2001 DUCATI 996R
Ever since owning the yellow 916 in 2005 I have wanted to own another of its
design. I am 5'11" and 200lbs and the design of this motorcycle fits my body
like a glove. When the opportunity to buy this 996R with 1,300 miles, I could
not wait for the chance to ride it.
For its first ride I decided to take it for a 100 mile ride. Half way through the
ride I made the decision to make it 300 mile ride. This motorcycle is not
comfortable until it over 80mph and is one of best motorcycles I've ever
ridden.
____________________________________
The Ducati 996R was first offered for sale on September 12th, 2000 and
most sold out immediately over the internet. All US examples, like this one,
came without lights but with the wiring intact. The big deal about the 996R
was the first ever use of the testastretta (narrow head) engine which went on
to power the 998 and the 999 series after it.
The narrower, 25º included valve angle finally freed the combustion chamber
from what was still essentially the 851 based Desmo quattro engine. Although
not as coveted as the later 998R which offered the short stroke engine, the
996R still remains a desirable machine. The bike is essentially a 996SPS
rolling chassis with the new engine, although there were some changes such
as upgraded brakes and the removal of the side fairing vent for aerodynamic
reasons.
___________________________________
Derived from racing bikes that have been consistently winning WSB
championships since WSB began, the first Ducati Superbike, the 851, was
launched in 1987, this bike was followed with the 888, 916, 748 and the 996.
The 916 won several worldwide awards including 4 “Motorcycle of the Year”
awards from MCN magazine. The 996 replaced the 916 in 1998. An entry
into the legend of Italian motorcycling racing, an aggressive, high
performance and beautifully designed machines, closely derived from Ducati’
s currently competing in the WSB. Aimed at purists who want everything from
a bike with its compact design and slim silhouette to provide superior
handling at speeds up to 170 mph. Combines advanced thermodynamics of
4-valve per cylinder with unsurpassed efficiency of Desmodromic valve
system.
Smaller, lighter, sealed-for-life battery
Carbon fiber fairings
Carbon fiber Termignoni exhausts
Öhlins adjustable steering damper
Limited to 500 Units worldwide
It's the most expensive bike currently available in Oz - and one of the fastest.
But is Ducati's 996R really worth $52,000? Forgive me father, for I have
sinned. I left work early father, when I should have been behind my desk
tapping on the computer keyboard.
But I had been seduced, father. By a red temptress - Latin, lithe, sexy and
with expensive tastes.
For over three hours, father, she had me mesmorised as we continued on
our journey of discovery. I'll never be able to work a full day ever again...
BALMY DETOUR
Leaving Horror HQ 'early' for me means 5.30pm, and my ride home doesn't
normally involve a 300km detour through the hills. But with a balmy summer
evening beckoning, daylight saving helping the cause, and a Ducati 996R at
my disposal, it seemed like the right thing to do.
There aren't many bikes that have that effect on me at the end of the working
day. Yeah sure, we're somewhat spoilt at Horror HQ with a steady flow of the
latest and greatest testbikes, and there's always a mad scramble for the
'best' key come Friday afternoon. And sometimes I'll go via a mate's place to
flaunt the latest piece of weaponry.
But heading off on a long-ish ride at the end of a long-ish day during the
working week? Unheard of.
SHEEPISH ADMISSION
But the 996R is one such bike. In fact when I returned the testbike to Moto
One's dealer principal Tony Barton he sheepishly admitted the same thing
had happened to him. Except in Tony's case he found himself still riding
around at two in the morning!
So what's so special. Well, for a start there's the price. You'll need over $50K
if you want to own a 996R. Yikes!
Then there's the exclusivity. Only 500 Testastretta-powered 996Rs were built
by Ducati at the beginning of 2001, with the sole purpose of meeting
homologation requirements for the 2001 Superbike World Championship.
All 350 customer versions of the 996R sold out within six hours on launch day
via the internet, at a common worldwide price of 26,000 Euros. On current
exchange rates that makes the 996R a heady $A52,000 Down Under
(including Australia's 10 percent GST).
Another 150 bikes in 2001's total production run of 500 were held back by
the Italian factory for special allocation (eg Australian market), competition
(eg Troy Bayliss, Ben Bostrom and Ruben Xaus), development and
promotional use.
Amazingly, despite Australia's small market relative to the rest of the
motorcycle world, 40 of those 150 996Rs made it Down Under, with only a
handful remaining unsold.
THE OBVIOUS!
What else is special? Refer to the previous paragraph if you missed the
obvious - the name Bayliss should give you a clue.
The Ducati 996R is in effect a road-legal version of the bike which won the
2001 Superbike World Championship. It's not just a cosmetic replica, or an
up-spec'd base-model 996. It is a factory racer with lights, and the closest
thing to a full-on works racer that money can buy - or that Ducati has yet built.
