The 2005 Ducati 749 Dark was purchased in Sept 2005 as a "play bike". The SV650 feels a bit more maneuverable, but doesn't have that kick-in-the-pants speed I wanted. I'd looked at some faster bikes, but wasn't really comfortable with the recent crop of liter super-sports. The 749 Dark is based on the standard 749, but with some less-trick parts - The rear-sets are not adjustable, it has a slightly heavier swing-arm, it does not include a steering damper, and the front forks aren't as good as the standard 749. On the plus side, it's about $2k cheaper and the black looks very cool. My rationalization was that I'm not a good enough rider to notice most of those differences and they can all be upgraded if/when I do.

That said, it is still a screamer. The break-in recommendations are to keep the revs under 6k for the first 600 miles, this is most painful as the bike doesn't really go nuts until 6500+. I've wicked it up a few times and scared the crap out of myself - I'm not sorry I passed on the cheaper UJS (universal Japanese Superbike) liter bikes at all.

Of course, it is a Ducati, which means it's a bit more temperamental and finicky - something I fully knew going in. I likes a little longer time to warm up than the SV650 and with that loud Ducati exhaust, I'm sure the neighbors are loving the 60 seconds of high-rpm choke-in before I go riding.

A few minor issues I've noticed so far - The bike runs hot! I may have to get leathers just to protect my ass from the heat this thing puts off. Twice now, I've come back to the bike after a hard ride, tipped it up, and noticed a small puddle of radiator fluid that had collected in the lower fairing drip out. I'm hoping this is just due to overfilling, but am having the shop check it out during the 600 mile service. Also, the clutch seems to grind a bit when engaging from a stop. This is my first experience with a dry clutch, so it may be normal. Again, I'm having the shop check into it.

600 Mile Service

I took the Duc to Nichols Manufacturing for service based on dozens of positive reviews, they did not disappoint. The shop is very laid back and casual and the guys there know their bikes very well. Nichols is well known in the community for their performance parts as well.

• Coolant leak - Turns out that on many of their bikes, Ducati use too-large a hose clamp on some of the coolant hoses. To get the clamps down, they have to be tightened to their maximum, which even then isn't always enough. In my case, this was the cause of my minor coolant leak. The service guys caught on and replaced my coolant hose clamps with smaller ones that tighten down farther.

Mods

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-- ChrisWeiss - 02 Oct 2005