Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > Transplant surgery... looking for donors!!

[BDG]

I just bought a 996R. Why?

Well i don't have Skids ability to build something like he has, and to get someone else to do it would cost a LOT. I take my hat off to him, it sounds great & very rare.

But why the R. I owned so many piles of mundane crap, like BM's Pans even 3 CX 500's for despatching (also used GPZ900, 1100 Katana, GS1000 for work when they were top kit). Then went through the phase of sports tourers for transporting me and Helen all over Europe but always deep down wanted an RC30 or a 916.

After years of dreaming when i finally swopped the junk bike for work/sports tourer for fun i looked at 996's. Sad to say the bling factor of Ohlins forks etc meant that thats where my money went, and every time i walk in the garage i don't regret it. On a less important note, i feel sorry for the depreciation that the first owner's have suffered, but now when the SPS/R's are about 3 years old i reckon they will hold their value a bit better than the standard models.

It won't live in the front room (but i'd like to see it there), it will get used. I don't care if it was the last old model to win the World Supers, completely irrelevant to me, but it does represent almost the pinnacle (998R excepted and poss 998S IMHO) of the best bike EVER made.

I may only crawl round slowly on the odd track day, but i'll have fun. It will get used for what i prefer the most, and thats longer trips, here or abroad. My perfect journey is a bloody good high speed thrash thru Europe, nice hotel, good food, and a few beers, then repeat the next day, and the day after etc.

You sure as hell don't need a 996R for that but i don't give a toss, its what makes me SMILE

Might explain the D bit in BDG.

The transplant topic has deviated a bit.