All hail to the chief!

Ducati's flagship has reigned king for numerous years on the track with a total of 81 wins on the 916 platform from '94-'99. It has a motor like a force of nature, with the powerful midrange of the V-twin helping to launch the bike out of corners. The 916's aggressive and futuristic styling secured it as the the exotic-beauty of the Superbikes. Only recently has the MV Agusta been able to offer any asthetic competition with its design curves. The 916/996 has always been as much a piece of art as uncompromising race machinery. Something we like to call "performance art", the result of passionate and innovative engineers with a prominent racing past. For '99 the displacement was bumped up to 996cc to help it compete against its younger competition like Yamaha's very impressive R1. Unlike the Power Ranger'esque R1 though, it inspires a great deal of confidence in its riders and has that unparalleled pure sex appeal.

Often refered to as the Ferrari of motorcycles , its ownership also entails an aura of privilege (no doubt also because of the $14K+ sticker price). And I must say that I am very jealous of the lucky bastards that can boast to be the proud owner of one. In full battle armor is the Ducati 996SPS: The ultimate street legal superbike, the 996 SPS is directly derived from the factory corsa. Featuring additional high specification componentry for enhanced performance, it is Ducati's most advanced superbike. There is also the nimble high revving 748cc version which has its own unique characteristics rather than just being a watered-down 996. Rather than come out with a new beast every year, Ducati choses to continuously sharpen its trusty blade. Rest assured, the 916 has carved its name into history.

Here is a soundclip of this sweet desmo.
Year 2000 996 Specifications

All of these standing pictures are fantastic, after all, the 996 looks like its going 100mph standing still. Nonetheless, this baby shines on the track so come check out the racing section for pics of this Superbike in action!