CARL FOGARTY was at Laguna Seca last month, as he helped to unveil a tribute to the iconic 916. The limited run of just 500 Ducati V4 25° Anniversario 916s already has one reserved, as bike No. 5 is being sold to support the family of Carlin Dunne.
The 916 burst on to the superbike scene in 1994 and took the motorcycle world by storm. At a time when superbikes of the time were more sledgehammer-like in their approach to speed, the svelte lines and narrow waist of the 916 was nothing short of a revelation.
The beauty wasn’t just skin-deep either, with the 916 winning 120 races, 8 constructors' titles and 6 riders' titles, four of them with ‘King’ Carl at the helm. The likeable Englishman has won 55 races with Ducati, of which 43 were riding a Ducati 916 SBK and 996 SBK. "King Carl" and the 916 remain the most successful pairing in Ducati SBK history.
The 25° Anniversario 916 is built on the mechanics of the Panigale V4 S, but with some of the performance upgrades from the V4 R. As such the Front Frame is the same flexy design as the V4 R and features cutaways to aid corner stability, an item directly requested Ducati Corse test riders. The look of the bike combines a special livery with forged magnesium wheels, a titanium type-approved Akrapovič exhaust and a long list of Ducati Performance components.
The presentation of the bike was also to honour Californian Carlin Dunne who recently died at Pikes Peak. Jason Chinnock announced Ducati's decision to remove the number 5 from circulation (the same number that Dunne used to race with) and offer the bike for auction auctioned. All the proceeds of the sale are to go to a fund-raising effort aimed at providing Carlin's mother with support.
"I’m thrilled to be here at this event," stated Carl Fogarty after riding the Panigale V4 25° Anniversario 916 onto the stage at Pebble Beach. "The Ducati 916 gave me some fantastic, unforgettable moments. It played a starring role in my career and in the history of the World Superbike Championship. On the wider motorcycling scene, it set a whole new standard of style and performance. I’m proud to have played a pivotal role in that success story, and equally proud to be here today and celebrate this important anniversary by officially unveiling this breath-taking bike."
Starting from Saturday morning, the Panigale V4 25° Anniversario 916 will go on display at Ducati Island (the space Ducati traditionally sets aside for its fans during American races). Furthermore, Team Aruba.it Racing – Ducati riders, Álvaro Bautista and Chaz Davis, will compete on bikes with a livery inspired by the Panigale V4 25° Anniversario 916.
The Panigale V4 25° Anniversario 916 will arrive in dealerships starting from October 2019 at a price of 41.900 euro ex-works (price is country-specific)