It comes standard with top-shelf Ohlins race suspension, super-powerful
Brembo stoppers and the same lightweight Marchesini race wheels as on the
works racers.
It also comes with Ducati's new short-stroke Testastretta powerplant,
complete with sandcast crankcases as found on the factory racebikes.
Throw in a satin bike cover, rear stand, race-kit carbon-fibre Termignoni
mufflers and ECU for trackday use (valued at approx $5000) and you can see
where some of that $50K goes.
FIRST DATE
My first sampling of the 996R was in peak-hour traffic - not an ideal
introduction for the first date, especially when it was a 35-degree day.
The race clutch, with its sintered plates, was a real on/off affair until I got the
hang of just how far to release the lever for a smooth take-off. And it would
occasionally squeal like a startled cat if I didn't get it right.
Likewise the brakes, which nearly had me doing an unintentional stoppie at
the first set of traffic lights. Bordering on vicious, the new Brembos are the
most powerful anchors I've ever sampled on a roadbike.
And the heat! Oh, the heat. I wasn't sure whether to grab a couple of steaks
for dinner and throw 'em on to the R's sidepanels - or just take to my inner
thighs with a carving knife and toss up a quick side salad.
With the engine temperature up over 100 degrees C, the 996R is not at
home in the urban jungle. Pity those poor sods who have bough an R simply
because they want to pose with the cafe latte set. (At least the temp is a more
reasonable 80 degrees on the open road.)
RADAR FREE
But the 996R was never intended for town use. The seating position and low
clip-ons should have sent warning signals to an intending purchaser on that
score.
No siree, the 996R belongs on the racetrack, or a radar-free open road if you
can find one. So that's exactly what I did. Well, in the case of the former at
least.
A last-minute 'entry' in the opening round of the Shell Advance Australian
Superbike Championship at Phillip Island saw yours truly take to the track on
the 996R during the Saturday lunchbreak for my own private 'qualifying'
session. And what a session it was, followed by another one on Sunday.
Now, I've done a fair few laps around the Island in my time. And quite a few on
Dukes, including Steve Martin's championship-winning 996RS of 1999. But
the 996R had me confused. You see, I wasn't sure if I was on a roadbike - or
a full-on factory racebike. The line of demarcation became blurred the more I
rode it.
DISTINCTIVE BOOM
It sure as hell sounded like, and went like, a racebike - although it had lights,
a sidestand and a rego plate. The distinctive boom from the carbon cans was
unlike any other Duke at the Island that weekend - and that included Craig
McMartin's 996SPS and Roger Wallis's ex-DDT 996RS.
That probably explains why people lined the pit wall and the spectator fences
when the 996R was out on the track - including a very envious McMartin.
"I helped run it in before you guys got it, and it's better out of the box than my
sorted SPS racebike," said McMartin, a top A-grade Superbike privateer.
"I don't suppose I could borrow it for the rest of the weekend..."
The short-stroke Testastretta engine has a note all of its own - shared of
course with the bikes of Bayliss, Bostrom and Xaus. Spinning up through the
close-ratio six-speed box to just short of the 10,800 limiter (okay, so I hit it a
couple of times) was just like being in my own private SBK race.
There's plenty of poke from 7500rpm upwards, and that's where I kept the
engine spinning for best effect. The charge out of Southern Loop down the
hill and under the bridge towards Honda Corner was particularly exhilarating,
as was the run from Siberia up through the Hayshed to Lukey Heights,
something replicated in the real world when I headed off on my dusk
adventure a few days later.
POWER PLAY
The 996R's peak output in homologated guise is a claimed 135ps at 10,200
rpm at the crankshaft - 13ps more at 200rpm less than the 996SPS.
AMCN got around 130ps at the R's rear wheel on the PTR dyno, which may
not seem much compared to some of the 1000cc Jap fours which have 10ps
more and are also some $30K cheaper! Yes, that much.
But ultimate power is not the be-all and end-all. If that was the case, then the
Jap 750 fours would have been stomping on the Dukes in World SBK racing
for the past decade. After all, the ZX-7RR and GSX-R750 Superbikes have
more horsepower than the Ducati.
And when was the last time you saw a Hayabusa or a ZX-12R lap faster than
a R1 or GSX-R1000?
Usable power is what it's all about, and on that score the 996R wins hands
down. It may give 10 ponies away to the GSX-R1000, but that sure doesn't
mean it's slower around a racetrack.
LESS TEETH
Short-shifting at around 7500rpm underlines how excellent the spread of
power is. For street use though I'd be inclined to swap the 15-tooth
countershaft sprocket for a 14T item. Standard gearing sees an indicated
3200rpm at 100kmh, meaning the R is geared for well over 320kmh out of the
box.
