I would like to introduce my very recently acquired 998 Matrix to the community. It was built for the US market and sold there to its first owner in 2004. It was then exported to the Netherlands in 2009, where it apparently joigned a private collection. I bought it there this summer and am the third owner. It has just over 7000 miles and looks... brand new. It is as amazing to ride as to look at. Came with a 50 OEM exhaust (same as 998SFE) and a pair of full race titanium arrow cans. Incredible ! I received yesterday confirmation from Ducati Bologna that frame and engine were matching. Also, some very interesting data as far as 998 Matrix production numbers are concerned. I read loads of different things when I was researching that model and found nothing really accurate and a lot of contradictory info. I believe this could be considered as « first hand » info: 144 built for the US, 331 total in the world (including US specific models). « As anticipated to you in our previous email, we are sharing with you the information we have received about your Ducati. Our colleagues have checked the pictures you have sent and the available information on our archives. The motorcycle in question is a 998 Matrix Reloaded Biposto California green metallic, produced on 7 January 2004, sold to Ducati North America on 15 January of the same year, and registered to the final customer on 14 May of the same year. Engine and chassis numbers match, meaning they are the same ones that have accompanied the bike since its birth. The California version was produced in 144 pieces, and the overall total is 331 pieces produced between the end of 2003 and 2004. Best regards, Carlotta » Here are a few pictures of this beauty, of which, as you can imagine, I am immensely proud! My kid loves it. He’s 8 and hasn’t seen the movie yet. I can’t wait for him to be old enough to show him Trinity on her 996.
Lovely that is , I still haven’t seen one in the flesh yet, I do like the embossed bit on the end cans, nice find
IMHO, they look stunning in the flesh. For some reason, it is a very difficult color to get right on a picture. Depending how on the light, it has multiple shades varying from candy green metallic to very dark ivy green metallic, almost black. It is an absolute treat to shine with a Vulcanet wipe.
Here are some news from that 998 Matrix of mine. In order to get it registered here, needed to get a certificate of conformity (CoC) from Ducati France (like a one off MOT when first registering the bike, if you will). They mainly check the exhaust is approved for road use and that it has been limited to 100cv (the rule in France for non ABS equipped bikes). As it was being checked, it stayed in the local Ducati shop for a few weeks, in very good company! With regards to the exhaust, I had to remove the « race use only » Arrow Titanium slip ons and was extremely lucky to find locally a pair of original 50 mm cans (OEM inox Termis/Ducati). And at an incredibly fair price, given the fact they look like new... From the rear, they don’t look very nice, with the db killers, and when starting the bike, well, it’s lost its Mad Max sound... But, the 30 miles ride to the Ducati shop made me realize that the bike rides way better with these on than the Arrows. Especially below 5000 rpm. What’s on the bike is the OEM ECU and is calibrated for OEM 50 exhaust. Not for Arrow pro race titanium cans ( Ref. 71123PR). I am now in the process of ordering the right ECU to get things corrected. More to follow on this. Couldn't resist the « bling » call and fit a period correct Ducati Performance pressure plate and a couple carbon bits. When I was removing the saddle, I found it was signed by a L. Dallimonte on 15 December 2003. Found his name again under the fuel tank, with an other date (23.11.2003). Many 998SFE owners found his name signed under their saddle. Here, we decided to nickname him « Luigi ». The reason I decided to remove the fuel tank was: 1/ for pleasure (feels like it’s been freshly painted...) 2/ to check the air box and air filters before looking into a new ECU for the Arrows. 3/ Inspect the fuel tank internals and check the fuel pump assembly. What struck me first is how different the injection system is from a 916. They may look similar, those two bikes are from a totally different era... 998 injectors look really sleek and race like. The tank interior is very clean. I thought there was a brand new fuel filter fit on there until I saw the date. That will have to go, unfortunately... Fuel pump assembly looks like new. So next is sourcing the right ECU, replace fuel filter and quick disconnect OEM plastic fittings by metal ones.
We watched the film recently as a family (I’d seen it many times before, mainly because of the Ducati freeway chase-man that is some riding! After it had finished, I was amazed that everyone else thought the bike had been black. Had to rewind the film to prove it wasn’t!
While in the attic earlier came across my spare Ducati monoposto 998s Final Edition seat cowl and strangely it also has D’ Alimonte stamped inside with a 17th February 2004 date along side it. Maybe he was the guy who inspected all of the paint work before they got signed off to go to the production line.
Open clutch covers are useful to avoid too much friction plate dust to get trapped in the clutch. Which usually leads to clutch malfunction. Bike has 7000 original miles and when I popped the OEM cover open, I quickly figured I was the first one to do so... Carbon is just bling, on a road bike, and is very useful to make the bike owner happy and therefore a generally better person. Here’s the cover on my 916
We honestly do not know what he was in charge of. QC? Painter? Which is why we plan on asking him directly in a not so distant future. All we know is that name appears on the saddle of 2004 models, and dates are within the nov 03 to feb 04 timeframe. Sebastien (Rocotrix) is planing a ride to Bologna for the 20 years anniversary of the 998SFE and Matrix. Plan is to try and meet Mr D’allimonte to take a couple pictures and have a drink with the man, if we can find him. Letters have already been sent to Bologna. He started a thread about it a little while ago: https://www.ducatiforum.co.uk/threads/search-ducati-owner-of-998-special.81830/#post-1734931
Keanu has one that he says was in the film given to him by the directors, but it can’t be as it’s a 998 and not the 996 in the film. I think he’s trying to pull a fast one!
