from what i have found so far, i have owned 2 ducks one being a 97 916. the main thing with the 916's are the electrical systems. the voltage regs fry if you sit in traffic in high heat. also the yellow wires going into the stator are too small and deteriorate and cause the volt regs to fail also. i had this happen right after i got my bike. i sent the stator to rick's electric and had larger wires put on and i got an electrix volt reg. and have had no problems with the bike at all since. have him check the rubber bushings in the rear sproket, they go bad with age and will eat up a swing arm or cause a crash. they are cheap to replace though. the clutch push rod seals leak on most of the 916's but is not really an issue. there are many after market fixes for this. Some bikes did have flaking rocker issues mostly the 748's. the 916 is not a drag bike or a stunt bike at all. it is more at home in the twisties or an art gallery. the bikes must be properly maintained. i love my 916 and would not consider anything else for my riding style but if i were going to stunt i would go with a gsxr1000 or a zx10. the 916 is a great bike but it does take some comitment to own and enjoy.
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