Ducati Superbike

...first 12 months owning a Ducati 996 and want to add my support to the praise here for this outstanding machine.

I used to own a Ducati Darmah 900 back in the 80’s but have exclusively owned rice grinders since then. The old Darmah was a good machine and gave a smooth if solid ride.
It was VERY loud and it was fun but at 70 BHP you had to ring it’s neck a bit to get the same top end as it’s Jap equivalents and the dodgy electrics ...
...the motor and that legendary Ducati window shaking exhaust reverb more than compensate for any lack of top speed in the total fun and grin factor stakes.

Electrics - The electrics are totally improved and haven’t once given cause for concern or provided a problem. The bike starts first time every time and even fired up ok following a recent period of 6 weeks laid up in the garage. I still try to avoid the rain on the Duc but on a ... more

I’m just reaching the end of my first 12 months owning a Ducati 996 and want to add my support to the praise here for this outstanding machine.

I used to own a Ducati Darmah 900 back in the 80’s but have exclusively owned rice grinders since then. The old Darmah was a good machine and gave a smooth if solid ride.
It was VERY loud and it was fun but at 70 BHP you had to ring it’s neck a bit to get the same top end as it’s Jap equivalents and the dodgy electrics had you heading for the cover of a motorway bridge every time at the first sign of rain. Maintenance was harder because of the precision nature of all aspects of engineering on the machine.

So it was with a degree of intrepidation I approached the purchase of the 996 but heck, mortgage be damned, what else do you spend a redundancy cheque on. The machine I purchased was a second hand T Reg, 996 BP, absolutely factory standard with 8,500 miles on the clock. The BP bit stands for Biposto, i.e. it has a dual seat and rear foot pegs, you can take a friend, (I know, stating the obvious for you hardened bikers)

…..And I haven’t been disappointed, in 20 years of biking this is one of the very best machine’s I’ve owned

Handling: - The handling is truly superb, as surefooted as a mountain goat. Even as a fairly experienced rider I’ve found that it’s really taken time to appreciate what these machines are really capable of in terms of just how far you can lean them over in complete safety. It’s been a combination of developing the confidence to push the machine to it’s limit coupled with overcoming an incredulous sort of – “blimey..you really can lean them over that far”…type scenario. My previous machine was a heavily worked on ZZR1100 and I thought I’d got good at handling that…. mastering the art, having reached 150mph in two nano-seconds, of how to get a 500lbs bedstead round the approaching corner, but it all pales into insignificance compared to the Duc’s glue like adhesion to the tarmac at angles that would make most things at Alton Towers feel like a go on a restricted moped.

Performance - I haven’t really tried to max it out but certainly 130mph + anyday (on the autobahn, of course), overall probably not absolutely the fastest thing on two legs, but still plenty fast enough to win a seat in front of the local magistrate. The acceleration coupled with the heart warming induction roar from the motor and that legendary Ducati window shaking exhaust reverb more than compensate for any lack of top speed in the total fun and grin factor stakes.

Electrics - The electrics are totally improved and haven’t once given cause for concern or provided a problem. The bike starts first time every time and even fired up ok following a recent period of 6 weeks laid up in the garage. I still try to avoid the rain on the Duc but on a recent trip back from Bath to Cambridge it weathered several down -pours and subsequent M4, M25 and M11 (yawn) road spray without a misfire.

Brakes – Proven Brembo discs all round, two on the front, one on the back. The 996 and similar ilk are notorious for having a bit of a flaky back brake but no worries as the front brakes will stop a high speed train on a sixpence and in actual fact the Wrigley’s spearmint spongyness of the rear brake can be used very effectively for speed moderation on motorways once familiar with the setup.

Tank range - Never bothered to work out the litres/mpg thing…and never have really, it’s not been a prime concern with my biking exploits but filling the tank right up costs around 13 quid and seems to last for about 125 miles - there is a fuel warning light on the dash which comes up at about 110 miles – which is fine but just be conscious if you’re travelling from Cambridge to Caterham via the M25 not to miss that one petrol stop at Stansted - Ducati’s looks much better being ridden than pushed.

Weight: At 436lbs it’s very manageable and the lady in my life, at 5’9” found she could manage it also. She does prefer though the Ducati Monster 600 which is spot-on for her height-wise.

Pillion: Reports from various backsides are that it’s one of the best, most comfortable rides…ok, ok…particularly appreciated is the added warmth gained from being sat four inches away from the exhaust.

Observations - Riding position takes a bit of getting use to and can feel cramped at first. Whist the Japanese develop some of their race machines from their road-going counterparts I think Ducati tend to work the other way round so you really are getting into a race riding stance with the 996. Longer journeys can leave you a bit saddle sore and the clutch if not properly maintained can stiffen up and give a different meaning to white-knuckle ride.

Town traffic: The 996 is ok around town but extended slow riding in heavy traffic will have the thing heating up and starting to choke a bit. On a recent and lengthy detour round some roadworks in Worthing the bike did start to feel like a piece of Massey - Ferguson agricultural furniture and needed a bit of welly away from the lights to avoid those all embarrassing stalling moments (having burnt down the outside to the front of the queue) – quite acceptable though, it’s a V-Twin and I didn’t on the whole buy mine to go shopping. The way that heat is discharged from the engine through the ducted vents in the fairing means, when moving slowly, you will get blasts of very hot air across the bottom half of your legs. When the fan kicks in, it can be like gas mark 4 on a hot day in the Sahara down there so leathers are an absolute must…well, should always wear leathers anyway.

Maintenance - Regular routine maintenance is absolutely essential and should not be overlooked or regarded as one of those yardie yardie.. type chores, it really does have to be done to get maximum enjoyment from the bike and keep costs down. That said routine maintenance is straight forward. I’m no mechanic but changing the plugs, tensioning the chain, giving it an oil change and bleeding the brakes/clutch etc are very simple tasks. Ducati supply a toolkit with the bike and you can pretty much achieve all the above tasks with what’s in it but additional ownership of a standard socket set, and set of allan keys will help. (If you’re buying second hand, check that the toolkit is present, it does include a special C-Spanner for adjusting the chain and tiny little Torx tool for taking fairing bolts off– toolkit is in a compartment under the seat at the back)

A few things to watch out for:

If buying second hand the bigger services come up at 8,000 and 12,000 miles (change of cam belts etc) - this can get pricey so if you’re buying one with 11,999 miles on the clock ask if the belts have been done.

Dents, marks or imperfections anywhere especially in the wheel rims, they’re alloys and as with any alloy can get damaged. A mate with a 748R recently shelled out 600 quid as a result of a damaged front wheel (claim pending with the local highways authority) – plastic panels can be bought as pattern parts from a variety of sources and there’s always someone advertising fairing bits on e-bay.

The 996 of my era has a “dry clutch”, i.e. the clutch is designed to run in an environment not surrounded by motor oil and as a result will, quite legitimately, make some rumbling and rattling noise when on tickover – the noise should stop when the clutch is pulled in. If you’re buying a Ducati check or ask whether it’s a dry or wet clutch - (for instance the Ducati Monster in it’s evolution has featured both) - if it’s a wet clutch and rattling that might be a cause for concern, if it’s a dry clutch, the rattling can sound horrendous but if it stops when your pull the lever in it’s ok and supposed to be like this.

Must have accessory - A paddock stand. The 996, as you’d pretty much expect, only has a side stand. A paddock stand is a must for those routine maintenance tasks and in terms of making life easier be sure to get a double-sided stand i.e one that can fit the bike from both the left and right hand sides.

Summary:

This bike will provide you with a grin and feel good factor way in excess of what you might be used to, for me it absolutely delivers all the answers to the reasons for why I go biking. It looks gorgeous, it’s fast, raucous, reliable and out-handles the rest of the pack. When parked in a long line of bikes it’s the one even your Grandma would pick out to admire.

PS - For anyone interested I bought my machine from Moto-Rapido down near Winchester and had really excellent service from them. Unfortunately I live too far away to use them for servicing but in purchasing the bike (and having done the rounds) they were the best for me - specialist knowledge, helpful, very comprehensive selection of new and used machines, professional and polite.…just a bit of credit where credit is due.

Ciao…Mike

 

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