A nice bit more from our friends at
www.ducati.net:
900SS tips and tricks (1991-1998) submitted by Archie Rodriguez
This post was sent to the list by Arch, our grand master when it comes to this model. It's the best post I've seen on this subject so I am using it here in as it was posted to the list: Re: '91~'98 SSs... First of all, if given the choice, buyers should choose an SP over a CR simply because the former comes with truly useful upgrades. Problem things to watch for are few. Common stuff (like early problematic head studs) are mostly weeded out by now. (BTW, I think the upgraded ones are dark, not the other way around. Could be wrong though as it's been a while since I've thought of it and mine has FbF studs anyway.) While the vast majority of frames remain crack-free, some have seen cracks near the steering head as can be seen on my site. Check for that. Same thing for the swingarms. Some have shown cracks near the pinch bolts at the pivot. This was fairly common early on and was caused by overtightening of the pinch bolts. (The manual only calls for 34 to 37 Nm. Using the proper torque value, my '91's original aluminum swingarm remains intact despite the bike's extensive mods and increased output.) Also, really early ones had soft valve guides. A relatively inexpensive fix and most folks waited till they truly need replacing. It can vary too, my '91 model's originals were fine as of 17k miles way back when the engine went through its big build-up and they were replaced by performance pieces at that time. Regardless, all of that's likely weeded by now as well.
Here are some useful SS resources...
http://www.ducatitech.com/2v/index.htm http://www.duc.org/900ss+report.htm http://arch.home.texas.net/ss/history.html (My little old SS.)
http://www.ducatitech.com/2v/sp_cr_faq.html (SS vs CR differences.)
http://www.ca-cycleworks.com/shop/ca...cati/elec.html (See an Electrex regulator.)
And some Ducati-specific online marketplaces to monitor...
http://www.ducati.net/classifieds/ http://www.clubdesmo.com/discus/messages/5/5.html http://www.amasuperbike.com/classifi...at&catToShow=a http://www.cowin-tech.com/ducati/Cla...t&CountHit=Yes Good luck in your search, Chris. There are some sweet ones out there as most folks discard things that aren't latest & greatest. A real shame. I'm a big fan of the 2V Duck motor and '91~'98 Supersports in particular. Theses little scoots are great fun to own and fiddle with. They respond well to time honored tweaks including even the simple ones. A mechanical canvas. They're keepers. Have been for many years now... :-) Arch
http://arch.home.texas.net arch@texas.net