The smaller sprocket would make the bike smoother around town (the R is
already substantially smoother than the longer-stroke SPS) as well as boost
acceleration.
In fact, I found it better to leave the R in fifth on the open road, as the lower
revs in sixth would creep up to a licence-losing speed of 140kmh, or around
4500rpm. Whereas if I kept the engine around those revs in fifth I was less
likely to end up talking to Mr Plod.
Although the chassis stats are similar to the SPS, I reckon the R steered
better, both around the Island and on the open road. Whether it was due to a
slightly higher rear ride height or the lighter front wheel (less gyroscopic
effect) I'm not sure. Maybe we need to get a SPS and 996R together...
UNBELIEVABLY EFFECTIVE
The brakes that had bordered on savage around town were unbelievably
effective on the track, and I had to be careful heading into Turn One that my
'caress' of the front lever didn't cause a sudden dive in the front end.
It was something McMartin had also noticed, and he was itching to get his
own 996R on the track.
"I love brakes like that - the sort where as soon as you touch the lever they're
on," he said. "It's one of the first things I noticed when I rode the R."
The all-new Brembo braking system retains four-piston calipers at the front,
but now features four separate pads per caliper rather than two. Ducati
reckons this is for improved compensation as the pads wear, and less roll-
back upon release. I'm not going to argue.
The discs are 320mm stainless-steel, but with the bite and feel of the old cast-
iron rotors.
There's a 400g weight saving per disc (so, 0.8kg in all) delivered by the 0.5
mm thinner rotors used on the 996R compared to the SPS, and the reduced
number of floating fasteners holding them to the Ergal aircraft alloy flanges.
Top stuff.
ENGINE FOCUS
To create the 996R, Ducati focused most attention on the new engine, and
slotted it into the same tubular-steel spaceframe as the SPS - itself derived
from Foggy's racebike.
Fully-adjustable 43mm Ohlins race forks as used on the Ducati Superbikes
are fitted, with gold titanium-nitride coated stanchions to reduce stiction, and
a race-quality, multi-adjustable Ohlins shock.
A pair of ultra-lightweight Marchesini five-spoke race wheels are fitted, shod
on the testbike with excellent Pirelli Dragon Evo Corsa rubber. No complaints
there - on track or road.
Carbon-fibre bodywork (rather than the injection-moulded plastic of the base
model) helps contribute to a notable weight reduction, plus there's a claimed
5kmh improvement in top speed due solely to better aerodynamics.
The major chassis change is the adoption of 2mm-thicker 12mm engine
mounts, to create a stiffer engine/chassis package.
PARTS SPECIAL?
But the 996R is one of those bikes which is much more than just the sum of
its parts.
Yeah, I can hear the cries now: "Not another bloody Ducati test"; or "No bike
is worth that much"; and so on...
What can't be denied though is that a model that was introduced back in
1994, eight years ago, still sets the standard for sportsbike design.
It's also worth rembering that three years ago Yamaha's YZF-R7 (of which
500 were built) was priced $10,000 higher than the 996R. And rumour has it
that quite a few R7s are still sitting in European warehouses.
And if you want to buy a road-going race-kitted replica of Colin Edwards' VTR
SP-2 or Troy Corser's RSV1000SP or Frankie Chili's GSX-R750, you'd be
paying substantially more than the 996R's $52,000 asking price.
No, I can't justify paying $52K for a 996R - or any motorcycle for that matter.
But then, I don't earn big bucks either.
In the case of the 996R the only accessories you need to add are the Bayliss-
replica Dainese leathers and a Bayliss-replica Suomy lid. And 40 such people
will be able to live that dream in Australia.
As for me, I'm knocking off early again. Enough said.
Story Ken Wootton
Photos Arthur Thornton
_________________________________
Next Generation Sporting Ducati
The latest Ducati rocketship has new engine technology that will need to
carry it through the next decade. Will it still cream the ever increasing
competition?
Test by Kevin Ash
April 2001
Ducati’s domination of World Superbike racing – and the hearts of countless
road riders – with the 916/996 is all the more remarkable when you consider
the original engine design began in 1985, when senior engineer Massimo
Bordi started work on the 851 Superbike. The capacity’s grown since then of
course to the near-one litre machine of today, but the fundamental
architecture of the engine is still based on 16 year-old technology, yet the
might of Japanese technology found only the occasional breaks in the
Italians’ armoury.
Finally the opposition has looked like catching up, although even with number
one rider Carl Fogarty being forced out of WSB after the Philip Island crash
last season which broke his forearm, and with various stand-ins, still Ducati
won the manufacturers’ championship and put up a strong fight in 2000 with
Troy Bayliss in the riders’ competition.
