With the race-kit ECU installed, it wallops out around 189 hp at 9,750 rpm (rev-limited at 10,500) and 99 ft/lbs of torque at 7,750 rpm. The L-twin Ducati desmo engine is now fed by oval throttle bodies, larger dual injectors, and a dry slipper clutch it is, of course, an absolute gem. The roadbike is genuinely the racebike with lights. The minimal differences include the racebike having a re-balanced crankshaft and two-ring pistons (instead of three), a lighter flywheel, and changed gearbox ratios. The R version-weighing only 364 lbs (about 35 lbs lighter than 999R)-is almost identical to the Xerox-sponsored machine that will be campaigned this year by Troy Bayliss and Michel Fabrizio. Racing and road machines have never been so similar in Ducati history. It has increased the motor’s capacity by 100cc and spawned the 1098R that, despite its name, actually displaces 1198cc. With the 2008 change in World Superbike rules, Ducati can go racing again. As if that wasn’t enough, Ducati humiliated the competition in MotoGP, following it up with the jaw-dropping $75,000 race replica Desmosedici-that instantly sold out. ( Click image to enlarge) The Hypermotard and SportClassic models are dramatic showroom successes. A 48% increase in sales and a 108% increase in bottom line has translated to a net position turnaround from €50 million in the red in ’06 to a €10 million profit in ’07. The whole process had happened in the blink of an eye, and it happened so smoothly, so seamlessly, I was shocked.Īs a manufacturer, Ducati was definitely on a roll in 2007, and you would hardly refer to it as a smooth, on-the-throttle experience. Holy cow! So this is what traction control is all about. Tucked in over the tank, the front wheel lifted as I shifted up into fourth. I could see the dozens of black tire marks previously wiped onto the asphalt, but, as I straightened up the bike and crested the hill, the engine regained full power and thrust me forward. Still hard on the throttle, the 1098R drifted towards the outside edge of the track. But, in a split-second the engine note flattened a little and the slide did not materialize.

2008 ducati 1098r for sale