New arrival — Ducati 996S
Details
Every car or motorcycle enthusiast has done this. Popped open a browser window, tapped in their website of choice — eBay, Craigslist, Pistonheads, Autotrader, Bring a Trailer — and indulged in some speculative fantasy shopping. I’m no exception, and the machine I’ve searched for most is the Ducati 996. To my eyes it is simply the most beautiful motorcycle ever made.
Such speculations have historically been equal parts frivolous and fruitless. These bikes don’t come up for sale often, and when they do they’re almost never in California. So imagine my surprise when I found this 996S for sale just twenty minutes’ drive from my front door — complete with a heavily upgraded engine, a host of other performance modifications, and the build sheet to prove it.
Purely on a whim, I sent the owner a message to see if it was still available. 36 hours later I was standing slack-jawed in my garage staring at the dream made manifest.
The 996 is famously about as comfortable as a pogo stick, as reliable as a twenty-year-old inkjet printer, and as easy to ride as a rodeo bull, but does it deserve its reputation? My initial experience suggests not.
Yes, there are more comfortable machines to straddle — like all track-oriented bikes the Ducati has high foot pegs and low bars — but it’s only marginally more cramped than my other superbikes past and present. The secret is to use your core muscles and inner thighs to grip the tank and take the weight off your wrists. It’s really not that big a deal if you’re of average height and have reasonable mobility.
As far as the ride characteristics go, I’m baffled by the bike’s reputation for unforgiving handling — at least within the constraints of street riding. No bike will reward poor technique — especially not one with gobs of torque low down the rev range and no electronic safety nets — but with a smooth throttle roll on and clear, decisive inputs I’ve found the bike just wants to do bike things. It’s a joy to ride, telegraphs signals from the road with melt-water purity from both ends of the bike, and has wonderful mid-corner stability.
It’s too early to say what will become of it. For now the only issue to address is a slipping clutch and a better mount for the smaller battery I’ve fitted. The current plan is to just enjoy it for Sunday rides — a weekly reminder that dreams can come true, and maybe you should meet your heroes in real life.