999S (2002 - 2006) review

Riding a Ducati superbike feels like a privilege, it’s a very special experience. As soon as you’ve turned the key, pushed the starter button and waited for the deep rumble from the exhaust you know you’re in for a treat. From the early 916s through to the latest incarnation, the 999, the feeling is the same.

Exclusivity, that’s the key, combined with the knowledge that the bike you’re riding is at the absolute peak of its game. And riding a 999S is all this, and even more.

Waiting to take it out on track at Brands Hatch I was more nervous than I have ever been about riding a bike. It wasn’t just the thought of the £11,250 bill should things go wrong, or the new tyres that weren’t scrubbed in, or even the fact the date was the 13th but more that I was terrified I it may all be a massive anti-climax. This was the first time I had ridden a Duke on track and I was expecting so much.

The 999S was everything I anticipated, and more. It’s simply the most rewarding bike I have ever ridden on track. This may sound like gushing praise but the week before I rode the Ducati I was testing the best Japanese 1000cc sportsbikes around Rockingham and the 999S knocked the socks off them. Not in performance terms, but more as a pure biking experience.

Resting on its stand in the paddock the 999S looks fantastic. I know the jury is still out over the 999 look but the ‘S’ version is definitely the best yet. The single seat unit with its white number boards is just beautiful and makes the whole bike. The way it’s curved around the protruding exhaust, meeting in the centre of the bike with a point that runs inline with the aerodynamic hump on the tail is superb and the small touches like the “Ducati” embossed on the seat only add to its class.

Then there’s the bright yellow spring on the shock and the gold forks legs that signify the uprated Öhlins suspension the ‘S’ gets over the stock 999. Even the stacked lights are starting to grow on me, although I still reckon they should be behind a lens to keep the front of the bike smooth and not sunk into the fairing.

On track the Ducati is so easy to ride fast. Through the corners it just leans and leans and never threatens to either lose grip or run into any kind of ground clearance problems. At Druids Bend I had my knee on the ground all the way around the corner and at Clearways the side of my boot was also touching the tarmac. This is by no way an indication of my riding prowess, more the beautiful balance of the Ducati that allowed me to take such liberties. A lot of this is due to the top quality Öhlins suspension which feels noticeably better than the mass produced units you get on Japanese bikes.

On track the extra 13bhp the ‘S’ has over the 999 doesn’t really come into play. The V-twin motor has slightly more grunt but the Indy circuit is only 1.2miles long and on a Duke can easily be ridden in one gear. On the road it felt slightly pokier and crisper to accelerate but it’s not a huge difference.

One thing that was apparent was the Ducati’s lack of slipper clutch. Braking and down-shifting into Druids the back end would skip and hop as the compression of the big twin locked the rear. A slipper is an optional extra Corse part but not standard equipment. On a bike that is designed to be as at home on a track as the road and as high spec as the ‘S’ I would have expected it to come with one.

As with the standard 999 the Brembo four piston pad-per-piston brakes are stunning. The initial bite is instant and the power builds up progressively until the point you are feel as though if you squeeze them any harder you’ll be sitting on the top yoke.

Also like the standard 999 the mirrors are crap, get in the way of your arms when the bike is on full lock and are hard to adjust. It’s uncomfortable and the seat feels like it’s made from wood. The digital display is impossible to read, although the rev counter is bang in the right place and the warning lights are hidden behind the screen so you have to duck your head to see if the fuel warning light is on.

But these are little details on what is otherwise a stunning machine. You don’t buy a Ducati 999S for its everyday practicalities, you buy it because it’s the best.

2005 Model Update

Ducati's 999 has had a tough start in life. Launched on the back of what many regarded as the most beautiful bike ever built, Ducati's replacement for the 916's style has been on a losing wicket ever since it first emerged into the world.

