We have posted a few Ducati Supersports on RSBFS recently, and there is a good reason for it. As a rider, these are fantastic platforms that give you all the great Ducati vibes and good looks. They are not ultra-fast to be sure, nor are they ultra-refined in terms of creature comforts. These are very…
The Pantah-powered Ducati 900SS is a stalwart icon in the sport bike world. Devoid of the sewing machine, turbine-like windup of the Japanese inline four competition, the air-cooled, two valve L-twin grunts and booms to a relatively low RPM redline, riding a wave of torque. The trellis chassis is stiff, aiding in handling. Ducati took…
An affordable way into collecting exotics that you can ride, the Ducati Supersport line is an approachable (and enjoyable) platform on which to begin your journey. Long known for being robust, reliable and a heck of a lot of fun, the Pantah-powered SS models are fairly basic motorcycles that deliver decent performance, great looks and…
Until pretty recently, Japanese sportbikes were subjected to a pretty ruthless program of focused evolution, with significant updates to styling and mechanical components every two years. European sportbikes, on the other hand, often hung around well past their sell-by date, and special editions like the Ducati Superlight were often used drum up a bit of…
This beautiful 1996 Ducati 900SS/SP is a rare beast, being a yellow half-faired SP. Most of the time, the half-faired bikes were the lesser CR-spec model, which had lower end suspension and just weren’t quite as tasty as the SP. The SP meant you got fully adjustable Showa suspension front and rear, but the 80-ish…
Update 8.17.2020: This bike has SOLD to an RSBFS reader! Congratulations to buyer and seller! -dc Putting a numbered plaque and some bling on your moribund sportbike is a time-tested method to generate some buzz. It works especially well if you’re a storied, but slightly skint manufacturer of moribund Italian sportbikes. But parts-bin engineering doesn’t…
The Ducati Superlight is a far-cry from today’s “limited edition” superbikes like the Superleggera that have a performance envelope well beyond most owners’ ability to fully exploit. The Superlight isn’t a particularly fast bike, but it is very collectible, and rewarding to ride at speeds normal humans can enjoy without risking license, limb, or achieving…
By the late 1990s, Ducati’s success in production-based racing and general iconic-ness meant a new emphasis on v-twins for many manufacturers. It helps that a v-twin package makes for a great roadbike, with flexible midrange torque and lots of character at any speed. As a bonus a v-twin just sounds like a motorcycle. With 916-level…