Ducati 916 (Haynes Great Bikes)- First Edition

Author: Ian Falloon, Hardbound, 160 Pages, H689, ISBN: 9781859606896, First Edition, June, 2001 - **SECOND-HAND BOOK IN EXCELLENT CONDITION**- Slight tear on front jacket !!** see the images

Introduced at the end of 1993, the 916 has spearheaded the Ducati revival of the last decade, both on the street and the race track. This product of Massimo Tamburini and the Cagiva Research Centre in San Marino took Massimo Bordi's liquid-cooled four-valve desmodromic engine from the 851, placing it in an evolutionary chassis with revolutionary styling.

The 916 immediately set new standards of performance for twin-cylinder motorcycles, epitomised by its incredible success in the World Superbike Championship. Star British rider Carl Fogarty gave the 916 the World Championship in its debut year, the Fogarty/916 combination remaining virtually unbeatable until his retirement in 2000.

Here the conception and development of the 916 has been charted in detail, from its six-year incubation period to its expansion to 996cc, and finally the next-generation 998 'Testastretta'. Discussion with many of the engineers responsible for the success of the 916 has provided a new insight into the design and development of this seminal motorcycle.

The bewildering array of variants on the 916 theme have all been described, from the limited production SPS series and the Senna, to the 748 and Monster S4.

There is also a full breakdown of production figures by model from 1994 until 2000. Possibly the most significant Ducati ever, the 916 is more than a motorcycle, it is a modern two-wheeled performance icon.

Author Ian Falloon has a 30-year association with Ducatis and, having written five titles on the marque, is acknowledged as one of the world's leading Ducati authorities.

A freelance motorcycle journalist and photographer. he also contributes to magazines in England, Italy, Australia and the United States.