The new 996R is the bike Ducati is hoping will give it the edge once again,
but there’s more to it than that. While even a practised eye will find the visual
changes over last year’s 996SPS hard to spot, beneath the carbon fibre
fairing is an entirely new power unit. It’s a V-twin of course, and naturally the
valve operation is Ducati’s trademark desmodromic, otherwise, and at last,
the technology’s thoroughly contemporary.
The significance of the motor extends further. Rather than being a big step in
the evolution of the 996, if anything it represents the signing off of one of the
great motorcycles of the last century – the engine’s ultimate purpose is to
power the bike which will replace the 996, and which we’ll probably see at the
Milan Show in September this year.
The 996R meanwhile is its development bed, and what an entirely rational
way to move forward – use a chassis which is a proven, known quantity so
the engine alone can be concentrated on, and after a year’s development
introduce the new rolling chassis with now better developed motor.
But describing the 996R’s chassis as ‘known’ and ‘proven’ is like calling
Claudia Schiffer a ‘woman’ – it’s not exactly the full story… Both in
competition and as a road bike the 996 consistently posts higher cornering
speeds than any of the opposition, and at the same time it’s both staggeringly
stable and deliciously tactile – every last nuance of the tyres’ behaviour is
transmitted back to the rider, and despite the colossal rear end grip that has
the Ducati driving out of a turn like it’s been fired from a howitzer, bar-flapping
instability remains something other bikes do.
That was the SPS, and no changes here with the 996R, the high end Ohlins
suspension (inverted gold coloured titanium nitride-coated forks at the front)
faithfully follows the subtlest changes in surface for maximum grip and
steering accuracy. Yet two apparently trivial changes have enhanced the
chassis disproportionately. The front brake discs have been reduced in
thickness by 0.5mm, which has saved 0.4kg per side. The 0.8kg loss is
magnified because it’s cut unsprung weight, improving suspension
performance, and most noticeably the reduced gyroscopic effect has
quickened the steering, so much so it took a couple of laps to modulate the
usual heave on the Ducati’s bars to lay it down into a turn – at first the bike
was flipping onto too tight a line and had to be corrected. After acclimatising,
you just left the braking even later before flicking the bike over.
The brake calipers are new, too. They’re still Brembos, but completely
redesigned and include four pads in each caliper. The result is far less
sponginess than before and no sign of fade (both the Achilles’ heel of the
SPS), and usefully with a more progressive and predictable release – feeding
out the brakes on the entry to a turn while peeling the bike inspires more
confidence than before.
So, arguably the best chassis of all the limited edition bikes aimed at
homologating their World Superbike competition equivalents, with even better
steering and improved brakes. What about the new motor?
The detail changes are listed separately, but the bottom line is, it’s
substantially more powerful, producing 13bhp more than the SPS. This you
feel right at the top end, where the bike relishes being revved , although the
limiter cuts in dramatically just beyond 11,000pm, almost enough to have you
headbutting the tacho. With this comes a small increase in torque, up from
73lb.ft to 74.5lb.ft, but it’s not this you notice so much as the newfound
smoothness of the torque curve, almost devoid of the dips and peaks of the
SPS, so that the acceleration has a relentless, unstoppable feel.
Although it revs harder, the engine pulls strongly enough at 7000rpm to be
useful even on the race track – use a higher gear than you might expect in a
tight turn and you still have more than enough grunt to threaten the rear tyre’
s traction. Get it right and the power will build with the revs exactly as the bike
comes upright and you can lay more on the road.
The delivery does let you know the bike’s fuel injected as there’s a small
amount of the characteristic suddenness you just don’t get with carburettors,
but it’s not as severe as on a Honda SP-1 and doesn’t spoil the ride.
Listen carefully beneath the angry bellow of the carbon-fibre Termignoni
silencers and you might notice the reduction in mechanical clatter compared
with the SPS – this will be more obvious when the bike’s fitted with its road
legal silencers (although that won’t be for long...) – and the final improvement
over the outgoing engine is its sheer willingness to rev. The SPS had a crisp,
free-spinning throttle with the new engine.
Yet for now, magnificent motor aside, you’ll be hard pressed to tell new from
old. The Ducati logo on the fairing is picked out in carbon fibre (achieved by
masking the word ‘Ducati’ in the paint process, then removing the mask to
leave that part of the fairing bare), and there’s a discreet 996R on the tail
section. The fairing’s vertical cooling vents have gone, leaving sleeker,
smoother flanks which improve drag and add about 5km/h to the top speed,
while race mechanics and the very sad will spot the new brake calipers.
But you won’t find many 996Rs in showrooms to hone your Ducati-spotting
skills: the bike was originally available only on the Internet at the 2000 Munich
motorcycle show, and all 500 examples were sold in one day. However,
Australian dealers do have some – but most have deposits on them already.
If you want one, get in quick, but until they actually land and the exchange
rate is known, no final price will be set. Whatever it is, it will be worth it!
