Whenever Ducati puts the letter “R” at the end of a model, you know that bike is going to be special. That was indeed the case with the 999R, which Ducati built for AMA homologation. In 2004, Ducati sold just 50 examples of it in the states. More were sold in 2005 at a $29,995 MSRP – $7,000 more than the already-impressive 999S. Several journalists considered this the closest a member of the public could get to owning a WSBK bike at the time. Because of that, most examples have been kept close to stock. This one…isn’t. Cynically, it’s easy to assume that a bike only becomes a street fighter once it’s gone down and the owner decides that replacing the fairings is too expensive. It’s not clear if that’s what happened here…but do you like how it ended up?
At the time, the R was the most powerful production V-Twin motor ever – pushing 134.1 horsepower and 76.5 lb-ft at the rear wheel (and Motorcycle USA said that with a Power Commander and exhaust you could see an additional 20 ponies). This was probably the ultimate track toy of the time, though with the limited production numbers and insane MSRP, many of these bikes were just tucked away in collections. For more on the 999R, check out this First Ride from Sport Rider.
The seller doesn’t explain why this bike underwent such extensive cosmetic modifications, but he does say that it’s got plenty of upgrades like a full Termignoni exhaust, slipper clutch, and lots of carbon fiber. It has 8,050 miles and it got a service at 5k. Find this 999R for sale in Menlo Park, California for $11,000 here on Craigslist.
This bike-uriousity brought to you by Frank S!