Authentic..?
 

What do you boys and girls think of this..?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ducati-955-SP_...QQcmdZViewItem

My thoughts;

- The race bikes had moved to 996cc by 1996 (when this bike was registered
- Assuming the bike even had a plaque (surely poper homolgated racing bikes wouldnt?) it doesnt look authentic.
- Showa forks not ohlins
- Standard top yoke (surely a bike bound for AMA would have had a magnesium one)
- Standard swingarm (again - would have thought this should be mag)
- Surely a bike this pedigree - regardless of condition would command a figure higher than £7.5k..?

That said - the guy has dropped a couple of things in the descriotion to help inspire confidence..just wondered what you guys thought really (no doubt Harv will be along with his anorak shortly..:lol:)

Nat

[Edited on 2-2-2006 by Nattyboy]

[Edited on 2-2-2006 by Nattyboy]

[Edited on 2-2-2006 by Nattyboy]

[quote]Originally posted by Nattyboy
What do you boys and girls think of this..?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ducati-955-SP_...QQcmdZViewItem

My thoughts;

- The bikes had moved to 996cc by 1996 (when this bike was registered
- Assuming the bike even had a plaque (surely poper homolgated racing bikes wouldnt?) it doesnt look authentic.
- Showa forks not ohlins
- Standard top yoke (surely a bike bound for AMA would have had a magnesium one)
- Standard swingarm (again - would have thought this should be mag)
- Surely a bike this pedigree - regardless of condition would command a figure higher than £7.5k..?

Nat
In 1996 SP would still have been 916cc it was in 97 they went to 996
955SP was just a std production 916SP with bigger barrells + pistons so all the other bits ie yoke/swing arm would be std

The speedo has a MPH sticker overlay. A bike costing over 25k new and destined for either here or the USA would have to have a MPH speedo. I would want something better than that for that sort of money.

Or its a track bike someone has put back on the road using what ever bits they could find

Have to say it looks good to me:

Carbon fibre body work
Ohlins rear showa front
Carbon Airbox
Cast iron discs
Plaque
Rods/G'box etc

They didn't come with mag yokes or swingarm.

All these are features of the 955SP.

I guess its the usual thing though...get a note of the frame No. and phone Ducati direct, they are very helpful on this kind of thing I found.

Indeed a rare beast on these shores....if its genuine and with only 3K miles...it would be a nice buy in my eyes for £7K.

[Edited on 2-2-2006 by Harv748]

[Edited on 2-2-2006 by Harv748]

Not sure about that...my SP has KM clocks which have been changed over to a MPH face.

As i understand it the AMA Homologation rules were tighter than WSB so had to be based on a production bike for sale to the general public hence the need for a limited amount of 955SPs, especially as the normal production bike in 1996 was still a 916.
The bit that doesn't look right to me is the fairing as I cant remember them having the built in catch trays back then and I have seen a genuine 955SP that had the same fairing panels as a 916 apart from the graphic which had 955sp in place of where you would normally find the 916 graphic.
With things like the ohlins stering damper and the plaque on the top yoke it could well be a genuine 955, but it does look as though it has been played with as I say the fairing doesn't look genuine and I wouldn't think 5-spokes are either.

As for being as quick as a R1 I would be inrterested to know what injector bodies and Exhaust size it is running as with the right kit a 955 can make over 150bhp

I agree with Harv748 who stated:


If the bike is as dodgy as his grammar, which incidentally is appalling. I would not touch it with the proverbial barge pole.

Yeah i have noticed that, why? it doesnt inspire any confidence to bid certainly not at 7k.


By the way that bike has been for sale on ebay before late last year oct/nov time. I think.

all the early SP's had KM Speedo's which they did not change even when destined for UK shores.
still got mine. if the coppers ask its factory fitment, the joys of limited addition

That should read:

"If the bike is as dodgy as his grammar, which incidentally is appalling, I would not touch it with the proverbial barge pole."

;)

Eats, shoots and leaves.

Doesn't feel right. Just as a rule of thumb, I have generally found that when an e-bay seller cannot produce an understandable description (grammar etc.,) it seems to go hand in hand with having a problematic/disappointing transaction.

If you want a 955SP then I would speak to a reputable dealer to look out for one. Better to pay more and have the genuine article (with some warranty and back up) than a potential lemon.

Just another observation, you'll never know whether or not you've got Ti rods until you have to pull the engine apart - kinda a Catch 22 really.......

5 spoke definately wrong. The plaque isn't a factory job. They are riveted on.........might have been damaged when it was polished???
He does drop some interesting bits out tho. especially the engine number being 955.
I agree with the above tho, something just doesn't seem right??

I don't recognize the carbon cans but shouldn't they be termis.:puzzled:

When the 955's were built it was to homolgate them for the AMA series.
They actually stopped producing the 916sp3's in the middle of the year to build the 955's.After they built the 955's they then started to make the 996 engines.

They were all shipped to america but some were brought back to the uk and the company who brought them back(H.T. Automotive).Got the ones they brought back plaqued.

When they were sold they were sold mainly to race teams in america but some guys bought them and kept them as investments.These are the ones that are now appearing now and again for sale.
I am not sure how many made it back to the uk.

Bear in mind as well that these bikes were built at a time when even the spec of the uk bikes changed on a daily basis depending on what was available at the time.
I have seen sp3's with showa rear shocks instead of ohlins.

I owned one for a very brief time and it kicked out 150bhp when i got it.
It sounded really rough though.The idle was all over the place but once you got going it was mind blowing.Mine had ferraci pipes on it.Not termi's.

If i was going to buy this bike i would get the engine and chassis numbers and call ducati to try and verify if this was a genuine bike.

As with any bike though be wary of it.If you don't feel right about it don't buy.

My only concern with this bike is the fact that the last time i saw one for sale in the uk it was for sale at £25,000.
That is the going rate.

Hope this is of help.
:burn::burn:

the cans look like Pro mach or Renagade cans simler to the ones monstermob used the first year that Mr Hislop raced for them ??
but have to agree the plaque looks like someone knocked it up at a metel work class ??:puzzled: