Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > Supersports: SS / SuperSport / Supersport 950 > Advice please: buying a superlight

[Nattyboy]

851/SS very similar foot position, v.slightly different at the arms. Nat

[Iconic944ss]

There appears to be an Mk1 SL and an FE on the trader website....

http://www.ducatitrader.co.uk/bikes.asp?model=2

Good luck

[ali]

Thanks Frank.

I spoke to the guy about the FE yesterday and it'd gone a couple of weeks ago. I'm waiting to see the pics of this fabled black 851 before I make any moves! What would you consider a maximum mileage to buy at for a well looked after bike? It's not like I'll want to sell it soon but I wonder about belts, etc....

Cheers,

Ali

[FiscusFish]

Personally I'd change the belts as soon as I bought any Ducati, even one with a FSH. Cheap insurance.

[Jonathan Novice]

Hi Ali,
you have a U2U
Jonathan

[ali]

Does anyone know if Duc ever made a 900SS with non-adjustable forks and a steel swingarm. I'm looking at a half-faired '96 but getting a sneaking suspicion that it was based on a 600SS. It's got twin discs up front and no oil temp guage.

Dog's dinner or bargain?

Ali

[chicken]

Earlier 900 came with non-adjustable forks, but I'm not sure when they moved to adjustables.

The 600 only came with a single disc, the 750 and 900 with twin discs so if this is the case then it has been upgraded.

Check the frame number on the side of the headstock - it should have a number similar to the engine number. It's not neccessarily a problem as they all have identical frames. eg my bike is a 750 frame with a 900 engine.

If in doubt though, walk away....

[ali]

Consider me walking.....

It was put together by the italian motorcycle company a few years back, apparently to order. It's immaculately clean with goodridge everything, and only £2.2k, but I'd always be wanting to change those forks every time I looked at them, so no go.

Next please.

[FiscusFish]

For 900s the '89-90 Supersport came with non adjustable RWU forks but it's really a different bike altogether from the later SS/SL.

The US market 900CR came with non adjustable forks and a steel swingarm (It was basically a 900 engine in a 750 chassis) but you'd be unlikely to find one over here and if you did it wouldn't be worth buying anyway...

It can seem like an uphill struggle sometimes looking for a particular bike but it'll be worth it when you find it. Look at it this way, if you bought a bike that wasn't the one you "really" wanted then six months down the line you'd still be thinking "P'raps I should have waited a little longer...".

'Specially when you see that immaculate one little old man owned FSH 900SL that appears every so often when the time is right and you have the cash in your pocket. The same bike you lusted after 12 years previously but couldn't afford at the ridiculous price your local dealer wanted for it new.... Then you can take it out on it's first track day and chuck it away at 50mph....

Still, I digress.... Keep looking, you'll find it eventually.

[Nattyboy]

OK , here we go..pics dont do it justice...decent offers between £3 & £3.5k via Louigi748@aol.com.

Let me know what you think !! (im off to WDW tonight so you wont get a reply for a bit !!!

Cheers

Nat