hi all. been a member on here for years. used to own a beautiful 999s and felt the need for another ducati. that 748/916 look is still the most beautiful bike ever made imho. it might even outshine my aprilia rs250 in the looks department. I'd been keeping an eye out for a absolute minter at sensible money. wasn't too fussed which cc at the time. I do have a soft spot for the 748 engine. anyways this 748 popped up. was a non runner in great condition. all the plating on the bolts is lovely. all the paint is still where it should be on the engine cases too. was so excited collecting it. like a kid at Christmas again. the bike had recently been serviced (belts done too) but had cut out whilst riding and the seller didn't have the funds to sort it. loaded her up and took the slowest drive home to be sure not to break it. got her home. fairings off. there was a radiator clip entirely missing ! power of god must have been keeping it in place! turn ignition on. I can hear the pump prime but lots of sprayed fuel. sure enough the fuel line has popped off the pump no massive plans for it. I'm toying with doing a engine conversion (i have a 996 engine on the bench) or 853 kit, but we'll see. want to do the wheels gold, decent rear shock (any advice? I don't want a 25 yr old ohlins. something more modern), fork revalve, some sharper brake pads, sticky tyres, change gearing and enjoy it
Nice bike, congrats. Funnily enough, I was Triple S coatings in Bingley the other day to get some cam covers powder coated and noticed a 748/996 frame and wheels getting done in gold. Bloke told me that it’s a special box of powder coat which costs them £750. He did the frame yesterday and has just sent us over some photos.
just waiting for a new fuel pump seal to arrive and it'll be fully functioning again. a previous owner had fitted a bigger O ring round the base of the fuel pump mounting plate lol guess they didn't like ducatis pump seal set up. set of oz wheels would be nice although will most probably have to wait. I'm currently building a rg700 in a martek chassis which is bleeding me dry..... these 500 2 stroke projects make ducatis seem like cheap transport that gold powdercoat looks fantastic.. very original
couple of years ago we built a rs350. which consisted of of a +4.5 billet stroker crankshaft and 2 ktm 200 pistons with shortened skirts. it's ridiculous to ride. 87hp and 47ft lb torque. has bst wheels, mupo suspension. its been so reliable I thought if it can be done with a twin cylinder, let's build a 4 cylinder equivalent. we've gone all out this time. 1 off chassis and the best of everything. titanium spindles etc... this time I'm using 4 motori seven superkart cylinders. 200hp and 115kg is very realistic
few pics of the rg700 project. waiting for a lot of parts. from suppliers but it's all ordered. least I've got the ducati to keep me occupied
748 burst back into life. had to have 2 goes at the fuel pump seal. what was ducati thinking designing it like that! sounds mega. going to take her for a spin when it finally stops raining and decide what to do with the motor. 853 conversion or 1098/1198 swap.
had my first ride on the 748. what a machine! somehow it's even more focused than my rs350! felt like a proper little gp bike underneath me. I don't know who's fiddled with the set up but they've nailed it. especially the front end. turn in was very quick and secure. rear shock felt a bit numb. it's original sachs unit which although looks OK and bounces fine but is most probably ready for the bin/rebuild. pegs need replacing as they are too slippy. any recommendations? don't want to change the hangers. just pegs. I'd stuck some z04 pads in the front I had left over from the aprilia. cleaned the pistons and fresh fluid. Wow! although the same set up on the Aprilia is really good I didn't expect the same on the much heavier ducati. really really strong. just as good as anything available today. gearbox is beautiful. Nice and slick. I expected the ratios to feel a little too tall on stock gearing but it was OK. think I'll add 1 or 2 teeth to the rear and leave it as that. engine was surprisingly smooth. I've never owned a 748 before. only 999s and had a 1098 for a short time. doesn't have that tractor/ lumpyness to it. I was also surprised to find it had almost no midrange hit! it was fine. not boggy etc. was running well but I expected some form of midrange surge but there's nothing. then at 8500/9k it screams to 11500. sounds absolutely mega. on the 999/1098 I found I'd keep hitting the limiter but this thing seems to just continue screaming. loads of fun. the original plan of 1098/1198 engine swap is now shelved and I'm going to build this as a 853. keep the rev happy nature but with a bit more go. overall I'm really chuffed. it's better than I ever thought it would be.
fitted New supercorsa tyres magnesium wheels titanium disc bolts V4 footpegs been looking out the window for last 2 weeks waiting for a dry day. finally came as I'd been itching to try out the new parts. I hate it when people say 'my 1000cc feels like a 400 etc... its bollox. the only thing that feels like a well set up 400 IS a 400... within first corner I thought this handles like a nc30 with the tyga seat (it makes the bike higher in seating position) point the front wheel. drop shoulder into a corner and it's out the other side. mega. it also feels like a 400 because you nail the throttle under 8k and it doesn't really go anywhere . because of the relative lack of power the chassis shines even brighter! the bike has lost some weight (6-7kg) but feels more like 30kg. it will now lift the front wheel off the power in 1st and 2nd (with a bump in the road). next jobs. New rear shock, decide what I'm going to do with the forks, shed bit more weight and maybe dust off a big engine I have sat on the bench that's looking for a new home
748's are so much fun , looking forward to getting my sp back on the road. The mag wheels look great on your bike
