It was clear that Ducati had a lock on the “sexy v-twin” market in the mid-90s, selling basically every 916 they could make at a very premium price. But, aside from the funky, springless valves, they weren’t really offering anything all that innovative, and Suzuki figured they could do something much better for cheaper. And…
The Ducati 750 Sport was an interim model introduced in 1988 that followed on the heels of the F1. Ducati owners Cagiva hoped to capture the spirit and style of the vaunted 750SS, but buyers weren’t having it, and the bike was replaced by the long-running 900SS of the early 1990’s. The F1 was relatively…
While Ducati’s MHE and 900SS may be collectible and iconic now, they were seriously long in the tooth by the time they were discontinued, and even the Pantah-engined SS didn’t exactly offer cutting-edge performance when new. In order to keep their racing heritage alive in any meaningful sense, Ducati needed a top-shelf sportbike like the…
On the air-cooled side of the 1995 Ducati showroom, possibly back in a corner, was the 900 SS/CR. Not leading edge like the 916 or 748, not as racy as the 900 Superlight, not a new naked Monster, a nice bargain but not like the 600 or 750, the 900 SS/CR had its own gap…
While not a critical or sales success, the 1982-84 Ducati 900S2 is still an honest-to-goodness 900cc Desmo-engined Supersport. Caught up changing in emissions and noise regulations, the air-cooled and carbureted engine was silenced on intake and exhaust, and performance suffered. With bevel-drive cams and Ducati handling, it’s better than its reputation. The example here has…
Introduced in 1987, the 851 was a huge leap forward for Ducati, adding four-valve heads, liquid-cooling, and fuel-injection to their 90° v-twin. The resulting engine was good for a claimed 93hp at the rear wheel and was dubbed the “Desmoquattro” for obvious reasons. The new bike allowed Ducati to again be competitive in racing, and…
Filling out the 1995 line-up next to the 916 and 900SS, and of course the Monster, was the Ducati 900SS/CR ( Cafe Racer ? ). A lot less money than the new 916, and a little less than the 900SS, the half-fairing 900SS/CR still has respectable performance and a great fun factor. The sweet-looking CR…
This one has been getting a lot of looks on ebay and I can certainly understand why. While the Mike Hailwood replica is no stranger to RSBFS, this one is a bit special. As Mike M wrote just a few weeks ago, “before there was a Carl Fogarty or a Troy Bayliss or a Casey…