Are Ducati motorcycles expensive to own?

H

Havedogplusabiker

New member
Hello everyone I saw a 1998 Ducati 748 for sale. It is within my price range and for the first time I am actually attracted to it! Are they a lot more expensive to maintain than Japanese sport bikes? I used to ride and commute on the F4I and maintenance for it was really not bad. Just 40 bucks to change oil every 2k miles. Are Ducatis more expensive to maintain than Japanese sport bikes? here is the link to the bike I am interested in. Thanks!

http://santabarbara.craigslist.org/mcy/2291630392.html
 
Depends if you do it yourself or not. If both are done by a shop yes the Ducati is more expensive. If you do your own maintenance the cost is very close on both.
 
if you ride ANY Duke as intended then it will absorb money at an unbelievable rate, mind, any sports bike ridden hard will - if properly kept up to the spotless mark with original manufacturer bits - absorb a fair amount.

Even the humble Pantah needs loads of TLC, a Hailwood Replica say twice as much, and like Jaguar cars some years ago, shop maintenance prices are evolved around the 'mystique' - read - money, lots of it.

Actually a Duke is no worse than running a mid seventies Trident, unless as our chum before me says, you are capable and equipped to do it yourself, in both cases. Have no illusions old fruit, unless you have a machine shop and the Knowledge, start opening your wallet...
 
I love Ducatis, they are a superb machine in everyway. If you can afford this lovely bike, go for it and enjoy a bike which is different in everyway to the usual Jap bikes
 
Valve adjustment is labour- and $-intensive. It's not a DIY job for most people. Mechanics who are qualified to do it are few and far between. Ducati parts are expensive, too.
 
In a word yes. Gorgeous bike though.

Your coming to defining point in your life now. By with your head or your heart? A question we all hate.

Do you by with your head and go for a reliable bike which will give you a blast and get you to your destination with you and your bike in one piece and not on fire.

Or do you by with your heart and spend the majority of your time sat in the corner your garage, rocking backwards and forwards, crying while clutching all the innards of your crank case. All this for that one perfect moment when everything works. Your on a long sweeping bend coming over the crest of a hill with no traffic for miles and the sun to your back. Nothing but the sound of that terrific italian engine.

Choices choices.
 
Ducatis are not cheap to maintain at all. Specially the newer models because you cannot due your own maintenance unless you buy the specialized tools (VDST). The regular oil changes are not that bad, a couple hundred bucks. The expensive bits come at the major service intervals. You have to adjust the valves and such (7500 mi) which can cost upwards of $1,000
 
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