All Bimotas are rare. It doesn’t matter the model, the year, the capacity. Sure, some models are much more rare and drool worthy than others (here’s looking at you, Mantra), but all are built in small-batch goodness. So what happens when you take a really, really cool model such as a YB11 Superleggera (Italian for…
There has never been a shortage of special Ducati to lust after. For many years the top tier was the R models. They represented the closest thing to a factory race bike that mere mortals could own. These R models were limited in a way to what the racing regulations allowed, so Ducati decided to…
For years the top Ducati specification has been their R model bikes. These race bikes for the road were released to appease the governing bodies of different organizations. The rules stipulate that in order to qualify for the race, a specific number need to be produced to homologate them for racing. The idea was to…
The search for speed and performance can be an obsession. Something that consumes all focus and drives decisions about every aspect of the machine. Much of the time this pursuit is limited to racing applications. Teams spend untold amounts of money to go incrementally faster. This purity of design is rarely seen on the streets. …
Superleggera means “super light” in Italian, and has been applied to everything from aluminum-bodied Ferraris to modern Ducatis. For the time, the Bimota YB11 offered pretty outrageous performance, compared to mass-produced open-class superbikes. In the YB11’s case, the claimed 403lbs dry is on par with something like a modern superbike, with a bit less power.…
This 2014 Ducati 1199 Superleggera has barely covered its break-in period, and comes complete with a boxful of accessories and two Akrapovic exhaust setups. And, if you’re so inclined, the option of a two-year warranty. On a 200-horsepower, 400-pound Scud missile. With a license plate. And turn signals. 2014 Ducati 1199 Superleggera It is nigh…
1990s Bimotas currently represent an amazing value, and this 1998 YB11 Superleggera has superbike performance, Yamaha reliability, and is very rare, all for under $10,000. “Superleggera” or “super light” is a style of construction that stresses lightweight materials and construction: Ducati’s Superleggera is so super and leggera that it actually weighs less than the British Superbike…
This weaponized Ducati Superleggera, resplendent in nuclear red paint that looks like it causes cancer to people standing near it is one of those bikes that lives up the hype. Many Ducati special editions have been a bit disappointing, unless you were looking for a living room decoration. All that carbon fiber added to the…
