Probably Ducati's STRANGEST Motorcycle

[@jtfoto1]

I owned a 1976 900SS and now in my older years I would give my false teeth to own one of these. Just love it.

[@aussiebloke609]

I would love to get my hands on a '79s 900SS. I absolutely loved those bikes as a kid, but they've always (including now) been our of financial range for me. Not that it stops me from drooling every time I chance on one.

[@flexywing]

I have feeling that your teeth are false, having had a 900ss myself, it rattled nearly all my out, but I miss the bike more than chewing stake 😅

[@williambarry8015]

I drooled over those when i was a kid.

[@williambarry8015]

Did your bike have Campagnolo wheels?

[@jtfoto1]

@@williambarry8015 No mate, wire wheels.

[@beborodner930]

Have to agree with you here.. this is probably one of the best looking Dukati's ever. I LOVE this thing! Thanks for documenting this..

[@gteefxr3094]

Where were Dukatis built? Russia, Ukraine,Croatia?🤔

[@G58]

Ducatis

[@G58]

@@gteefxr3094No

[@beborodner930]

Haa... I'm better at doing wheelies than spelling. And that's still not saying much.

[@yeejay6396]

😂​@@gteefxr3094

[@Chris-ml3hw]

Your video reminds me of one of my favorite books, the fountainhead. I work at a very large company that manufactures high technology instruments, and see many people who like playing the game move up the corporate ladder. As Ducati got larger and more people involved in design, I can just imagine some people who are a waste of space critiquing a design, castrating it till it is so bland and safe. The MH900E was designed by one man (similar to Howard Roark in the book), and not a group or team; which nowadays is almost impossible unless a large risk averse company has such trust in someone, which is rare. Geniuses are not usually smooth corporate operators. Brilliant Video, many thanks for making it!

[@andrewromans1967]

It's a honour to have bike named after you, or anything for that matter. I'm surprised she sued, should have been happy im sure Mike would have been

[@fidelcatsro6948]

maybe she wanted some $$$ royalty..

[@andrewromans1967]

@@fidelcatsro6948 yeah and the lawyers

[@tcvan-nm2fx]

I always liked the 999, other than I could not afford it at that time.

[@Biker999s]

Are you kidding me ? Owner of a 999s and a 748 . Still have both of them . 748 is a masterpiece . 999s is the ugliest bike Ducati ever made .

[@m.al-h9108]

i recently became obsessed with the mv agusta superveloce... how amazing to find the bike that inspired its design!

[@vernonspady555]

That swingarm is a sculpture!

[@RPRosen-ki2fk]

Yeah, it was the ONLY thing I found appealing about this bike.

[@gteefxr3094]

Well, it is "bespoke."

[@fidelcatsro6948]

my cat says its probably not balanced well to have the rear shock on one side of the bike..

[@DVGTS1]

@@gteefxr3094 It was reused for the Monster S4R and S4RS.

[@joshrawlings2621]

An appreciation to such, Is motorcycling’s Essence.

[@ww6156]

I was a teenager when this thing came out, it was one of the machines that made me want to ride bikes. I've always loved it

[@artemisXsidecross]

Thank you for the time you made to write and create this tribute; it is a job well done.

[@Justin-hb6cg]

I lusted after this bike and spent a lot of time looking at one up close. One of the local bike shops had a new one in their showroom with a rope around it so nobody could touch it. The build quality looked amazing and it was one of the most beautiful looking bikes I have ever seen. I visited weekly and wanted to park it next to my 67 250 single non desmo.

[@gasdive]

I'd rather have your 250.

[@Justin-hb6cg]

@@gasdive I agree, but when I was young I was a bit greedy and wanted both, and maybe a SD900 in black and gold.

[@jacrispysquid]

That was really cool to learn. I own a yellow Sport Classic just like you see in the video. I am so happy that 10 years ago, I was young and dumb enough to make a stupid financial decision and buy one. Still have it to this day and will never get rid of it.

