I have been looking for ages now went to look at a 749 today again another waste of time people lie so much over the phone then you get there and its a dog litteraly. I have seen 1 good 749 its on a 04 1 mature owner from new lots of history and done 13k its got some flake on engien and some corosion around the front lights oh and its due to have the belts done. Witch i would need to get done and would probably get it serviced for piece of mind. Then i see for sale a 996 2000year 4700 miles on clock just been serviced looks mint its same money as 749 but ready to go i fo prefer the 996 look but i cant decide any advice?? Its a keeper the 996 and an investment in history but the 749 more modern. Any advice would be great i just dont want to make wrong devision its my first ducati and i have done alot to get the money to afford one.also ifi go for either does any one no anybody in east sussex to do service belts etc privately or a good garage as i am new to the area ?? Any help or advice please
Jason I had both (996 for sale now if you want to have a look not mind but extras). 996 is iconic and feels more involved to ride, 749 is easier to live with. 996 will kill you in traffic. I love both TBH.
2000 year 996, is that still a bronze frame? the newer the better really with that generation; however I would be the first to say that a well looked after 2000 bike is worth going with over a poorly looked after 2004 749... No Ducati can and should be neglected and you end up with a bag of spanners!
So the 04 with the flake on engien and corrosion on lightsis badly looked after if that has happened?? I thought that was normal every one i have seen has that?? 996 is the silver gray frame ???
Well you are looking at older bikes so there will be some wear on them. Paint flaking from light on 749 is quite normal if bike was used in rain. Engine paint always comes off. There is a huge difference between badly maintained bike and bike that was ridden/used. I am always worried as to why there is a 4k mile bike from for example 2004 on sale. That is what 100 miles a year?! Speedo was changed, bike was tracked without speedo, bike constantly brakes down are 1st three things That come on my mind. There can be genuine reason but mostly there is none. Rarely people hang on to a bike for years when they do not like it. My bike, negotiable: Ducati 996 Bip Sadly for sale - Ducati Forum Classifieds
My 2002 748 had all the paint flaked off the rear crankcases and bubbled all around the sump, I think it's where it was pressure washed when still hot maybe. This in it's self wouldn't bother me, it's more about whether it has scuffed lever ends, bar ends etc and general scrapes and knocks. The 996 looks nice, the reason I asked about frame colour was that grey (Wheels should match) coincides with the time in which Texas Pacific were putting lots of money in and the general quality of electrics was on the up. I have no doubt that Lucazade knows ALL the things he needs to prove to sell the bike and has all the correct documents and the mileage for me is a bonus so worth a look IMHO but if you go and look at more you should ask things like whether they are members of owners clubs and try to gauge from there.
Well, both have their own good/bad points. Best thing to do i'd say would be get a ride on both and see which flicks your switch more. I love the revvy nature of the 748/749s, and the 749 does seem a bit more roomy, but the extra shove of the 996 along with it's looks mean it's the only bike i've ever kept. Neither will feel fast though if you're used to modern Jap stuff.
Well I just bought a 2000 996 a few weeks back. Like this guy says, compared to any jap bike it wont feel fast. Ive also a 1999 R1 and without a word of a lie the R1 feels twice as quick, handles quicker and feels half as heavy. But, thats not what the 996 is about. I looked at a lot, and like you said, theres a lot of dogs out there. For what I paid I could probably have nearly got a 1098 for a little bit more, but I wanted the 996 and once the right one came along I snapped it up. First thing I did was to drop the gearing, the stock 996 is geared ridiculously and around town its a pig. I then set it up with Performance Bikes magazine recommended suspension settings, gave it a full major service plus belts, changed brake pads & fluid and now its a cracking bike. Im really pleased with it although think i need to tweek the suspension a bit more to improve the turn in. Last weekend I went out and did 60 miles back to back on my R1 then swapping to my 996 for another 60 miles. Completely different experiences and whilst its an old bike, the 996 is such good fun to ride. You will find a lot of bikes out there with low miles, one thing I always check is MOT`s. You can check these online and see what mileage the bike has done each year since 2004. You can also see any advisories and check to see if they have been done. My 996 did about 150miles a year from 2004->2009, when it sat in someones collection. However then, in 2009 when it changed hands the new owner forked out about £1000 having Baines do a full inspection on it. Baines swapped out some flaking rockers and gave it a full overhaul. I phoned them up & confirmed. So thats the sort of thing you need to check. I did see another 996 which had only done 1600 miles since 2006, and when I checked the owner didnt realise belts were 12,000 miles OR 2 years and so hadnt changed the belts since about 2004!!
When i owned the MV F4 (750) along side my 916 i did a few A/B comparison rides...Two very different rides, but probably a lot more alike than Stews R1/996 comparison... The steering and general feel of the suspension were very similar. Both on the firm to hard side until you got to law breaking speeds..the difference was the power delivery..I found the Duke way more exciting to ride and it was every bit as quick as the MV which had to have its knockers screwed off all the time...which was fun but became a bit tedious after a while. Anyway, who cares about ulitmate top speeds and power figures?? i dont. To me, a bike (unless its a work bike or a commuter hack) is owned for one reason..the way it makes you feel..whether that be a hardly ableson, a wing, or ducati's latest and greatest.. I care not about mpg or practicality..they are all secondary to getting my jollies and feeling like a hero... Life's shit enough as it is..when im on my Duke, i simply want to enjoy the thrill of worrying about if she'll break down.
Well i'm not sure this will help but buy both!!!!!!. Although i don't have a 996 in my collection i do have it's much better big sister the 998s final edition as well as a 999s and both bikes are great, the 996 would maybe appeal to get more attention if on display but everyone now wants a 999 and although it won the ugly prize when it first appeared they now look quite good and it is still a great great fun bike. compare all the service history on both bikes and buy the one that grabs the heart strings the most. I don't think you will regret whichever one you buy. Good luck.
