anyone had the ducati 748? just want some feedback on them from people with first hand experience. things like, reliability (or rather how UN-reliable ;)) can it keep up with a group etc…not that it would stay standard for long if i had it 
i know selling a 749:)
woops, meant to say i know someone selling a 749
748 are nice bikes. Need a bit more revving than a 9xx to keep up with litre bikes, but that makes them more fun.
No problems with reliability if they have a service history. I’ve seen SPS and R models (the race reps) with 30k on them.
Wiring and regulator/rectifiers can be dodgy on the older ones, but we’re talking bikes that are 10 years old. At some point, they moved over to Japanese electrics and since then they’ve been good.
Mechanically, the only issue is maybe flakey rockers - the opening and closing rockers have a chrome plating and a couple of batches came from suppliers who couldn’t get the process right. Belts every two years, but if you’re at all mechanical, you’ll be able to change them yourself.
The 749 makes a better road bike IMHO, but the looks are still maturing.
I’ve got ducs and have had no problems with any of them.
johnnybravo had one, he will tell you all about it
I spent a weekend in Wales pushing one which didnt like water As others will vouch for :D:D:D
My mate had a 748SPS which I rode back from Belgium for him. He had buggered up his ankle and couldn’t ride it. Trouble was in was December!!!
Lovely bike, the riding position takes a bit of getting used to though.
Ive been on track with a few of those and Id say performance on track seems to be similar to a tuned SV650 bored out to 700cc (they stonk down the straights more than the standard SV650). They seem to make good racebikes, though and the problems I’ve heard about them tend to be more to do with riding position, as has previously been mentioned.
Plus I know a man who can do you a decent track fairing for it 
As JerryXT said the only problem you could have with a 748 is about wiring and electric in general
though these problems are only related to all the 748s that have been made before 1999.
All the 748 MYs before 1999 have a single phase “ducati energia” alternator (350W - 2 wires) wherease all the 748 after 1999 have a three phases Denso alternator (520W - 3 wires)
Then my advice is to look for a recent one since it is not possible to only swap the alternator on the old models, because the crank shaft, the oil pump and other parts are totally different as well.
Even if you consider a 748 biposto with 90bhp I cannot believe that a SV can barely compete with a 748 on a track, not even with a bigbore kit, the power is important but the frame/suspension of the SV are just crap compared to the 748 ones
The 748 is a 916/996/998 with a smaller engine but the frame/suspension are almost the same and this make the 748 a supreme racing bike with the licence plate, so if you are looking to buy one of those the riding position should not be an issue for you…
Good luck with the search and then have fun with your Duc!
cheers for all the replies guys n gals, reason was i was offered 1 as a swap for my fighter, tried a mates today and really wasnt keen on the riding position, great fun but i do alot of long journeys up and down the country and i think my fighter is more comfy :w00t:…ah well we live and learn, shall see what else i find!
defo a different ride to the jap bikes thats for sure. prob not a bad call if you do distance - the way to have fun on them is to be moving around on 'em rather than sat still in the handstand position 
great fun on the road and track otherwise if anyone else is considering tho - had an 01 plate and was very reliable. those rockers are a fecker tho - 100 a pop. had to replace two myself but techmoto replaced 'em with some used ones out of a knackered engine
cheers fella, ye i can see alot of long motorway journeys taking its toll on my wrists! zx12r is my next stop
Saw a guy pushing one home once in the rain - offered the usual help etc. . .
I thought you had your sights set on a Mille.:Whistling:
mate had one, didnt oil the chain, result big bang 30 yards black stripe on the road and goodbye 1/2 the engine casings 
on the other hand up untill then he liked it a lot horrible riding position (for me) pretty looking bike tho, probably best to oil the chain tho
its a bike that is a bit unforgiving if you dont hold your body weight up with your knees on the tank/ dont hold your back straight - rode my friends bike before i bought and enjoyed it but that was a couple of laps round regents park.
then bought one from aylesbury and rode it back down the a41 - my back wasn’t massively happy with me, and did wonder if i’d made a mistake at that point! soon got used to it tho. not much seat depth either for tucking in on the straights if you’re a tall fecker like me 
I hear what youre saying but check this out (just top 30 taken and some ccs might be slightly wrong, but you get the idea):
Thunderbike UK Championship 2008 #Rider NameTotalBike1Garry Budgen627CBR599Fm2Simon Peyto518SV7003Phil Read480Alto Vyrus RVC2v08 (944cc)4Daniel Wright346CBR600Fn5Simon Baggett275FZ7506Gyles Fairclough224Moto Guzzi MGS017Andy Burbidge220Ducati 7488Piers Hutchins209SV7009Adam Palfreman207SV70010Joe Duggan178Ducati 74811Mike Baxter116Ducati 749?12Kevin Furnish115GSX-R75013Tony Rand114SV70014Paul Martin111SV70015John Hall109SVX550 Supermoto16David Haydock108SV70017Lee Hodge91SV70018Russell Joyner76Laverda or Ducati not sure19Mike Parry53Ducati 74820Phil Smith44Laverda SF75021Rob Wittey42SV70022Craig Ashall40SV650=James Hutchins40SV70024Paul Barlow37SV70025Jamie King36SV65026Harry Cole35Ducati 748r27Steve Palmer29ZXR40028Michael Neeves20Alto Vyrus RVC2v08 (944cc)29Kieron Hayes18not sure=Peter Whitelegg18not sure Please also note that the above championship included 2 or 3 visits to Snetterton…
i did mate but been offered a couple of great deals for a zx12r or a 748 s which will leave me with change in my pocket so might aswell, also they both can go for alot more than im paying for them if i decide to sell them on so it works all round 
had another go on the 748 today though and i must say…its growing on me :rolleyes:
get the 748 if your budget can allow and remember to budget for desmo valve clearances every 6k miles if I remember right (around £350+?)The riding position on my Mille isn’t far off a Ducati and my back + wrists were going WTF when I first got it but yes its true, you do get used to it and slowly the pain stops. It all makes sense when you ride hard to have the weight distributed that way.
I thought the back pain was me using and stressing muscles that weren’t used to being used, its not so bad now.
Personally if I ever am at a point in my life where I have a chance to afford to buy and run a Tamburini designed Ducati or MV I’d just go for it.
It’s not just another bike, its THE iconic bike of our era, park an MV F4 or a 748/916> next to anything and still stirs emotion even in people who do not ride motorcycles, the zx-12r is an awesome bike ofc but not a timeless icon of engineering.
And there’s always that spot in every biker’s living room which could always do with a 916 right between the flatscreen TV and the electric guitar. or maybe thats just my weird fantasy.
or
Eh?
im stuck between the undeniably awsome looks of the ducati, and the sheer power/speed of the zx12r, im goin to have a week or so of testing then decide i think