Hi, this is my first post here... because im thinking about buying a 748 for my next bike. I would like to know if you guys's think its a good choice (im guessing you will )
Heres a list I made of what i need in a bike:
Under $7,500
Used, but relitively new
Not less powerfull than my F2
Not too powerfull (i dont like the girlfriend's 954RR, its TOO much)
Deacent Ergo's
Deacent wind protection
Styling that i like
Fun and capable at the track and the street
Reliable enough to be my main mode of transportation
The two bikes ive found that i like, and meet my requirements are a Suzuki SV1000s, and a duc 748. The Suzuki seems a little better on paper, but i love Ducs, and i think i would be happier with a 748 in the long run.
I know Ducati's are known for being expensive to maintain and unreliable, but ive got a good amount of experience working on bikes, and dont mind performing maintenance at all.
748 will require more maintenance due to a revvier engine. rockers, rockers, rockers... $$$ however, new/used parts seem to be more available nowadays since the introduction of 749/999's. the costs have come down quite a bit.
on the street, riding ergos aren't the best. would probably recommend bar risers to offset your riding position. new sprockets for lower gearing since it is geared too tall in slow to no go traffic. you'll find yourself feathering the clutch quite often.
on the track, it feels more at home like an i4/250 2-stroke with some lowend grunt and handles extremely well. i agree it's a little underpowered compared to current sportbikes but you can enter turns alot hotter, smash out, and slice through traffic with a little less effort.
very fun bike but i wouldn't recommend it as your primary. if you plan to do a good amount of trackdays, either go dedicated or secondary. pickup a cheap beater for primary transportation and ride the duc on a friday or weekend. i guarantee you will have some sort of downtime so you don't want to be stuck with no ride. good luck with your decision..
Hmmm... ive already got a beater (93' F2) but the main reason im looking for another bike is due to the amount of downtime and excissive maintenance it requires (mainly due the previous owner's lack of maintenance)
So maybe the SV is a better choice. I hear with swapped in GSX-R suspension they make for pretty good track bikes.
If you go with a 748 just try for a 2001 or even better a 2002, they are getting very cheap these days second hand and really do not require much extra care besides the scheduled maint. I ran a 2002 748 hard just up until last year, no issues at all, but I did take care of it. If you can find a nice "S" model that would be the way to go!
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