・Iconic Ducati in excellent condition

・Tasteful upgrades

・Ready for the road

Introduced in 1994, the Massimo Tamburini-styled 916 superbike and its subsequent evolutions captured the motorcycling public's imagination and established Ducati as one of the world's foremost brand names.  For 1999 the stronger and much improved 996cc engine of the 916SPS was standardised on the new '996' model.  A Ducati Corse works development took Carl Fogarty to his fourth World Superbike Championship on a 996 that same year.  The distinctive under-seat exhaust set a trend that was to be copied by almost every other manufacturer. The fuel-injected Desmo V-twin developed 112 horsepower and could propel the bike to 161 mph through a six speed gearbox.  Forks are upside-down Showa, and both front and rear suspension are adjustable. The brakes are Brembo discs, and wheels are the early 3-spokes, with a single-sided rear swing-arm. This example is the Biposto version, which offers a passenger perch.

Imported by Moto Cinelli it was given its pre delivery inspection before being delivered to P&H Motorcycles of Crawley.  First registered on 26th May 1999 the first owner resided in Barnstaple in Devon.  The current owner purchased the Ducati in its current configuration in October 2020.  He and his son had seen Carl Fogarty ride to victory at Brands Hatch in 1999 on a 996 and their hearts were set on owning one.  He says that although it is a gorgeous machine and an absolute blast to ride they feel it is just too much of a race bike for them, and having “owned the dream” they have decided to sell having added a further 500 miles in the past 7 months.

There has been no major work necessary on the Ducati other than servicing and upkeep.  The service book shows 5 stamps from its early life.  There is a virtually continuous trail of MOT certificates from new, with just 2006 and 2012 missing.  They show the gently increasing mileage:  8,544 in 2002 9,245 in 2005, 11,716 in 2010, 12,982 in 2015, and 15,255 in 2020.  The current MOT is valid until 13th June 2021, but the Vendor has advised they will place a fresh MOT on the Ducati once the Reserve bid has been reached.  Included are the original Owner’s Manual, Service Book and Dealer book, along with two sets of keys.

The 996 was hailed as a design masterpiece when new, so much so it was exhibited in the Guggenheim Museum in New York!  The aggressive, ground-breaking styling has aged well, and it has lost none of its racy good looks.

The overall condition can be summed up as excellent.  Apart from a couple of small scratches on the bodywork next to the pillion seat the Ducati shows only minor road grime and no major stone chips.  The paintwork isn’t faded; the wheels are virtually unmarked with plenty of wear left on the tyres.  In our opinion it looks as good as it did the day it was delivered, testament to its low miles and care by previous owners.

The 996 has had some tasteful upgrades including carbon BOS cans and carbon fibre parts in place of the sprocket cover, clutch cover, chain guard and rear mudguard.  The windscreen was changed to give the Vendor, who is quite tall, better protection.  All the original parts that have been carefully stored will come with the bike including the original exhaust cans and the rear foot pegs.  There is also a Streetwize trickle charger and a Ducati V Twins repair manual.

The Ducati 996 was touted as one of the best handling machines of all time and that still stands today.  Unsurprisingly values have been steadily increasing over the past few years and are likely to continue for this is an iconic machine. With timeless good looks it still has enough to surprise most of the more powerful contenders out there.  Add in the characteristic soundtrack of a deep bellowing exhaust and the rattle and “sching” of the clutch and you too could be Foggy knee down at Clearways on the final lap back in ’99!


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