering--is a bit quicker reacting...and harsher. If your roads are bad, the SS will be more comfortable.

The SS has 70-80% of the 888's performance. The 888 is more fun to ride, but the 900SS comes pretty close.

If you're in Chile, that's the equivalent of nowhere on the Ducati map. The 916 will require more parts and maintenance support. There's the liquid-cooling system, the injectors, the extra valves (and attendant valvetrain), the flaking rockers, and the extra electrical system to contend with. That's more maintenance (not that you can't do it--but it won't be as simple as the Supersport) and more parts you have to worry about. The Supersport would be the wiser choice.

But if the 916 is your dreambike, it will always be your dreambike. If I could only keep one, I know my 900SS is more practical (and a little bit prettier, too, to me), but it would be the 888 that I would be keeping.

Don't know if that was any help.