Owning an SS
 

Having owned a 996 and selling a 748,I became sick of the constant problems,rockers,wiring melting,£1000 service bills etc.But its hard to not like the sound,looks of Ducatis,so thinking about the SS models,are they any more robust,can you keep one in top mechanical order yourself without factory tools.Seen the threads about frames cracking on early models but generally what are they like to own longterm.

I bought my 900 new in 2000 and it' been fine. service costs are much less than the 4V bikes and tyres etc last longer too. It's much quicker than you might think in the real world as well. But if you do still want more power then the new 1000 DS engine bike with a set of Termi's and a new chip has got to be close to 100bhp.
One thing though they are not a race bike on the road in the way the 916 series bike are, thats not always a bad thing though and they are still seriously good fun.
:burn:

At the other extreme, we have a 13 year old 750ss with over 37,000 miles on it that gets commuted on, taken out two-up and has now done a trackday!
Only real problem in last 3 years of us owning it was steering head bearings - 30 odd quid and a few hours to replace them.
But then I like tinkering ;)

I personally know of two 93 900SS's with over 40,000 miles each and a 95 900SS with over 75,000 miles. The engines are very robust. If you keep them in shape and do the regular maintenance, they should last a long while.

Around 50,000 miles, some have needed to overhaul the engine - valve guides, seats, etc...

Personally, I've done 18,000+ miles on a 94 900SS, about 30,000+ on a 95 900SP, and 20,000+ on a 98 900FE

While some do have issues - cracks, electical, etc..., once resolved, they are rock steady.

Ive had the new 1000DS from new (late '03) and am well pleased with it. Have had a few issues all electrical and all repaired under warranty by Ducati - New ECU, a dodgy earth and a relay switch.

Other than that Ive fitted a K&N air filter and after market cans which combined make a lovely sound - my windows rattle when I start her up on tickover! I think the bike is much better value than a jap 600 and has torque everywhere. No its not a sports bike like a 916 but you can still hustle at a fair lick.

Just one thing I do find though is the bike is not designed for long rides or touring, gets very uncomfortable after a few hours in the saddle. But then its oozes character, gorgeous marchensini wheels, brembo brakes, great style, simple air colled v twin and nice analogue clocks etc etc. I get many admiring looks around town too - cant be bad! :devil: