About to pick up a duc for a great price
 

So I sold my k7 gsxr 600 last week looking to upgrade.

Anyway, saw the ad for a black 848 for $8990 with about 3500km's on the odo up on craigslist dealership section.. Thought I'd go check it out. The dealer ('DJ auto' at white rock) was pretty honest about the damage.

It was backed into while stationary and was dropped. Bike dropped on it's right side w/ a 1 inch crack on the side fairing and some small very unnoticable scuffs on the tail fairing. The brake lever was bent, and replaced. The fairing damage remains, but barely noticeable to justify its low price... So I checked the engine and bar ends for damage, thinking it's too good to be true, nope all clean. Because the bike was under the replacement plan,, the owner got a brand new ducati for a simple drop, and this current bike has a "rebuilt" status, thus the low price.

Offered him $9000 taxes in - about $1000 off the listed price - and dealer said deal and so I'm gonna get my bank draft ready to pay him on thursday to pick it up after I do a test ride to see if she rides straight (and judging from the minimal damage, it looks like she will!)

Just wanted to share my excitement and tears of joy with you all. That is all :'(

Will post pics of the new ride + damage on thursday!

edit: please let me know if any of this sounds fishy to you.. i know im currently a little blinded by the excitement and all! thanks. I do know my way around a bike, but am by no means a bike mechanic or anything.

edit2: they also had an inspection done, and everything checked out.

for peace of mind i'd take it to vancouver bmw-ducati and get them to do a full inspection on it. if that checks out then congrats on a killer bike :D

^only sketch thing is it's a 2008 and back then i dont think it had black in color so it must've been re-painted or had fairings from another bike salvaged on it.

I know the bike was dropped, but really curious now as to why it's black.. i will ask dealer tomorrow i guess!

edit: nvm, it's apparantly an "R" repilca model that i've never heard of before... should double check w/ ducati dealer

http://www.bcsportbikes.com/forum/sh...heapest-Around. --> same bike b4 dropping

there was never an 848R but ducati north america apparently had a limited run for a special 848 model with top of the line suspension/brake components and priced it at around $40k. but even that one was only offered in a color similar to that of the 1198 corse edition. as far as i know, the only matte black 848 that's been produced so far is the 848EVO.

look deep into everything before you buy it man. you'll be kicking yourself in the ass if you end up getting screwed over. not to mention that ducs don't exactly scream reliability like their japanese counterparts, so you'll wanna get that thing properly inspected too.

hope it works out for you. and hope you are prepared for how crazy expensive parts and maintenance will be ;)

^haha sadly not at all :P

but the mighty rumble of a v-twin between my thighs on every rev i make alone is enough to convince me that i am

Maybe I'm new to bikes, but...

dropped should not = rebuilt status.

Think about it for a car, you'd have to royally crash it in order for icbc to write it off.

I think something smells fishy.

That bike has been on cl for a long time. and yeah no R for 848.
Thing to watch for is the left radiator mount. It might crack and cause a small leak, which is covered under warranty that you don't have anymore. But it is an easy fix by any radiator shop...should actually be faster than waiting for ducati to warranty it.

Thanks for the info. is the radiator leak a cpmmon problem in the 08 848s or have u seen the specific bike in person? i checked the radiator ans mounts yst
and they looked cleaner than my old gixxer's..

ive done an icbc history report on it and
it does indeed only have one
claim.. the drop that made it a "salvage" title so if i like how it rides im going to buy it most likely. im buying the duc to ride, not to look at, so the few scuffs dont really bother
me.

edit: ok i've looked into the whole radiator issue, they just seem to be really poorly welded and in some cases squirt coolant fluid from the posterior side. i'll take another look at that while the bike's running when i go pick it up tomorrow. thank you again for the heads up!

yeah I should have been more clear. I have never seen that bike in person. Just saw it on cl for a long time. :p
But radiator leak is a common problem in all current generation ducati sbk.
it won't have it right now. but just giving you a heads up if it does happen.
I think it is caused by potholes and wheelie drops.

congrats tegz hope everything works out
sorry to ask a noob question but i didnt think it deserved a new thread
i might be buying a motorcycle in the near future too but ive never bought a vehicle before and i dont know the steps
i was wondering ,after you get it inspected, what papers you need to sign and does it have to be done in an autoplan agency? if so will any autoplan place do it?
its gonna be private btw
i tried to do my research but all i got was this http://www.mdcbc.com/buying-tips.htm which i read but im still a bit confused
if anyone could give me a link or any advise it be greatly appreciated
thanks

Thanks again, yeah i've read some of the official duc forums and the 848s are notorious for the radiator leaks. after a spirited test ride she was free of all radiator problems, but it is a future concern and i'm looking into which aftermarket radiator to invest in once that does happen!

Hey, thanks alot!

it's totally normal to be worried about the first purchase. it's actually pretty good to be almost paranoid imo, cuz once u sign the papers, it's urs and there's no going back, esp in private sales.

• Check the common problems w/ the model/yr of your bike by googling, and make sure those issues have been fixed on the bike you're getting
• check for oil leaks - it may drip into the inner fairing or just below the bike
• check for suspensions - keep the front brake on while the bike is in neutral, and shake it back and forth to make sure they suspensions are loading properly
• scratch on fairings - lowside mostly, this is not a "Drop"
• A drop - cracks in fairings
• if it says "never been dropped", make sure by checking pegs, shift levers, brake/clutch levers, handlebar ends, mirror ends, rear fairings, and fairings
• make sure the headlights are working
• Look for leaks & dents in the radiator
• Make sure the fork seals are intact and in good condition, it's hard to describe, but google what they look like. this is very important, as most owners neglect replacing old fork seals
• check tire condition, and make sure the bike is priced appropriately
• most importantly, take it for a test ride (with ur cash in his hand) and make sure the damn thing rides straight and keeps balance in corners

That's a pretty short list of things to check, im sure there's more, but those are the main things i looked for in my first and 2nd bikes.

Here's some pics:

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._4531902_n.jpg
front view

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._4184669_n.jpg
front angle

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._7129638_n.jpg
rear angle

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...2_279034_n.jpg
rear with a noticable scuff

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...3_608812_n.jpg
cracked fairing :(

Asides from the cracked fairing and a few little scuffs, the bike is clean (it's been repainted from white --> matte black)

Engine is still strong, but I think it's been a while since the last oil change so i'll do that asap, also the clutch play is kind of messed up as the friction point is REALLY far out compared to my old gixxer, so i'll have to get that adjusted as well. The bike rides straight as an arrow!

As for the ergos.. and hour ride back to vancouver (Where im storing it) from white rock is still giving me a back ache.. much much worse than the gixxer, i'll probably end up getting new rear sets, or see if the lever/peg can be placed in a more ergonomically friendly way.

Within a year i hope to have all the fairing damage fixed, the frame and rims coated in ducati gold, and have a competition werkes gold slip on exhaust installed, sounding like the below vid:


pretty sick raspy tone imo

^

you and i were both spoiled by our gixxers. the seats, ride height, controls and everything else were just so ergonomic. you're not gonna have fun in traffic on the duc LOL

but with that said, congrats on the purchase man. let's go tear up some twisties soon :D

with gold rims that bike is gonna look so sexy

Congrats! I'm very jealous...the Duc 848 is my dream bike (well toss-up with the Triumph Daytona 675). But welcome to the V-twin club (yes, my suzuki counts! :p )

Haha yes we were, never had any ache problems after even 4~5 hour rides on that thing!

Btw, u ride a s1000rr right? i think i know who u are thru vince.. i believe i've VERY briefly blazed w/ u once at the back of a mcdics parking lot in richmond lol!!!!!!!

btw, im suspended til oct, so if ure still insured by then, let's rip shit up!!

Thanks! Go with the duc!! they are about the same price used, the new 675 and speed triple hold their value amazingly well, so might as well go with a duc.

i love the red ducs, if only i had 18000 cash, i'd be on a red 848 evo!

clutch is like that on all ducati. basically you don't have to pull in as much to make the shift. you will get use to it. If the clutch lever feels weird after a hard ride or parked for too long... you just need to pump the lever 5-10 times.

same with ergos... it is aggressive with long stretch. but you will get use to it too.. hahaha

The main thing are the foot pegs..they are slippery.

Thanks again bawss! That saves a few hours of learning how to adjust clutch on duc's :D but if I want the engagement point to be a bit closer, do I have that option?

btw it seems like you have a lot of experience w/ ducs, do u ride one?

the lever is adjustable. but all it does is move it closer to the bar or out. It won't change the engagement point. I believe you will need to change the clutch slave to get the friction zone wider. But the simplest and cheapest thing is just get use to it.

oh I have owned a few :)

And slipon is a must on all ducati. I would even go full system... not so much for power..but for the weight saving.

vince chung? i remember meeting up with him and his friends for a sesh quite a while back. all i can recall is that i had an angus burger and almost choked on it because my mouth was so dry lol.

and you're suspended til oct? that sucks man... not being able to drive for the entire summer :banghead:

You must be the guy I met on Thursday on the smoke break.