Ever since owning the yellow 916 in 2005 I have wanted to own another of its
design. I am 5'11" and 200lbs and the design of this motorcycle fits my body
like a glove. When the opportunity to buy this 996R with 1,300 miles, I could
not wait for the chance to ride it.
For its first ride I decided to take it for a 100 mile ride. Half way through the
ride I made the decision to make it 300 mile ride. This motorcycle is not
comfortable until it over 80mph and is one of best motorcycles I've ever
ridden.
____________________________________
The Ducati 996R was first offered for sale on September 12th, 2000 and
most sold out immediately over the internet. All US examples, like this one,
came without lights but with the wiring intact. The big deal about the 996R
was the first ever use of the testastretta (narrow head) engine which went on
to power the 998 and the 999 series after it.
The narrower, 25º included valve angle finally freed the combustion chamber
from what was still essentially the 851 based Desmo quattro engine. Although
not as coveted as the later 998R which offered the short stroke engine, the
996R still remains a desirable machine. The bike is essentially a 996SPS
rolling chassis with the new engine, although there were some changes such
as upgraded brakes and the removal of the side fairing vent for aerodynamic
reasons.
___________________________________
Derived from racing bikes that have been consistently winning WSB
championships since WSB began, the first Ducati Superbike, the 851, was
launched in 1987, this bike was followed with the 888, 916, 748 and the 996.
The 916 won several worldwide awards including 4 “Motorcycle of the Year”
awards from MCN magazine. The 996 replaced the 916 in 1998. An entry
into the legend of Italian motorcycling racing, an aggressive, high
performance and beautifully designed machines, closely derived from Ducati’
s currently competing in the WSB. Aimed at purists who want everything from
a bike with its compact design and slim silhouette to provide superior
handling at speeds up to 170 mph. Combines advanced thermodynamics of
4-valve per cylinder with unsurpassed efficiency of Desmodromic valve
system.
Smaller, lighter, sealed-for-life battery
Carbon fiber fairings
Carbon fiber Termignoni exhausts
Öhlins adjustable steering damper
Limited to 500 Units worldwide
It's the most expensive bike currently available in Oz - and one of the fastest.
But is Ducati's 996R really worth $52,000? Forgive me father, for I have
sinned. I left work early father, when I should have been behind my desk
tapping on the computer keyboard.
But I had been seduced, father. By a red temptress - Latin, lithe, sexy and
with expensive tastes.
For over three hours, father, she had me mesmorised as we continued on
our journey of discovery. I'll never be able to work a full day ever again...
BALMY DETOUR
Leaving Horror HQ 'early' for me means 5.30pm, and my ride home doesn't
normally involve a 300km detour through the hills. But with a balmy summer
evening beckoning, daylight saving helping the cause, and a Ducati 996R at
my disposal, it seemed like the right thing to do.
There aren't many bikes that have that effect on me at the end of the working
day. Yeah sure, we're somewhat spoilt at Horror HQ with a steady flow of the
latest and greatest testbikes, and there's always a mad scramble for the
'best' key come Friday afternoon. And sometimes I'll go via a mate's place to
flaunt the latest piece of weaponry.
But heading off on a long-ish ride at the end of a long-ish day during the
working week? Unheard of.
SHEEPISH ADMISSION
But the 996R is one such bike. In fact when I returned the testbike to Moto
One's dealer principal Tony Barton he sheepishly admitted the same thing
had happened to him. Except in Tony's case he found himself still riding
around at two in the morning!
So what's so special. Well, for a start there's the price. You'll need over $50K
if you want to own a 996R. Yikes!
Then there's the exclusivity. Only 500 Testastretta-powered 996Rs were built
by Ducati at the beginning of 2001, with the sole purpose of meeting
homologation requirements for the 2001 Superbike World Championship.
All 350 customer versions of the 996R sold out within six hours on launch day
via the internet, at a common worldwide price of 26,000 Euros. On current
exchange rates that makes the 996R a heady $A52,000 Down Under
(including Australia's 10 percent GST).
Another 150 bikes in 2001's total production run of 500 were held back by
the Italian factory for special allocation (eg Australian market), competition
(eg Troy Bayliss, Ben Bostrom and Ruben Xaus), development and
promotional use.
Amazingly, despite Australia's small market relative to the rest of the
motorcycle world, 40 of those 150 996Rs made it Down Under, with only a
handful remaining unsold.
THE OBVIOUS!
What else is special? Refer to the previous paragraph if you missed the
obvious - the name Bayliss should give you a clue.
The Ducati 996R is in effect a road-legal version of the bike which won the
2001 Superbike World Championship. It's not just a cosmetic replica, or an
up-spec'd base-model 996. It is a factory racer with lights, and the closest
thing to a full-on works racer that money can buy - or that Ducati has yet built.
