Description
Please Note: In response to customer requests, we are implementing an automatic bid bump: if your proxy bid meets or exceeds the reserve price, bidding will jump up to meet that price and you will see “Reserve price has been met” under the price. Please contact abhi@iconicmotorbikes.com if you have any questions!
Additional photos of this 2001 Ducati 996R are available here for your perusal.
1990 marked the beginning of Ducati’s supremacy in World Superbike, with the Bologna-based firm taking home the title in ’90, ’91, ’92, ’94, ’95, ’96, ’98, and ’99. Ducati’s superbikes from this era cemented the brand’s reputation as a purveyor of world-class race machinery with a series of ever-evolving models. But in 2000, with Colin Edwards at the helm, (Castrol) Honda managed to unseat the Italian manufacturer. In a bid to regain their stranglehold on the series, Ducati went back to the drawing board to design a new and improved iteration of the 996. To help improve the Bordi-designed engine, Ducati brought on Angiolino Marchetti, an ex-Ferrari engineer who helped design the V-12 Formula One desmo engine prototype in the late ‘80s. Marchetti came through for the company, ultimately designing the firm’s first Testastretta (narrow) head, which allowed bore to be increased by 2mm to 100mm while the stroke was shortened to 63.5mm, yielding more power.
The result was a liquid-cooled, 998cc, four-stroke, 8V, DOHC, 90-degree desmo L-Twin with titanium rods and specially-designed cams, Weber Marelli injection, six-speed transmission with a hydraulically-activated dry clutch, and sand-cast crankcases just like on the factory race bikes. The 998cc Testastretta motor generated 135 hp at 10,200 rpm and 77.5 ft-lbs of torque at 8,000 rpm. With a dry weight just north of 400 lbs, those figures translated to a top speed of approximately 175 mph, and a standing quarter-mile time of 10.1 seconds.
With its eyes on recapturing the WSBK crown, Ducati released a new homologation special version of its flagship superbike, known as the 996R. In order to campaign the Testastretta-engined model in the World Superbike Championship, Ducati was required to turn out 500 units of the up-specced two-wheeler. Ducati made 350 of the specimens available to private customers at a price of 26,000 euros, while the remaining 150 units were earmarked for “special allocation” – niche markets, privateers, and factory-backed race efforts. Despite the significant MSRP, every example was spoken for within six hours of its release.
The successor to the 996SPS, the 996R was only produced for a single year: 2001. The R-spec differed from the base model in a number of key areas. The 996R featured 43mm inverted TiN-treated Ohlins forks and a mono-shock, both adjustable for compression and rebound damping. Ohlins also supplied an adjustable steering damper.
Stopping duties went to Brembo hardware; dual 320mm discs clamped down on by quad-piston calipers, supplemented by a single 220mm disc bit by a dual-piston caliper in back.
The 17-inch five-arm lightweight alloy wheels came courtesy of Marchesini.
Other changes found on the upgraded model consisted of a lightweight race battery, thicker 12mm engine mounts and thicker frame tubes for overall increased rigidity, and a dual-can GP-style under-seat carbon fiber muffler setup from Termignoni as standard. The side fairings, belly pan, and fenders were also made from carbon fiber. (Thanks to nine16 in the comments for a correction on this line).
All of Ducati’s efforts quickly paid off, and in the 996R’s inaugural season in 2001, Troy Bayliss would pilot the R-spec to a WSBK Championship title. The 996R was the closest thing to a genuine factory Ducati racer that money could buy. Brimming with race-grade componentry and adorned in Massimo Tamburini’s legendary bodywork design (in carbon fiber!), the 996R is a prime example of the type of machine that gave Ducati its reputation for exotic and exclusive race-bred machinery.
This example is VIN: ZDMH200AA1B013956, Engine #: ZDM998W4B*000470*.
It is #326 of the 500 examples built.
The odometer shows 14,494 kilometers (9,006 miles).
Stickers on the bike suggest that this was originally sold in Japan.
This comes out of a Ducati collection we imported from South Africa. In preparation for the listing, we replaced the fuel lines and spark plugs.
We also had Ducati expert Marc Maidens take a look at it, and he did the following:
– reset throttle bodies to base settings and then adjusted accordingly
– replaced the stator to regulator connection
During our work with it, we determined that the bodywork, tank, and wheels have been repainted. The bike had a low side in the past – the water pump has been repaired and the side fairings are aftermarket. Our White Glove service can source an OEM water pump if the next owner would like.
Someone has spent considerable time making the aftermarket fairings look like the OEM carbon fiber – the “Ducati desmoquattro 996R” letters are a carbon fiber overlay and look convincing at a glance.
But the big tell is that black painted portions on the upper lip of the side fairings – this is supposed to be exposed carbon fiber.
12/8 Update: turns out this bike does in fact have carbon fiber fairings, but they weren’t repainted to OEM specs and have been patched on the inside due to previous damage. Whenever the bike was repainted, the painter didn’t leave the carbon fiber portion up top exposed as he or she should have. We have no idea if that’s because they didn’t know they were supposed to or because the carbon fiber looked bad and they wanted to cover it up. We are trying to get photos uploaded right now but our photo service is having some issues at the moment.
Modifications:
Carbon fiber swingarm guard.
LighTech gas cap.
Cosmetic Blemishes:
Inside of the tank:
It is riding on Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa tires with date codes of 3710 and 4511.
The sale includes a carbon fiber license plate/turn signal holder.
It also includes one key.
Currently located at our facility in Santa Monica, California (please make an appointment for an inspection), this Ducati is offered on a clean Oregon title. Have any 996R stories or questions about this listing? Let us know in the “Comments” tab!
Please Note: In response to customer requests, we are implementing an automatic bid bump: if your proxy bid meets or exceeds the reserve price, bidding will jump up to meet that price and you will see “Reserve price has been met” under the price. Please contact abhi@iconicmotorbikes.com if you have any questions!
