Motorcycling: For The Executive Rider- Four Extraordinary Bikes: Page 3

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Home > Autos & Other Vehicles > Motorcycles > Motorcycling: For The Executive Rider- Four Extraordinary Bikes

Motorcycling: For The Executive Rider- Four Extraordinary Bikes

Fluto Shinzawa et. al

May 12, 2003

Ducati 999
(Click image to enlarge)

The tao of the Ducati 999 is easy to achieve. Simply lean forward and grab the throttle, and you will feel as though you are one with the bike. For providing this sensation alone, the big red machine is worth its $17,695 price tag.

However, the 999 offers much more than ergonomic ecstasy; it is also easy on the eyes. When viewed from above, its silhouette, with the tank’s pinched waist and the flared seat, exudes sex appeal as only an Italian design can. The bold, white-faced tachometer set in the middle of the dash smugly proclaims the highest of revs, and the delicate wheels give the 999 a chic and stealthy appearance. “This is the most beautiful bike Ducati has ever built in its factory,” says former Ducati CEO Carlo Di Biagio. “It is faster, lighter, and more aerodynamic than any other bike produced by Ducati. It is the bike for the next decade.”

Ducati’s primary goal with the 999 was to create a user-friendly machine suitable for day cruising as well as track blasting. The 124-hp Testastretta engine turns out even more torque than its 998 predecessor. The power delivery is strong and seamless throughout the rev range, and the engine enters full song above 7,000 rpm. At three-digit speeds, the 999 is fast but not frightening, holding its line perfectly and eliminating any chatter over bumpy terrain. Andrea Forni, the head of Ducati’s testing department, credits the 999’s smooth ride to its double-sided swingarm, which increases static load on the front of the bike and keeps the machine planted on the pavement. “You can accelerate harder from a lower gear without being prone to wheelies,” Forni explains.

In other words, for all of its high style and performance capabilities, the elegant 999 remains firmly grounded. —f.s.