New Ducati owner
 

Hey guys just thought I would drop a note saying hello to the Ducati world. This is only the second bike i've owned but I love it. I bought it for 3000 USD obviously the guy didn't know what he had.....after doing some digging and seeing the Ohlins front and rear....aluminum subframe and the welded front bend on the frame I had a suspesion this was a SP model. Did some digging and talked with my local Duc dealer and sure enough its a 91 851SP3. Now for the rest of the world this may not seem a big deal but seeing as they only sent about 37 of these models to the US its a big find for here. I will definatly be holding onto it for a while.

Welcome and well done with the find.
Mine's a Gluten free beer at the virtual bar mate.

Get some pics up if you can, preferably of the bike, but if you're a fit young lady, some pic of you will get the board going!!

Rich

Wow , sounds like you lucked out big style , nice one :cool: And welcome to the board . Any chance of a pic ? :)

Paul

I will try to get some pics up right now the bike is torn down for a resto. I had the frame stripped and powder coated. I have also bought all new 916 fairings and painting them for the bike as it is already setup for the 916 fairings anyways. It will be a pearl black on the mono tail fairing and the tank. On the nose fairing and side fairings italian red is a must all topped off with silver decals in 996 fashion but with 851 numbers. It is a one of a kind project. I'm using some hella lights for the headlights as I want something different....some of you may think I'm *******izing it but I promise it is all tasteful and will look great once done....it has also been converted to a termi undertail exhaust setup.

You are doing that to an SP3??!! NOOOOOOOOOO!!
916 fairings,underseat exhausts,....are you sure you did'nt really want a 916?

well the bike was already setup with the 916 fairing and undertail exhaust when I bought it. 851 fairing and parts are near extinct here in the US...so I am going with what I have....If I could find original parts I would go back to stock....it has taken me 3 months to find a speedo drive for it....the bike also has a set of marvic forged magnesium wheels.

There is a lot of copy bodywork available in both GRP and carbon fibre and E-bay has second-hand original fairings quite regularly. I got a right side panel last week. Many suppliers will ship to the USA.

All the best,
Mike

Hi, Welcome to the board CH851SP3

If it was mine, I would make it my mission to convert it back to it's original state with original parts. It's probably why you got it so cheap.

A friend of mine had a 1977 900SS, blue and silver. Everything original. About 7 years ago he was about to sell it until a man in the know told him to hang on to it. In 2 years it doubled in price from €6000 to 12000. The same "man in know" also informed me that the 1991-2 S3 851 will do the same in about 5 years (2010) Why the 1992 model, because it was considered the best example of the 851 model before they went to the 888. If original it should have a white frame, white wheels and red mirrors.

Convert it back:smug: you know you want to. Besides, riding a 851 masquerading as a 916 is like driving a TR7 pretending to be a Ferrari F40:D See ebay article below

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...fromZR8QQfviZ1

The first words of your post were enjoyable ... the end, a bit less !!!
You bought a kind of icon !!! Moreover if a few have been imported in your homecountry, you're a privileged owner !!!
Don't you care about Ducati memory ??? :lol: :lol:


Riddle on the pic ...

Welcome CH. Mines a southern comfort - no ice thanks.

Blimey! Poor bloke is all made up with his bike and as soon as he pops his head up and says Hi everyone is telling him what to do with the bike!

I know you mean well but at the end of the day does it really matter what fairing / seat it has on it? CH is not destroying a mint SP , he is putting one back on the road where it belongs. Many great racing cars ended up with different chassis and bodies over their lifetimes and are more sought after because of the changes.








By the way CH if you do fancy a 916, I'll find a mint one here for you and ship it over to you free of charge, and take your old one as a swop. But just keep it between me and you for now, theres a good chap.;)