It comes standard with top-shelf Ohlins race suspension, super-powerful
Brembo stoppers and the same lightweight Marchesini race wheels as on the
works racers.
It also comes with Ducati's new short-stroke Testastretta powerplant,
complete with sandcast crankcases as found on the factory racebikes.
Throw in a satin bike cover, rear stand, race-kit carbon-fibre Termignoni
mufflers and ECU for trackday use (valued at approx $5000) and you can see
where some of that $50K goes.
FIRST DATE
My first sampling of the 996R was in peak-hour traffic - not an ideal
introduction for the first date, especially when it was a 35-degree day.
The race clutch, with its sintered plates, was a real on/off affair until I got the
hang of just how far to release the lever for a smooth take-off. And it would
occasionally squeal like a startled cat if I didn't get it right.
Likewise the brakes, which nearly had me doing an unintentional stoppie at
the first set of traffic lights. Bordering on vicious, the new Brembos are the
most powerful anchors I've ever sampled on a roadbike.
And the heat! Oh, the heat. I wasn't sure whether to grab a couple of steaks
for dinner and throw 'em on to the R's sidepanels - or just take to my inner
thighs with a carving knife and toss up a quick side salad.
With the engine temperature up over 100 degrees C, the 996R is not at
home in the urban jungle. Pity those poor sods who have bough an R simply
because they want to pose with the cafe latte set. (At least the temp is a more
reasonable 80 degrees on the open road.)
RADAR FREE
But the 996R was never intended for town use. The seating position and low
clip-ons should have sent warning signals to an intending purchaser on that
score.
No siree, the 996R belongs on the racetrack, or a radar-free open road if you
can find one. So that's exactly what I did. Well, in the case of the former at
least.
A last-minute 'entry' in the opening round of the Shell Advance Australian
Superbike Championship at Phillip Island saw yours truly take to the track on
the 996R during the Saturday lunchbreak for my own private 'qualifying'
session. And what a session it was, followed by another one on Sunday.
Now, I've done a fair few laps around the Island in my time. And quite a few on
Dukes, including Steve Martin's championship-winning 996RS of 1999. But
the 996R had me confused. You see, I wasn't sure if I was on a roadbike - or
a full-on factory racebike. The line of demarcation became blurred the more I
rode it.
DISTINCTIVE BOOM
It sure as hell sounded like, and went like, a racebike - although it had lights,
a sidestand and a rego plate. The distinctive boom from the carbon cans was
unlike any other Duke at the Island that weekend - and that included Craig
McMartin's 996SPS and Roger Wallis's ex-DDT 996RS.
That probably explains why people lined the pit wall and the spectator fences
when the 996R was out on the track - including a very envious McMartin.
"I helped run it in before you guys got it, and it's better out of the box than my
sorted SPS racebike," said McMartin, a top A-grade Superbike privateer.
"I don't suppose I could borrow it for the rest of the weekend..."
The short-stroke Testastretta engine has a note all of its own - shared of
course with the bikes of Bayliss, Bostrom and Xaus. Spinning up through the
close-ratio six-speed box to just short of the 10,800 limiter (okay, so I hit it a
couple of times) was just like being in my own private SBK race.
There's plenty of poke from 7500rpm upwards, and that's where I kept the
engine spinning for best effect. The charge out of Southern Loop down the
hill and under the bridge towards Honda Corner was particularly exhilarating,
as was the run from Siberia up through the Hayshed to Lukey Heights,
something replicated in the real world when I headed off on my dusk
adventure a few days later.
POWER PLAY
The 996R's peak output in homologated guise is a claimed 135ps at 10,200
rpm at the crankshaft - 13ps more at 200rpm less than the 996SPS.
AMCN got around 130ps at the R's rear wheel on the PTR dyno, which may
not seem much compared to some of the 1000cc Jap fours which have 10ps
more and are also some $30K cheaper! Yes, that much.
But ultimate power is not the be-all and end-all. If that was the case, then the
Jap 750 fours would have been stomping on the Dukes in World SBK racing
for the past decade. After all, the ZX-7RR and GSX-R750 Superbikes have
more horsepower than the Ducati.
And when was the last time you saw a Hayabusa or a ZX-12R lap faster than
a R1 or GSX-R1000?
Usable power is what it's all about, and on that score the 996R wins hands
down. It may give 10 ponies away to the GSX-R1000, but that sure doesn't
mean it's slower around a racetrack.
LESS TEETH
Short-shifting at around 7500rpm underlines how excellent the spread of
power is. For street use though I'd be inclined to swap the 15-tooth
countershaft sprocket for a 14T item. Standard gearing sees an indicated
3200rpm at 100kmh, meaning the R is geared for well over 320kmh out of the
box.