[@donnieweston3249]

You really need to see it up close and see the little details to get an appreciation of the work and skill that went into the design and build

[@orangelion03]

THIS. Indeed. It looks like a one-off custom bike.

[@Jonny189]

I really love this bike, but am biased because I had a 749 a really do like all of Terblanche’s designs. Definitely ahead of their time, it took a few years for other manufacturers to catch up on many levels.

[@MrGlere]

Great video, you shoud do a video covering the Monster. (I’m in love with my Monster S2R 800 and that swingarm drives me crazy everytime I see it 😁)

[@greatkingrat]

I wasn’t aware of this bike at all and now I think it’s one of the most beautiful bikes I have ever seen. I really enjoyed this video!

[@emptymannull]

This bike has just never done it for me. Add to that, most were kept new and never ridden, so you never saw them out riding to fall in love with them. The MV MGS01 or Ducati 996R, or even Ducati:s Paul Smart special, strike me as far more beautiful. I grant that it is art, it just doesn't speak to me. Id say even a Supermono is better looking.

[@Man_of_TheWay]

This, the 999 and the Sport Classic are all absolutely gorgeous

[@LykosLykos]

The sport classic was the first bike that really caught my eyes in a motorcycle expo, I can still remember how everything else was suddenly boring after that. Strangely enough, I've always been an "utilitarian" on bikes, searching for a Transalp as my first bike (I ended up on the XL 600 LM I still have, with a rear luggage too!) but I guess you can't always put rationale before love

[@Man_of_TheWay]

@@LykosLykos I've always been of the mind for my bikes and cars to be the model that blends sport, style and value as much as possible. So with my S4R and cars I have done that. But the MH is living room art and road jewelry

[@geremy4]

By far the MOST accurate moment of this video was the video footage of riders rounding a corner at the 19:13 mark.

[@notbenh]

👏👏👏

[@alfredkillian3656]

My dream, the mh900e

[@phil6506]

uncomfortable. leg out to stop the cramps.

[@jamessmith9786]

​@@phil6506Maybe he was just waving to the camera.

[@larryt.atcycleitalia5786]

Some have done some very wrong things to it, but you are correct - it's still beautiful ...bellissima! OTOH, making limited-edition, high-cost products rarely improves a company's bottom line even if you assume some "halo effect" on sales of mass production examples with the same brand name on them. Nice piece, I have to admit never seeing this Ducati model before, so thanks for sharing!

[@gilong81]

completely blew my mind when it was revealed.

[@smokerjim]

Re Bimota: I'll accept ugly as a description for the Tesi, but you wash your mouth out when you talk about the V-Due (I love the smell of 2T in the morning, it smells like... victory)😂

[@slacker2101]

Terblanche at Ducati: pure genius. I always preferred the 749/999 to the later Panegale.

[@daigriffiths399]

The M600 - the first motorcycle I ever managed to pull a wheelie on going downhill. It was the second one ever imported to the UK and I was out assessing it for one of the magazines I used to write for. I'd just passed Drusilla's Inn (now sadly closed) on the Horton Road heading for Three Cross. The road gets a bit uppy-and-downy along that stretch and on a downhill bit I gave it a handful expecting it just to start reeling in the horizon. I was well caught by surprise when the instrument panel suddenly made a lunge for my crash helmet...!

[@_AnanasIEgenJuice_]

Guess who had a new MV Agusta Superveloce delivered last weekend;) Will be a fun summer

[@marcbrasse747]

That they all sold out in minutes is a very probably a myth to hide a somewhat lacklustre response. Some time later I actually visited the Ducati factory when on holiday in Italy. It was strictly forbidden to photograph a bunch of these still standing around. Before the remark was made I was simply assuming they where making them in small batches and thus still catching up to fulfill the original orders. Lagging somewhat behind so to speak. But why protest at all then even before I was pointing a camera?

[@notbenh]

😂why not also call out BMW for the NINET RACER ? agree completely the bikes are stunning and I think that every company should budget for a "lets push the envelope, whats the worst that could happen" because otherwise everything will just become boring.

