Ducati 888

Speed merchants usually go for big Japanese fours but I opted for a walk on the wild side - a used Ducati 888! Why? Well a series of so-called Japanese superbikes had left a bad taste in my mouth. Not because they were unreliable or slow or anything you could point a particular finger at, just that all they offered was speed. After a while, it simply wasn't enough. Enter a lovingly cared for Ducati 888 vee-twin. The owner was the kind of fanatic that dreams are made of - he spent an hour interrogating me before I was let loose on the machine. He would only sell to the right kind of chap! This is pretty typical of Ducati owners, despite the huge wedge involved.

The 888 is a beast of a motorcycle. Though it doesn't actually vibrate as such, it's a raw old thing that communicates the nuances of the combustion process directly to the rider in a way that a straight four could never emulate. A brief ride left me astonished at the fluidity of its vee-twin motor and wondering just what I'd let myself in for. The punch when I whacked open the throttle for the first time almost broke my back in two; the subtle difference between the outrageous torque of a vee and excessive power of a four. I practically had to force the money on to the vendor, who clocking my shining mug must've relived the highs of his own ownership and become suddenly reluctant to part with the 888.

Reality is a harsh bedfellow. The next day I found that the watercooled motor was reluctant to rev beyond 6000rpm. I phoned the old owner up who reckoned he'd never experienced such symptoms, added that he was about to go to Australia for the next six months so I shouldn't waste my time phoning him again! There followed several visits to people who reckoned they were Ducati dealers but didn't appear to have much of an idea of what was going down in the complex array of electronics and high tech metal that the 888 represented.

The bike would rumble along nicely enough at low revs but lacked the kicks I'd experienced on the test ride. I eventually found a Ducati expert who deduced that the previous owner had bodged the exhaust's baffles with some GRP that had soon been eaten up by the heat. He sat me gently down in a seat before revealing how much a new exhaust system would cost - a few taps with his hammer revealed that the old one was so far gone that there was no easy reclamation. He even offered to buy the bike off me, obviously reckoning that as a Ducati novice I didn't really know what I'd let myself in for. I got in hock with the bank and decided the good times were only a minor financial embarrassment away.

Fortunately, the expert had been correct in his diagnosis - these seemingly simple motors are actually more complex and finicky than the Japanese fours, one minor problem causing the whole to be rendered useless. With the new exhaust I was soon in seventh heaven, revelling in the bike's manic acceleration, glorious exhaust note and heavenly handling.

It took three weeks for the clutch to start giving trouble. Ducati clutches are notorious weak spots in an otherwise sophisticated design. It'd always been a bit grabby and noisy but it soon became really annoying, dragging in town and slipping whenever I went over 7000 revs - which was often, such was the intoxicating mix of power, torque and handling! I could run rings around bikes like the CBR900 in the tighter bends. The good life redefined. And such was the gutsy nature of the beast I never came close to boredom city.

Eventually, the clutch was burnt out to a cinder. Refused to work at all. The expert was called in, who just smiled and demanded another large wedge. He also informed me that it was time for the desmo valves to be done and that the piston rings were nearing their wear limits. He came up with a four figure sum to put the motor to rights and wasn't surprised to find my jaw aligned with my belly-button! This time I took his offer of money seriously; if the loss was slight, the relief was great! For all the Ducati's serious sensations I always had the feeling I was close to complete mechanical disaster. If I could afford it, though, I'd buy a new 916 - like yesterday!

Dave Williams