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Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 3/5/2007 10:44:31 AM
Posts: -1,167, Visits: 2 |
| | I was thinking of getting a Ducati. But heard that in the past it was a very high maintenance machine. Is that still true today for the new 998R. I heard its getting better but I need a bike that can get me arround everyday. Comfort is not important to me now so I want the best. Can it hold up or am I going to need to put even more money into it (not including upgrades/addons) getting it fixed or serviced? Thanks. |
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Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 3/5/2007 10:44:31 AM
Posts: -1,167, Visits: 2 |
| First of all--good luck in getting an R. They're for offroad (race) use only. That said, if you'll settle for a 998S, Ducati currently has a special offer of low % financing or 2 years free maintenance. The factory warranty is for 3 years/unlimited mileage, but you have to keep the bike maintained at an authorized dealer as recommended. Major services occur at 6000 mi., and mostly involve valve adjustments. Depending on the dealer, the charge is $350-$500, plus parts ($40. in shims). If that's beyond your budget, buy a bike out of warranty, and take it to an independent mechanic (my local one only charges $150. for a 4-valve Duc, plus the shims). So far, in all the tests I've seen, the 916 and 996 do the 1/4 mi. quicker than the 998, and you can pick them up used for about $10-12K.
Stuart Young |
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Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 3/5/2007 10:44:31 AM
Posts: -1,167, Visits: 2 |
| I own a '2000 996. I purchased it last March for $16,500.00. The bike was in the dealer's warehouse still in the box, brand new left over from a year and a half ago. You could get an R if you really wanted one but no one would recommend it for street use even if you could get pass DMV. It is geared even higher than the regular 998 which makes the top three gears useless on the street. Now, if the 998 is anything close to my 996, which it's better from all accounts, it would be impossible to build a better sport bike. I've owned a few bikes (ZR1100, TL1000S, GSXR600) and they all should hang their heads in shame! Well, except for the "Killer TL", she's the reason I fell in love with the V-twins and have not looked back since. I've got 3,900 miles on my 996 as of today and I confessed to a friend today that I can't understand why Ducati doesn't make cars because my life will be incomplete without one. Anyway, maintenance isn't a factor anymore. You get two years free with unlimited mileage. If you can't work the bugs out in two years then you are wasting your money by buying a duke because once you have that key in your hands, the way you see the world will change (the wife will proably devorce you too). I was on vacation last week and I didn't drive my new BMW or my old 911T the whole time. The duke is the only thing that matters to me. The whole maintenance issue everyone keeps talking about is a joke. ALL BIKES VIBRATE! Check your bike regularly to make sure nothing has come loose. With 2 or 3 years free maintenance Ducati will soon have the best used bikes on the road and that will help maintain re-sell value. Looks like Ducati's sales guys are just as smart as their devolpment engeneers! Best $16K I ever spent!
Samuel Lee |
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Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 3/5/2007 10:44:31 AM
Posts: -1,167, Visits: 2 |
| If you actually ride the bike and put miles on it unlike most people who buy Ducatis (or any bike for that matter), yes it's expensive to maintain. Guess about $400 per 6,000 mile service and about $250 each time the belts need changing. Set of tires at a good price is $250 and a clutch which Ducatis like to eat is about $80 and lasts about 8,000 miles. My 916 has 23,000 combined street and track miles on it....and I fall in love with it again every time I ride it. If your worried about maintenance cost and you're going to ride it, don't buy a Ducati. If you're going to buy it and park it outside Starbucks most of the time....go for it Champ!!
Doug |
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