First Ride: 2003 Ducati 999S review

If you want a bike that makes you feel a million dollars whenever you ride it there is only one manufacturer to turn to

Click to ride: Ducati 999S owners reviews, Ducati 999S specs and to see the Ducati 999S image gallery.

Riding a Ducati superbike feels like a privilege, it's a very special experience. As soon as you've turned the key, pushed the starter button and waited for the deep rumble from the exhaust you know you're in for a treat. From the early 916s through to the latest incarnation, the 999, the feeling is the same.
Exclusivity, that's the key, combined with the knowledge that the bike you're riding is at the absolute peak of its game. And riding a 999S is all this, and even more.

Waiting to take it out on track at Brands Hatch I was more nervous than I have ever been about riding a bike. It wasn't just the thought of the £11,250 bill should things go wrong, or the new tyres that weren't scrubbed in, or even the fact the date was the 13th but more that I was terrified I it may all be a massive anti-climax. This was the first time I had ridden a Duke on track and I was expecting so much.

The 999S was everything I anticipated, and more. It's simply the most rewarding bike I have ever ridden on track. This may sound like gushing praise but the week before I rode the Ducati I was testing the best Japanese 1000cc sportsbikes around Rockingham and the 999S knocked the socks off them. Not in performance terms, but more as a pure biking experience.

Resting on its stand in the paddock the 999S looks fantastic. I know the jury is still out over the 999 look but the 'S' version is definitely the best yet. The single seat unit with its white number boards is just beautiful and makes the whole bike. The way it's curved around the protruding exhaust, meeting in the centre of the bike with a point that runs inline with the aerodynamic hump on the tail is superb and the small touches like the "Ducati" embossed on the seat only add to its class.

Then there's the bright yellow spring on the shock and the gold forks legs that signify the uprated …hlins suspension the 'S' gets over the stock 999. Even the stacked lights are starting to grow on me, although I still reckon they should be behind a lens to keep the front of the bike smooth and not sunk into the fairing.

On track the Ducati is so easy to ride fast. Through the corners it just leans and leans and never threatens to either lose grip or run into any kind of ground clearance problems. At Druids Bend I had my knee on the ground all the way around the corner and at Clearways the side of my boot was also touching the tarmac. This is by no way an indication of my riding prowess, more the beautiful balance of the Ducati that allowed me to take such liberties. A lot of this is due to the top quality …hlins suspension which feels noticeably better than the mass produced units you get on Japanese bikes.

On track the extra 13bhp the 'S' has over the 999 doesn't really come into play. The V-twin motor has slightly more grunt but the Indy circuit is only 1.2miles long and on a Duke can easily be ridden in one gear. On the road it felt slightly pokier and crisper to accelerate but it's not a huge difference.

One thing that was apparent was the Ducati's lack of slipper clutch. Braking and down-shifting into Druids the back end would skip and hop as the compression of the big twin locked the rear. A slipper is an optional extra Corse part but not standard equipment. On a bike that is designed to be as at home on a track as the road and as high spec as the 'S' I would have expected it to come with one.

As with the standard 999 the Brembo four piston pad-per-piston brakes are stunning. The initial bite is instant and the power builds up progressively until the point you are feel as though if you squeeze them any harder you'll be sitting on the top yoke.

Also like the standard 999 the mirrors are crap, get in the way of your arms when the bike is on full lock and are hard to adjust. It's uncomfortable and the seat feels like it's made from wood. The digital display is impossible to read, although the rev counter is bang in the right place and the warning lights are hidden behind the screen so you have to duck your head to see if the fuel warning light is on.

But these are little details on what is otherwise a stunning machine. You don't buy a Ducati 999S for its everyday practicalities, you buy it because it's the best.

VERDICT
If I could afford one I would love to own a 999S. We would live together in a beautiful world of sunny trackdays and fair weather riding. I would love it and treat it to a set of loud pipes and endless sticky tyres. But I can't even afford a new scooter let alone a Ducati so I will have to live with the memories of our brief time together. It's a brilliant bike and is everything it promises to be. Bertie stole the keys to it for the weekend and came back fairly frothing at the mouth. "It turns every roundabout in the Ascari Curve and constant radius turn into the Parabolica at Monza," he muttered. Err...exactly. A fantastic machine.

EVOLUTION:
2002: The 999 Biposto is unveiled. The biking world is now split into two camps. Those who like the new look and those who think the radical styling is too much of a change from the legendary 916.
2003: The 999S is launched. The motor gets a few extra bhp, suspension is …hlins front and rear and the pillion seat is dumped. Also unveiled is the 999R. Not yet on sale the WSB homologation 'R' is limited to only 800 units worldwide. It has a slightly altered fairing to give the race bikes more ground clearance and the same high spec kit as the 'S'.

RIVALS:

Aprilia RSV-R Mille: £10,199
Aprilia isn't competing in WSB anymore, don't let that put you off what is still a cracking bike. Top quality suspension and radial brakes for 2003 give it a new look and the motor is the strongest of the bunch.

Benelli Tornado: £11,500

Another bike withdrawn from the WSB grid. The Benelli has been a long time coming but is worth the wait. Excellent chassis, beautiful styling  and exclusive enough to justify its inflated price tag over the competition.

Ducati 999S specs

TYPE - SUPERSPORTS
PRODUCTION DATE - 2003
PRICE NEW - £11,250
ENGINE CAPACITY - 998cc
POWER - 134bhp@9750rpm
TORQUE - 78.1lb.ft@8000rpm   
WEIGHT - 199kg
SEAT HEIGHT - 790mm   
FUEL CAPACITY - 15.5L
TOP SPEED - 160mph
0-60     - n/a
TANK RANGE - N/A