For a start there were the looks. How do you follow and, more specifically, better a bike as iconic as the 916? Something radically different was needed and, indeed, appeared. How do you compete with Japanese inline fours when 150bhp at the rear wheel is considered, at best, average? And how do you compete on price when £8799 will get you a GSX-R1000 with inverted forks, radial brakes, 163bhp, titanium here, there and everywhere, and just about every gizmo imaginable? To be truthful you can't. Not really anyway, which is why sales of Ducati's 999, and indeed 749, range haven't really set the world on fire. A source of many headaches around the Bologna factory, I'm sure. So what can be done? How about giving the customers real value for money? Which is the plan with the current 999 range. They still cost a premium, but you don't half get a lot of bike for your money. Take the new 999S. For a start there is the motor. The latest incarnation of the 998cc lump (not 999cc, only the R version has a true 999 capacity), it comes with a claimed 143bhp, which won't be far off the mark. Ducati tends to be fairly honest when it comes to power figures. That may be only 6bhp up on the stock 999 but that isn't the whole story. As well as different cams in the engine the 999S also has a lovely set of Ducati race pipes included in the price, for track use only of course, which will boost the power a few extra bhp. Then there are the …hlins forks, now with the 'must have' accessory for 2005, radial brakes, plus …hlins shock and …hlins steering damper. Also, like the standard 999, the S comes with a colour matched frame and new-look front end with only one air-scoop per side.

So what does all this extra value add up to? Well, in my opinion, the 999S is the best 999 yet. Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to ride the 999R yet - Niall managed to sneak that one off to Donington Park on his own - but if we are talking practicalities and reality, nearly £20,000 isn't really the sort of money many riders would consider spending on a bike. The S just about manages to push every single button when it comes to riding it and has a massive 'feel good' factor, which mainly comes from the engine. There has never been, and still isn't, anything wrong with the 999's chassis but the engine has always felt a little underpowered. A lot of this is simply down to the fact it is a twin. When you get off an in-line four and onto a twin the lazy power delivery feels slow in comparison, but with its new 143bhp the S feels fast. But it's smooth with it.

At a standstill the typical Ducati dry clutch rattle and general engine noise make pedestrians look at you in alarm, as does the simply ridiculous manual choke that ticks over at a screaming 5500rpm, but once it is moving the whole motor transforms into a thing of beauty. Everything about it is precise. The fuel injection is spot-on, the gearbox on a par with Suzuki when it comes to slickness and everything works together perfectly. Fair enough, the GSX-R1000's simply bonkers power plant is a real eye opener, but there's something hugely appealing about the latest V-twin from Ducati. Apart from the way the engine's heat fries the backs of your legs through town. Which is not so appealing. Although the S gets …hlins bouncy bits at each end the rest of the chassis is identical to the standard 999 and is, unsurprisingly, excellent. The …hlins units do make a difference to the handling, but in truth those differences are so subtle you would either have to be riding like a god on a day-to-day basis, or spend all your life on a track to really reap the benefits. And it's the same for the radial brakes, which are simply stunning to look at and hiss aggressively when in use, but in truth perform only marginally better than the stock bike's non-radial items.

Which is where the problems with the 999S lie. Does it really do enough to justify its £13,995 price tag when the stock 999 costs £11,250? Are …hlins suspension, radial brakes, an extra 6bhp and a set of race pipes worth £2749? This is the dilemma facing potential buyers. I absolutely loved the 999S. It is a stunning machine with a fantastic engine and near-perfect handling. But the standard 999 isn't that much removed from it. Spending an extra £2000 over a Japanese litre bike can be justified because while the re-sale value of a Japanese machine drops faster than an Italian striker in the penalty area, the Ducati tends to hold its own fairly well. But an extra £2749 on top of that? I'd struggle to argue that one away. But if you can, and I wish you every luck, the 999S will not disappoint. I guess I'm just a bit jealous it'll be going home with you and not me.

VERDICT

Stirs the emotions like no Jap superbike can, but the price tag is hefty. Is the S that much better than the stock 999?

