Perils and pitfalls of the 748

A number of things are to be considered when buying a 748/916 and they include the following. Belts are the biggest cause for concern and need to be changed every 8000-12,000 miles or every two years, depending on who you listen to. You can do the job yourself (see Jim Lindsay’s Project 996 on page 84) but if you don’t then you want to know when it was last done and who did it: well-known Ducati specialists are the best option. Other issues include rear wheel spindles (1994-1998 machines were recalled for potential cracks), fuel lines can fail, fuel filters can get very clogged (sometimes leading to reg/rectifier failure) and the alternator wiring can fry. The connectors to the starter motor need checking as water can get in and corrode these, any fuse connections can prove to be a weak link and coolant expansion tanks can crack as they get old. Plating can come off of cams which leads to damage to the cam lobes and this is a big problem that some experts say was only solved on the move to the Testastretta head in 2001. Flywheel retaining nuts can work loose and cause a lot of damage. It’s also worth changing the oil regularly so you can check for any aluminium residue which can mean the crankshaft oil galley plug is disintegrating: from 2001-on they used a steel plug. Cush drives can eat into the swingarm (you’ll spot slivers of metal on your chain) so they need replacing and checking or just buy a quick-release sprocket holder and clutch slave leaks are also common. Oh and both oil pressure lights and low-fuel lights often lie. If it sounds scary to find a good 748, please try and calm down. There are some very good ones out there and you can save a bad one – but do expect to spend money. The other thing is identity: like the 916, you’ll find many ‘standard’ biposto 748s pretending to be SPS with the addition of a pair of loud Termis and a single-seat unit and a pair of white numberboards. Check history and any limited-edition plaques adorning the machine.