Have to agree with you there Bradders. I rode both '99 and '00 SPS with Showa and Ohlins front respectively and went for the '99 model.

Why?

Couldn't tell the difference between the front ends on the road, despite giving them both a good go.

Ohlins forks look way too bling for my taste - the SPS is a 'bareback' bike by nature and the Showas just look more 'bareback' to me.

I was told from some 'reliable' sources that the Ohlins forks on the '00 model are prone to blowing seals much more than the Showas on the '99.

If Showas were good enough for Foggy they are good enough for me ;-) - as you say ... "classic"

The price - I got my W reg '99 SPS for £6K with 6,500 miles on the clock and a good full service history. It is damn-near mint. All the others I saw were worse condition and much more expensive - and the '00 models were more expensive still.

My advice? Take your time. Get yourself a nice, clean, '99 SPS. Deck it out with a few understated extra bits of carbon and some rear-sets, get it set-up properly (dyno and suspension) and enjoy probably the purest-Ducati riding experience there is.

Mine still makes me tingle every time I open the garage. Beautiful. :D

...and to add to davie hicks, get the showas rebuilt with better internals and its as good as any ohlins! (well, non R&T ones anyway!!)

would that be an ohlins wannabee then?:lol::lol:

As far as I know, the cheap Ohlins forks are made in Japan and are not very special. Only the top of the range are genuinely Svvveddishh. They are owned by Yamaha after all.

I put a set of race-tech valves in the Showas on my 99 SPS and they feel just as good as the cheaper Ohlins.

yep......;)