Ducati 1098

The Ducati 1098 is a super bike manufactured by the Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati. It is offered as the 1098, 1098S, and 1098R.^[1]

Design

The 1098 shares more design elements with the older 998 than with its predecessor the 999, such as horizontally placed headlights and a non-integrated exhaust system. Another carry over from its 998 heritage is the single-sided swingarm which is decidedly Ducati. This return to more traditional Ducati design has been welcomed by many Ducati fans who criticized the design of the 999. The Ducati 1098/1098 S/1098 R are available in black, red or yellow.

Performance

The 1098/1098 S makes a manufacturer claimed 160 hp (119 kW), 90.4 lb·ft (122.6 N·m) torque, and weighs 173 kg (381 lb). The 0-60 mph time is less than 2.5 seconds and top speed is estimated at 186 mph (299 km/h).^[2] The 1098 R makes a manufacturer claimed 180 hp (134 kW), 98.8 lb·ft (134 N·m) torque. All these figures give the 1098 the highest torque-to-weight ratio of any production sport bike ever made.^[3]

Racing

With the release of the 1098, Ducati created a stir not only with road riders, but also in the racing world, specifically the Superbike World Championship. In an attempt to level the playing field, WSBK regulations provide for concessions to motorcycles depending on the number of cylinders in their engine design. The fewer the cylinders, the more concessions, and with its two cylinder V-twin design Ducati was able to capitalize on many of these concessions.

Ducati argued that the current engine was at the end of its design life and that it would be too expensive to keep the 999 competitive. The 2007 WSBK rules limited V-twin engines to 1000cc, so Ducati effectively did not have a guarantee that the 1098 was eligible for entry in the premier class. Before releasing the 1098, Ducati lobbied the FIM to update the WSBK rules to accommodate its new bike, threatening to withdraw from WSBK competition if the rules weren’t changed. Other manufacturers were not happy about racing a bike with a larger engine, especially when that bike belonged to Ducati, which has historically dominated WSBK competition, and Suzuki even threatened to withdraw if the rules were changed. Ducati prevailed when, in June 2007, the FIM announced that the engine capacity limit would increase to 1200cc for 2008.^[4]

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