Opinions
Eric Nugent
When word came from Andrew "curling is a sport" Trevitt that we would get to ride a few laps on the Desmosedici, my heart almost skipped a beat. Looking at the bike on the stand was almost just as great as riding it. I'm glad there wasn't an eight-foot "no molesting" zone that you would normally see around something so beautiful. The next best thing to looking at the Desmo is hearing her run, with an exhaust note that is nothing short a full-blown MotoGP bike. First thing I noticed is just how stretched out I was in reaching for the bars. The next attention-grabbers are the brakes-one finger is almost too much for these binders. The speed of the Desmosedici is all that you would expect. Powerful and fast would not even describe what this thing feels like. And while I only got on the throttle when the bike was near straight up due to the lack of tire grip, it has a feel like nothing else you could imagine. Thanks Kento and Trevitt for a ride I will never forget!
Troy Siahaan
I think I would have had more fun riding the Desmo if there wasn't one figure running through my mind the entire time I rode it: $100,000, or the amount our test unit cost as tested. Riding around a racetrack using dollar signs as braking markers is not conducive to a good time, and neither is riding around on those terrible Bridgestone BT-01 tires that come standard on the bike.
There's no doubt it's a beautiful motorcycle, but it's nowhere near the top of my list of motorcycles I've ridden. I couldn't make myself comfortable on the bike as the saddle is too low and long, and the rearsets could be higher. As far as the engine is concerned it's actually pretty docile down low. Opened up and she shoved my eyeballs to the back of my head. Likewise, the super stiff racing setup on the Öhlins suspension rattled my teeth out of my mouth. More power to you if you can ride the Desmocedici properly. Me? I'll take an 1198R and pocket the change.
Kent Kunitsugu
I have to tip my hat to Ducati for having the sfrontatezza to build and market a bike like the Desmosedici RR. No other manufacturer would be bold enough to go through all the financial and logistical risks and headaches to produce such a machine. All the other attempts by manufacturers in the past to produce a Grand Prix replica sportbike absolutely pale in comparison.
Many detractors would cry that the bike should have the absolute best performance of any motorcycle for $72,500. Besides the fact that the D16RR only falls just a bit short of that goal, that is completely missing the point. When you take a close look at the Desmosedici RR, the lack of compromise in construction is readily apparent; the only "compromise" (more a necessity, actually) is that parts were redesigned in order to have the required durability for street use. And if you know just how much effort went into the bike's creation, that appreciation becomes even more profound.