2008 · Supersport · Buyer's Guide
The MotoGP Replica With Plates
Ducati built this one to prove a point. The 989 cc V4 traces straight back to the GP6 prototype, and it makes 200 hp at 13,800 rpm with 85 lb-ft at 10,500, delivered as a hard top-end rush past 10,000 rpm. The parts list reads like a race paddock inventory: sand-cast crankcases, titanium valves, forged magnesium wheels, a carbon fiber subframe, all hung on a steel trellis frame. At 425 lb wet it runs to 188 mph. This is a GP bike with lights, not a sportbike wearing a fancy paint scheme.
It rides the way that spec sheet implies. The chassis is razor-sharp and talks to you constantly, the suspension is set up for commitment rather than comfort, and there is no electronic safety net of any kind behind your right wrist. Owning one means budgeting for it, because the desmo valve train and the ignition system both want attention at service intervals. This is for the rider with track access, real skill, and a garage where a motorcycle is allowed to be an occasion instead of transport. If you want something to ride every Sunday without thinking about it, look elsewhere.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 200 hp (147 kW) @ 13,800 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 85 lb-ft (116 Nm) @ 10,500 rpm |
| Displacement | 989 cc |
| Engine | V4 |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front brake | 330 mm |
| Front tire | 120/70-17 |
| Rear tire | 200/55-16 |
| Wheelbase | 56.3 in (1430 mm) |
| Seat height | 32.7 in (830 mm) |
| Wet weight | 425 lb (193 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 4.0 gal (15 L) |
| Top speed | 188 mph (303 km/h) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Drivetrain
Thumb the starter and the whole bike shakes on its mounts before it settles into an idle that sounds mechanical and slightly angry. The clutch lever is heavy enough that you notice it at the second stoplight, and the riding position folds you forward over a 32.7 inch seat with your weight sitting on your wrists. Everything about it is narrow. Your knees close around a tank that holds 4.0 gallons, which at the pace this thing encourages means you watch the trip meter more than the mirrors. Heat rises through the seat and the tank sides in traffic. On a real road the surface arrives through the bars unfiltered, every seam and patch of it. Then the exhaust note climbs, the twin-pulse howl fills your helmet, and none of the discomfort registers anymore.
This one comes from years of listening rather than a single ride: paddock talk, owner conversations, club nights, and the messages riders send me about the bikes they live with. On the Desmosedici RR the chatter splits cleanly. The engine and the fact of ownership get talked about with heat. What it costs and what it asks gets talked about with a sigh.
The engine leads every conversation, and owners describe pulling clear of literbikes on a straight. Close behind sits the ownership itself: one of fifteen hundred, a street-legal version of the race bike, with an authenticity riders say nothing else on a showroom floor can match. The hardware draws the same language, race-grade in every direction. Nobody needs to be asked about the looks.
Running costs come up in nearly every one of those conversations, and not only the service labor. Owners talk about the price of the 16-inch tires and the carbon bodywork the way other people talk about house repairs. The throttle gets its own complaints, abrupt enough that riders stay working at it, and the clutch asks for real grip. Stiff suspension and short range come up as facts of life.
Fuel tank breather and drain hose failure
Clamps may be incorrectly installed (recall) or fuel lines can break inside the tank; results in fuel leaks and potential fire risk.
Main wiring harness routing defect (recall RCL-09-002)
NHTSA campaign 09V-160: the main wiring harness may be routed incorrectly, leading to chafing and possible loss of engine performance or electrical failure. Dealers will reposition and secure the harness.
Ignition coil failures
Owners report multiple coil replacements; symptoms include misfiring and warning lights. Likely a heat-related precision issue in the compact engine bay.
Cracking idler gears
The idler gears in the desmodromic valve train are known to develop cracks; should be inspected during major services.
Tail guard and exhaust clearance recall
Insufficient distance between the tail guard and exhaust silencer can cause heat damage; a recall was issued to address the issue.
Where this Ducati Desmosedici RR pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Top speed
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Desmosedici RR is actually built for.
It will devour a canyon road, but it was never built to be pleasant getting there through LA traffic. Ride it on the good days, when you have the skill and the road mostly to yourself.
Made for Angeles Crest Highway · Coronado Trail / US 191 · Highway 1 / Big Sur
On a closed circuit this is the bike's natural home: enormous lean clearance, clear feedback, and drive all the way to 188 mph. Bring your own discipline, because nothing here covers a mistake for you.
Made for Barber Motorsports Park · WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca · Circuit of the Americas
Tight East Coast twisties keep this engine well below where it truly comes alive, and the firm setup punishes broken pavement. Worth it only if the occasion matters more to you than the pace.
Made for Back of the Dragon · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway