25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DUCATI 916
P94
Feature
tive—only because it didn't need to be. The big
performance difference between the 851, 888
and 926cc motors was a 2mm increase in stroke
to 66mm, with the 94mm pistons, mated to
Pankl H-section conrods similar to what was fit-
ted in the 888 SP. That gave the motor a capac-
ity of 916cc, although much of the motor owed
its design to the 888 Strada, including 33mm
inlet and 29mm exhaust valves, camshafts, the
big-end journal and piston gudgeon pin, gear
ratios for the six-speed gearbox and clutch.
Weber provided the fuel injection system, with
the 50mm throttle body mated to an airbox fed
by a ram air intake. Ducati claimed 114 horsepow-
er at 9000 rpm for the 916. This wasn't exactly
setting the world on fire in terms of what could
be on offer from Japan, but the quoted power
was a sideshow attraction to the main event.
Unveiled at the 1993 EICMA Show in Milan,
the 916 became a timeless motorcycling icon.
Its beauty crossed social boundaries and moved
the machine from motorcycle to rolling art, as
evidenced by its leading feature at the Gug-
genheim Museum's 1998 exhibition, Art of the
Motorcycle.
The 916 influenced not just the future of Ducati
design but the wider motorcycle industry. The
flowing, curving lines signaled the beginning of
the end of the boxy body shapes coming from
Japan, with machines like the 1998 Yamaha YZF-
R1 and 2000 Suzuki GSX-R1000 both taking
design cues from the 916, albeit unintentionally.
The Ducati 916 is a motorcycle that still looks
utterly stunning 25 years after it was first deliv-
ered to salivating customers, and is a testament
to not just the forward-thinking philosophy of
Claudio Castiglioni and Massino Bordi's four-
valve engine, but the sheer design wizardry of
the late Massimo Tamburini.
Testing the 1998 916 SP
We were lucky enough to be lent Dan Trotti's
1998 916 SP for a quick ride in Southern Califor-
nia a few months ago.
This model is slightly different to the original in
that it is a 996cc model (despite the 916 name)
and meant primarily for racing, but some crafty
work back in the day allowed for a title and for it
to be registered on the street.
We hope you enjoy the video! CN
