I purchased a 996 about 2 or 3 years back. It is a much more engaging bike than the 999 I also have, it feels raw and shakes like the fairings are thin and race like. The 999 in comparison is a Mercedes, fast efficient, well built...it's obviously a great bike, but the soul of the 996 is definitely more engaging.
The only thing stopping me riding a 916 now is my age…infact 30 years ago I still complained. But pleased I owned one.
...ah - over 17 years i had two 996's, and was completely at home and comfortable with the way they handled. I'd tweaked them a little - using 190/55 rears and jacking the rear another 5mm so it turned a tad sharper than standard. Thing is i was so used to the bike that i'd pin it away from the lights and a few minutes later would struggle to remember it, so i eventually levelled up and got an 1198s. That's a different beestie - far more modern stance, sharp handling, lighter and one hell of an engine. I'd yawn after getting off the 996, whereas the 1198s will make me say Fack several times on any given journey. I miss the looks of the 996 and the simplicity of maintenance but in almost eevery way the newer bike is so much better.
I'd have purchased one of these at the NEC back in 93 but i didn't for certain reasons, i found one in late 2013 after looking for the right one for one or two years, it took 3 odd months to secure it from the owner as i thought he'd changed his mind. Now 10 years down the road with ownership with plenty of ups & downs it's still a winner in my book.
I was of a mind to chop my 916 Bip in for a V4s Pani in the spring, i hadn't ridden it for a few weeks so took it for a farewell ride, as i soon as i got home my mind was changed about getting rid...the feel of it is still raw, exciting and engaging and i couldn't imagine a V4 being any more enthralling than what i've already got ( although in fairness it probably is!), i also didn't think the roughly £8K it would take to change it would be justified, i'm keeping mine for the time being...i did have a 1198S before i got my 916 and although it was a Beast i couldn't get on with the random nature of its warm/hot starting foibles.
Had mine for nearly 30 years. Compared to the newer stuff it is obviously pretty tame, but tbh it is more than enough on the road and each ride now is just fun and always makes a routine trip feel a bit special...
Yup, I've got a 916 bip, and that video review is pretty much bang on! Compared to modern bikes, my 916 feels agricultural, its so basic & stripped back, no slipper clutch, no ABS, no clever electronics... but it's a special moment every time I ride it. It's a keeper!
Interesting… When I ride my 1989 900SS, the D2 feels strong and definitely « agricultural ». As in indestructible rough. Then, if I ride my 916 after that, its D4 feels modern, compact, performant… It’s all a matter of perspective, isn’t it?
Got a new 916 Bip in 97. 45,000 miles and 7 years later it was terminated by a Range Rover. Found the 98 SPS the following spring, it has taken 20 summers to get the same 45,000 miles. So yes I like them. The SPS is totally impractical on anything but an empty bendy road. I have not ridden any of the new fangled stuff like a 999 so I have no comparison experiences.
Tried the 999 twice when they came up new, circa 2004. It felt extremely easy and fast both times. Dangerous combination. I remember my survival instinct screaming to stay away from it so I didn’t buy and kept my « slower & heavier » 900 SSie…
I had an 888 and went to a track day at Goodwood with my friend on his new 916 back in the 1990s. He let me have a session on it. Wow! Firstly it felt tiny and very light. Then it went like a missile, braked and turned. I said I would take it easy and treat it with ultimate respect. As I came out of the chicane and down the straight I realised hoisting the front in second, third and fourth my not have complied too well with that original promise. I went straight down to Dave Robinson MCs in Wandsworth and ordered a brand new 748 SP, without the silly tax you had to pay on EU imports. The newer models have endless sophistication and performance, but where it matters, on the track, these twenty-five year old bikes still perform very well. I am taking the 748R racing next year as the CRMC have just allowed 1995s in to the “Post Classic” era.
I described my 916 as agricultural compared to my 97 'Blade which I had at the same time, many years ago. Ditto the 888. It was pretty clanky even in '97 compare to the latest Japanese bikes but I recall getting completely slated for voicing this view... It was still a joy to ride, but rattly, hardwork, uncomfortable,, and crappy brakes, even then - all part of the Ducati experience but objectively, agricultural.
This, my friends, is my agricultural joy and pride! My Ducatis feel smooth as velvet, compared to this fine piece of post world war machinery…
