My 1997 Ducati 916 Biposto

[97Bip]

This all started back in 94.. I saw a Strada that belonged to a workmate, parked outside the office - the most fantastic looking bike I had ever laid eyes on. Not just the lines or the colour, but the engineering. Only Italian design can do that: functional but pleasing to the eye. The Japanese excel at the functional bit, but somehow never (to my eyes) get the visuals right. All that stuff about Ducati copying the NR750 may or may not be true, but Honda could never have made those styling cues work like Ducati did.

The only trouble with that beautiful 916 Strada was the price!

Wind the clock forward ten years - I had gone back to biking via a Kawasaki KR1-S (2 stroke 250, ultra light and still holds the record for top speed of a production roadgoing 250!) and then my first Ducati, a red 600SS. I'd also made contact with Moto Rapido's Steve Hillary when he was working on his own, as Dr Desmo - he looked after my SS for me and was running a local branch meeting of the DOC - and then the opportunity to buy the 916 happened. Steve and Wilf had a tidy red 916 Biposto on sale on behalf of a customer, the only issue being that it had 25000 miles on the clock! Steve and Wilf put a deal together for me that included a full top end rebuild and the rest of the 24K service for the right price and I signed.



The wait was a killer while Steve stripped the top end and rebuilt it, but Wilf emailed me photos as the rebuild progressed - great service, never forgotten! It needed a couple of rockers, new valves and the rebuilding.

Since collecting it, the bike has only let me down once - the main fuseholder under the seat had corroded and eventually the current across the poor contacts heated it to the point where it melted. Cut out 1/2 a mile from my house, but at the bottom of the only hill for miles! Once I found the problem it was fixed in under an hour. I do a lot of the minor maintenance but still return to Steve and Wilf for the tricky stuff.

Mods are:

• Carbon front guard
• Carbon hugger and chain guard
• Carbon clutch cover
• Carbon exhaust shield
• Dark tint screen
• Polished exhaust system including the cans
• Modded standard cans - gutted them and fitted 50mm perforated pipes a-la Termignonis - Loud!!
• 062 EPROM to suit the open cans
• Goodridge brakelines

Pending jobs.. new clutch cush rubbers and an SPS style single seat unit. Then an Ohlins rear shock.

I'm glad to say that the 916 has lived up to my expectations - and that's a good thing when you've waited ten years for one! Mileage is now 32,500 and she continues to run beautifully.



Cheers, 97.

PS spot the recycling bin in the pic above - hope that pleases the bin spotters!!

[Laz]

"Shiney, shiney;. . . . . shiney boots of leather!!"

Sorry, had a little Velvet moment there!! Your bike looks BOOT-IFUL mate!!
You must be delighted!! I have a '95 which is shiney tooo and i love her to bits!!

Enjoy every minute of it, and from the way she looks, you will!!8)

[diamondbrit73]

hi mate, the bike looks good, very clean too! i got my 996 with 9500 mikes on it and i now ahve 20000! they work best when they are used and not left sitting in a garage!

although even if its crap weather you can still look at standing still! lol

looks like your be having more fun! have you thought about a track day?

[Vinnychoff]

i have my 916 biposta 1998 4 months ago. Bought with 14k on the clock. i have it up tp 18k and intend to keep ridding in most weathers. rain puts me off although i have been out in it... he he.
i have seen one other with 40k. i hope mine will keep going.
Vinny

[Dukester]

here's my '97 Bip (with it's Carbon/Kevlar single seat unit on!). she has done close to 50,000miles now in all weathers.

[97Bip]

Originally Posted by Dukester

here's my '97 Bip (with it's Carbon/Kevlar single seat unit on!). she has done close to 50,000miles now in all weathers.

Amazing.. I thought mine was high mileage but 50k must be the highest I have heard of. You must know the 916 inside out after all those miles.. Any major headaches along the way?

97.

[Dukester]

oh yeah, almost every known 916 problem has happened to this bike. i should have known i was in for a rough time before i brought it. the previous owner had a fair bit of trouble but had it all sorted under warranty so i thought it'd be ok after that. i paid Ģ100 for an extended warranty when i bought the bike, claimed Ģ1800 of parts and labour on it in that year.

but it's soooo good when it goes that i can get thru the times when it doesn't.

[infostroller]

smart bike - mine is away for the winter now - difficult decision with all this lovely weather around, but the tax ran out and I'm keen to keep it in top condition.. and it gives me a chance to fettle in the warm!

planned for my winter is pipe polishing! any tips (drill attachments+autosol?), or did you buy it like that?

[97Bip]

Hi, I would really miss mine over the winter, so it stays in use. Bit of a PITA once they start salting, as it has to have a thorough wash every ride, followed by careful drying and lots of WD-40. Worth it though, as there are plenty of cold but dry and sunny days. It also reminds me of the summer while I'm tip-toeing about on slippery roads and avoiding the salt.......

The link pipes were polished when I bought it, but the cans are new and I did them myself. Worst bit was getting the anodising off, then a polishing kit and eventually autosol. Looks fantastic though, I still like to see it all freshly polished.

Cheers, 97.

[andyrh]

Only need one word to sum up your bike 97

Beautiful

[Duke of Wales]

Originally Posted by 97Bip

Amazing.. I thought mine was high mileage but 50k must be the highest I have heard of. You must know the 916 inside out after all those miles.. Any major headaches along the way?

97.

Well impressed to hear of these 916's that have done a few miles ...
I feel a little embarrassed as my 1998 916 biposto has only just turned 9000 miles ...

[RichieW]

Shuper shiny 916 therev 97! Very pretty indeed. Please enlighten me as to what a full top end rebuild achieves. Presumably, itīs like having a new engine again yes?

Richie.

[97Bip]

Originally Posted by RichieW

Shuper shiny 916 therev 97! Very pretty indeed. Please enlighten me as to what a full top end rebuild achieves. Presumably, itīs like having a new engine again yes?

Richie.

Richie, thanks. The chaps at MotoRapido could tell you the whole story, but basically.....

The bike was stripped of tank, airbox, intake gear and exhausts. Both heads were removed, and stripped of all components. The valves, valve seats, cams, shims and importantly the rocker arms were inspected and renewed if worn/damaged. I had a couple of rockers that had lost chrome. The heads were cleaned thoroughly and the new seats re-cut. The whole lot was then re-assembled with new belts and the valve clearances set. Intake gear and the airbox/tank then re-fitted.

Assuming a good bottom end and bores, reconditioning the cylinder heads should refresh the motor - and mine does indeed run very well. Not been dynoed, but it feels healthy enough to me!

Cheers, 97.

[mcr998]

Originally Posted by Duke of Wales

Well impressed to hear of these 916's that have done a few miles ...
I feel a little embarrassed as my 1998 916 biposto has only just turned 9000 miles ...

Ha...!

Your embarrassed, my 1997 SPS hasn't even done 6000miles yet. I must write out one thousand times...

I must ride my bike more often.....

[Cafe Pombo]

MCR: Stop writing and start riding, I reckon!

Glad to hear of the high mileage examples around. I have a 748 with 25k miles and its showing no signs of slowing down (touch wood). Makes me wonder a bit though - you do seem to pay a reasonable premium for low mileage bikes. Are high mileage bikes with service history really worth that much less than low mileage bikes? I'd have thought a bike that has been sitting around for years without being used would be just as big a gamble.