Did I just buy a Ducati 916SP?!

[@blueskies5036]

A fellow SP owner right here in Texas…?! Wow, good to see another one here in the states!

[@stephencole4498]

Hi, many thanks for uploading this. I'm currently considering an 94 SP and was looking for some information on what to look for and this really helps! Great collection by the way.

[@thekingmezger]

Hi, good luck on your search. They are special bikes.

[@Designer_Opine]

Fuel pump priming seemed awfully long. I own a ‘01 748 which runs about 1/3 as long when keyed on. Bella collezioné 👌🏻 🇮🇹

[@J916-z3r]

Cool bike! definitely an SP and as you suggest an early example given the elephant on the fuel cap. Intersting detail about the V in the VIN - I didn't know that.

[@thekingmezger]

J 916 thanks! It’s now undergoing the infamous “fuel line connectors and lines” refurbish and can’t wait for it to be back on the road! I swear these bikes have a soul!

[@thekingmezger]

Dennis Patrick where can I see them?

[@charlieryan1736]

Nice find 👍🏻🇮🇹 thanks for making this informative video review

[@niels9023]

It has a lot of SP details. A real and correct ‘94 and ‘95 SP are a real needle in a haystack. A lot of original engines where replaced by later ones and there has been a lot of messing around with engines. It’s not clear to me what year it is (watching KZbin and small kids around..) and your Strada surprises me with the 16M ecu, I didn’t know they came with these. Mine has the P8 like the SP.

[@thekingmezger]

Ni els my Strada is a 96 or a 97 so I think they stopped P8s by then.

[@shaneweightman]

Lovely bikes , I almost bought one 15 yrs ago , but the noise of the dry clutch used to annoy me , had the choice of a row of red bikes and a row of yellow ones but at the time bought a brand new Suzuki gsxr 600 my mistake,, cheers Shane uk 🇬🇧

[@thekingmezger]

shaneweightman thanks Shane, it’s never a mistake as long as it has 2 wheels. You are still in time to get one! :)

[@arabellashales5360]

Not an SP. SP/SPS would have ZDM3 vin. Stranda & S have ZDM1 vin. All SP’s were numbered, some owners swapped out the top triple to keep as a souvenir. Early models did not have carbon air box bike looks correct except for VIN but early 916’s had the same P8 ECU as SP’s and 888’s. As for the Cagiva Elephant all the Ducati’s has that fuel cap under their ownership. TPG bought Ducati and ditched the Elephant in 1997 so once again it’s correct for 1994-1996 916. I’m on my wife’s account, we own a Ducati specialty shop and I own a genuine 996sps which I have owned for many years. We have owned many Duc’s. Hope this helps you.

[@arabellashales5360]

The only non numbered homologation 916 variants would be 350 of the 500 996R’s. Only 150 of those were numbered.

[@thekingmezger]

Nope. Early 916 sp1 and sp2 were not numbered.

[@arabellashales5360]

The Italian Pursuit never seen any in the states like that but the VIN number is still incorrect for a SP/SPS. The bike is an early Strada. If it was a true SP, you would have a 3 not a 1 in your VIN for the fourth character. Supply your VIN to Ducati for verification and they will tell you the same thing.

[@arabellashales5360]

Motor could be an SPS motor but it looks like the head was sanded down. Someone might have swapped the Strada motor out with SPS or the original frame could have been damaged in an accident and replaced with a Strada frame. Everything else looks correct. I can’t tell if your exhaust is a full 50mm or a 45mm with slip on’s. I can usually tell from where the mid pipe connects to header.

