In 2004, Ducati tempted our moto-tastebuds with the prospect of selling a road-legal replica of its amazing 990cc V-Four MotoGP machine. The bike would cost $65,000, be built in limited quantities and only available to current 999R owners.
That was three years ago, and just last week Ducati invited five journalists and five of the top Ducati dealers to Miller Motorsports Park in Utah to try out the Desmosedici RR. I was able to get some photos and interview Cycle World Contributing Editor Nick Ienatsch to find out what he thought of the bike.
So what’s the bike like in person?
Well, the big question was, would Ducati really build it? And yes, they’re gonna build it, 100 percent. They’re going to build about 1000 bikes for the model run, and America will get twice as many bikes as the next country. The first run was sold to 999R owners for $65,000 apiece, but the second run will be $72,000.
This is a true race replica, which Ducati proved in the tech overview and on the track. It’s really a racebike with lights.
How is it on the track?
Miller has an elevation of about 4800 feet, which took some power out; I don’t know how much. The bike’s certainly fast, very fast for a production motorcycle. Ducati rates it at 200 hp at sea level with the included racing muffler, so even at Miller it runs strong. The engine’s super-smooth and really free-revving. And like a real racebike, the chassis is super-rigid, too stiff for me due to setup, but that’s an easy fix. It’s very precise and accurate.
You really have to respect it. It has enough of everything (brakes, suspension, power) to hurt you, and Ducati hasn’t included traction control, though the ECU is formatted to accept it later. It basically has the 1098’s brakes, but it’s lighter.
It’s the real deal, about as close as they can get to a race bike with lights; everything’s carbon-fiber, magnesium, titanium and aluminum, just like a racebike. Very impressive.
So what’s your overall impression of the Desmosedici RR? Would it make a good streetbike?
I personally think it would be a fine streetbike because of the adjustability of the suspension. Hey, it’s the kind of motorcycle that everybody I know sets up a motorcycle to be: light, fast, hot-looking, good-handling. It turns well, and you put up with the stiffness and discomfort to get it to handle the way you want. It’s not sport-touring comfortable, but neither is any other sportbike we’re buying. At low speeds, riding around town or whatever, it’ll probably be hot and uncomfortable; there’s not a lot of airflow through the radiators at 30 mph!
Is it worth the money?
That’s an interesting question, because it depends on your perspective. If you add up the parts, it’s not worth $72,000. If you take lap times, it wouldn’t be light years quicker than a modified ZX-10R, GSX-R1000, YZF-R1 or CBR1000RR, all of which are really good bikes.
If you’re all about logic and you want the best track bike for the money, the Desmosedici RR is probably not for you. If $72,000 is what you make in three years, it’s also not a good choice. But if you want a super-quick bike that’s rare and race-tested and beautiful, if you value those things, then $72,000 is cheap. How much would you pay for an icon? My 46-year-old perspective places this bike far beyond everything else. It’s in a class of its own.
Sound Off! Is it worth the money?
