I am a huge Ducati fan. I don't know if the film will ever be finished, never-mind released, but my movie-making friend Riaan has been pointing a camera in my face for a while getting me to drool about bikes. And I had to choose the bike I would like to own the most. I went for the Ducati 916/996/998 series. I just call it the 916. So there are hours of tape of me huddling and cuddling an assortment of 916's.
Oh yes, the hold-up is with Ducati Cape Town, who is supposed to supply a bike for me to ride in the film. And the bike they have available has been giving problems endlessly...
I blame my love for Ducati on Carl Fogarty. When bikes first entered my awareness in the 90’s, long before I even thought of actually owning and riding one, I started reading up on them. And all the magazines and the internet was awashed with just one bike, the 916, and just one man, who piloted it to world championship after championship. It did help that it was a bloody gorgeous piece of metal and plastic to look at, of course.
And when I started collecting modelkits, my first one was a 916. I have several now. I am particularly proud of the Senna version I found in Copenhagen (pic above).
I can't afford a Duke and I am still too scared to even think of looking after one; reliability and cost of living being the biggest worries.
Anyway, as you can see in the interview below, I never got used to the 999. I thought it was ugly from the beginning, but it hasn’t gotten easier with time. And many people felt that way. Particularly the ones that can afford them.
So it hasn’t sold all that well. Not even the 999's dominance in World Superbike Racing could propel it to the top of the sales charts, as was the case with the 916 series.
Looks sell. It is a sad fact. Strangely though, the Bangled-up BMW’s hasn’t suffered much in sales. Maybe bikers are a more fickle bunch.
I am not sad to see the 999 go. It had a life-span of only 4 years, that is admission enough of it not doing well. This is Ducati’s mainstay model range and the manufacturer was slipping into the red – they had to act.
The new for 2007 1098 is a beauty in the classic sense. Gone is the sci—fi design touches and back is the rearward sloping lines to a high tail-end, complete with single-sided swing-arm. Ducatisti rejoice!
It is not a striking design though. And in fairness it could never be, the 916 was far to influential for that. The result is that the 1098 lacks visual drama, and looks far too pleasing on the eye. Especially after the tension of the 999.
I involuntarily breathed a sigh of relieve when I first saw the 1098!
That is partly because of the familiar design touches; there is a bit of Honda CBR and Triumph 675 in the lines, but remember, the 916 had it all first. Even the under-seat tail-pipes are unashamedly 916.
But mostly, Ducati couldn’t afford to rake risks; it had to play safe, and make sure people wouldn’t mind falling and line taking out their wallets.
What is interesting is that with the 1100cc capacity, the bike can’t race now (forgetting about the prototype MotoGP for a second). And racing is an integral part of Ducati’s heritage. Do they feel confident that the capacity limit will be increased to 1200cc?
Or are they reasoning that if the 999’s racing success couldn’t safe it, maybe racing is not all that important to the bottomline? So the 1098 will sell very well, thank you.
In a year or two we will know.
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