In the fun-per-euro sweepstakes, some riders think the 749 Dark has it all over a 999R, at least on the road. Sharing many attributes of the big brother, the Dark edition still has 108hp, a dry clutch, and admits only to being underdressed in its semi-gloss black paint. This Palm Beach example has been nicely personalized with carbon, and has low miles to boot.
2006 Ducati 749 Dark Edition for sale on eBay
Ducati introduced the successor to the 998 in 2003, along with the supersport 748cc model. The “little” testastretta was missing only a few mm of bore, and makes nice torque for a middleweight at 59 ft.-lbs. 43mm Showa forks handle the front end, and the adjustable Sachs monoshock takes care of the fabricated double-sided swingarm. Brembo brakes are suitably oversize at 320mm, and the fairing design offered more protection to the rider’s upper body.
Not sure that this is a one-owner 749, but the low miles and careful choice of add-ons makes me think so. The carbon accents go well with the basic black presentation, right down to the Remus mufflers which replaced the factory canister. Not sure the white area on the nose is stock but it looks good. From the eBay auction:
You are looking at a 2006 749 Dark in absolutely perfect condition. All services have been completed. Mechanically, cosmetically, this bike is perfect. Adult owned, garage kept and meticulously maintained. 6,500 miles on the odometer.
- Carbon fiber front fender
- Carbon fiber rear fender & chain guard
- Carbon fiber exhaust shield
- Carbon fiber key guard
- Carbon fiber heel guards
- Carbon fiber REMUS slip-on exhaust
Never in the rain or wet, never been on the track. I have all three keys (2 black and 1 master red). Rear stand is included. Tinted windscreen also included. This is a biposto model, passenger foot rests have been removed, but will be provided to the new owner.
Not the rarest but not so many 749’s have been accessorized and babied like this example. The details of Terblanche’s design have acquired a certain appreciation, and the 749 engine revs willingly before speeds involving risk of arrest. The last year of production isn’t a bad choice, and hopefully the opening bid is the reserve or not much less.
-donn
The prices on the 749 base model (Dark) are absolutely rock bottom right now. I am seeing very nice examples sitting on the market below $4K Cdn. That is around $3K USD. Can’t imagine they will get much lower. You have time to wait if you are looking for one to snap up.
the base 749 and even 999 are still cheap but the R versions have already started to appreciate, especially clean 999R xerox or FILA editions. S versions also seem to be climbing in price a bit.
Being the last ‘real’ ducati superbike the 999 should eventually have some collector value.
To those not aware, the dark or black edition is the lowest level of the 749 even below the regular 749. Don’t let people try and pass them off on you as ‘special’ like a S or R.