I've never heard of the "soft bore" issue. The only major problem I'm aware of on the 1991-97 era SS models is the frames can have cracks. The 2v air-cooled motor on these bikes are known to be highly reliable and relatively inexpensive and easy to maintain. Mine has >30k miles and runs great. I don't think the carbs are any more finicky than any other carb from that era.
From what I understood, it was only an issue for about 18 months of the production run. I believe everything was OK by '95. I agree...the 2V, air-cooled Duc motors do have a good reputation in regards to being reliable and
somewhat inexpensive to maintain - especially in comparison to the 4V liquid-cooled power plants. I put on over 25,000 trouble-free miles on my SS. Just stay on top of the schduled maintenance. I don't believe Ducatis are as forgiving as Japanese bikes when you let those service intervals slide. If I were looking to buy a pre-'99 SS, I'd probably stick to the last couple/few years of production. Just my very humble opinion.
Fair enough, but even when it is parked next to the latest Japanese superbikes and she is not standing next to it, it is funny seeing passerbys checking it out and ignoring the other bikes.
The reason the SS did not sell well is because they made the riding position too extreme. They already had the 996 for that, the SS should have had a more upright position like the previous generation.
That was my experience with my Duc. It often drew crowds and I would get a ton of questions from non-motorcyclists and from some folks who knew just a little about bikes. I do wish they had softened-up the riding position a tad. I, too, wish they had retained the seating position from the earlier style. I found ways to work around mine to make it more comfortable for 600-700 mile days, but still...
Cheers,
Joe
