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Ducati 999
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Issue 125 : October - November 2002Ducati 999Redvolution
Despite the impressive Ducati sports bike dynasty going back to 1988 long before this significant machine, directly from it came the 996 and then the 998 and now we have the 999. Nothing to do with the emergency services, although no doubt many employees would like one to be a service issue machine! The new Ducati 999 is very much a motorcycle of the future. It is without doubt the most advanced, highest performance twin-cylinder standard road bike ever to leave the historic Borgo Panigale factory in Bologna and in my humble opinion it is also the best! Designed by Pierre Terblanche it has taken the evolution of the seminal 916 to a new dimension ready to forge Ducati even further ahead in the 21st century. Having said that, it is not a bike that bowls you over at first sight as the 916 did all those years ago, it is a bike that grows on you. Each time you look at it you see something new. Ducati are calling it 'Redvolution', the reference to the colour obviously relating to the symbol of Italian racing. Not to mention their own phenomenal success in the World Superbike championships with 9 rider and 10 manufacturers' titles to their credit! The evolution part of things actually goes back further than the 916, right back in fact to the 851. That bike was a quantum leap from previous Ducatis and formed the start of their meteoric rise to prominence on the world's racetracks. From this 128bhp motor to the 188bhp that the current 998 pushes out, things have evolved to the state of the art 999 with the Testastretta engine at its heart! Despite the evolution aspect the Ducati 999's design is unique and comes from a combination of an extremely narrow fairing, a tail section that almost totally exposes the rear silencer and a lower fairing that extends rearward towards the swinging arm. The polyellipsoidal headlights are mounted in a vertical plane for better aerodynamics and compliment the narrow front fairing. At the rear the raised seat and tail unit has exposed the rear cylinder which now becomes part of the styling. Despite these new tweaks, it is very much a revolutionary bike in that while it manages to maintain many of Ducati's trademarks like the trellis frame, it has used modern technology to simplify and improve it, making it something of a technical masterpiece. However, the most important thing has not been forgotten and that is the rider, the person who controls technology rather than the other way around.
Terblanche has actually taken a step back in time by making it adjustable in a number of areas so that not only can the rider fine-tune the suspension, they can also fine-tune the riding position for ultimate comfort. Now the rider interacts with the bike more than ever before. In standard trim the bike loads the front end for optimum handling without putting excessive strain on the riders wrists, but thanks to these adjustable features it can be fine tuned even further according to their riding style. The front fork rake is also adjustable via an eccentric without affecting the bikes 1420mm wheelbase. The bike is also 'less giving more' as there are 30% fewer components compared to its predecessor and this has reduced maintenance times, which will help reduce running costs. Not only that but they have pegged the price at a very acceptable £11,250. There is a lot to take in when you are looking at the 999, there are aerofoils on the leading edges of the fairing that stand proud from the rest of it, something totally new. These scoop up the turbulent air caused by the front wheel and smooth it out, helping to make the bike more aerodynamic than its predecessor. Strangely too for a sports bike with a full fairing you can now see part of the engine, as the rear cylinder is clearly visible from the side. The exhaust still exits up and under the seat but instead of two cans there is now one that is actually part of the styling. (Fitted with a catalytic converter this gets very hot and is best avoided when examining the bike in detail!) At the front there are two stacked polyellipsoidal headlights giving the bike a very futuristic look. This is enhanced by the vertical slots on either side to direct air past the rider and help feed the pressurised intake system. In behind this are all the new innovative designs; the main one being that the bike now employs Controller Area Network (CAN). This has been around in the car world for a long time but this is a first on two wheels. Instead of miles of wiring, all the information the bike needs transmitted between items such as the engine management system and the dashboard computer is sent digitally along two wires. Simple and effective it now means riders can have maximum readout on all aspects that will affect their ride such as ambient temperature, fuel consumption, engine diagnostics etc and it tells the time!
This is all good news but even better is the adjustability of the bike to ensure maximum rider comfort. Unlike many sports bikes this is a bike that puts you into a natural stance in behind the fairing even on standard settings. The seat is lower too, which will allow those short on leg inches to be able to ride and own a decent sports bike for a change. The monoposto version adds to the already adjustable footrests, brake and gear lever by allowing the seat and tank unit to move forwards and backwards. Not only does this aid rider comfort, it also allows you to tune the handling by moving your weight around and increase stability. Not that it is a problem on this bike, because the famed Ducati handling has been improved upon with the launch of the 999. This is one hell of a compliment because on the face of it, all they have done is increase the length of the swinging arm by 15mm. While this does not notice, the fact that it is now double sided as opposed to being a mono-arm does. Worry not though, it is claimed to be stiffer and lighter! At the front the steering head angle has been increased to 28.5 degrees to make manouvering at low speeds a lot easier as well, although nobody in their right mind is going to want to spend too much time in built up areas on this bike, which deserves to live on fast sweeping roads that test its abilities and those of its rider. The bike is very flickable and is well on a par with a 600 for example, but is far more stable than any of the current crop of middleweights. The corner speed is high like any Ducati and you quickly find that you are riding faster than you think without really trying, probably because the bike feels so secure and so do you in the hot seat. You can really make use of the Testastretta motor that first appeared in the 996R, but of course now it is significantly improved. It offers phenomenal mid-range punch, backed up by a well-calibrated fuel injection system allowing the bike to be totally ridden on the throttle. It works best between 4,000 and 9,000rpm, which is good for both road and track. The top end has also been boosted by the bigger airbox and ram air system. The Testastretta engine in the 999 has stroke of 63.5mm verses the 66mm of the Desmoquattro and 100mm bore verses the former 98mm. The shorter stroke lowers the average speed of the piston resulting in a higher RPM redline, maximum performance and improved reliability. A new deeper sump integrated into the crankcases also ensures constant oil pickup even when the bike is being accelerated or braked hard, which will of course bode well for its longevity. Should you need to use the brakes, the four-pads-per-calliper Brembos will have you slowing faster than hitting a brick wall if you pull them on hard. Thankfully they provide total feel and rider feedback as you might expect coming from Ducati Corse development, otherwise the G-forces may make life very uncomfortable if you are not bracing yourself! The basic fact is that they have spent literally hundreds of hours trying to make a good bike even better, but at the same time making something they can really call a new bike. They have succeeded. as the world launch at Misano proved, only the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tyres proving they were not up to countless laps of the track. However, to put it into perspective, Bayliss was lapping 1 second slower than a fully race kited Supersport machine on a basic road bike. This shows that this bike really has the potential to follow in the history books where its forbears have left off. And for those for whom the factory never caters for totally with standard machines, there is already a complete range of Ducati Performance and tuning accessories. These parts improve the power, handling and lower the weight even further. There are also customising parts available for those who really want the individual look, while many items of clothing and leathers are available for those who want to identify with the machine both on and off it! The 999-world launch certainly showed Ducati are going to continue to lead for a long time to come both on and off the track. Ian Kerr
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Back in the early 1990's Ducati literally stunned the world with the launch of the 916. Not only was it a superb motorcycle it also started appearing in art galleries so striking was its appearance. It became 'the' sports bike to have despite a premium price tag and went on to very quickly win its place in the history books as a modern classic.
From a visual perspective what this means is that you get a very distinctive, as well as an advanced instrumentation panel. It comprises a circular tachometer with a backlit classic white dial while beneath it, is an LCD panel giving all the relevant readouts. In addition it is also used for service information, fault diagnosis and anti theft system status.
