If you are a Rare Sports Bike enthusiast that finds yourself angry at the ever rising prices of your beloved machines, perhaps it is time to start thinking slightly outside of the box. There are gems out there in the market if you are willing to dig. Take this 2003 Ducati 749S for example. It has all style, sound and appeal of an Italian sport bike of the era with just a slight dilution in performance. The key is that the small reduction in absolute speed is coupled with a large reduction in purchase price. Most buyers of a semi vintage superbike are less concerned with performance and more concerned with the overall experience anyway.
More commonly seen in the traditional red, it is nice to see an example in yellow. Bike should stand out any any local ride in or cars and coffee event. The 749 came in a couple of different flavors over the year. The stripped down Dark, the base, an S and the top of the line R. The R was known to be a strict homologation special, and many in period reviews spoke highly of the 749S street manors. This generation was also praised for being far more comfortable when compared to the 748.
From The Seller’s eBay Listing:
03 Ducati 749 S for sale – 16,500 miles, clean title in hand, runs/rides great, fresh Dunlop Q3+ tires, overall good shape. Mostly stock other than a Termignoni exhaust, rearsets, clutch cover etc. This is the factory S model with hotter cams and lots of carbon fiber. Beautiful motorcycle – the 749 and 999 Terblanche-styled bikes are coming into their own! Pricing is going up on these rare bikes.
Located in LA’s South Bay.
The Buy It Now price is listed at $7,000 and the seller indicates that they are opened to offers as well. The just over 16k miles means this will not appeal to a static collection, but there are still plenty of miles left in it for the new owner to enjoy. The open clutch cover, rearsets and exhaust are all choice modifications that most owners will desire. In many markets the focus is on 100% factory original, but in the Ducati world a pass is often given for specific components being installed. The elephant in the room is the lack of mention of service history. A set of cam belts might be needed. Luckily these are not expensive from Ducati (Also aftermarket options for about half the cost) and well with in the scope of a DIY owner to install.
I’ve been looking at a 999/749 for sometime. A 749 with 16k miles and no service history for $7k is at the top of the price range. Belts are not the only thing that would need attention…Ohlins will most likely need an overhaul, valve adjustment, flushing all fluids, possible fork seals. At this price price point you can find a fully serviced 999 or a 999S with similar miles and maintenance needs.
I think this is a very fair price. I just purchased a non running 749s for 6,500.
The looks hurt these bikes badly, which is a shame really cos they are actually an improved bike on the 748/916 series, plus many seem to view yellow as unworthy of Italian stuff, but you don’t wanna look at it, ride and enjoy the beast.
It’s value compared to the earlier model, and prices will always creep up.
The 916 was a tough act to follow, but personally I think the 999 had aged VERY well.
the 740/999 series has started to remind me of those streamline generation trains for the 1930’s that were all art deco
Man I am old. This is a nearly 20 year old bike now. And I do think they look better with a race fairing. Yes, i do need one. Fly across the country, ride it home, don’t register it and convert to a track bike… bit of risk in there but intellectually interesting. Of the daydreams I have sometimes, I don’t think I would ever spend that much on a trackbike, but the fantasy is appealing.
Relisted! Thanks for the interest everybody