Ducati DESMOSEDICI 1000 RR 2007 — Specifications

Imagine your neighbor parking a MotoGP prototype in his garage, license plates bolted to the back. That, in a single sentence, is what Ducati dared to do at the turn of 2006. Announced during World Ducati Week and then officially confirmed at Mugello, the Ducati Desmosedici 1000 RR shifted a paddock fantasy into the reality of open roads. No manufacturer had yet brought a genuine championship machine down to public tarmac, and yet Bologna did it, in 2007 guise, delivered to your door.

Beneath the fiber fairing, a 90° V4 of 989 cc draws from the GP6 architecture without being an exact photocopy. The 86 mm bore for a stroke of just 42.56 mm tells you everything about the philosophy of the engine, cut to climb through the revs like a Formula 1 powerplant. The desmodromic valve gear, that in-house signature driven by a gear train, pushes the package to 200 horsepower at 13,800 rpm for 115.7 Nm at 10,500 rpm. The cases are aluminum and magnesium, the connecting rods and valves titanium, the whole lot compressed to 13.5 to 1. The extractable six-speed gearbox soaks up the load, and the homologated exhaust comfortably clears 100 decibels, enough to warn a whole neighborhood before you even turn the key.

The chassis makes no concession to road compromise. Tubular steel trellis, swingarm anchored directly to the engine cases, 43 mm Öhlins FG353 PFF inverted fork up front, Öhlins monoshock with a restrained 120 mm of travel, Marchesini magnesium wheels, Bridgestone tires with a specific profile in 120/70 and 200/55. Braking works on two 320 mm front discs with four-piston radial-mount calipers, a standard that is now commonplace but which, in 2007, was still the preserve of top-tier superbikes. On the scales, 171 kg dry, a seat height of 830 mm, fifteen liters of fuel and a claimed top speed of 310 km/h. Enough to look down rather loftily on the Honda RC211V marketed through the CBR 600 RR, which shared with the HRC prototype only its aesthetics.

Then there's the bill. At 55,000 euros, the ducati desmosedici 1000 rr is not up for debate, it must be earned. Four hundred examples per year, priority given to 999 R owners, warranty and scheduled maintenance over three years, racing kit with 102 dB exhaust, dedicated electronic control unit, paddock stand and cover included. Ducati locks down its ecosystem so that the machine lives in good hands. Two liveries are offered, a Ducati Racing red with white number plate, or the factory scheme with white stripe in which Capirossi raced in the championship. It's a collector's touch more than a commercial argument, but it fits the positioning perfectly.

So, who is this beast for? Certainly not for the tourer stringing together Alpine passes two-up, and even less for the city rider playing the traffic lights. The Desmosedici RR speaks to the wealthy track rider, to the enlightened collector, to the one who wants to live the sensation of a MotoGP bike rather than pile up in front of a screen on Sunday morning. Its flaws are obvious, laughable range, unforgiving riding position, maintenance costs that would make a Swiss banker go pale. But no rival, not even the MV Agusta F4 CC though pricier, offers this direct lineage with the world championship grid. An object of pure passion, without mask or pretense, and that is precisely what makes it worth the price.