The Ducati 916 is often credited as being the single most beautiful motorcycle ever made, it is a bold claim, one which also involves a whole lot of bias.
It is impossible to be completely impartial when looking at the aesthetics of something, this is why there is such variety in the automotive design world in the first place. For some, the pure sportbike design might seem attractive, others will find low-slung baggers more interesting and then there are those that can’t even be bothered if it doesn’t go off-road. What can’t be disputed is outright quality and overall performance.
10 916: Timeless Looks
It is a masterpiece, no doubt about it. If you like sportbikes, you love the way this bike looks, it is just as simple as that.
Tamburini had already designed many machines and would go on to design many more, but this will always be the machine that made his name in the world of motorcycle design.
9 999: Completely Original Design
Back in 2003, the Pierre Terblanche follow-up to the masterpiece was greeted with shock and horror.
What we can all see now is a design that couldn’t be further removed from the previous version (996/998 was based on the 916), instead of leaning on everything Tamburini did (as tempting as that must have been) he penned a unique yet distinctly Ducati design that has stood up well over time and was actually more aerodynamic than its predecessor.
8 916: Dominated On Track
Between Carl Foggerty and Troy Corser, the 916 won 4 Superbike World Championships (SBK now), that is every year the bike was in production.
Not only that but it took all the manufacturers titles during the period, at the time you could go as far as saying their dominance was boring.
7 999: More SBK Glory
Everyone will remember the incredible dominance of the 916, but the 999 was actually an evolution of that machine.
It was lighter, more powerful, and faster than the 916. It certainly needed to be, by the early 00s the chasing pack had caught up, fending them off to win 3 Championships with different riders.
6 916: The Senna Edition
It was back in March 1994 that Ayrton Senna helped his friend Claudio Castiglioni launch his new bike; the 916.
Two months later, he would pass away in one of the most tragic Formula 1 race weekends, bringing motorsport safety sharply into focus. Castiglioni launched the Senna edition to honor his friend, donating proceeds to the charity set up by his family after his passing.
5 999: R Xerox
If you like the idea of getting your hands on the most legitimate track bike for the road, the Xerox edition should be pretty high up on your wish list.
By all rights, this was the same machine Troy Bayliss rode to victory in the 2006 SBK season, a mouth-watering prospect for any enthusiast.
4 916: Unofficial Motorcycle Of The Year 1994
No other motorcycle before or since has caused such a stir among the motorcycle community.
Every motorcycle magazine at the time named it the bike of the year, and consumers spoke with their wallets as the entire first-year production destined for North America was sold out before it was even shipped.
3 999: An Affordable Ducati
Prices for most Ducatis can get out of hand. New, old, classic, they are universally expensive to buy and often even more expensive to own.
Initial purchase prices for good 999s are well below the $10,000 mark, which for a Ducati, is actually good. Although it will still have some traditional Ducati electrical gremlins, the testastretta engine is a reliable unit, unlike the older, more iconic bike.
2 916: One Of The Most Influential Machines In History
Its design can still be seen in many modern sportbikes, not just those with ties to Tamburini, but bikes from all over the world pay homage to this machine in some way.
Although it wasn’t the first bike to make use of the design, the combination of the single-sided swingarm and undertail exhaust became its trademark and by association, the Ducati trademark.
1 999: One Of The Best V-twin Motorcycles
People only got past this bike's unconventional looks once they saw how fast these machines were.
Although the V-twins could never match the inline-4 Japanese bikes for power, their smooth torque delivery means that when the track or road lines up they are simply unbeatable. The 999 is a perfect example of this, with incredible balance and poise in the corners.