Author: John-Joe Vollans
Photography: Wikipedia Commons, Matt Tierney, Dean Smith, Collecting Cars
If you favour two wheels over four and, back in the day, preferred a Ministry of Sound annual to the latest Now That’s What I Call Music then, for you and tens of thousands of other bike fans, the 1990s were halcyon days. Sports bike makers, often from Japan, were locked in a desperate arms race to make ever more engaging and better performing bikes, though Europe was far from barren. A handful of the most desirable two-wheeled machines ever made emerged from the continent during the 1990s, and arguably chief among these was the Ducati 916.
Decades before the Brit-pop era, Ducati was kicking out cracking bikes in Borgo Panagale, near Bologna. Famous as much for its technical innovations as its motorsport success, the famous firm – known as la rossa in its native tongue (due to the mass majority of its bikes being sold in red) – Ducati is often considered, at least conceptually, as a maker of two-wheeled Ferraris – or should that be the other way around…
Regardless, keeping that prancing horse analogy going, if a 355 was the Ferrari that defined overt and achingly desirable sports cars of the 1990s, then the Ducati 916 did the same for sports bikes. As one of the most beautiful machines of the ‘modern’ era, the Ducati 916 transcends traditional motorcycle circles to fall within the orbit of wider petrolhead appreciation. Emerging from the pen of Massimo Tamburini, known to many as the Michaelangelo of motorcycle design, its visual appeal has been appreciated by many who consider aesthetics to be alluring. Naturally, as it’s Italian, much has been made of this machine’s looks but, beyond this, it’s also a hell of a bike to ride. Taking plenty of inspiration from what Honda was up to at the time in racing – as did the majority of contemporary sports bike makers – the 916’s design was seemingly inspired by the under-seat ‘shotgun’ exhausts and twin slit-shaped projector headlights of the Honda NR750 GP bike.
Unveiling the 916 at the Milan Motorcycle Show in 1993, a recently reinvented and resurgent Ducati was primed for greatness. Aware we’re understating, that first-displayed Ducati 916 caused such a stir that its many admirers were almost hammering down Ducati’s doors to buy one. A year later, their dreams came true, as the first customers got their hands on the 916, with both these early adopters and the press alike showering the new bike with praise. Despite its warm reception, however, many weren’t blind to the bike’s small foibles, many of which made the riding experience even more memorable.
The 916 wasn’t, and isn’t, an easy bike to get the best out of. Unlike the far friendlier Fireblade that flatters its rider and gives a lot of its performance willingly, this Ducati needed a deft touch. The seating position wasn’t ideal, the ride was a little harsh and NVH levels were more akin to a racer than a road bike, but beyond these complaints, a first ride of a 916 proved pivotal for many.
The chassis – Ducati keeping it to a fairly conventional steel arrangement – was given increased rigidity by the addition of a third rear engine mount. Its forgiving ‘upside down’ front end was the focus of particular praise, as was its torquey, desmodromic valved V-twin engine (of 916cc displacement, of course).
Initially offered in single-seat ‘monoposto’ 114bhp form, a more potent 126bhp SP variant and two-seat ‘biposto’ was added shortly after launch in 1994. Ducati’s advanced power plant gave it the grunt to compete, and often out gun, many of its fearsome period Japanese rivals, but power nearly came from a very different engine… The shift to more power came from the Castiglioni brothers, who took over the reins at Ducati from 1985. Claudio and Gianfranco brought new enthusiasm, drive and development funds to Ducati, with the intention of making it a premium road and racing brand, under the Cagiva umbrella.
An ability to compete with the best bikes in the world, both on and off the track, was vital and a huge part of this new role for Ducati was upgrading its engines. Two designs were considered, one for a large air-cooled V4 and the other a more complex four-valve, water-cooled, fuel-injected V-twin; allegedly designed by Massimo Bordi as part of his thesis while at the University of Bologna.
The latter got the nod and was first used in the Ducati 851, then later the 888, both of which quickly proved this new engine’s worth by winning many GPs and even a World Super Bike Championship for Raymond Roche in 1990. Fast forward a few years and at the same time as the 916 was winning admirers around the world, Ducati and Carl Fogarty were continuing to utterly demolish the competition on track. Far from hurting Ducati 916 sales, these podium places saw the Italian firm shift over 18k 916s by 1998.
Today, the 916’s striking visuals – dominated by its large single swing-arm rear suspension – has cemented its place as a sports bike legend. Collectors of both two- and four-wheeled machines are now clamouring to place one of these rosso racers in their man (or woman) caves. That desirability and the bike’s proven prowess on the road and circuit has pushed up values, with the best examples now commanding over £15k. Limited edition Senna and race-bike replicas can even stretch to twice that number.
For serious riders, the SP and SPS (Sport Production and Special) models really accentuate the best of the 916’s abilities, but any of these bikes can still wow. There’s a reason why the Ducati 916 was the first bike to appear in a Hagerty Bull Market list back in 2020. These are very special machines, one of a type that seemingly only comes along once a generation, and they truly define the best of their era. Want one? We don’t blame you, we do too!
Are you a car lover who secretly dreams of owning a Ducati 916? Or maybe you’ve already made the leap? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
Read More on Ducati
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