Riding a Ducati superbike feels like a privilege, it’s a very special experience. As soon as you’ve turned the key, pushed the starter button and waited for the deep rumble from the exhaust you know you’re in for a treat. From the early 916s through to the latest incarnation, the 999, the feeling is the same.

Exclusivity, that’s the key, combined with the knowledge that the bike you’re riding is at the absolute peak of its game. And riding a 999S is all this, and even more.

Waiting to take it out on track at Brands Hatch I was more nervous than I have ever been about riding a bike. It wasn’t just the thought of the £11,250 bill should things go wrong, or the new tyres that weren’t scrubbed in, or even the fact the date was the 13th but more that I was terrified I it may all be a massive anti-climax. This was the first time I had ridden a Duke on track and I was expecting so much.

The 999S was everything I anticipated, and more. It’s simply the most rewarding bike I have ever ridden on track. This may sound like gushing praise but the week before I rode the Ducati I was testing the best Japanese 1000cc sportsbikes around Rockingham and the 999S knocked the socks off them. Not in performance terms, but more as a pure biking experience.

Resting on its stand in the paddock the 999S looks fantastic. I know the jury is still out over the 999 look but the ‘S’ version is definitely the best yet. The single seat unit with its white number boards is just beautiful and makes the whole bike. The way it’s curved around the protruding exhaust, meeting in the centre of the bike with a point that runs inline with the aerodynamic hump on the tail is superb and the small touches like the “Ducati” embossed on the seat only add to its class.

Then there’s the bright yellow spring on the shock and the gold forks legs that signify the uprated Öhlins suspension the ‘S’ gets over the stock 999. Even the stacked lights are starting to grow on me, although I still reckon they should be behind a lens to keep the front of the bike smooth and not sunk into the fairing.

On track the Ducati is so easy to ride fast. Through the corners it just leans and leans and never threatens to either lose grip or run into any kind of ground clearance problems. At Druids Bend I had my knee on the ground all the way around the corner and at Clearways the side of my boot was also touching the tarmac. This is by no way an indication of my riding prowess, more the beautiful balance of the Ducati that allowed me to take such liberties. A lot of this is due to the top quality Öhlins suspension which feels noticeably better than the mass produced units you get on Japanese bikes.

On track the extra 13bhp the ‘S’ has over the 999 doesn’t really come into play. The V-twin motor has slightly more grunt but the Indy circuit is only 1.2miles long and on a Duke can easily be ridden in one gear. On the road it felt slightly pokier and crisper to accelerate but it’s not a huge difference.

One thing that was apparent was the Ducati’s lack of slipper clutch. Braking and down-shifting into Druids the back end would skip and hop as the compression of the big twin locked the rear. A slipper is an optional extra Corse part but not standard equipment. On a bike that is designed to be as at home on a track as the road and as high spec as the ‘S’ I would have expected it to come with one.

As with the standard 999 the Brembo four piston pad-per-piston brakes are stunning. The initial bite is instant and the power builds up progressively until the point you are feel as though if you squeeze them any harder you’ll be sitting on the top yoke.

Also like the standard 999 the mirrors are crap, get in the way of your arms when the bike is on full lock and are hard to adjust. It’s uncomfortable and the seat feels like it’s made from wood. The digital display is impossible to read, although the rev counter is bang in the right place and the warning lights are hidden behind the screen so you have to duck your head to see if the fuel warning light is on.

But these are little details on what is otherwise a stunning machine. You don’t buy a Ducati 999S for its everyday practicalities, you buy it because it’s the best.

2005 Model Update

Ducati's 999 has had a tough start in life. Launched on the back of what many regarded as the most beautiful bike ever built, Ducati's replacement for the 916's style has been on a losing wicket ever since it first emerged into the world.

