2002 Ducati 900ss Senna Edition

[Joe]

Very nice, low mileage example of a 900ss.

 

 

https://grandrapids.craigslist.org/mcy/d/petoskey-2002-ducati-900ss-senna-edition/7537164005.html

[LowRyter]

Quite aggressive riding position on those bikes.  I suppose it's more a collectable than a rider.

[KINDOY2]

The heads are on the wrong side's though

[Joe]

3 minutes ago, KINDOY2 said:

The heads are on the wrong side's though

This owner's view description of a Moto Guzzi Sport 1100 Corsa describes the era of time that the Ducati 900ss & Guzzi were derived.

 

The last true Sports Bike from Guzzi

13 August 2021 by Honorary Swede

Version: Corsa

Year: 1998

Annual servicing cost: £250

A contemporary of the Ducati 900SS (Pantah) and it shares same failings as they were products of effectively bankrupt companies of parts bin engineering and some very cheap components and dubious paint work. But despite this they are both glorious bikes which are easy to maintain, robust mechanics and ooze character that makes them worth spending money on today despite being over two decades old. To ride the 1100 sport you will find many flaws weight and size means that on a tight B road it can feel like you are trying to steer a narrow boat and the need for Guzzi to squeeze a marketable 150 mph out of the bikes whilst using an exiting gear set means it is stuck with a high top gear which makes stop start hard work and your clutch hand strong. The gear change is not anywhere near as agricultural (better than BMW’s of the same era) as people will have you believe; it is genuinely positive but slow by modern standards. Up changes are clutch-less and easily done smoothly, down changes need to be done with plenty of time, not because of the gearbox, but heavy flywheel (not by Guzzi standards) and primitive fuel injection means you need time to pick the revs up. My technique is to drop two gears to third and then drop to second as you enter the roundabout or turn. If you have money to spend, then there as some good improvements, if you have a Corsa (the last variant) then you get the stronger conrods but more importantly you have the lighter and more efficient Termignoni exhaust which sounds fantastic whilst still being quiet enough to not offend the MOT man. Replica systems are available from the Guzzi specialists or you can have one fabricated. I would recommend an ECU upgrade to improve throttle response (I use the MY-ECU) which offers a closed circuit option, ability to Bluetooth android devices and an auto tune function to adapt it to your style, fuel etc. If you go this route don’t fall into the trap of junking the airbox, instead fit a K&N filter and take advantage of the ram air effect that used to confuse the old open loop fuel injection. If you have more money, then I would recommend dual plugging, as the high compression pistons are domed and so the engine needs to run a large torque robbing ignition advance. Dual Plugging reduces this by 20% and gives a good boost to the mid-range. If you are doing this I would also recommend when the heads are off that you get the heads modified as the squish area is suboptimal and causes a lower mid-range flat spot. I went all in, included a tweaked cam, balanced crankshaft, ported valves as well. The end result was the bike on dyno now just edges the 110hp they claimed for the Corsa with the Termignoni exhaust, but biggest improvement is in fueling and broad and strong mid-range torque curve that will hurl you between the bends without need to trouble the gearbox (3rd for B Roads, 4th for twisty A Roads and 5th for sweeping A roads prison sentence speeds). This brings me back to why I give it 5 stars, I have more modern, more powerful and better bikes, but none feel so special or are as rewarding to ride well as the Guzzi.