748 Reliability
 

Feeling a bit jaundiced at the moment. Bought my Red 1998 model 748SPS out here just 2 months ago. Since that in the space of 2,000Km it has:

a. Lost rear number plate on first weekend due to vibrations
b. Lost whole mudguard due to excessive vibrations
c. Lost rear indicatior lens....due to guess what ? Vibrations
d. Dumped oil all over the rear wheel from a failed oil pressure switch which in turn led to me binning it on a right-hander
e. Had split coolant return hose leading to overheating

and then this morning it dumped oil again. Typing this as I await the pick-up truck

.......tell me it's going to get better ?

Having said that, whilst its running it is an absolute blast and my UK 748 has had no problems at all. Guess it's just down to the luck of the draw. Determined to tame it though and bring it in to heel so that the good days can go on and on

IJ
Istanbul:o

Well you should consider getting a proper service shop to look after your bike properly or take it to the spanners yourself. One step in the servicing specifies "verify tightness of all bolts". This was probably not done...

As for the oil pressure switch it should have come up with a warning red light well before bursting open???

I have never lost a number plate or mudguard on my 748 and not even on my 996 (that has more vibrations), but then again I check those things or I get Nelly to check them!

..have just done that !

...let me hazard a guess that youve never ridden a Ducati accross Turkey :) Think the roads in the UK are bad ? They are an absolute dream with many of the roads out here

I'm not trying to rubbish Ducati but the standard Ducati bolts and captive rubber grommets are simply not up to the job of holding together on ultra rough road surfaces. All mine have since been replaced with stronger and more resiliant alternatives.....

...oh, and the bike was purchased from THE Turkish importer for the brand so you can imagine my surprise that within a week things started to fall off.

No problems at all with my BMW's or my Honda (and that includes long journies down to Jordan, accross Russia and the Ukraine and Georgia) so all other things being equal it just leaves the quality of the original design. Beautiful but borderline.........IMHO