I don't have my 749 here atm to compare but the frame above the rearset mountings look a bit cut-and-shut. If you look behind the dash on the subframe bracket, it says Lusuardi Racing. Thanks for the info regarding the parts - it's all helping to putting the jigsaw puzzle together but looking more likely I have a very early prototype 999 in my hands - if you have the book Ducati 999 Birth of a Legend it clearly shows a prototype frame exactly the same as mine - it's not a cut and shut - it's a larger casting with less tubes which never went in to production due to manufacturing issues / costs. I cannot see where it says Lusuardi Racing on the pictures?
WOW!! Clifford Jones had a good bike collection......six 916 Senna. It does look like you got the best of the Stoner reps, hope everything is ok with it and you can enjoy it. Looked like an interesting auction.:smile:
If you zoom in on the Bonhams picture of the profile of the bike, you will see it behind the clocks. You haven't got a prototype 999, as it was built way after the 999's came out. You have a bike built from either new or used development parts and parts from other models. I used to work for Ford Mo Co. in the Engine Evaluation Lab. I know all about what happens to development parts. Some are cobbled together bits of crap to see if an idea is feasable, others are made in a small batch for evaluation, others are a first run for early production. Some of the protoype cars I drove were sheds. Nothing but test mules. We used to have display cars that had no guts in them, just built to look like a current model. They all got crushed, as they weren't fit for sale due to liability issues. The engines are all torn down and scrapped. Seens yours was built on the cheap using obsolete/development parts that cost Ducati nothing to use, as these have no other use, rather than using production parts that have value. I don't mean to piss on your bonfire, just saying it as I see it. Anyway, as long as you are happy with it, that's all that counts.
Kit is still available here Ducati - Ducati 748/916/996/998 Carbon Fibre MotoGP Fairing Kit - Carbon (Unpainted) - includes full fairing, air tubes, screen, aluminium clock/headlight bracket and projector light - World of QB Carbon - Carbon Fibre for Motorcycles
Hey, your not pissing on anyone's bonfire! All information is welcome. I am certainly happy with my purchase as I set out to buy one of these for what they were - cobbled together promotional bikes from 2007. After noticing the differences on this bike I started to investigate - but a long way to go yet. This is what I know so far: The frames on the other two bikes are 2002 Pre Production but 'production intent' items - what you would have called a PP build at Ford. The frame on mine is a Prototype as confirmed in Alan Cathcart's book on the 999 published in 2003. What you would have called a VP build or maybe an even earlier single vehicle mock up (some of the other parts on the bike would point to this. The engines are 2003 - I still need to re check this info but it came from a reliable source. My speculation is that if 5 bikes were put together in early 2007 specifically for this exercise, then they may well have all been the same - and it's not likely that they would be manufactured in 2007 from pre production frames and 2003 engines. If they had an old Prototype lying around they may well have used it for one of the bikes and built the others from the 999 spare parts bin or from PP bikes already there. The other bikes all have production or production intent 999 parts on them. If they were all built at this time then the miss mash of parts would more than likely have populated across all the bikes. If all the bikes were already built and remained in various departments since 2001/2002/2003 then they wouldn't. So, what I know so far which supports my theory: A Prototype Frame - confirmed in the 999 book A Prototype Tank - similar to an early design sketch in the same book - using a 998 style filler cap set further back than the 999 cap. A prototype exhaust - lots of production bracketing missing for heat shields. Lots of 998 and other same era parts used, wheels, brakes, discs which may have been used due to 999 parts not existing yet even in pre production state. Basically I'm saying the same as you - I have a bike built from loads of development parts - this is what prototype's are, so most of what you are saying supports my theory. The statement you made about my bike been made much later is from assuming it was built in 2007. The evidence so far support that it wasn't, just modified for a purpose in 2007. The statement saying I 'haven't got a prototype 999' appears to be blatantly ignoring the evidence so far but your contribution is most welcome all the same! I fully understand the process of new automotive model builds, recently I have worked on the Range Rover Evoque L538, the new Range Rover L405 and the Range Rover Sport L494 from early design stage through the MP1 launch as a Program Manager. I know to find prototype parts 5 years or more after the event to 'cobble together' one bike would be impossible in modern automotive environments unless they were already cobbled together - I'm sure parts would have cross pollinated on to the other 4 bikes also. My investigations will continue of course and I will endeavour to support my theory with confirmation from Ducati - although this may be difficult! Anyone know of any good contacts at the factory?
And no reason why you should not continue to support your theory, we've already had Jerry inventing the 749RS so why should we not have a limited edition Corse Special 999:wink:
Speak to Livio Lodi as he is the director of the museum. If he doesn't know then he will know who does. Email him at [email protected]
I guess that Ducati hold onto mock-up and pre-prod bikes. I wonder what yours was used for then, as it wasn't a complete bike when sold to JHP?
Mmmm, not claiming it is a limited Edition Corse machine, but a Limited Edition Corse machine which may be hiding a prototype 999 so a double whammy when compared to the 749RS :smile: - tried a search but couldn't find the post, does it make for fun reading? I am certainly not claiming it being a Corse Built bike as Bonhams were - but looks like they added the replica bodywork and swing arm in early 2007. They (Bonhams) have a confirmation e-mail from Ducati Italy stating the bikes were Ducati produced and an invoice from Ducati Corse showing 2 of the bikes were invoiced to a London dealer for 15,000 euro's each on the 23-11-2007. The two on the invoice I am speculating are the other bikes - Lot's 399 and 401.
Another interesting snippet! I heard that JHP had modified 2 of the bikes to run - the three bikes at the Auction didn't appear to have ever been modified to run. Mark on here who worked for Sandisk at the time has one of the 5, he has modified his for a track bike, the 5th didn't have an Engine and went to the Middle East. Bonhams stated on Sunday they had discussed with JHP and they didn't know of the bikes so it would be interesting to find out - anyone on here from JHP?
I was at JHP at the weekend and mentioned these, they had a lot to do with building these.. No looms, one didn't have a crank! Non were runners just to look like race reps for PR purposes. Nothing rare about them just mock ups for display purposes.
They were originally built by Ducati is the story, so, did JHP convert all 3 to run for the previous owner - as non of them appear to have been finished, with several parts missing, including injector looms. Nothing rare regarding they are base models but only 5 of them exist - but mine appears to be an old Prototype (made before the five 'production prototypes' mentioned in the 999 book) manufactured in or before 2001, so possibly the oldest 999 in existence. Anyone from JHP on here?
JHP built them but the paperwork came from Ducati as the were commissioned through them, they are bitsa's using whatever was lying around, they were made to look like the GP bikes for PR purposes. Ducati didn't enter MotoGP until 2003 so how could they make a GP look-a-likey before that?
Ducati didn't enter MotoGP until 2003 so how could they make a GP look-a-likey obefore that?[/QUOTE] You may have mis-interpreted what I was saying, or not read the previous posts but your comment bears no relationship with anything stated in any of my posts?
I have made contact with Lodi and will be sending him pictures tonight. He has offered to identify the bike for me
