ducatipaso.org

Have just bought my Paso750 last Friday, getting it on Wednesday.

Have previously ridden Ducatis for 11 years; Pantah 600, 900ssc, 851, 748 SPS... The SPS gave BIG trouble and cost me a FORTUNE in 15 months, after which I diverted to a Buell X1. Sold that and concentrated on my Lotus for a year...

Last May I bought a Suzuki Katana which I serviced and tidied up myself; I sell motorbikes. This I traded in on the Paso; great to be back on Ducati!

Personally, I love the 16 inch Ascam wheels and am unlikely to convert to 17 inch. Provided Michelin keeps producing the tyres for it. If not, hopefully some different Korean? make or something will take over production?

Bike's done 56000 kms, very nice condition bar for some corrosion on unpainted parts underneath the fairing which I'll probably be able to tidy up without too much hassle...
Bike runs great, but haven't got a clue as to when it was last serviced? I'll take off the cambelt covers and ascess the state of the belts themselves, and have them done in due time. There are hardly and valves to be heard, though! Which is nice...

I know the Paso is somewhat of a bastard-child to some Ducatisti, but that probably says more of them, than the "ugly duckling". Personally, I've always have had a soft spot for the bike and its' connection to the period it was produced, and the people that were involved with it's birth. Perhaps not of slight importance that that was the time I started riding motorbikes...

Any of You guys tips as to the Paso 750 specific? Are there any specific points I should have a look at before frequent use? Love to hear from You,

Jilles.

Tires are available, but buy them BEFORE you need them. I usually keep a set on the shelf. Rear shocks can be a pain. Dont overtension the chain or you'll destroy the output shaft bearing. Stock weber carb is decent if set up right, Mikuni conversions are popular. Upgrading brakes is a solution without a problem (my opinion) but stainless lines help lever feel.

Enjoy the ride!

Change the cam belts. With their age/mileage unknown I would do it ASAP. They are supposed to be changed every 2 years or 12K miles, whichever comes first. On the 2V it's a half hour job and if your slightly handy you can do it.

My Paso handled a bit strange when I first bought it. With a little tweeking on the rear shock and playing with the air pressure in the tires I was able to remedy the situation. It will never handle like my 748 but it's fast and stable.

It's a GREAT bike.

Thanks guys,

I'm having the cam-belts and oil replaced next week just to be safe, the bike's got 58.000 kms on it and nobody knows when they were last replaced... I intended to swap the belts every 20.000 kms; I reckon Ducati would love us to change them every 12.000 kms, but think that's b*llocks.

Went out for my first serious hoon on the bike last sunday as it was pretty good weather for getting a little sticky with the Michelins. Bike tracks just great!
Initially, the handlebars were a little push-and-tug as the front-tyre isn't too great and the previous owner hadn't ridden the bike anywhere near to it's potential. Later that day the steering went more neutral and the bike could be ridden at a faster pace. Could also be the tyres needed to loosen up, as it hadn't been ridden by the previous owner in quite a while? Won't break my head over that.

There's a lot of talk over these Michelins, but they work out OK for me? Sure, there would probably have been more stickier tyres if there was any market for 16 inch tyres, but the A59 and M59 never let me down.
Feedback's not bad at all, also! In my experience, the bike can be ridden at a cornering-pace pretty close to more modern rubber.

Love the way the bike combines a sporty character with touring-orietated ergonomics. Think me and the bike could have a wonderful relationship.......

Jilles.

I read in an automotive trade journal a while ago, Jilles, that timing belts are getting so good that some should soon be able to last more than 100,000km, or maybe it was even miles. But they won't all be that good, and considering the materials they're made of, the time factor is as important as distance. I'll still change mine sooner rather than later.

Really old post, but I'd still like to weigh in here: Having just had a belt snap at Daytona 2 wks ago, and seeing the damage it does, I'll just change my belts every 2 years regardless. My belts were 3 yrs old, but very low mileage; something like 2,000mi on a race bike, a 748. So their mileage was low, but the rpm's were high!