Argh. Ducati dilemma

This didn't sell. I've been offered it for the starting price.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110575410318

It's super-low miles, but it has had five owners in a decade and one of
them will have neglected things. I've enquired about the existence of
any srvice history and am awaiting a reply.

Would this be an insane thing to buy? On the fact of it, it's a steal.
It's not the ST4S, granted, but it's still a helluva lot of Ducati for
two grand.

I could just punt out the K1100 and the 750SS - anybody care to make me
an offer on either?

 

I'd sooner offer the guy selling the ST an extra £50 and do a bit of
grass cutting.

 

Tempted by the 750. But I don't know what such a thing goes for in
whatever nick it happens to be in. It'd be an interesting stable-mate
for my similar era jap 750...

 

Is that a dent in the tank? About where the left hand bar end would be if it
had been down the road.

 

<Doubtful>

Don't think so. Looks like it's where the tank is sculpted to give some
clearance for the bar ends.

 

I thought that was the 748? Hog's had two ST4Ss and put decent miles on
them with no problems.

Antony Espindola to the bright red telephone, please!

 

Mine's done 30k and has been religiously serviced. I'm the only owner.
New tyres, new pds, recent chain & sprox, full history, recent full
service, refurbished fuel tank, rack, some useful spares (calipers, odds
& sods), never dropped. Some corrosion on the engine, and it looks
"used". because it has been. £1300, SW London.

The Suzuki will rip the balls off it.

 

That was the ST4S, though, not the ST4, which I believe is to be
avoided.

 

Much obliged.

I might pass on this, then.

Amazing how my old 750SS lump seems to be idestructible.

Famouse last words...

 

Mine just ticked over 16k miles a few weeks ago.

Which means I've done more miles since I've had it (2 years) than the
previous owner did in around 5 years.

 

Yes, very good point...

It was a lot of 748s that suffered - I had 3 replaced at the
12k service - but it has been known to affect 916s and even
early 996s as well.

There's never been a definitive answer to what the cause was,
but it's been touted as either bad chroming of the rockers,
over-tight clearances, poor lubrication to the head, not
letting the engine get up to temperature before revving it
hard, or a combination of them all. For the Testastretta
engines (998, 999 onwards) they have an additional oil feed
to the head, and it's very rare to hear of these going. The
later 748/996 bikes are also a safe(r) bet - which kind of
implies it's not the oil feed, but maybe it was the chrome?
Yet for the early ones, some bikes were fine, others weren't.
Some of them only had the openers go and not the closers...
You can see why it's hard to tell.

But anyway, if they do go, David Newman Camshafts in Farnborough
charge around £30+ vat per rocker to re-chrome them. Much cheaper
than the £90-odd that Ducati want for them new. So if you have
a head-full go, that's all 8 on a 4V engine, it's not as bad as
you'd think to have them re-chromed. You certainly wouldn't want
to replace them all with new!

I know we chatted about it last night, so you know my thoughts
on it. Lovely colour too!

Would I buy it? Yes. Would I want to see full service history?
Yes, but if not I'd knock £500 off for a full service and the
possibility of the rockers needing sorting. Would I be worried
about the 5 owners and low mileage? Not really, but I think this
is a sign of not much service history as the owners had a shock
when they called their dealer and found out how much a full
service costs, and decided to flog it instead - the number of
owners and age matches the two year service cycle!

 

Actually, I think you might be right - 3rd from last picture,
the only one of the left-hand-side and you can see an "inversion"
of the shadow/reflection line in the tank, being pointed at buy
the handle bar!

 

That's a very shrewd assessment. Thanks.

OK, we'll see what the seller says to my request for service history
details.

 

Oh yeah. I missed that. It does look ike a small ding. Not big enough to
worry about, mind.

 

Nnnng. Sorely tempted. But I fear I'd have /my/ balls ripped off if
She finds out.

I will think on it. You may have mail in the near future.

 

See that Specsavers over there? That's where you should've gone that is.

 

You've talked yourself into this haven't you?

 

Depends if I but the ST4, of course....

 

Not *yet*

 

I'm not sure I'd be wanting to get rid of a 'faithful old friend' like
your 750SS to buy something like that, especially given you've had
that from new?

If you in turn realise the ST4 isn't for you, whilst you might shrug
off the loss of the K1100, the sale of the 750SS might be rued that
bit more.