The smaller sprocket would make the bike smoother around town (the R is
already substantially smoother than the longer-stroke SPS) as well as boost
acceleration.
In fact, I found it better to leave the R in fifth on the open road, as the lower
revs in sixth would creep up to a licence-losing speed of 140kmh, or around
4500rpm. Whereas if I kept the engine around those revs in fifth I was less
likely to end up talking to Mr Plod.
Although the chassis stats are similar to the SPS, I reckon the R steered
better, both around the Island and on the open road. Whether it was due to a
slightly higher rear ride height or the lighter front wheel (less gyroscopic
effect) I'm not sure. Maybe we need to get a SPS and 996R together...
UNBELIEVABLY EFFECTIVE
The brakes that had bordered on savage around town were unbelievably
effective on the track, and I had to be careful heading into Turn One that my
'caress' of the front lever didn't cause a sudden dive in the front end.
It was something McMartin had also noticed, and he was itching to get his
own 996R on the track.
"I love brakes like that - the sort where as soon as you touch the lever they're
on," he said. "It's one of the first things I noticed when I rode the R."
The all-new Brembo braking system retains four-piston calipers at the front,
but now features four separate pads per caliper rather than two. Ducati
reckons this is for improved compensation as the pads wear, and less roll-
back upon release. I'm not going to argue.
The discs are 320mm stainless-steel, but with the bite and feel of the old cast-
iron rotors.
There's a 400g weight saving per disc (so, 0.8kg in all) delivered by the 0.5
mm thinner rotors used on the 996R compared to the SPS, and the reduced
number of floating fasteners holding them to the Ergal aircraft alloy flanges.
Top stuff.
ENGINE FOCUS
To create the 996R, Ducati focused most attention on the new engine, and
slotted it into the same tubular-steel spaceframe as the SPS - itself derived
from Foggy's racebike.
Fully-adjustable 43mm Ohlins race forks as used on the Ducati Superbikes
are fitted, with gold titanium-nitride coated stanchions to reduce stiction, and
a race-quality, multi-adjustable Ohlins shock.
A pair of ultra-lightweight Marchesini five-spoke race wheels are fitted, shod
on the testbike with excellent Pirelli Dragon Evo Corsa rubber. No complaints
there - on track or road.
Carbon-fibre bodywork (rather than the injection-moulded plastic of the base
model) helps contribute to a notable weight reduction, plus there's a claimed
5kmh improvement in top speed due solely to better aerodynamics.
The major chassis change is the adoption of 2mm-thicker 12mm engine
mounts, to create a stiffer engine/chassis package.
PARTS SPECIAL?
But the 996R is one of those bikes which is much more than just the sum of
its parts.
Yeah, I can hear the cries now: "Not another bloody Ducati test"; or "No bike
is worth that much"; and so on...
What can't be denied though is that a model that was introduced back in
1994, eight years ago, still sets the standard for sportsbike design.
It's also worth rembering that three years ago Yamaha's YZF-R7 (of which
500 were built) was priced $10,000 higher than the 996R. And rumour has it
that quite a few R7s are still sitting in European warehouses.
And if you want to buy a road-going race-kitted replica of Colin Edwards' VTR
SP-2 or Troy Corser's RSV1000SP or Frankie Chili's GSX-R750, you'd be
paying substantially more than the 996R's $52,000 asking price.
No, I can't justify paying $52K for a 996R - or any motorcycle for that matter.
But then, I don't earn big bucks either.
In the case of the 996R the only accessories you need to add are the Bayliss-
replica Dainese leathers and a Bayliss-replica Suomy lid. And 40 such people
will be able to live that dream in Australia.
As for me, I'm knocking off early again. Enough said.
Story Ken Wootton
Photos Arthur Thornton
_________________________________
Next Generation Sporting Ducati
The latest Ducati rocketship has new engine technology that will need to
carry it through the next decade. Will it still cream the ever increasing
competition?
Test by Kevin Ash
April 2001
Ducati’s domination of World Superbike racing – and the hearts of countless
road riders – with the 916/996 is all the more remarkable when you consider
the original engine design began in 1985, when senior engineer Massimo
Bordi started work on the 851 Superbike. The capacity’s grown since then of
course to the near-one litre machine of today, but the fundamental
architecture of the engine is still based on 16 year-old technology, yet the
might of Japanese technology found only the occasional breaks in the
Italians’ armoury.
Finally the opposition has looked like catching up, although even with number
one rider Carl Fogarty being forced out of WSB after the Philip Island crash
last season which broke his forearm, and with various stand-ins, still Ducati
won the manufacturers’ championship and put up a strong fight in 2000 with
Troy Bayliss in the riders’ competition.
