749 model advice wanted
 

hiya guys, not been on for a while but am looking at returning to the ducati fold,probably with a 748 but also considering a 749 but i know very little about them so what were the main differences between the different variances and years. probably be looking at 03-05 and no advice needed on a 749R as it out of my price range

how much difference was there between the brakes and suspension and whats the story behind the black swing armed bikes ?

cheers

deej

Ok,.....time to trawl the memory banks.
The first model year (03) 749 and 749S had identical 103bhp engines and chassis.The S benefitted from slightly better suspension.(Gold TiN coated forks and Showa shock,....749 had a Sach shock)Both bikes available as bip or mono,...yellow or red,frames in silver.
04 bikes were virtually identical,....just a few minor changes like the removal of the light switch.The S got an extra 7bhp.
749 Dark introduced with same suspension and engine as base 749 but non adjustable footrests and steering head.
Big changes in '05.Fairing changed with new wider screen and top vents removed.Differant shape front guard.New deep black alloy swingarm as on the R models.All bikes gained a few bhp's with the S now a claimed 116bhp.Red bikes had red frames,yellow bikes continued with silver frames.Dark model retained the cast swingarm.
06 MY bikes were technically identical to 05 bikes.Yellow was discontinued and gloss black now the alternative to red.
All model years had identical brakes.

Cheers keefyb

So the 05 is better than a 03 then and how good is the sachs rear shock,is it worth upgrading or atleast respringing ? The bike I'm looking at has a ohlins sticker on the shock reservoir so I'm guessing its a sachs with a sticker

What aftermarket parts are compatible between the different years and also the 999 or should that read what's not interchangeable ??

Ta

Hello :D

Pretty much everything is interchangeable from an external point-of-view; shock and swingarm for sure.

Don't forget that it's better to have a working Sachs shock than a knackered Ohlins... so budget getting any second-hand shock serviced (around £75) if you're going that route. The Sachs will work but won't offer the same range of adjustment that you get with an Ohlins. A Showa shock from a base model should be plenty good enough for the road and track anyway if it's setup correctly.

The black swingarm and later body revisions are probably worth more from a visual appeal though, imho.

The Sach shock should be fine for the road.Ive ridden 749's with both the Sach and Showa shocks and could'nt really tell the differance tbh.
Just about everything is interchangable on the 749/999.Things to watch out for though are fairings and exhausts.
'05 fairings are quite a bit differant than the 03/04.They are wider at the top and have slightly differant lowers to miss the deeper alloy swingarm.You can fit an '05 fairing to an '04 bike but you need the longer headight fairing stays as well.To fit the '04 fairing to the '05 bike you will need the shorter stays and then get busy with a hacksaw to the rear of the lower.Screens are not interchangable.
If you buy a full 2-1-2 Termig exhaust system,make sure you get the correct one for the bike.The '05 systems have a 'flattened banana' section to clear the swingarm.
Most of the asymmetric half systems should go straight on.The only one that is differant is the one that fits the 749R and 999S.It has a differant pipe to miss the deep sump.

Cheers again guys

Slightly confused by the way you say 03-05 range and then 05 bike,did the models change halfway through the year

The mods I'd be after would be the usual things like race exhaust,slipper clutch ( are those mpl ones any goo) and track fairings which I'm guessing would need to be from the 05/06 bike due to the swingarm issues

The bling bits like clutch cover and rearsets would be pretty universal I'm guessing

From a maintenace point of view how much difference was there between a 749 motor and the 748 motor

Sorry for all the questions

It was a typo,.....Ive edited my post to say 03/04.:rolleyes:
Ive got MPL clutch and sprocket covers.Fit and quality are great.Their clutches look good too.
The 749's Testastretta motor is very differant to the old 748 Desmoquattro.
The older bikes were a lot more home mechanic freindly.To successfully service the 749 you need all the Ducati mathesis tester and the specific service tools.For instance,the Testastretta motors have no referance marks for changing the cambelts.A special tool is needed to lock the cams.They also use a sonic method to tension the belts instead of the old balance weight tool.Servicing can be done at home but its really a dealer job tbh.

keefy what would you make of a supposedly 05 749 that has the black swingarm and rear subframe yet has the larger 4 front vents than the supposed 2 vents ? would you walk away from it or would it be case of ducati using what was available in the parts bin at the time (ala the old days) first of the 05 bikes with the last of the 04 parts maybe ?

Quite possibly - there's always the odd one or two that don't conform to the definitive model rules!

Just make sure you ask if anything has been replaced and check the bike over more thoroughly than normal.

i've seen a few 749 on ebay advertised as 05 when they are obviously 04 models. my guess is that they are 04 but when new the dealer has left first registering them till the 05 plate came in to avoid loosing money

that was my thoughts too but why would it have a 04 nose cone and the supposedly 05 onwards black swingarm and rear subframe ? its cheap enough for me not to worry about it too much but would like to be sure on what i might buy,it will atleat help with the old haggling process lol

The deep alloy swingarm was a Ducati Performance upgrade for the 03/04 bikes.Could be the previous owner fitted one and had the subframe painted to get the latest look.

Check the chassis number, the number before the B gives you the model year.

eg ZDMH500AA3B000123 is an 03 model.

In 05 the upgrade to the black swinging arm was on a special offer from ducati, where as now they are £1250 to buy new:eek:

At the end of o4 Ducati dumped all their stock on the dealers clearing the way for the 05 upgrade, lots of dealers went for the swinging arm upgrade as per my 999S

Well it turns out to be a 03 not 05 as originally thought. The swingarm and subrame were painted black so I've got the price knocked down. Going to collect it next friday - can't wait

Just need a open clutch cover to release that dry clutch rattle and I'll be a very happy man