[@miguelcosta530]

I really like your videos, you have a different approach that explains the motorcyclist soul

[@huayrarevo]

The MH 900 e is legit my dream bike, I am glad to see it being talked about.

[@lousbk]

I definitely can't speak for the rest of the nation. But here in Kentucky, I frequent all my local dealers regularly. For events, to chat up friends in the industry, or to buy yet another motorcycle. That said, around here motorcycle sales have been in the toilet for a few years. At least when you compare it to the haydays of the 2000's and before. Numbers are way TF down. If that's a reflection of national numbers too, then that's why you don't see manufacturers taking risks. Risk taking happens when times are good. Not when times are tight.

[@ADingoTookMyDasco]

I was riding a 600SL Pantah when this one was released & wanted one so badly. There was just something about the MH900e that drew me to it. The later SportClassics were a bit of a disappointment to me after the MH900e & Ducati hasn't made a motorcycle that has moved me since. I think it's tragic that of the 3 MH900e's that are currently for sale here in Australia only 1 has been ridden enough, at 13,378 km, to properly break in the engine. The other 2 might as well be wall art with 1,400 km & 854 km.

[@JT-dk9eo]

As a 40-year enthusiast with a nice collection including an NCR no 12 replica, this abomination is nothing short of an exercise in taking bad taste to a new high, and then giving it a name that in no remote way should have ever been associated with.. yes I dont like never did never will.

[@Rgh71fish]

Pierre Terblanche was the man of the era when I was a young guy aspiring to own a Ducati. I love all his designs, and to me they are the most memorable. They were also some of the last analogue bikes, which adds to the appeal.

[@Side33333]

My dads friend actually has one and I just recently found out about it, nice to see a video about it now

[@Slightapex]

Does he happen to live in New York? Might be the same guy I know that has 1 on display in his house.

[@xorbe2]

That Ducati logo style is awesome.

[@ceesklumper]

Great video. One is indeed for sale at the moment in Glendale (Pro Italia Motors) for $25K. But, also check out the Aprilia Moto 6.5 designed by Philippe Starck ...

[@manfredschmalbach9023]

The latter (Moto 6.5) regrettably ain't a real motorbike, it's more like a very fancy P. Starck coffee pot that goes by it's own power ..... immediately wanted one badly when she came out, tried her for two days and ended up buying something completely different back then (Monster 600), still wanted one in 2015 and ended up buying something completely different _again_ (2007 BMW X Country). The 6.5 was a bike with stunning design and not the slightest real pertinency as a motorcycle.

[@gt4654]

There's nothing like the beauty of a Husqvarna Nuda 900R

[@davelaneve2446]

I owned a MH900e a few years after it came out. I sold it after a couple of years. Wish I still had it.

[@cratecruncher4974]

I finally bought a 748 in 2000. I was going to buy the MH but when I started to find out more I was unimpressed. It was an REALLY uncomfortable riding position. Most of the drivetrain was old kit. The entire lower sump is just bolt on plastic cosmetics. I 've seen the auctions and can't believe it's a $25k bike. But it was freakin' $15k new which would be over $27k today so not much growth in real terms. Some of those fragile bits are likely un-ob-tainium now so be careful... My 748 isn't worth nearly as much but I've ridden it nearly 20k miles and enjoyed the heck out of it. Happy with my decision. A 900 belt drive and a plastic sump for the price of a 996? C'mon.

[@TheWiiMatt]

Different kind of bikes 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@abhijeetgyal]

Loved it mate, thanks for sharing!

[@Giacomo_Bolognesi]

You spelled Bologna wrong in the description :) Lovely video, good job!

[@cowmath77]

Have you ever done a video on the triumph and Ducati street fighter saga? Have owned 2 monsters and 2 speed triples, would love a more in depth dive into that. (Speed triple ftw 😊)

[@webley930]

The Ducati MH900 & BMW Boxer Cup was the dream garage back in the early 2000’s .. ..and the R_Nine_T_Racer is a great factory build.. Maybe a video with those niche factory builds.

