Ducati 99R V-Twin

Sometime next year it is rumored that Ducati plans to put lights on one of these motogp bikes and sell it to the public. A price of around $60,000 has been quoted for their V-4. Until then, if one wants the next best thing, Ducati offers their 999R v-twin for around $30,000. As mentioned in the article, motogp bikes put out about 250 horsepower and weigh around 330 pounds. The next class down is Superbike where modified versions of street bikes produce around 190 horsepower and weigh about 360 pounds. A highly modified version of Ducati’s 999R won the AMA superbike race this year at Laguna and the same basic bike can be purchased and ridden on the street. Beefed up with street equipment the weight jumps up to about 400 pounds and the engine with catalytic converter and unstrained parts has a claimed 150 horsepower. For the road, the bike is a complete monster, way more than is reasonable or needed for any kind of circumstance.

What is this road racer for the street like? Looking it over, almost everything you can touch is carbon fiber. Even the belt guards on the engine protecting the cam belts are made of the light, expensive woven material. Ultra light forged aluminum wheels and the very latest Ohlins suspension are featured. For the casual rider or collector of fine machines who only ride bikes periodically, the 999R has a few challenges. The seating position is pure racer, high seat and pegs and low bars. Luckily, these ergo nitpicks can be fixed. A company called Cycle Cat makes handlebars that are just enough higher to make a difference in comfort without having to cut up the fairing. They also make fully adjustable footpegs so you can pick your foot position. Corbin makes a saddle that bolts right on and adds enough padding to make the bike comfortable. With these three changes, the bike is transformed into a street-able bike.

While the latest four cylinder 1000cc racer replicas from Japan can match the Ducati on the spec sheet, none give the rich and rewarding experience of this high end Italian twin. The bike has loads of torque which is characteristic of twins and makes exiting corners much easier. And yet when revved, a powerband matching just about anything is available but one that arrives in a smooth and predictable manner. The bike injects cleanly, accelerates smoothly, runs cool, and pretty much behaves in every manner like a regular streetbike when ridden normally.

The auto world offers a couple of cars that can be mentioned in the same sentence as a formula one or indy car, but only at prices ranging from $600,000 to a $1 million. Looked at in that light, the $30,000 999R is quite close to its race track brethren for a much more modest cost. Selling your house isn’t required.

Mark Barnett