748R - Calling All Nerds

I am not an expert on "R's" It's is a very early "R" if it is genuine and it is the correct colour. I notice he hasn't photographed the plaque on the top handlebar clamp, I assume this year had it as later ones certainly did.

 

I am also no expert, but didn't they have a small 'r' after the 748 on the fairing?

 

If you can see the belt covers clearly then you should be able to see a small gap between the cover and belt cover mounting plates, R's use wider belt rollers than the rest of the 748 range and the belt covers have little sprues that make them stand further away from the belt cover mount

The airbox should also be a give away as the injectors on a R are much bigger, you could see those if the owner is willing to take the side cover off, the air box is also in two parts.

V5 should state the model and also he should have a 748R handbook. You could download the handbook in advance via a link on this site to help you read through the various aspects of the bike. It will help you spot some differences maybe.

It should have an oil cooler below the radiator, which will be obvious. No 748 biposto base type bike had one only the more upgraded models like the SP, SPS and R did and it's expensive to fit as an aftermarket option. Engine should have the later electrics and also a single bolt ignition pick up on the left side, again easy to see with the other side panel off. The engine should be silver not grey\green on the engine cases, if it's grey\green then it's totally the wrong engine but could be an SP\SPS in disguise. Base models would also be silver for that year.

 

Has gold forks - good sign!

If the owner is will, get a pic of the TB's, they should be shower type.
No plaque to that year.

 

Its got the mono subframe and no text on the rocker cover, you could always get the engine number confirmed by calling Ducati UK.

I thought that some of the R's did not have the yoke badge fitted and were supplied in a red case? - If its not on the yoke, he may have it?

 

It is not an r model. Showa shite shock.wrong subframe. Wrong mid section exhaust. It's a tacky modded bip

 

if you are going to see it or get the bloke to send you a picture of the side of the bike with the fairing off to show the bottom of the air box. If you can see the throttle bodies its not an R if you can see the bottom section of the two piece air box enclosing the throttle bodies its an R....albeit a very early one!

 

It's certainly got an oil cooler on it, so if it's not genuine then it certainly has been altered some way from standard 748.

 

Cranker I disagree, the MY00 Rs had Showa shocks and the TiN forks, the sub frame is an alloy mono as fitted to the R at that time, Ohlins did not come in until MY01 bikes.

As suggested already the belts should be slightly wider, it should have an oil cooler with a slipper clutch. Also the frame number for Rs is the only one that varied the letter after ZDM748 which for an R was "R" instead of S for all the other 748 models at that time. The engine number also varied on the R with ZDM748R4 instead of the ZDM748W4 on the other models. An easy way to check if it is genuine is to look for the Kyalami frame or get the engine/frame numbers and check with Ducati. In the pictures the R is the second one, it has a deeper curved centre cross member which allows more space in front of the vertical cylinder for the larger 14litre air box.

From what you can see in the ebay pictures it looks pretty close to an unadulterated MY00 example but it has different aftermarket rearsets and is missing the oem heel guards.

 

My early 748R (2000) looked the same as the ebay listing.
Showa front and back, forks were TiN coated.
Oil cooler.
Those cans look like what mine also came with, Termi's, but not CF.

 

I thought all had Ohlins rear, later ones Ohlins forks to match

 

Nope.:smile:

 

That's a nice early 'R' providing that the price doesn't creep up too much. Like the guys have said ensure you check the Frame numbers. I wouldn't pay silly money for an early R due to the non Ohlins etc but certainly work £3k based on the condition and standard cans etc

 

It looks and sounds identical to the write up and photo of the 2000 748R in my Ian Falloon book.

 

This one seems a bit more interesting, anyone on here ducati 748r track bike - CJS Performance 853 Big bore kit and STM Slipper clutch | eBay

 

that bike been around a bit, would be great fun on the track though.