[@raultelleria]

Riding history is one of the little things that you can do on 1:35 Motorcycle. I own an MH900e and a 748r at the same time, both on Terminioni and are my best memories of sound and feeling

[@mattheide2775]

This bike was an expensive piece of art that was supposed to be ridden. A tribute model that expected sell on the reputation alone. I love this motorcycle and the 916 and the Ducatis of old. Thank you for the video ❤

[@gcvrsa]

Weird, my brother owned an MH900E, (I think only about 250 were sent to the US? Anyway, a small number.) and I didn't find it strange, at all. I found it captivatingly beautiful. The MH900E is a true work of art and craftsmanship. Every weld on the motorcycle was perfect.

[@Larpy1933]

Yeah, that’s 100% cool for sure. Only recently have I come to realize how rare my Ducati is/was. In the spring of ‘78, I bought a new 900SS from Keith Harte in Grimsby, Ontario. Canada! It was incredible. I was 20 years old, borrowed every penny, never missed a payment and was too immature to ride it sanely.

[@classicgameguides]

Looks like the Moto Guzzi MGS-01. Now MV Agusta did that front end on the Superveloce.

[@thevoxofreason8468]

I wanted one of these. I was in a position to get one in the early 00's, but was torn. I ended up with a Moto Guzzi V11 Sport Scura instead. I love the V11 Sport, but I still wonder if I would have loved the Duc more.

[@harranLab]

Guzzis can be thrashed and driven to red line non stop with engine lifetime going well over 100,000 miles. And service is easy thanks to the transversal engine layout.This is the equivalent of sexy impractical high heels 👠 that will get you nowhere fast. That's why most of the examples on sale usually have less than 20,000 miles and are aging badly. The comment about the video producer's wife hating on it is valid.

[@tokyosmash]

They are absolutely spell binding in person. Just sensational. And the V-Due is too

[@eliinthewolverinestate6729]

Janus motorcycles catch my attention.

[@dieterscholz2592]

Could it be possible that YAMAHA‘s MT-01, initially shown just one year later as an engineer’s concept study at the 1999 Tokyo motorshow and - like the DUCATI MH900e - not even intended to be produced for sale, was YAMAHA’s response to this iconic motorcycle?

[@daveshepherd8970]

Weird how this video pops up in my feed while I am in the middle of doing some Ducati training lol Also, I would argue that the indiana is their strangest motorcycle

[@jcsrst]

I bought the "consumer" version of this bike in 2006, the Paul Smart. The MH900e is a timeless and beautiful design.

[@martinponc8021]

It is gorgeous, we need more bikes like this one

[@SPMinerva]

I dont know about this bike before. But its really beautiful

[@judih.8754]

Beautiful. Great review!!

[@YuppieSkumGarage]

As a guy born into a BMW cycle family in 1994. I saw one of these at the Ducati dealer in probably 03-04? It’s been a dream bike of mine since, I had a die-cast of it. Seeing that low mileage one for $25k has peaked my interest, wonder if someone would sell one with a ton of miles for under $10k 👀

[@OCDRex11]

Dang, now I really miss my Monster and Streetfightr. Ducati is the only motorcycle I have and will buy. There is a collector here in Houston that has 2 of the 900e's, might be three. Crazy beautiful bike!

[@bramvermaat1453]

This thing is absolutely beautiful!

[@bennyboogenheimer4553]

I remember when Mike came back. I had a 750 Dark. Loved it. MH900E $18,000.00, I couldn't afford. Would I, if I could? Of course. Also Air/Oil cooled. Thanks VW, for saving Ducati from the History books!

[@yardenl1998]

An absolute piece of beauty

[@luisdasilva9025]

Great design ,really my chop,no wonder it comes from Pierre Terblanche a South African that knows what a ride is like !

[@onazram1]

I love it! It reminds me of the most beautiful Ducati... the 750SS Green Frame!

