Ducati 1098 R Bayliss Limited Edition 2009 — Specifications

Three World Superbike titles, three generations of Bologna machines tamed at the highest level: Troy Bayliss didn't just win races, he wrote entire chapters in Ducati's history. The 998, the 999, the 1098 — each era had its champion, and the same man on the handlebars. When a track record like that comes to an end, the red house doesn't simply put the trophies in a display case. It engraves the event in metal, carbon fiber, and paint.

The livery of this limited edition is not a vulgar marketing operation dressed in red. It is exactly the outfit worn by the official Ducati-Xerox machine during the final round of the 2008 championship, that last round where Bayliss said goodbye to competition. Aldo Drudi signed the design, with the Australian flag on the sides and the number 21 prominently displayed, without distracting sponsors. Understated, precise, historically accurate.

Under the entirely carbon fiber bodywork, the mechanics make no concessions to symbolism. The 1198 cm3 90-degree L-twin engine develops 180 horsepower at 9750 rpm and 134 Nm of torque at 7750 rpm, all housed in a red-painted ALS 450 steel trellis frame that weighs the entire assembly at 165 kg dry. The power-to-weight ratio places this machine in a category where the Yamaha R1 and the Honda CBR1000RR of the time must let the train pass. The suspension equipment says everything about the targeted level: 43 mm Öhlins inverted fork, Öhlins TTX-R mono-shock, adjustable Öhlins steering damper. The Marchesini rims are magnesium. Four-piston Brembo monoblock calipers bite down on 330 mm discs. This is not a road bike dressed up for a photo shoot, it is a race machine homologated for the road.

Ducati limited production to 500 numbered copies, each identified by a plate on the upper fork stem. The kit delivered with the machine further defines its actual use: single-sided stand, heated cover, electronic chip for track parameters, and a Termignoni racing exhaust, which releases an additional 6 horsepower while bringing the sound level to 102 dB. The electronic traction control offers eight different profiles, the data acquisition system completes the list of equipment. At 38,500 euros, we are clearly not in the register of mass accessibility.

This Bayliss Limited Edition is not for the motorcyclist looking for a versatile tool for everyday use. It speaks to collectors who understand what a third world title represents, to track riders who want a machine directly from competition, and to those who believe that an announced top speed of 186 mph deserves a seat height of 32.3 inches and a 15.5-liter fuel tank in line with the intensity of the experience. It is a commemorative edition that has the merit of not cheating on the content: the numbered plate comes with real magnesium rims and a real TTX-R damper, not with a sticker and a surprise bag.