Well you are kind of implying that either it wasn’t bought from a reputable source or that if it was, the seller concealed a lack of visible identification. The truth of the matter is; it’s got yellow paint on it and I can’t quite see it in my garage! If Lorenzo had been the original owner, as the bike is 23 years old he would have been a very happy six year old boy, so in referencing him you are questioning the provenance of another bike with documented history which is counterproductive in an environment such as this. I don’t claim to know much about the desmoquatro engine as the last time I owned one was in the mid-nineties, when I was only a small boy. Thanks for your input regarding the other 999!
In JoeC’s defence here, although I’m sure he can stick up for himself, I remember the ad on eBay well as I was looking out of interest myself. I don’t recall it was ever advertised as an R, just a 748 with a load of trick parts, enough (cf wheels, the Ohlins suspension, cf termis and a few other bits) to justify the asking price alone. I don’t think Joe’s ever said it’s an R either, he’s just trying to find out what it is he’s bought (and perhaps hoping, as anyone would, he might have hit lucky and got a bargain). For what it’s worth, I’m guessing the bike’s been used as a track bike. Originally registered in Jan 96, had done 48k by 2009 when the engine blew up and a replacement engine was sourced. The replacement engine, sump at least, came from a 1999 bike with c12k on the clock. I say ‘sump’ only because the heads don’t look like the ones on a regular bike, no raised cast Desmo wording. So perhaps the heads are off something else? I can’t fully see the cam belt covers in the picture but can just see what looks like the edge of them against the head so I’m guessing it’s not running 748R wider belts. But as it appears (or so I’m told by a source who ought to know) there’s no technical reason to run wider belts who knows what internals are in the engine? It’ll be fun to find out and I, for one, look forward to future instalments please @JoeC Edit. If it’s any help to you mine’s got a genuine 100% MY99 engine in it and it’s in pieces at the moment so I can photograph whatever you need as a comparator.
I saw the bike a couple of weeks ago. R or non R, for the price paid he’s got a real bargain. Got some nice trick parts on it.
Here's my vertical head and engine number. As you can see mine was cast in 98 but was for a MY99 bike. Your head casting is different. ps.no comments about the corrosion from anyone please, it's all being dealt with at the moment.
So she’s finally safe in the bike store after a few days in the garage. Whatever she is, she’s certainly pretty. I now need to decide what will become of her?
Easy! I can help you here... Take off the ohlins front end, the BST wheels, quickshifter and a few other parts. Fit them on to your 998 and fit the 998 (old parts) back onto the 748. You’ll have had your money’s worth out of the bike so you won’t feel bad about giving me the donar bike next time you’re over. There’s even some racing pigeons in it for you. (You know it makes sense)!
Birdie, the original trumpets have been removed and new ones inserted. The originals lock onto the visible (and apparently redundant) bayonet clips. If someone has gone to make that sort of mod, when the oem trumpets are easy to get hold of and 2 minutes to fit, it might suggest the engine has had some work done to it - marginal gains and all that.
Thanks Denzil I fully understand what you're saying but the whole throttle body is in the air box they're normally under the air box on the 748 with just the trumpets showing through, obviously a deeper air box. Steve
Cannot remember the name of yhose deeper airbox. I believe Duke Desmo has one on his 916. They were expensive
yeah, standard airbox just has the chromed bellmouths poking into the airbox so +1 for this actually being a decent high volume airbox. It's not an original 'R' Airbox though for sure. Also it has clips for those BMC style filters rather than the standard ones that sit in the runners. I would imagine good gains can be had with this set up if fuelled correctly.
What clips are those? All I can see are the clips that hold the airtubes in...Oh, where is the throttle cable outer sleeve?
