{"id":2631,"date":"2019-08-30T07:54:56","date_gmt":"2019-08-30T07:54:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/?p=2631"},"modified":"2019-08-30T09:01:27","modified_gmt":"2019-08-30T09:01:27","slug":"ducati-998-the-two-wheeled-poster-child","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/ducati-998-the-two-wheeled-poster-child\/","title":{"rendered":"Ducati 998 – The Two-Wheeled Poster Child"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Ducati<\/a> 998R is one of the most iconic bikes ever created. There\u2019s no need to hedge that statement with something like \u2018of the \u201890s\u2019 or \u2018out of Italy\u2019, it simply is one of the most remarkable machines ever made.<\/span><\/p>\n

To explain a large part of why that is, we must approach it from the origin angle; the 916 Strada<\/a>. Developed from the hugely successful Ducati<\/a> 851\/888, the 916 was something radically new outwardly, while being more of an enormous evolutionary step mechanically. The smooth, beautiful, new flowing fairings, eye-catching nose cone with the focused looking, almost aggressive, revolutionary projector headlights, simply sexual single-sided swingarm, sleek under-seat exhaust and smooth tail fairings all made the look of the 916 a radical step away from the very persistent \u201880s boxiness of most of the bikes both available on the open market and in use in the World Superbike Championship.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ducati,<\/a><\/p>\n

Penned by Massimo Tamburini, the stunning new design is the first thing to strike you about the 916\/996\/998 series but by no means the only development. This explains why it struck such a chord with bikers everywhere. It\u2019s a machine that to this day generates an emotional response \u2013 a flutter of the heart and a slight but palpable hunger to ride.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other changes to the chassis and engine cemented the 916\u2019s success. Weight distribution was addressed, bringing it lower in the bike along with the standover height remaining nice and low like its predecessor the 851\/888, meaning it never feels ungainly. The 851\/888\u2019s electronic fuel injection was tweaked and years ahead of most other manufacturers, Honda for example only introducing FI almost six years later, whilst Kawasaki stuck with carbs for just over another ten! Lightweight magnesium wheels reduced un-sprung weight and the angle adjustable headstock allowed for further fine tuning for your perfect suspension setup. The list really does go on, and while the 916 was a development based on the 851\/888, it really was more of a fresh new machine the closer you looked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ducati,<\/a><\/p>\n

All of this led the 916 onto a monumental number of victories in the WSB with the man, the legend, Carl \u2018Foggy\u2019 Fogarty dominating on the factory Ducati from 1993 to 1999, winning no fewer than FOUR championship titles. Ducati tallied an astonishing 77 wins overall on the 916 between Foggy, Giancarlo Falappa and Troy Corser. (I\u2019ll admit that stat includes the \u201999 machine; which maintained the 916 name but got the displacement increase that led onto it being redubbed the 996).<\/p>\n

The 996 succeeded the 916 in 1999, the extra 80cc being achieved by extension of the bore stroke on the reworked Desmodromic V-twin, but not for long. In 2001 the entire range was gifted with the brand new Testastretta engine, boosting power from the Desmo\u2019s 108hp to 123hp for the basic 998, 136hp for the 998S, and the range topping 998R clocking in at 139hp. Basically, the 998R is the ultimate, lairiest version of one of the most incredible bikes ever made. It causes a schoolboy-with-a-crush shivery feeling upon looking at it, but what\u2019s it like to ride?<\/p>\n

\"Ducati,<\/a><\/p>\n

The first thing you notice, especially if challenged in standover height, is that it\u2019s remarkably manageable with the standard saddle height set at 790mm. You don\u2019t feel as terrified \u2018paddling\u2019 it partly because of this, but mostly because the 998R carries its weight well, low enough in the frame that it never feels like it\u2019s actively working against you.<\/span><\/p>\n

The next thing you\u2019ll register is the cacophony after thumbing the starter, the deep thumping from the torquey V-twin and the unmistakable dry clutch rattle that tells anybody within earshot that it\u2019s a proud, remarkable piece of engineering; that noise means it can only be a Ducati. The noise is a big part of riding a Ducati, V-twin thudding away.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ducati,<\/a><\/p>\n

On \u201890s\/early \u201800s rubber the 998R was a force to be reckoned with on track and on road. On good modern tyres it\u2019s simply phenomenal what it\u2019ll do; 99% of riders stand no chance of pushing it beyond its limits. Tip in, roll on and revel at the incredible confidence and sheer grip begging you to eke out a little bit more. All the time your senses being assaulted by that incredible noise, the firm but reassuring feeling of connection to the tarmac and G forces that seem like they simply should not be achievable, it\u2019s telling you that you\u2019re good; you\u2019ve got this. No traction control or stability management, just a machine built to understand how to hold the road. Motorcyclist Magazine described riding the 916 as \u2018an almost magical experience\u2019, and today that statement still holds true.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Each ride on the 998R is an adrenaline inducing, heart rate raising event. Every time you twist the throttle and feel the surge of torque and hear the revs lift in magnificent booming peals. Every time you tickle the crisp brake lever connected to the mighty yet delicate Brembo four pots up-front as you trail into the apex. Every time you smoothly roll on throttle and stand it up on the way out of the turn. Truly breathtaking.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ducati,<\/a><\/p>\n

As with any Ducati, the 998R sadly does not escape the reputation for problems. Owning a Ducati can be a labour of love in many people\u2019s cases, though it\u2019s not unrealistic to hope that any larger, glaring issues will very likely have been encountered and proofed against failure in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are still things to watch for if you are hunting for a 998R though, mainly timing belt. It\u2019s not the hardest job if you\u2019re a DIY\u2019er, nor the most expensive if you\u2019re having it done professionally, but it should be treated as a major service item and replaced every couple of years, as a broken belt leads to a world of pain and expense.<\/span><\/p>\n

The regulator\/rectifier on earlier bikes had a tendency to fail, though this was mostly a problem that was rectified (pun intended) by the time the range had become the 998. It still warrants checking through the history to see if it is the later version that\u2019s on the bike, as faulty ones can cause non starting and even in extreme cases, fire!<\/span><\/p>\n

The beautiful lightweight magnesium wheels, while beneficial in the riding, are also pretty soft so check for damage.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth a thorough check of the electrical connectors on the bike \u2013 particularly any that are more exposed to the elements as they tend to be prone to water ingress causing shorts and again in some rare cases fire.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ducati,<\/a><\/p>\n

Decent examples of the 998R are far from cheap, now at around \u00a330,000. If you\u2019re in the market for a truly iconic bike that changed the face of sports bikes when it appeared, and want something that will electrify your senses and plaster a grin on your face every time you ride it, we\u2019d look nowhere else if we were you.<\/span><\/p>\n

Actually, even if you just want to park it in the living room to sit and drool over every night, we reckon that\u2019s OK too.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Ducati 998R is one of the most iconic bikes ever created. There\u2019s no need to hedge that statement with something like \u2018of the \u201890s\u2019 or \u2018out of Italy\u2019, it…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":2639,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[792],"tags":[843,842,12,13,848,795,844,794,847,846,845],"yoast_head":"\nDucati 998 - The Two-Wheeled Poster Child - Car & Classic Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There is only one superbike that can be called the king - the Ducati 998. 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