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.
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, and were the exact units used on Ducati’s WSBK racers.
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 base model’s injection-molded plastics were also replaced by full carbon fiber bodywork throughout, including unpainted carbon fenders.
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: ZDMH200AA1B012676, Engine #: ZDM998W000145.
The odometer shows 3,147 miles.
It is #81/500.
Known History:
The original owner purchased the bike new from Pro Twins, a Ducati specialist in Southern England on January 1st, 2001. It was registered in the UK on June 1st, 2001 and had its first MOT on June 21st, 2001 with 7 miles. The bike still wears its original issued Pro Twins logo’d UK plate.
The original owner had Pro Twins install a Termignoni full titanium 54mm exhaust and ECU instead of the carbon fiber 50mm slip-ons. Per the third owner, “stock HP was 135, the carbon 50mm cans + ECU upped it to 141 (per Ducati), and the full 54mm system + ECU is putting out about 149.”
“As verified in speaking to the original owner, also installed was a clear tank protector, front fork sliders, taller windscreen, and alarm system. (The aftermarket windscreen and alarm system were removed by Iconic at the third owners request).”
The original owner traded it in back to Pro Twins towards a 2009 Ducati 1098R Troy Bayliss Replica in 2016. At this time it had 2,982 miles. The second owner put it up for consignment via RX Motors on January 22, 2022.
The third owner acquired it from RX on December 5th, 2022. He asked Iconic to arrange delivery to him in California – it was picked up for crating on January 18th, 2023, cleared US Customs in Los Angeles on February 6th, and Iconic picked it up from American Airlines on February 7th. He specifically requested air vs sea freight to “avoid the salty air environment.” We started service work on February 11th, the bike had 3,147 miles at this time.
The owner asked us to:
– replace the gas with ethanol free aviation fuel
– remove the aftermarket alarm system and repair the main ahrness where it had been previously spliced
– replace the rear sub-harness
– replace the tires with OEM original ones that he had sourced
While we were servicing the bike, the third owner found a 996R with zero miles on it and asked us to sell this one to pursue the lower-mile example. We sold it to the fourth owner on March 1st. The fourth owner has not seen the bike in person, it has remained at our shop. Before it was scheduled to be shipped to him, the fourth owner was presented with the opportunity to buy his dream car so he having us auction off the Ducati to help fund the car purchase.
Mileage history per MOT reports:
21 Jun 2001: 7
14 Oct 2006: 1,770
26 Apr 2008: 2,071
16 Jun 2010: 2,417
08 Aug 2012: 2,621
12 Jul 2013: 2,917
05 May 2016: 2,982
27 Sep 2021: 3,139
Documented Maintenance:
12/12/01 – 421 miles at Pro Twins: break-in service.
9/28/21 – 3,138 miles at M-Motorcycles: new timing belts, polish exhaust system and re-fit, replace starter motor and main earth cables, replace alarm fob batteries, stripe inside of headlight to clean and reassemble, replace fuel tank internal fuel hoses & filter, replace coolant and brake/clutch fluid.
2/11/23 – 3,147 miles at Iconic Motorbikes:
• Siphon Gas + Replace with E0
• Remove Aftermarket Alarm System + Repair Main Harness where spliced
• Remove/Replace Rear Sub-harness
• Remove/Replace Front+Rear Tires – Nitrogen Purge: set to 30psi
• Ensure battery is AGM or GEL only; Replace if necessary
• Note any non-factory modifications.
• Install Windscreen
It is riding on Michelin Pilot Sport radial tires that have aged out. These are original OEM-spec examples with a few hundred miles of use that the third owner sourced to make the bike more period correct.
Inside of the tank:
Extras:
The sale includes two keys, the remote for the removed alarm, the tax disc, maintenance records, and UK MOT/registration paperwork.
Spyball alarm (removed by Iconic at third owner’s request).
Set of street exhaust slip-ons (as the bike shipped with installed)
Correct carbon fiber Termignoni 50mm slip-ons and ECU (NOS in packaging).
Gubellini/Ducati rear stand.
OEM Ducati 996R rear stand (needs refinishing).
Spare windscreen.
Owner’s manual and warranty booklet/service coupons.
Original dust cover. “These are made of a paper-based fairly rough and non stretchable material, intended for initial shipping and protection from Ducati. It is not meant for regular use, it will mar and scratch the paint and fade/deteriorate quickly. Do not ever wash it or get it wet.”
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. Please note that the title is en route and will be in our possession in roughly four weeks. As an import, this bike lacks certain compliance and emissions stickers that the state of California would require to transfer a title. Have any 996R stories or questions about this listing? Let us know in the “Comments” tab!
