Agree with Andy, if that is the one you want to take a gamble on, or any really, if the desmo service which is quite expensive, hasn't been done then find out the cost with your nearest ducati dealer or reccomended independent as to the cost then get that knocked off the sale price as a minimum.
That’s what I did. Bought a 63 1200s Touring with 11k miles in Dec, has full dealer service bar the last one and now due an annual service but no idea if the belts had been changed, being due and no paperwork if they’d been done they offered to do it if I paid asking price but I chipped them £500 and got it done at Ducati.
On the DVT isn’t the desmo service due at 18k? As that’s 3k miles yet have they actually offered to do it or just an annual service? That aside on mine the desmo is 15k (no time limit) and the timing belts every 15k or 5yrs whichever comes first so I’d be checking for that too as that’s a £500 service depending where you take it?
That bike looks OK, but photos generally do. I do not know that dealer but they look like they carry lots of stock and turn over lots of bikes. I would not buy it without seeing and hearing it. If it were a Ducati dealer, it'd be different but I have known several motorcycle supermarkets that just churn bikes out...I dont know that seller does, but personally I would not gamble. Drive over/up/down and see it If its OK, its a good price. A 2016 bike will ride very different (better IMO) to a 2010 bike, they are lower in the seat too, great if you are not tall. If you are - the seat adjusts up a little.
I bought my 2015 DVT with 12K on the clock and the dealer did me a full Desmo and hub service in with the purchase price. (cos I thought on to ask him)
Dude, buy the one you like best. Only you are riding it and are the only person that know if you are happy with it.
I know the dealer, generally it's an outfit that takes in PX bikes from main dealers who don't want them in their showroom. There are a few clean examples in their extensive stock but most are a little bit uncared for IMHO. Met a mate there last year to look at a Triumph he was thinking of buying. Photos in the ad made it seem far better than it was in reality, plenty of minor issues with finish and minor damage. It took just a cursory look over to see that it hadn't been at all cherished by the previous owner. Like the other bikes alongside you could see it had had a deep clean with strong chemicals and then been slathered in products to turn it from a sows ear into a silk purse. Be under no illusions that the service on offer would be no more than an oil and filter change at most. By all means go and have a look, it may be the bargain it appears to be. As said above, factor in the cost of the desmo service. Take a friend who's knowledgeable, not saying you're not but the desire to buy at a good price might cloud your judgement. Not far from me, if they're open again next week I could take a look for you depending on how they'll be operating under the next set of guidelines. I wouldn't want to go and queue up for an hour to get in...
For me servicing and service history is very important, I would never take a ducati from a non ducati dealer with a service "thrown in" ......it's peace of mind to just get a good service, the first in your ownership, from a trusted source.
Looking at their website I'd be more tempted by the lower mileage, 2017 one for £500 more if you can stretch to that. Dealer serviced June 2019 so will require a minor service on time next month so maybe a haggling point (expect this to be £250ish). I would not be accepting of their version of a service in place of that. The 2016 looks like it has the low seat option, either that or the previous owner have had it modified, possible advantage if you're a short-arse. On the 2017 no top case admittedly but the lower mileage and correct colour matched panniers (I do recall seeing some factory supplied touring models with this red/silver mismatched combo like on the 2016), top case is useful but not essential, more so if you regularly carry a pillion for both support and Emelda Marcos shoe collections whilst on tour. Both have centre stand which I believe is optional without the touring pack, worth checking if heated grips are fitted on either as well (part of touring pack too). Service schedule is below.
If you read this in time make sure that the 2016 bike has the infill parts (plastic skirt for the rider seat) so that you can raise the seat if you need to. The 2017, I can see, has this riser fitted with the seat already in the high position. You need to make sure that this bike had the filler piece that's on the 2016 bike between rider and pillion seats. Have a look at both bikes and you should see what I mean. Also check that tool-kit is present. High value bikes, one or both may have a tracker fitted if that's important to you.
Hi Bumpkin. Thanks for your message. I did indeed read in time. I was quite fortunate as both bikes were side by side so I could compare anything that I wasn’t sure about, but I seen what you meant about the seat raiser. They agreed to replace it, along with some other bits I wasn’t too happy with. Has the heated grips too. To be honest up close it looked cleaner than the 17 bike. I was pretty happy with it, sounds healthy, no leaks evident, no obvious mistreatment all bolts etc look good, no excessive rust anywhere, I tried to see if he would swap panniers with the 17 bike so I could have the red all round, unfortunately it was a no, but it’s cosmetic and I believe you can get red infills anyway. Also have written confirmation the Desmo service and belts will be replaced. 4 week prep though. Deposit paid!!! So far my experience with the store has been pretty positive, something I feel should be commended. All too often the only feedback people give is the negatives. Hopefully it continues once the bike has been delivered, but a genuine good vibe from the place and I feel comfortable buying the bike.
To everyone who commented on this thread, I would like to say thanks a lot for all your tips and advice, warnings and cautions. I think it’s helped me find a bike (touch wood) that I feel comfortable is the right bike for me. Thanks to you all
That's good news Richy, hope that their tech has experience with Ducati valve train check and adjustment. Had issues before with dealers assuring owners of VFR VTECs that "it's a Honda, the 16,000 valve service is a waste of money, they never need adjusting" and these were franchised Honda dealers. The job is a bitch, I should know as I did it three times. All checks, two on the same bike at 16 and 32k and another at 16k, needed VTEC buckets with integral shims changing. At 16k both needed more changing/swapping around than not, presume bedding in. At 32k a minority needed attention. Also not unknown to wipe the cam covers over with an oily rag and charge for the full service. The sceptic within me is just hoping that you're not being lied to here as I certainly wouldn't put it past a pile 'em high place to say it's been done and be confident you won't have any issues in their short warranty period. It's not as if you'd go to the expense of checking their handywork... Not suggesting that this is the case here but a desmo service, even with their own workshop, is going to put a significant dent in their profit on this sale... Was I right about the low seat, or was that just camera angle?
Yup you were right about the seat, but the trim will be replaced allowing me to put it back up. I’m not exactly tall, but I’m all legs so it would be good to have the option to raise it up. On the Desmo service, I’m guessing that if was ask a dealership to check the service had been completed correctly then I’d probably be paying the cost of the service anyway?
Just to confirm you can get replacement coloured infills for the panniers. Not too expensive from Ducati but worth looking on eBay for. You also need the little Ducati sticker badge (which is expensive)
That's good news. Hopefully the seat isn't too thin. Not sure if the official low seat has added gel or something to prevent discomfort from the seat pan 'showing' though. A used std seat, on the lower setting, could be had off eBay for not a lot if that's the case. Yes, I think that would probably be a costly exercise to check after the event. I'm not totally au-fait with the process of checking Desmo clearances, apart from it's complex/expensive, maybe someone with knowledge can clarify this point. Ideally I'd like to see evidence that their tech has done the valve check, photos maybe. Would be cheeky but justified to ask for that as an assurance. As to pannier in-fills, part numbers can be found here for left and right sides. You can probably pop the old Ducati badge off and glue that on to save a few quid. As I thought the touring, at least some of them, did come with the silver in-fills across both red and white colour bikes. A cost cutting exercise on Daucti's part no doubt. The bike you're buying also lacks the OEM fender extender. Some dealers left this off from new, it's not even shown on the picture above. A useful part as it should help protect the radiator, not that expensive from Ducati at around £15. However, if one isn't fitted already a rad guard is recommended. Various options, Evotech probably the best IMHO.