[@paulm749]

Ducati and Terblanche were definitely making a statement with the release of the MH900E. I'm not really a fan of it, but a few years later I bought their Hypermotard 1100S and that one is hands down my favorite street bike of all that I've owned and ridden over the past 40+ years. Ducati is willing to try different things, and if you look closely, you might find they've made a bike that really appeals to you.

[@goncalvesmar]

Hi. I have watched many of your videos! I really like your texts and speech! Good job!

[@USARAY1947]

First saw one at a Ducati shiowroom when it first came out. It's still the most beautiful factory motorcycle I've ever seen. My black 2006 Sport Classic Sport 1000 monoposto is second.

[@Thinkaboutit2050]

Had a 900 Ducati Monster jetted and re-piped putting out 100bhp-- great fun, great performance. Wish I had it today.

[@eleithias]

I love the MH900e, the looks, the stance, the lightweight performance....i lust after them, but probably won't ever be able to afford one....

[@space.youtube]

13:43 "mike hailwoods widower...." ??? 🤣

[@OldWon991]

It’s a powerful example that it doesn’t need to be the fastest, just the best. A bike that brings out the best of the rider working in harmony with machine. Stick on some simple upgrades and it goes just from strangely good to frickin awesome…..

[@mikesiurua5677]

I remember when this bike came out. To this day I believe it's one of the most beautiful motorcycles made. I've also seen one up close and in person, it's an object of lust.

[@jamescalvin902]

I bought a Triumph from a Eurobike-dealer in 2002. I remember an MH900E sat like a showpiece on the dealership floor; fairly pricy, as I recall, and it certainly looked uncomfortable for a tall rider like me. But I almost couldn't take my eyes off of it.

[@olysean92]

The stock seat looks brutal. The upgrades look comfier.

[@GregMacDougall-m3n]

IT REMINDS ME OF SOMETHING YOU'D SEE IN A SCIENCE FICTION MOVIE. IT'S UNIQUE AND BEAUTIFULL. ITALIANS ARE THE WORLD LEADERS IN MOTORCYCLING.

[@gtheofanopoulos]

Best swingarm ever.

[@JustDaveyGravy]

I remember seeing them in midnight club LA as a kid thought they were the coolest bike ever, basically the Ferrari bikes

[@r0b3rt_959]

You're definitely thinking of Midnight Club 3 and not LA. The Paul Smart 1000 was on MC3. The Ducatis featured on LA were the 999 and the 1098.

[@grayfool]

I love it! Great video. Thanks

[@TheBritfrog]

designed by terreblanche , who could not design a pencil, his sacking from ducati said it all.

[@deldridg]

Anyone else feel a bit of emotion when the vid cut to the Britten?

[@SweetB150]

I've been bingeing your videos this past couple of days and I've been enjoying it. You should make a video about underbone motorcycles that is popular in asia great example is raider 150 from suzuki

[@alexandrealvarenga4228]

What a nice peace of art! Amazin!

[@loganraj3557]

Again, another knowledgeable video. Thank you, Bart. Can you make a video on Honda VFR800FI, please 🙏🏼

[@verigone2677]

Interesting how Terblanche made all of my favorite Ducati bikes

[@ampassionstruck9138]

For me, this is the most beautiful bike which has ever come out of Ducati's stables.😊😊

[@RussellHank-t3t]

19 minutes into the video, I agreed that the appearance has a certain appeal that no other bike has. I'm not an enthusiast so I don't want one but I could understand how a person could want it.

[@stevedrane2364]

Brilliant. . Thank you for the video. . 👍👍

[@tjroelsma]

Beautiful bike, the only thing I really don't like is the placement of the radiator/cooler. It would have been nice if they'd found a way to mount it behind the engine, as the original design with the air-cooled engine looks much cleaner.

[@vanDerNguyen]

hey Bart, i just wanna say i have no idea about anything when it comes to motorcycles or bikes but the way you explain the concepts and subject matters in your videos still make it thoroughly enjoyable for me to follow along and learn. motorcycles are a passion that many many people have and although at one point i never did see the fuss, i am beginning to understand now

[@SaratheSR500Yamaha]

Checkout Sara's 'little brother' a Ducati Monster 400S. The MH900E is a masterpiece, the Mona Lisa of the motorcycle world. Coincidentally Terblanche and I have the same favourite racer, Casey Stoner, and had the same first bike, a Honda CB100.

