[jbaxter]

I am in the market for a sport bike, and have ridden a friend of mines Duc. He has a 1994 900ss or sp with about 5k miles. I loved the bike!!! He is also willing to sell it, but has put a hefty price tag on it, in my opinion. He says it has many parts put on by "fast by feraci (sp)" which increases it's worth exponentially. I am also unclear if the bike will fit my needs. I would like to ride it daily in light traffic for a work commute and then short weekend trips.
I would greatly appreciate any recommendations you may offer. I have heard that the Duc's require more TLC than a Japanese bike and that parts are, on average, 30% more than the rice burners.
Looking forward to reading your replys.
Thanks in advance,
John

 

[JDuc]

the SS is a great commuter bike.

I have a newer model (02) and I commute 50ish miles rount trip on it.

it's a GREAT bike for short jaunts out to the twisty back roads, and for long jaunts for touring. (We just got back from putting about 2300 miles on ours in a week, and about a year ago we did 2200 miles in 5 days.)

The value that KBB shows for the bike (in good stock condition) is as follows:

http://www.kbb.com

Trade-in value link
Retail Value Link

Can you ask him for a list of parts that he has on the bike?

With that we can give you a good estimate as to what they are worth.

The bikes to take a tad bit more maintenance, but much less than the water cooled Ducs.

Parts are a tad more expensive as well, but if you do some looking you can usually find an aftermarket piece that will take care of it, whatever it may be. Belts are a good example.

I was quoted $60 a pop from Ducati Austin here in Texas. Options Italia sells aftermarket ones for my bike for $22 a pop.

They take a bit more TLC, but IMO, there is a greater return on the investment (the investment being the TLC - the return being the feeling you get when riding it) than the Jap bikes.

 

[jbaxter]

thanks for the info!! That is a great help.
What belts does a Ducati have? I know this particular bike is a chain drive. Is there a belt for timing?
Thanks again.

 

[JDuc]

the cams are belt driven



on the clutch side of the motor, there should be two covers that look similar to this:

Only those are carbon fiber, the ones on that bike won't be.

The belts are under these covers.

 

[jbaxter]

JDuc,
if you lost a belt while running will you ruin the top end?
How long will a timing belt last, and can you change them yourself?
This just opened up a whole new can for me.
The Duc addiction has already begun

 

[JDuc]

hehe - glad I could be of assistance in helping someone feed their addiction



The belts are supposed to be replaced every 2 years or 12k miles, whichever comes first.

They can be replaced on your own, but you need to know what you are doing otherwise you can mess up the timing.

I'd recomend buying the DesmoTimes manual (http://www.desmotimes.com) and the shop manual for your bike if you plan on working on it on your own..

If a timing belt fails, you could essentially drop the top end into the motor, Which could be BIG problems.

However, it's extremely rare when the belts have been maintainted and replaced as needed.

Ducati also makes a 'red' belt (has a strip of red stuff in it) that is supposed to be even stronger...not sure about the $$ though.

 

[jbaxter]

So, here is another question....
The bike I am looking at will most likely require new timing belt(s) and tires. Any idea what that will cost?

 

[JDuc]

aftermarket belts can be had for under $30 a pop - so $60 there.

New tires can be anywhere from 200-250ish depending on which ones you go with.

Then labor ontop of that if you don't do it all yourself.

 

[bruce19]

My take on the pre-98 SS is that it is a wonderful bike. I've had two and taken them cross-country with no issues. Also ridden them around town to commute and local camping trips. IMHO, the best all purpose Duc ever. They are also not that expensive to buy used. So, as others have said, find out what's been done in the way of mods and come back to the list. You will get a pretty good idea of it's worth.

bruce19

 

[gregsky]

I have a 95 900SS SP and a 93 Superlight. Both great bikes. If the bike you are looking at is an SP and not an SS it will have carbon front and rear fenders, remote clutch and front brake reservoirs, cast floating front rotors and a numbered SP plaque on the top triple clamp. As stated in a previous reply; post a list of modifications and any number of people on this board can give you an idea of its worth on the market. I have found that these bikes seem to sell for a bit more in the Northwest than in some other areas of the country. Don't know where it is that you live. If the current owner is the original owner he can give you a rundown of the service performed since new. Known areas of concern include the clutch slave cylinder and perhaps exhaust valve guides. I don't know at what point Ducati figured out they had some bad guides but I know that many showed excessive wear at very low miles. Get a Yoyodyne or one of the other replacement slave cylinders. Look for a possible crack on the chain side of the swingarm near the pivot shaft pinch bolts. Probably too soon to worry about excessive clearance between the drive tangs on the clutch drive plates and the clutch basket but both of mine needed to be replaced before 18000 miles. These bikes are really very easy to work on with the possible exception of valve adjustment. If you like to work on your own stuff get a manual and you will find cam belt tensioning and replacement is very straightforward. Checking the valve clearance is easy once you get the hang of it. If clearance needs to be adjusted take it to the shop or get someone that has done it before to show you the drill. Like any piece of equipment take good care of it and it will take care of you. Good luck.

 

[Mhe225]

t

.....the belts are under these covers.

Jan, you're teasing JBaxter. Don't show just covers, show the belts, uncovered and semi-covered. And yes, that's an MH900evoluzione
RonB (225/1999)

 

[TassieDave]

I am a new user but have lusted for a Ducati ever since the old style carb 900SS was new. Finally bought a 93 in mid December and love it. Probably spent a bit too much money on it already though but I have a plan. And we all love it when a plan comes together. Have added carbon fibre front guard, rear hugger and cam belt, clutch and sprocket covers. Yoyodyne clutch slave and all new Nicholls clutch basket, VeeTwo hub, Barnett plate pack and s/steel springs and pressure plate. And a tinted screen instead of the red one it came with.

With a manual, and if you have the nerve and ability, you can do your own maintenance. Changing the belts was a breeze and doing the valves just looks tricky. Still have my 84 Honda VF1000R and all the maintenance on that was simple enough. 16 valves to do were a pain especially when it came to removing the rear rocker cover and draining the coolant and removing the lower radiator to get to the front meant more that an afternoon had to be put aside.
The Ducati is different - very different to ride slow but it's just a matter of getting used to it. Not as fast as the VF1000R, probably quicker through some twisties and a lot more satisfying to ride. Lot less weight was the first thing noticed and that makes it easier when braking and handles a lot better.