Ducati 916
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| Ducati 916 | |
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| Manufacturer | Ducati |
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| Production | 1994-1998 |
| Predecessor | Ducati 888 |
| Successor | Ducati 996 |
| Class | Sport bike |
| Engine | 916 cc (56 cu in), L-twin, fuel injected 4 valve per cylinder desmodromic, liquid cooled |
| Top speed | 260 km/h (162 mph) |
| Power | 114 hp (84 kW) @ 9000 rpm |
| Transmission | 6 speed, chain drive |
| Brakes | Front: Dual disc Rear: Single disc |
The Ducati 916 is an Italian sports motorcycle manufactured by Ducati from 1994 to 1998. In contrast to Japanese inline four-cylinder competitors of the time, its V-twin engine produced less outright power, but a more even torque spread. The 916 model was replaced by the 996 model in 1999.
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[edit] Four Valves
The first development of the 916 model family can be traced back to the development of the 4valve Ducati engine, through racing to the road going 851 and 888 models.
The chief designer of Ducati motorcycles since the 1970s was the late Fabio Taglioni (1920-2001). He introduced the Pantah in 1979; its engine was updated in the 1990s in the SuperSport (SS) series. All modern Ducati engines are derivatives of the Pantah, which uses a set of revolving cams to actuate the engine's valves, called desmodromic valves. Ducati is the only motorcycle manufacturer which uses this type of valve gear. DESMO is the official name of this system.
[edit] Ducati 916
First released in 1994 (very limited number released in 1993), the Ducati 916 was admired because of its apocalyptically new design and outstanding technical features. Designed by Massimo Tamburini and his team at the Cagiva Research Centre in San Marino, the 916's water-cooled engine was essentially the same as its predecessor, the 888, but with an increased capacity. This was accomplished by increasing the crankshaft stroke from 64mm to 66mm. Using the same 94mm bore size as the 888 resulted in a capacity of 916cc - although by the time the 916 was introduced the final 851/888 Corse engines had also had their bore sizes increased to 96mm resulting in 'race only' capacities of 926cc and 955cc respectively. This combined with a striking new bodywork that featured aggressive lines. It was later replaced by the 996 and 998 with similar design but revised engines and even more power.
Design of the Ducati 916 was a balance between function and form:
- The single-sided swingarm was beautiful, but designed to make wheel changes faster during races
- The underseat exhausts improve aerodynamic performance, and resultantly gave very clean lines. This feature was initially introduced on Honda NR, however, Ducati popularized it and it is mistakenly considered to be one of the original trademarks of 916 line.
Massimo Tamburini went on to design the MV Agusta F4, the bike which is seen as his replacement for the 916 range, and it shares many similarities with the 916 especially in the tail section.
[edit] Technical Data
- Two-cylinder, four-stroke four-valve water-cooled V engine
- 114 hp (84 kW) at 9000 rpm
- Top speed of 260 km/h (162.5 mph)
- Single-sided rear swingarm
- Upside-down forks
- Underseat exhaust pipes
[edit] Racing
From the 916 onwards, through the 996 and the 998, the motorcycle campaigned very successfully in the Superbike World Championship, winning world championships with Carl Fogarty, Troy Corser, and Troy Bayliss:
| Year | Country | Rider | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 |  United Kingdom |
Carl Fogarty | Ducati 916 |
| 1995 | United Kingdom |
Carl Fogarty | Ducati 916 |
| 1996 |  Australia |
Troy Corser | Ducati 916 |
| 1998 | United Kingdom |
Carl Fogarty | Ducati 996 |
| 1999 | United Kingdom |
Carl Fogarty | Ducati 996 |
| 2001 | Australia |
Troy Bayliss | Ducati 996 |
[edit] External links
- Ducati 916 information and pictures
- Monsta article - show's histogram of 916 models
- Ducati announcement of release of the Ducati 998 Matrix
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