Description
Additional photos 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 is VIN: ZDMH200AA1B012707. It came to Iconic as an import from Germany through a broker in England.
The odometer shows 10,533 kilometers (6,544 miles).
Maintenance:
In preparation for this listing, the seller had us change the oil, brake fluid, and coolant, replace the battery and belts, and install new Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa 4 tires with date codes of 1922 and 2222.
Angel did the work and he reported the following in his condition report:
Tire Year Front/ Rear: NEW/NEW
Tire % Front/ Rear:100/100
Tire Press Front/ Rear:34/36
Brake % Front/ Rear :65/65
Hydraulic:NEW
Oil:NEW
Coolant:NEW
Low Beam:OK
High Beam:OK
Turn:OK
Tail Light:OK
Brake Light:OK
Plate Light:OK
Kill:OK
Horn:OK
Battery:NEW
When it arrived, the bike did not have the correct wheels. We sourced some replacements and had them powder-coated to match the OEM color.
Modifications:
Italian flag reflector.
Inside of the tank:
The sale includes two keys.
Cosmetic Blemishes: please see the album up top for all known cosmetic blemishes. Here is a selection:
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!
