Thirty years ago a bike considered by many to be one of the most beautiful motorcycles ever made broke cover in New York. The beauty queen of the moto world, if you will, was a Ducati called 916. And its beauty came not only from its flowing shape and impressive capabilities, but also from the extensive bodywork that wrapped all around the frame and engine - something that was done a lot back then, not always with the greatest of success.
In today's world, with so many available styles, a fully faired sports bike is not something that necessarily gets people's blood pumping. But all those old enough to dream of times long gone, and the ones young enough to enjoy retro icons, will surely rejoice at the news of the 916 making a comeback.
Taking advantage of the EICMA show presently taking place in its home country, Ducati announced the arrival of a 916 tribute so exciting and limited it will surely be the talk of the industry for a while longer.
The bike is essentially a Panigale V4 of the SP2 variety dressed in special clothing to make it look like the three-decade-old sports bike, and officially called Anniversario 916.
The Panigale V4 SP2 is already a monster of a machine, the ultimate racetrack bike, as the Italians like to advertise it. Sitting at the top of the bike maker's super sports bike range, it is powered by a 1,103cc Desmosedici Stradale engine derived from MotoGP and capable of cranking out 215 horsepower at a mind-boggling 13,000 rpm. Torque levels are listed at 123 Nm.
The same specs are listed by Ducati for the bike it presented this week as well. The main thing setting the Anniversario apart from the production SP2 is the color scheme it wears. It all starts at the front with the Italian flag, displayed as three colors on the front of the main fairing. There's also plenty of red to remind anyone who's looking this is a Ducati, and touches of black and white where they matter the most for the desired contrast.
As a touch of finess, the number 1 is inscribed on the front end as a reminder of the Superbike World Championship won by Carl Fogarty in 1998 while riding a 916.
Photo: Ducati
Several discreet elements make the SP2 in this configuration special, including a billet aluminum racing fuel tank cap, air ducts for cooling of the Brembo brakes installed by Ducati, and a heat shield over the exhaust. Carbon fiber is extensively used on the bike, including on the bike's wings, mudguards, heel guards, and covers.
The bike's wheels, five-spoke ones by design, are also made from carbon fiber, and the rear one is supported by a single-sided swingarm.
The use of this material in so many places allowed Ducati to achieve noticeable weight reduction when compared to the V4 S. The wheels alone, for instance, are 3.4 kg (7.5 pounds) lighter than the ones deployed on the standard Panigale V4.
The Ducati Panigale V4 SP2 30 Anniversario 916 will be made in a limited production run of just 500 units. Each of them will be fitted with a billet aluminum steering plate on which, by means of laser engraving, the name of the name and its number in the production queue will be inscribed. A certificate of authenticity and a dedicated bike cover are also thrown into the mix.
All 500 bikes will be offered in a single-seat configuration, and they will pack all the hardware and software a rider needs to properly enjoy it while on the track.
Whenever one wants to take the ride off the road and onto the circuit, a special kit for properly prepping the SP2 is offered. It comes with all the gear needed to make the removal of the rearview mirrors and number plate holder a breeze.
Photo: Ducati
There is also a cover for the carbon clutch and, the cherry on the cake a data acquisition system with GPS module to allow for the proper monitoring of the performance while on the track.
The Italian bike maker already has the Panigale V4 SP2 30 Anniversario 916 listed on its website, but at the time of writing there is no way of ordering yourself one other than directly getting in touch with a dealer.
Likewise, we got no info from the Italians as to how much they expect to fetch for one of these amazing bikes. We'll keep an eye out, of course, and update this story as soon as we learn more.
In the meantime, if you happen to be in Italy you should know you can experience the limited edition bike in the metal at the EICMA show, where it will be on display until next Sunday. To be fair, though, we're kind of looking forward more to the time when this beast will take it to the track for the first time.
Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies. Full profile
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