748/916/996/998 FOCUS GROUP

Stephen Blades (39) from North Lincolnshire,

First bike Honda CB100N, bought 1984. I have owned and ridden one or more bikes without a break ever since. Half a dozen Japanese bikes passed through my hands, until I began the transition to European machinery with the arrival of a Moto Martin. This has been followed by 10 years of unbroken loyalty to the Ducati marque, with the exception of a Honda trail bike acquired last winter.

First Ducati 1993 900SS bought s/h 1994, written off at the TT in 1995, not my fault.

Second Ducati 1994 900SS bought s/h 1995 to replace previous machine, current mileage 46,000 including 3 trips to the TT and several European tours.

Third Ducati 1997 916 Biposto bought new (import) 1997 with compensation cash from 1995 incident. I rode it to the Isle of Man seven times, 6 trips to the TT and one to the Manx Grand Prix. My only trip abroad was in August 2004, a nine day, 2500 mile run to the south of France. At the end of one 500-mile day my only problem was aching knees, this could probably be remedied by a set of adjustable rear sets. In September 2004 with just over 74000km on the clock, the bike was declared a write-off after a rear end shunt from a Range Rover. Having spent the winter considering all the options, most of which were other Ducatis, it had to be another 916.

Fourth Ducati 1998 916SPS, six and a half years old, 10,000 recorded miles, bought on 1st April 2005.

The 748/916/996/998 is, and will always be, the best looking bike ever built.

No need for any discussion of the above topic in this group. Preaching to the converted etc.

I see this group as a place to share the vast wealth of information we have accumulated during our ownership, to further improve our enjoyment of these magnificent machines.

Many people desire one, but most are put off by talk of high running costs and poor reliability.

Can we dispel these rumours?

If all the bad press is true, we really need to build up some interest and demand to increase the fast falling second hand values of our bikes so that we can all go out and buy 749/999s. So prepare your best lies and bullshit for publication here.

Here are a few discussion threads to set the ball rolling.

1. Tyre preferences
2. Oil preferences
3. Recommendations of main dealers, servicing specialists, parts suppliers, etc.
4. Useful modifications
5. Recurring faults
6. Trackday tips and modifications for different ability/experience levels

Lets get on with it!