Back When Ducati Made Our MotoGP Dreams Come True

It’s a dream that most motorcyclists share: the dream of someday being able to spin a few laps on a MotoGP bike. Unfortunately, there’s only about 40-odd riders in the entire world who enjoy the privilege of riding one of these machines, but back in 2006, Ducati almost made this dream a reality. At least for those of us that had $72,500 (Rs 55 lakh) lying around.

That was the asking price for the fabled Desmosedici RR, Ducati’s road-going replica of its fire-breathing GP06 MotoGP bike. Today, the Panigale V4 represents a bold move by Ducati, going in a new direction and producing a four-cylinder superbike after years of L-twins. But it isn’t the brand’s first 1-litre V4 motorcycle.

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The Desmo was powered by a 989cc 90-degree V4 motor that was as close to its MotoGP cousin as durability would allow. The cylinder dimensions were exactly the same, the ‘twin pulse’ firing order and crankshaft design were carried over and even the transmission system was faithful to the GP06, albeit with beefier gears and shafts to ensure durability on the street. The result? A claimed 200PS power figure at a heady 13,500rpm -- something that allows the Desmo to hold its own against most superbikes even today.

Especially when you consider that it weighed just 171kg dry. This explosive power-to-weight ratio meant a sub-10 second quarter mile time, 0-150kph in 5 seconds flat, and a true top speed of over 300kph. This lack of bulk is partly down to the use of a steel trellis frame, just like, yep, you guessed it, the GP06. Lightweight magnesium wheels further helped the cause, and everything was suspended on top-notch Ohlins components at both ends with a great deal of adjustability, including ride height changes. The rear wheel was a 16-incher because it more closely replicated the profile of the 16.5-inch rims used in MotoGP at the time.

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The one area where the Desmo had to deviate from MotoGP-spec is braking. The finicky carbon-ceramic discs used on the race bike would just prove too impractical for road use and most of us mere mortals wouldn’t even be able to get them up to temperature. To read more about carbon-ceramic brakes and the different types of brake discs and pads available, head here.

Instead, the RR employed twin 330mm steel discs bitten on by M4 monobloc calipers which were back then the cutting edge of braking technology. A radial master cylinder completed the package and Ducati even threw in a remote free-play adjuster on the left-hand side clip-on, just like on the race bike.

1,500 units is quite a large production run for a bike as exquisite as this, and yet, Ducati had found a buyer for every single one before the Desmosedici RR even went into production. Back then, this was as close as you could get to owning and riding a MotoGP machine, and yet today, Ducati’s Superleggera V4 production bike makes nearly 20 per cent more power while also being 12kg lighter! Shows you just how much technology has progressed.