DUCATI 999 Motor Cycle News review...
THE cries and whinges from competition have to be heard to be believed when we test the 999 or its siblings the S and R versions.
Simply put, the 999 trashes the opposition, leaving other twins wondering what on earth is going on.
The engines are beauties, but it's their all-round integration and user-friendliness, coupled with a chassis that's quicker-turning than the old 998, more neutrally balanced than the Aprilia Mille's, and more roomy and better suspended than Honda's SP-2. On the straights, there's little in it, but wait until the corners appear - where did the Ducati go? Into the distance is the answer. Reliability is proving very good but there are some observations of poor finish around exhausts, fuel filler and heelplates. The S has more power and Ohlins suspension instead of Showa.
The R - a homologation special for WSB - has a single seat, 139bhp and a walloping 80ftlb of torque.
For 2005 the 999 gets the biggest overhaul of the model since the original surfaced in 2002.
The 999 gets the same bodywork changes as the 749, but now the base 999 gets a tweaked version of the S engine. Power is up by 16bhp, making the standard 2005 999 more powerful than the 2004 999R.
The bike also handles better thanks to the race-spec 999R swingarm, and weight reduction throughout the bike means that it’s 13kg lighter than before. Red frame and black wheels have been added, too – giving the bike that 999R look. For the first time ever the 999 will also be available in black. A black 749 debuted last year, but it was the budget, matt black lower-spec Dark version. This is the full-spec 999 and the frame has also been painted black. As Mick Jagger might have sang: “I see a red Duke and I want to paint it black...”
Review by MotorCycleNews, 2005
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