[obert]

Originally Posted by zx10guy

Hope you did some research on that 848 you plan on buying and know what you're getting in to.

Yeah I have done some research on it. I know they need to be serviced at the dealer that can be pretty pricey and there are a few other issues that could come up but it’s a bike that I have always wanted and I have had 3 gsxr in the past so not looking for another Japanese bike.

Not looking to buy one that has been tracked, laid down or really high mileage.

Found a few 2017 with under 5g miles that meet all my criteria.

What’s your advise?

[zx10guy]

I don't remember when Ducati put the aluminum performance tank on the 848 as I sort of stopped following that vintage of Ducati super bikes after Ducati left a sour taste in my mouth with mine. But you want the one where they did put that on as standard. I think it was the last year for the 848 and it was released as the Corse model. The reason is Ducati F'd up and sourced the plastic tanks they used on the rest of the 848s from Acerbis. The plastic Acerbis used was highly susceptible to the Ethanol used in US fuels. The result is warped and deformed fuel tanks. At best, the tanks would stretch to the point where re-mounting them to the frame would be difficult if not impossible. At worst, the tanks would warp to the point the vent tubes inside the tank would crack allowing fuel to leak on top of the engine. There was one case of this reported on the Ducati.org forum. Ducati's answer to fix this problem was to put out a tank that was a bit shorter to allow for the inevitable expansion. Totally unacceptable.

The fuel tank is really narrow. This makes locking into the tank with your knees constant work. This may or may not be an issue for you depending on how you ride. It is for me as the rake of the subframe is such that you're constantly sliding into the tank. I bought the Performance seat which has a grippier material. That material wore off and the seat turned into a stock seat where I was sliding into the tank again. Makes braking at anything above moderate a chore to keep weight off the handlebars.

You may develop fogging/moisture in the headlights. The factory sanctioned fix is to drill a small hole in the rear headlight cover to allow it to vent a little. This was done on my bike.

I felt the stock two piece Brembo front brakes sucked. Not that great of a feel and took more pressure than I would think to stop the bike. I ended up swapping out the two piece calipers for the mono blocks used on the 1098/1198s.

The stock rearsets on mine (not sure if Ducati changed them in later model years) also sucked. The foot pegs are super slippery. You'll be wanting to put on a good set of aftermarket foot pegs or a new set of rearsets.

Depending on how sensitive you are to roasted buns and nuts, be aware that this thing runs hot; especially in stop and go traffic. The combination of the engine and the underseat mufflers with the catalytic converters right there near your rear end will make things toasty. I initially put on a heat shield to the inside of the undertail section which helped some. Ultimately, I ditched the stock mufflers for a set of Akra slip ons which are lighter and don't have the catalytic converters. This eliminated a ton of the heat.

Other issues I've had with my 848 were the immobilzer antenna around the ignition cylinder went bad, some LEDs burned out on one of the turn signals integrated into the mirror (which has also burned out again after being replaced under warranty), clutch master failed (and is failing again), and bad head gasket on the horizontal cylinder. My 848 is a 2009 bought new.

Oh and don't ever drop the bike. If it ever happens, you run the risk of bending the frame tab which is where the rearsets bolt up. I'm dealing with this now due to some brain dead idiot backing into my parked bike.

Another reason why you want the Corse model is I'm pretty sure Ducati threw on traction control and a quick shifter onto it. I don't remember if any of the later models got this upgrade or not.

If you want something different, personally, I would either look at the 959 Panigale if you want to stay with Ducati or the S1000RR. Having ridden the S1000RR on track pushing it hard, my vote would go to the S1000RR. And I think you'll be more happier with the RR since it's sort of the same as the GSX-Rs you've had in the past but also very different. If I had ridden the RR before buying the 848, I would have an RR in my garage now.

Oh and my last routine service for the 848 at 15,000 miles ran about $1500 and that's with a discount.