WSBK Flashpoint: 1989 Ducati 851

NOTE: The seller has indicated that this particular example is a standard 851 with SP3 front suspension. Post has been updated from the original publishing to reflect the changes.

Ducati has often been described as a racing company that sell street bikes on the side. While this tongue-in-cheek description is intended to be humorous, it is also basically true. Case in point, consider todays gorgeous 1989 Ducati 851. Sure it has lights and signals and a horn – after all, it is a licensed street machine. But the purpose of the bike was to update the traditional Pantah motor to make it more competitive. And with one fell stroke Ducati added liquid cooling, a four valve Desmo cylinder head, and fuel injection; the modern Ducati Superbike was born, and the racing world would never be the same.

1989 Ducati 851 for sale on eBay

The basis for the 851 goes way back to 1973 when Massimo Bordi – then but a student – developed a desmodronic 4-valve head as part of his university thesis. Fast forward a decade or more and the student was now the master – in the form of Ducati Technical Director. With an influx of cash from new owner Cagiva, Ducati could properly invest in a modern platform and Bordi saw his thesis become reality. At the end of the day it was only natural that the team developed a bike suitable for racing, and the 851 started a long line of very successful WSBK competitions machines, right through to this day. If you are missing the significance of the 851, realize that the 916 would never have come to pass without this milestone machine.

From the seller:
1989 Ducati Superbike ( fuel injection) bike has 8,300 miles . Bike is near mint condition with the real rare Ohlins front forks/ suspension. Please message me if you have anymore questions on the bike. This bike I purchased from the original owner . CA titled . Thank you very much.

By modern standards the 851 has some interesting traits. The cockpit is tight and tidy – perfect for tucking in tight as the revs wind up. And speaking revs, the 851 was able to rev higher and quicker than any Ducati twin previously developed, with a 10,000 RPM redline. There is decent torque down low, but nothing like the 2-valve machines; the 851 was built to breathe at higher revolutions, and comes alive in the upper half of the tach. The chassis is extremely stiff, and the big Brembo binders are effective. But somehow all of the updates and technology simply made the experience more Ducati-like; the visceral experiences, noises and vibrations that make riding a Duc special all remain. The fact that this is an ultra-rare Sport Production variant (read: homologation) takes all that goodness and ramps it up several notches.

Today’s particular example is a beautiful example of the 851 breed. With just over 8,000 miles this bike appears to have had a pretty easy life considering it is well into its 30s. Longevity of these machines doesn’t really need to be called into question, provided that normal maintenance is performed as per schedules. That primarily means oil changes and belts, although relatively frequent valve adjustments are an important factor with this model. In the early years the standard Strada made due with Marzocchi suspension bits front and rear, while the SP was offered with upgraded Ohlins suspension. This one is available in sunny California, and is yet another rare and classic sport bike being sold off from a collection (see the Vdue, OW01, the YZF-SP, Superlight and more – all from the same collection). If you are interested in the bike that ignited Ducati’s dominance in the modern era of WSBK check out all of the details here, and Good Luck!!

MI