Description
Additional photos of this 1998 Ducati 916 SPS are available here for your perusal.
A limited edition of one of the prettiest motorcycles ever made, the Ducati 916SPS (Sport Production Special) was an uprated version that featured a modified engine and chassis. Nearly all the specifications were improved like Ohlins rear shocks and Showa front forks, as it was designed to be the ultimate 916.
Released to homologate the new 996cc engine for Superbike competition, the 916SPS introduced reinforced crankcases, new barrels and heads, and a 11.5:1 compression ratio. The SPS struggled to go slow – media all over the country said their test bikes stalled at idle. The transmission became a close-ratio unit, and plenty of other extras added up to a bike that was expensive (an MSRP of $24,000 back when it was new), though well-worth it, according to reviewers.
The carbon fiber Termi exhaust (included separately with the SPS for “off-road use only”) sounded like nothing else people had heard at the time, and reviewers were terrified of the power delivery. Here’s the key: this was the best Ducati you could buy in 1997 – and only 404 were sold that year. The best part of the whole story? The SPS was only road legal in Europe. Ducati didn’t conform to EPA regulations, so they sold it as a ‘track-only’ bike and made buyers sign a waiver saying that you wouldn’t register it for road use. As you might imagine, pretty much everyone ignored the waiver, as the bike came with a VIN, lights, a title, and everything needed to register the bike. Want to learn more? Check out this excellent two-part article from Odd Bike about the special editions (particularly the SPS) of the world-changing 916.
This example (VIN: ZDM3SB5V7WB000683) is #317 of the limited production run.
It is currently located at our Santa Monica location and is offered with a clean North Carolina title. The sale includes a copy of the original MSO, which assigned the bike Moto Fixx Corporation and notes that it is “FOR RACING PURPOSES ONLY”.
The odometer shows 1,877 miles.
The second owner acquired this bike in 2000 with 740 miles on it from Gold Coast Motorsports in New Hyde Park, New York (the sale includes the purchase invoice dated 4/11/2000). It is being offered today by the third owner.
It received a $2,971 service at Desmoto Sport in January 2015 and hasn’t seen any miles since. At that point, the bike had been sitting for six years. The job description was to perform an an annual service with cam belt replacement and to get the 916 running again – the work also included replacing all fuel tank internals, fitting the rims and tires from a 1997 916, rebuilding the clutch slave cylinder, gas cap, and installing a sprag clutch, lightweight Nichols flywheel, and BMC air filter kit.
We note a paint chip on the right side of the tank.
We also note some rust on the bottom rear of the cases.
Expect recommission costs if you’re going to ride – we expect that it will need tires, fluids, a battery, and possibly an injector clean. As always, our White Glove service is available to make it a runner if the next owner desires.