For a start there were the looks. How do you follow and, more specifically, better a bike as iconic as the 916? Something radically different was needed and, indeed, appeared. How do you compete with Japanese inline fours when 150bhp at the rear wheel is considered, at best, average? And how do you compete on price when £8799 will get you a GSX-R1000 with inverted forks, radial brakes, 163bhp, titanium here, there and everywhere, and just about every gizmo imaginable? To be truthful you can't. Not really anyway, which is why sales of Ducati's 999, and indeed 749, range haven't really set the world on fire. A source of many headaches around the Bologna factory, I'm sure. So what can be done? How about giving the customers real value for money? Which is the plan with the current 999 range. They still cost a premium, but you don't half get a lot of bike for your money. Take the new 999S. For a start there is the motor. The latest incarnation of the 998cc lump (not 999cc, only the R version has a true 999 capacity), it comes with a claimed 143bhp, which won't be far off the mark. Ducati tends to be fairly honest when it comes to power figures. That may be only 6bhp up on the stock 999 but that isn't the whole story. As well as different cams in the engine the 999S also has a lovely set of Ducati race pipes included in the price, for track use only of course, which will boost the power a few extra bhp. Then there are the …hlins forks, now with the 'must have' accessory for 2005, radial brakes, plus …hlins shock and …hlins steering damper. Also, like the standard 999, the S comes with a colour matched frame and new-look front end with only one air-scoop per side.

So what does all this extra value add up to? Well, in my opinion, the 999S is the best 999 yet. Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to ride the 999R yet - Niall managed to sneak that one off to Donington Park on his own - but if we are talking practicalities and reality, nearly £20,000 isn't really the sort of money many riders would consider spending on a bike. The S just about manages to push every single button when it comes to riding it and has a massive 'feel good' factor, which mainly comes from the engine. There has never been, and still isn't, anything wrong with the 999's chassis but the engine has always felt a little underpowered. A lot of this is simply down to the fact it is a twin. When you get off an in-line four and onto a twin the lazy power delivery feels slow in comparison, but with its new 143bhp the S feels fast. But it's smooth with it.

At a standstill the typical Ducati dry clutch rattle and general engine noise make pedestrians look at you in alarm, as does the simply ridiculous manual choke that ticks over at a screaming 5500rpm, but once it is moving the whole motor transforms into a thing of beauty. Everything about it is precise. The fuel injection is spot-on, the gearbox on a par with Suzuki when it comes to slickness and everything works together perfectly. Fair enough, the GSX-R1000's simply bonkers power plant is a real eye opener, but there's something hugely appealing about the latest V-twin from Ducati. Apart from the way the engine's heat fries the backs of your legs through town. Which is not so appealing. Although the S gets …hlins bouncy bits at each end the rest of the chassis is identical to the standard 999 and is, unsurprisingly, excellent. The …hlins units do make a difference to the handling, but in truth those differences are so subtle you would either have to be riding like a god on a day-to-day basis, or spend all your life on a track to really reap the benefits. And it's the same for the radial brakes, which are simply stunning to look at and hiss aggressively when in use, but in truth perform only marginally better than the stock bike's non-radial items.

Which is where the problems with the 999S lie. Does it really do enough to justify its £13,995 price tag when the stock 999 costs £11,250? Are …hlins suspension, radial brakes, an extra 6bhp and a set of race pipes worth £2749? This is the dilemma facing potential buyers. I absolutely loved the 999S. It is a stunning machine with a fantastic engine and near-perfect handling. But the standard 999 isn't that much removed from it. Spending an extra £2000 over a Japanese litre bike can be justified because while the re-sale value of a Japanese machine drops faster than an Italian striker in the penalty area, the Ducati tends to hold its own fairly well. But an extra £2749 on top of that? I'd struggle to argue that one away. But if you can, and I wish you every luck, the 999S will not disappoint. I guess I'm just a bit jealous it'll be going home with you and not me.

VERDICT

Stirs the emotions like no Jap superbike can, but the price tag is hefty. Is the S that much better than the stock 999?