The new 996R is the bike Ducati is hoping will give it the edge once again,
but there’s more to it than that. While even a practised eye will find the visual
changes over last year’s 996SPS hard to spot, beneath the carbon fibre
fairing is an entirely new power unit. It’s a V-twin of course, and naturally the
valve operation is Ducati’s trademark desmodromic, otherwise, and at last,
the technology’s thoroughly contemporary.
The significance of the motor extends further. Rather than being a big step in
the evolution of the 996, if anything it represents the signing off of one of the
great motorcycles of the last century – the engine’s ultimate purpose is to
power the bike which will replace the 996, and which we’ll probably see at the
Milan Show in September this year.
The 996R meanwhile is its development bed, and what an entirely rational
way to move forward – use a chassis which is a proven, known quantity so
the engine alone can be concentrated on, and after a year’s development
introduce the new rolling chassis with now better developed motor.
But describing the 996R’s chassis as ‘known’ and ‘proven’ is like calling
Claudia Schiffer a ‘woman’ – it’s not exactly the full story… Both in
competition and as a road bike the 996 consistently posts higher cornering
speeds than any of the opposition, and at the same time it’s both staggeringly
stable and deliciously tactile – every last nuance of the tyres’ behaviour is
transmitted back to the rider, and despite the colossal rear end grip that has
the Ducati driving out of a turn like it’s been fired from a howitzer, bar-flapping
instability remains something other bikes do.
That was the SPS, and no changes here with the 996R, the high end Ohlins
suspension (inverted gold coloured titanium nitride-coated forks at the front)
faithfully follows the subtlest changes in surface for maximum grip and
steering accuracy. Yet two apparently trivial changes have enhanced the
chassis disproportionately. The front brake discs have been reduced in
thickness by 0.5mm, which has saved 0.4kg per side. The 0.8kg loss is
magnified because it’s cut unsprung weight, improving suspension
performance, and most noticeably the reduced gyroscopic effect has
quickened the steering, so much so it took a couple of laps to modulate the
usual heave on the Ducati’s bars to lay it down into a turn – at first the bike
was flipping onto too tight a line and had to be corrected. After acclimatising,
you just left the braking even later before flicking the bike over.
The brake calipers are new, too. They’re still Brembos, but completely
redesigned and include four pads in each caliper. The result is far less
sponginess than before and no sign of fade (both the Achilles’ heel of the
SPS), and usefully with a more progressive and predictable release – feeding
out the brakes on the entry to a turn while peeling the bike inspires more
confidence than before.
So, arguably the best chassis of all the limited edition bikes aimed at
homologating their World Superbike competition equivalents, with even better
steering and improved brakes. What about the new motor?
The detail changes are listed separately, but the bottom line is, it’s
substantially more powerful, producing 13bhp more than the SPS. This you
feel right at the top end, where the bike relishes being revved , although the
limiter cuts in dramatically just beyond 11,000pm, almost enough to have you
headbutting the tacho. With this comes a small increase in torque, up from
73lb.ft to 74.5lb.ft, but it’s not this you notice so much as the newfound
smoothness of the torque curve, almost devoid of the dips and peaks of the
SPS, so that the acceleration has a relentless, unstoppable feel.
Although it revs harder, the engine pulls strongly enough at 7000rpm to be
useful even on the race track – use a higher gear than you might expect in a
tight turn and you still have more than enough grunt to threaten the rear tyre’
s traction. Get it right and the power will build with the revs exactly as the bike
comes upright and you can lay more on the road.
The delivery does let you know the bike’s fuel injected as there’s a small
amount of the characteristic suddenness you just don’t get with carburettors,
but it’s not as severe as on a Honda SP-1 and doesn’t spoil the ride.
Listen carefully beneath the angry bellow of the carbon-fibre Termignoni
silencers and you might notice the reduction in mechanical clatter compared
with the SPS – this will be more obvious when the bike’s fitted with its road
legal silencers (although that won’t be for long...) – and the final improvement
over the outgoing engine is its sheer willingness to rev. The SPS had a crisp,
free-spinning throttle with the new engine.
Yet for now, magnificent motor aside, you’ll be hard pressed to tell new from
old. The Ducati logo on the fairing is picked out in carbon fibre (achieved by
masking the word ‘Ducati’ in the paint process, then removing the mask to
leave that part of the fairing bare), and there’s a discreet 996R on the tail
section. The fairing’s vertical cooling vents have gone, leaving sleeker,
smoother flanks which improve drag and add about 5km/h to the top speed,
while race mechanics and the very sad will spot the new brake calipers.
But you won’t find many 996Rs in showrooms to hone your Ducati-spotting
skills: the bike was originally available only on the Internet at the 2000 Munich
motorcycle show, and all 500 examples were sold in one day. However,
Australian dealers do have some – but most have deposits on them already.
If you want one, get in quick, but until they actually land and the exchange
rate is known, no final price will be set. Whatever it is, it will be worth it!
