Ducati 998R

The 2002/03 model year brought yet another exotic, beautiful and incredibly powerful Ducati homologation racebike for the road. The 998R is powered by a road-going version of the second-generation Testastretta engine. This 999cc motor has a larger bore and shorter stroke (104 x 58.8mm/3.9 x 2.3in) than the 998S, which uses the previous Testastretta design. The Testastretta (Italian for 'narrow head') design first appeared on the limited edition 996R race-replica of 2001. It was the first major redesign of the Desmoquattro engine since the 916 of 1994, with the aim of producing a new line of engines for future development. Ducati rearranged the desmodromic valve gear to bring the camshafts closer together and allow a narrower valve angle.

This narrower valve arrangement was essential to improve the combustion chamber shape for increased efficiency. The Testastretta also used a revised, short-stroke architecture, allowing higher revs and larger valves, while new stronger crankcases were designed to cope with the stresses of World Superbike racing. The latest version of Ducati's fuel-injection system uses a single 'shower'-type injector and 54mm (2.1in) throttle bodies.

This immensely strong engine is fitted to an equally impressive chassis. The frame is Ducati's trademark steel-tube trellis design, which offers excellent stiffness without excessive weight. The single-sided rear swingarm is heavier than a conventional 114 double-sided design, but has become iconic of the 916/996 range. Top-of-the-range Öhlins racing suspension front and rear is fully adjustable, and the forks are titanium nitride coated to reduce stiction. Racing four-pad Brembo brake calipers operate on floating discs bolted to graceful five-spoke Marchesini wheels. The beautiful fairing is slightly reshaped compared with the older 996, and is made of strong but light carbon-fibre.

Like the 996R of 2001, the 998R was a limited-edition production run, and many of these exotic thoroughbreds will end up on the racetrack.

With more World Superbike Championships than all the other marques combined, the Ducati Superbikes continue to dominate the World Superbike Championship. Ever since the creation of the first 851 Superbike, Ducati Corse engineers have put unsparing efforts into pursuing an ongoing development of the Desmoquattro engine and of the Superbike family as a whole in terms of technology and performance. It is this kind of commitment that has enabled Ducati to dominate the most prestigious stock-based motorcycle championship in the world.

The ongoing EVOlution of the Desmoquattro engine spans an incredible period of time and is evidence of the superior engineering and manufacturing quality of this project, which is rightly regarded as the very foundation of Ducati's current technical and commercial success.

The 998R is the most powerful Superbike with the highest track performance. It was the first Ducati to use the new Testastretta engine. A bigger 104mm bore, a shorter 58.8mm stroke and higher lift cams extend the rev limit and increase horsepower to nearly 140. Track performance is accentuated with an Öhlins low friction TiN treated front fork and an Öhlins rear shock. Lighter Marchesini Corse front and rear wheels that are .875lbs and 1.75lbs lighter respectively, significantly reduce unsprung weight for even better suspension control. The 998R bristles with components that are normally found only on factory race bikes. A carbon fiber tail section, airbox, lower fairing and front fender subtract plenty from its weight but add lots to its appeal. Sticky racing tires complete this ultimate Ducati competition motorcycle.