[@NoBrakes23]

When I think about how Terblanche and Bangle ruined automotive aesthetics in the early 00s, I try to remind myself that I love the Hailwood replica and the Z8.

[@nolongeravailabletoyou]

Hi Bart! Great Video! I love the Bike, My first Ducati was a 1965 Ducati Bronco 125 at age 8! Question: does this bike have a speedometer or just the tach? Thanks again!

[@GordonMoat]

A friend of mine had one. Honestly, the finish was a bit disappointing. The sump cover was plastic, and the taillight heat shield looked like a bad afterthought. Headlight, fairing, tank integration very nice. Number plate hanger a bit too obvious. Exhaust pipes disappointing in their lack of “music”. A longer tail, even still single seat, would’ve provided room for proper performance mufflers, and a taillight that wouldn’t look like something stolen from a car trailer. As for the handling, it was a bit like a 900SL with even lower seat height, so maybe a bit too much rear weight bias.

[@ducsauce]

These were pretty terrible to ride/work on as it was never really "designed" to be sold to the public, I mean, it's fuel tank is tiny, because of design, it requires 2 small batteries linked together because there's just no room for a standard sized one, the "oil pan" was a incredibly heavy aluminum cosmetic piece that had to be removed for service, the motor is fantastic Desmodue, but the rest of the bike was really meant for show, it took Ducati a few years to sort all of these issues out before the rest if the Sport Classic line finally came out, pretty bike this but incredibly flawed.

[@BlueRidgeRider]

Widow. Widower is male. Other than that a great video! I remember this bike when it came out. It was and still is gorgeous. I also remember seeing that X bracket for the mufflers cracked on every one I saw. Interesting comments about the 999. Clearly the best bike they had built to that time but it had one fatal flaw. The stacked round projector headlights. It didn’t “look” like a Ducati. They were supposed to have a rectangular light on either side of the fairing. Ducatisti are even more stuck in their ways than Harley riders. Ironically, as an American of a certain age, I associate rectangular headlights with piss poor quality of 1980’s American cars. A few years ago Vespa made a cute little scooter with a rectangular headlight instead of round. It sold like crazy in Europe but in the US they couldn’t give them away.

[@T595955i]

I got really into Ducatis in the very early 1990s, boosted by the boom of World Superbikes (then new), so much that its allure obfuscated all other motorcycle manufacturers (maybe with exception to Bimota, and later also Aprilia). The mid 1980s to late 1990s were my reference (and preference) so, when the ME900E came out, it didn't seem to make much sense, nor create much interest in me. And it completely passed me by, uninterested even if well aware of it. Nearly a quarter of century later, it's one motorcyle I now learned to appreciate and desire (but now couldn't afford anyway). It's funny that sentiment is shared by others, when this motorcycle comes to a discussion. My opinion is, this is like with other forms of art - it's only later in time, when things get to be trully appreciated.

[@dennyliegerot4021]

Absolutely Beautiful bike...it's very different but it certainly appeals to me.

[@jala6707]

Yamaha did something similar, in the sense of designing a bike from scratch while knowing (I assume) that it would not sell very well. At least I know of 2 examples: the MT-01 and the Niken. The MT-01 is a very strange motorcycle, and the Niken is probably even stranger. Not sure why they actually manufactured them (in low numbers). Just to show they can, or perhaps to show they actually care about motorcycle design?

[@QuebecGamer20]

This is Indeed a polerizing design, there's comments about people wanting this bike really bad and I'm just here staring at it like "that thing looks horrible!"

[@dourmoose]

As a design exercise I can appreciate it. As a motorcycle? Well, I look at the way the exhaust is routed and can imagine my yam bag roasting before I can get out of my neighborhood.

[@winterwatson6437]

funny hearing this described as head down ass up-as a cyclist this looks positively upright