Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
By David Swarts
Ducati executives and factory riders jetted straight from Laguna Seca to Italy to unveil the newest Ducati, the 999, to members of the worldwide press Tuesday, July 16 at the Misano racetrack in San Marino.
Tagged the “Redvolution” and described as being the motorcycle of the future, the Pierre Terblanche-designed 999 is an evolution of the 916/996/998 line featuring the same-spec 998 engine in a redesigned chassis and bodywork.
Ducati engineers say they used 3-D CAD/CAM technology to design the 999 from start to finish, with three key areas in mind: Improved rider ergonomics, ease of maintenance and reduced machine complexity.
Despite the name, the 999 has the same bore and stroke and 998cc displacement of its predecessor.
