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Desmosedici
drama
(Guy 'Guido' Allen, October 18,
2024)
Sometimes when you buy exotic toys the decision comes back to bite you on the wallet. USA auction house and dealer Iconic Motorbikes has been remarkably frank about the expensive workshop 'adventures' experienced by its current 2008 Ducati Desmosedici with all of 1335 miles (2148km) on the odometer.
It recently had to replace the
crankcases and the heads at a cost estimated to be
around Au$45,000 (US$30,000, GB£23,000). Why? This,
among other models of the era, was filled ex-factory
with blue coolant containing glycol. That was fine
when the engine was used and serviced on time, but
caused problems if it sat for long periods as the
liquid would quietly eat away at the aluminium.
The problem was not confined to Desmosedici. It raised its head in a 2013 interview with Ducati Technical Director Andrea Forni, by Kevin Ash (RIP), regarding then recent Multistrada series (and Testastretta engines):
There seems to have been an unusual
number of cylinder head failures, can you tell us
anything about this?
“Yes, there have been some problems with coolant
escaping into the lubricating oil. This was caused by an
unexpected internal corrosion problem caused by
glycol-based anti-freeze. We have changed the anti-freeze
specification to a non-glycol one and this has cured the
problem. We now recommend a non-glycol anti-freeze for all
existing Testastretta engines.”
Back to the Desmosedici at Iconic...the
entire history was described in detail and then the
machine was put up for auction. As Iconic explained,
numerous issues had been dealt with and now this was
potentially an ideal choice for someone who wanted to
actually ride it.
It came with the comprehensively rebuilt
engine, plus the original set of cases for anyone worried
about confirming its identity.
Just as an aside, Iconic said the
16.5-inch rear tyres were no longer available, and had
therefore fitted a 17-inch Marchenisi rear. The original
rim, plus an alternative matching set, were on offer.
The auction turned out to be a
disappointment, with a top bid of around Au$75,000
(US$50,000, GB£38,500). It's now advertised for Au$120,200
(US$80,250, GB£61,800).
One of the issues for potential buyers is
the bike would be, ironically, more valuable to an
investor in original trim with less miles – even if no-one
had ever started it. Now that it's been set up as a viable
rider, it's a much more difficult proposition to price.
Meanwhile the advice for collectors who
store rather than ride is to drain the coolant.
We can recommend reading the listing, which is refreshingly frank.
See our
Desmosedici profile
More
features here
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