Buying advice?

[Shatten]

Hello everyone

I'm a new enthusiast (to motorcycling and pasos as well) and want to have my first real bike be a paso. I had thought to look for a 907 ie as they *seem* to be less problematic since I would'nt have to deal with a carbeurator but was curious as to your thoughts on that.

Mostly what I would like to ask for is advice on what to look for in buying a paso so that hopefully I dont get ripped off or buy a lemon due to sheer ignorance.

Thanks for all your helpful advice and comments in advance!

[ducinthebay]

One of the best ways is to just browse the posts here to understand what owners of the bike are concerned about. The FAQ section is always good.

The best way is to bring a friend who knows what a Paso is, or at least a Ducati. Where are located? Maybe one of us on list can help you out.

Cheers,

[Shatten]

Sadly I am the person who knows the most about motorcycles that I know. I've been reading up on bikes and duc's pretty heavily. I don't really know anyone else who rides, much less a ducati.

I have been browsing, but that's a lot of information all at once

As for location, I'm in Louisiane, US. Sadly, most of y'all seem to be in the UK.

[jcslocum]

Plenty of us here in the states. Don't know of anyone from that far down south tho.

[Kurt]

I think any older bike -- or car or truck for that matter -- will need attention and work performed either by you or by a qualified tech ($80 per hour at dealers in these parts). To feed my own addiction I have both old bikes, and new ones with 2-year warranties. I ride the new ones more, and fix the old ones more. Old or new, I spend $$$$$ on them

[Laddie907]

the difficulty with a Paso is it's fully covered and hard to see the condition of things without taking the fairing off..

at least lift the seat and look for signs of re-wiring and corrosion around the battery.

look in the petrol tank and check for corrosion...many tanks develop leaks around the triangular base part where the fairings attach...look for bubbles on tank paintwork here.

most 907ie's idle perfectly but don't like to be driven below 3,000 RPM
start the bike and let it warm up at least 5 minutes before moving...oil leaks will accumulate on the exhaust and if it's smokey you know the casings need attention

check the compression - seems a lot to ask but if they're confident the bike is good they should allow it.

see if they have a receipt from the last belt change for the valve drives...and if new belts were fitted.

ask what chip it has in the ECU..and if it matches the exhaust,

a problem that 907s have is the radiator coolant tank / filler splits...take a torch and look to see if there is coolant in the tank and check for signs of repairs

check the swing arm where the rear sprocket passes...sometimes the sprocket bolts gouge a groove in the alloy (which is very soft)
while you're at it check sprocket and chain condition.

check for spongey brakes (is the bike sold with a roadworthy certificate?)

try to take the bike for a spin on a flat road and cruise at 100kmh (60 miles/hr) - make sure the cruise is smooth.

[Shatten]

Ah, thank you! That's a simple little list to bring with me inspecting!

[Kurt]

would add to Laddie's excellent list:

remove front sprocket cover to see whether cases have been damaged/repaired after throwing a chain

There are other threads on this forum about buying a used paso, for example:
http://forums.ducatipaso.org/viewtopic. ... desmotimes

As part of your research before buying, along with browsing the forum, maybe download the factory manuals and parts book (links are here somewhere). I like the desmotimes.com "Maintenance and Modification Guide" -- $30 well spent. He's in Florida.

[mrinflux]

Mostly what I would like to ask for is advice on what to look for in buying a paso so that hopefully I dont get ripped off or buy a lemon due to sheer ignorance.

Shatten,

I've been following all the 907s sold on e-bay for the past three years. Almost all sold for between 4 and 5 thousand dollars, depending on the milage, condition and after-market upgrades. The following upgrades are common:

exhaust cans
air cleaner
racing chip
bar risers
chain wheels (sprokets)
braided brake and clutch lines
corbin seat
euro taillight
fender elimination kit
clutch cover

These upgrades alone cost a couple of thousand dollars, so factor their presence or absence when shopping.

Other less common, (and more expensive), upgrades include:

dzus fasteners
rear suspension
master cylinder
brakes/rotors
marchesini rims (2 grand minimum just for this!)
clutch and/or slipper clutch
high compression pistons
944 kit

Obviously, the presence of any of these upgrades increases value significantly. Also, if upgrades have been made, the original OEM parts should be included in the deal. Their absence decreases the value of the bike.

Generally, red is the most desirable color, and red 907s typically sell for more than black 907s, even though black 907s are much rarer. Re-paints and custom paint jobs decrease value significantly.

Milage is important. Under 15,000 is good; under 10,000 is great. More than 30,000 is high and decreases value.

'91s are the least desirable; '93s are the most desirable. After model year "91, Ducati upgraded the brakes/rotors and switched from black to silver exhaust cans.

Check the condition of body plastic carefully. Older bikes often show stress fractures at or near the fasteners. Replacement body plastic is hard to come by and expensive. And even if you find it, the paint may not match well.

Check the condition of the paint. The painting process for the 907 is complicated and not easily replicated. It's not a simple matter of buying touch-up paint or ordering paint with paint codes. Paint problems decrease value substantially; conversly, good paint enhances value.

Mechanically, check for maintenance records. Pay attention to valve and timing-belt maintenance. Ducati recommends that the valve timing belts be changed every 12,000 miles. This job is expensive. If the bike your considering needs new belts, this decreases value. Make sure the bike idles and accelerates smoothly, w/o back fire. Fuel mapping problems can be difficult to diagnose and expensive to repair.

Finally, consider who the current and former owners are/were. There are always exceptions, but generally speaking, 907s owned by "mature" riders haven't been ridden as hard, have fresher engines, and probably less repairs and headaches down the road. Young bucks tend to ride harder, causing greater wear and tear on engine, suspension, brakes, and chasis.

Good luck!

Elton

[higgy]

I think Elton gets a gold star for that post,excellent covered all the bases

[jcslocum]

Send us a link to any bike you are looking at and we will critique it for you. Good pictures will allow us to see 100's of flaws!

[Shatten]

I'll keep that in mind

[persempre907]

Good pictures will allow us to see 100's of flaws!

Optimist!!!
Some hidden flaw can always escape...
Ciao

[paso750]

except to all 907ie specific stuff you should generally always look for marks and scratches on fork legs/footpegs/exhaust/brake & clutch levers, colour mismatch of body parts, if the stickers are covered by a clear coat and any other detail that may indicate the bike was crashed and rebuild/repainted.
Take a look also at the steering stops which are positioned above the lower triple clamp and if the adjusting screws are still the original. If you can see a crack at one of the two steering stops or if an adjusting screw was replaced by a longer one that will indicate a crash.

G.

[persempre907]

I'd add the dents on the swingarm say that the bike fell down and the exhaust bolts dented the swingarm.
Ciao