Just a couple of days after we featured a ‘semi-Senna’ Ducati, reader Paul Z. found us one of the real ones! Ducati’s 916 was an instant classic as soon as it was shown to the world. Built for 5 years before evolving into the 996, this bike was one of Massimo Tamburini’s crowning achievements. Though it produced less horsepower than the Japanese competition, the engine made more torque, and no bike from any country could compete on style. In 1998, the Guggenheim featured an exhibit called “The Art of the Motorcycle”. The 916 was one of the few modern bikes to make the cut.
But if you’re reading this site, you probably already know all about the 916 and what makes it fantastic – the lovely single-sided swingarm, designed to speed up wheel changes during races, for example. Or the underseat exhausts that cleaned aesthetic lines, but also aerodynamic flow. Forget all that for a moment. Today we’re featuring a very special version of this classic – the Ducati 916 Senna. Built as a fund-raiser for the late Ayrton Senna’s namesake foundation, Ducati took just under 1,000 of their standard 916 two-seaters (known as biposto), and added carbon fiber in a few choice places – like the subframe, chain guard, clutch cover, front fender, exhaust pipe insulation panel, and mudguard. You also got one of the coolest paint schemes to ever grace a Duc – metallic gray with red wheels, and a Senna decal.
This specific Ducati 916 Senna is number 42 of 300 – one of the three series’ of production that made the total of approximately 1,000. Incredibly, it has basically 1 mile on it. This is easily the nicest/most original Ducati 916 Senna we’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, it’s now doomed for a life of sitting in a museum or collection, never to be ridden in anger again. But if you’ve got a lot of money, and want an original Senna – this will probably be your best bet.
Find this Ducati 916 Senna for sale here on The Bike Specialists in Sheffield, England.
