Description
Additional photos of this 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.
This example (VIN: ZDMH200AA1B013892, Engine #: ZDM998W4B*000382) is #370 of the production run.
The odometer shows 19,322 kilometers (12,006 miles).
This bike came us from a collection in Japan. Based on the license plate mount, we believe it was sold new at Ducati Matsudo.
Maintenance history is not known, so in preparation for the listing we installed a new battery, flushed the front and rear brakes, flushed the coolant, changed the engine oil/filter, changed the timing belts, installed BMC air filters, installed spark plugs, rebuilt the Ohlins forks with Ohlins seals and Ohlins fork oil, installed a new air box gasket, installed OEM upper/lower chain sliders, and installed a Ducati carbon fiber radiator cover. Daniel did the work, he notes that the brake pads are at 75% front and rear.
We also installed new Pirelli Diablo Rosso II tires with date codes of 3121 and 3621.
Modifications:
Carbon fiber rear hugger, carbon fiber swingarm guard, carbon fiber chain guard, carbon fiber heel guards, carbon fiber front sprocket cover.
JB-Power Magtan wheels. These are forged magnesium, the seller went this route for weight savings.
STM clutch, carbon fiber open clutch cover.
Aella clutch slave cylinder.
Aftermarket rear sets.
Keyless gas cap.
Battery tender lead.
Cosmetic Blemishes: please see the album up top for all known cosmetic blemishes. Here is a selection:
left side turn signall housing
Inside of the tank:
The sale includes two keys and an OEM Ducati (not 996R-specific) stand.
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!
