Tag Archives: Ducati 916

Massimo Tamburini Ducati 916 goes on display

Ducati is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the sexiest motorcycle ever made – the 916 – by displaying in their Bologna museum the model owned and ridden by its creator Massimo Tamburini.

It follows the recent unveiling of a special commemorative 916 edition of the Panigale V4.

Ducati Panigale V4 25th Anniversario 916
Ducati Panigale V4 25th Anniversario 916

Massimo Tamburini also worked on the MV Agusta F4 and both of his sexy creations were displayed at the New York Guggenheim Museum’s The Art of the Motorcycle exhibit of 1998-1999.

He died in April 2014 after a long battle with lung cancer at the age of 71.

As part of the celebrations for the 25th anniversary of the Ducati 916’s production launch, the Ducati Museum above their Borgo Panigale factory will feature the 916 owned by the legendary designer.

Massimo tinkers with his 916
Massimo tinkers with his 916

But Ducatisti better be quick, because the bike is only on display until 15 January 2020. Click here for museum prices and hours.

This exhibition is made possible by the collaboration of the Ducati Museum with Simona Tamburini, Massimo’s daughter and the owner of the motorcycle.

His 916 on display is one of three prototypes from which Tamburini developed the bike until its manufacture in 1994.

Massimo tinkers with his 916
Massimo at right with the 916 at its launch

Massimo leaves legacy

The first Ducati Massimo designed was the Paso 750 which helped move full bodywork from racing into the road-going mainstream.

Similarly, the 916 featured aerodynamic bodywork and a lightweight chassis.

It was developed on the roads of Rimini and at the Misano and Mugello circuits.

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Massimo Tamburini and his 916 testing on the roads around the factory

For six, long years Tamburini meticulously studied every detail, without ever using the wind tunnel.

The bike in the museum features details that are more similar to those of the 916 SP series, the highest performing model of the 916 series.

It is almost completely made of fibreglass, while the air intakes, front mudguard, airbox, tailpipes and number plate holder are made of carbon fibre.

The bike also features racing components such as five-spoke magnesium rims and the lightened single-sided swinging arm.

There are no turn indicators or odometer. The only instrumentation is a tachometer and a water temperature indicator.

  

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Ducati 916 Strada | 25th Anniversay


Phil Aynsley’s last column featured the ultimate Ducati V-twin superbike – the 1299 Panigale Superleggera (Link), while this week our resident Ducati expert thought it would be fitting to have a look at its spiritual precursor – the 916, especially as this year marks its 25th anniversary!

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Ducati’s 916

While an argument could well be made that the 851 (Ducati’s first four-valve V-twin production bike) was the company’s original “modern” superbike, I think that the impact of the 916 on the motorcycling world was such that it can truly be regarded as the first really “modern” Ducati superbike.

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Ducati 916

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With the introduction of the 916 Strada in 1994 Ducati took the two-wheeled fraternity by storm. No doubt it is Massimo Tamburini’s most acclaimed (and copied) design. While Tamburini himself acknowledged that he took inspiration from the 1992 Honda NR750 (Link) – particularly the underseat exhausts, his design was an even more attractive one!

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The iconic underseat exhausts would become prevalent in motorcycling

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The motor was a development of the 851/888, with the stroke increased from 64 to 66mm, keeping the bore at 94mm. A new engine management system was used.

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The rest of the bike was new and resulted in a considerably smaller bike than the 851, both physically and visually. The design certainly had a great impact on not only the public but also other manufacturers, as evidenced by the proliferation of underseat exhausts and ‘styled’ headlights.

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Ducati 916

In combination with its 996, 998 and 748 derivatives, over 63,000 were built until it was eventually replaced by the 999/749 in 2002.

Power of the original 916 was 114 hp at 9000rpm, with a weight of 198 kg, and the 916 was good for a top speed of 260 km/h.

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Ducati 916

The bike in all but one of the images seen here is the first to arrive in Australia. As a committed Ducati fan I thought it appropriate to commission an Italian village themed backdrop for the shoot I did for REVS magazine.

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Ducati 916

The addition of a suitably Latin looking model was a bonus! The overhead shot of a 1996 bike is included purely because it is a particular favourite of mine!

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A personal favourite shot of Phil’s of the 916 

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Ducati 916

Source: MCNews.com.au