[Guest]

Hello!

I am new to this forum and need advice. I am an experienced rider
and have finally admitted to myself that I REALLLY want a Duc.
A local Yamaha dealer has a 2003 749s in on trade and is offering
it at a good price. I need to know what I'm looking at.
My questions are:

1. Is their anything on this year model prone to breakage or
high wear and tear.
2. If it has been abused whats a good indicator?
3. Wen I test ride it is their any noises that I should NOT hear?

Thanks in advance

 

[B_Cebrian]

The first thing to ask is if the recall was done on the oil cooler. There was a recall for the stamped coolers. IF the cooler is seal welded it is fine. Also some early bikes were not set up correctly either at the factory or by the selling dealer and had a stalling issue. The "S" were particularly prone to it. Just like on any other used purchase look for coolant and oil leaks. There should be none except for a little oil mist that tends to collect around the oil breather behind the vertical cylinder. One more thing just came to me, how many miles are on the bike? Is it due for a major service soon? Also have the cam belt been changed. They need to be changed every 12K or 2years. The bike is 3 this year so they should have been changed. They are not cheep at $75 - $80 each. Things you will hear, the dry clutch, rattle not knock, cams you'll hear them kind of whirr and rattle but no metallic sound, the Test valve train is pretty hardy so it shouldn’t be a problem. The Brembos make noise when applied, “sizzle” not grind. Other than that normal used motorcycle stuff. Look at the chain and sprockets for heavy wear. Make them take off the counter shaft cover and look at the teeth. The front sprocket will wear out before the rear. See if the original battery is still in it. The stock batteries are weak and don’t last long, I’d be surprised if it still has it. Ask if any of the factory warranty is left. It's an 03 but the original purchase date may have been later, long shot but worth asking. Best of luck. Use bike purchases are a hard thing.

 

[Guest]

THANK YOU

This is just the type of information I was looking for.

 

[kaos]

fyi the 03 ''s'' motor is the same as the base,04 had the changes.that said i'n more than happy with my 03.never had any issues with the bike either.most owners are pretty fanatical so the bike should present itself well.if it doesn't ,look elsewhere.and any used duc purchace should include a major service (belts and valves)for piece of mind if the bikes over 2 seasons old.

 

[Herbivator]

Stalling is on '04 S.

 

[Lost_In_Spice]

+1 B_Cebrian

Observe all the usual caveats in buying a used bike. The advice from B_Cebrian is excellent. My $0.02 is:

Does the dealer have the original documentation/items such as?

2 black keys & one red key
“credit card” style thingy with code numbers on it
official logbook with service history

IMHO- do not be afraid of a bike that has been ridden hard IF it has been properly maintained/serviced by a reliable Ducati specialist. One field of knowledge I never ignore is the mechanics who have previously worked on the SPECIFIC bike you are interested in. Typically the invoices for the services should have the name (though usually only first name) of the mechanic who did the work.

Phone these people- whether “Mike” or “George” or “Kim”- ask to chat about your specific bike- quote the plate # or other identifiers. I found there are 2 typical responses- one of little value: either/& they don’t know or care enough to help (“Kim”). The second will make you happy- they will often know the specific bike & the previous rider & will talk openly about its history & can even shed light on any problems. These people I like & they give me confidence in a used bike purchase. They get my business.

Have not had any problems with my ’04 749- I’m very happy. When set up correctly it is the best mid-sized production sportsbike for the street around today- but of course I’m biased!