[@thekingmezger]

Thanks for chiming in- I am not so sure about the VIN number either. I recently dig deeper (teardown) and found that that the engine number is not of an SP, yet the heads, cams and other details are all from an SP (minus the exhaust). We think all this stuff was originally on a real SP that got damaged (crash with engine damage maybe) and they migrated it on a strada frame. Thank you for chiming in: the internet is great! :)

[@ianharries9480]

Congratulations.. Beautiful, wishing you many happy miles

[@leslieharding7514]

Really glad you pointed out that you warmed it up, i was getting annoyed

[@thekingmezger]

Leslie Harding :)

[@jacksmith3189]

Leslie Harding Your an idiot His bike, not yours, he may treat it how he likes

[@rob-od1vm]

your strada is not a strada , not from 1994

[@Pillokun]

Shouldn't the sp/sps have sandcast engine casings as well? at least the earlier ones before the r came out?

[@williamsbboy]

A true strada 94 has the same electronics and rear subframe than a sp. Someones also have carbon bits

[@thekingmezger]

williamsbboy Ducati was having issues tracking the bike and said that the engine serial number does not match the one of an SP. Yet the title says “916 SP” and it definitely rides different than my strada. Ducati said someone could have swapped all SP parts and now you tell me this... I don’t want to have to open the engine to find out! Maybe a dyno?

[@williamsbboy]

At the dyno you should have a dozen bhp more, but higher in revs. There is another fact that a lot of sp where bored up...the more significant way to me to judge if is no/yes a Sp is the non presence of the 4V front low engine. And yours not have the 4V. Presume that is a true sp. To try to judge it is an early 916 you must have all around the cagiva logo, in many places, lots of pieces. My februar 916 has all of these cagiva logos, and also carbon bits, fender, the V, the alloy rearsubframe the P8 computer, like all stradas and sp in 94. It was because in those days Ducati where in financial troubles, so to handbuild the bikes, technicians took all the pieces who where available. Someones says to me that some stradas would have the Ti conrods of the Sp. True or legend ? I also agree with you that these bikes have a soul. And they where hand assembled. Each early 916 in 94/95 are unique. A Varese 916 and early sp are already a legend to me. May be more than 996r and 998r/fe.

[@williamsbboy]

Btw, very nice video The Italian Pursuit 👍

[@thekingmezger]

williamsbboy thanks! :) definitely shooting for the dyno soon. I appreciate your comments and insights. Happy riding!

[@robertburks2126]

Nice! where you at in Texas? Im in San Antonio area and have a nice 97 916

[@thekingmezger]

robert Burks thanks, I am in Houston. You definitely have better roads!

[@robertburks2126]

The Italian Pursuit , my bike came from Houston, has a lot of work done on it a Houston Superbikes

[@Sniper-he4oo]

Also San Antonio 08 848 👌

[@robertburks2126]

Sniper5700 what part? Hit me up. [e-mail]. We will be shooting a commercial for local Ducati club would like to have you be a part of it if you’re interested

[@plap.]

I believe they are 996 displacement, should sound a little thumpier than standard 916

[@thekingmezger]

Nope they are not, just heavier cams

[@plap.]

It was the 98 916sps I was thinking of they only made 404 of them with only 50 going to the states. No surprise I've never seen one

[@gregormozgon7046]

Very nice find mate!!! I own 748 S

[@roccoroconelli174]

Nice video. Your bike is a Varese bike according to the vin

[@emppowersportsandmarine6270]

It’s not a true SPS, you have a hodge podge of pasta. I believe it should be numbered and it should have a carbon airbox. They may have been damaged in an accident. Frame is base Strada, motor is SPS as is ECM and some of the carbon. The fourth character of your VIN is a dead giveaway, a 3 is SPS and a 1 is Strada or S. Your bike is not a genuine SPS. I’m an expert and am sorry to tell you this. There is a way to tell, if your knowledgeable. I have a genuine SPS which I have owned since 2008 and use to own a Ducati shop. Still a nice rider with some trick bits, so enjoy her. Real SPS’s have become to valuable to ride.

[@thekingmezger]

As a matter of fact I say SP not SPS 😇. They were a hodgepodge of past from the factory !

[@ducatidave]

Should an sp not have a full system

[@thekingmezger]

Ducati Dave I have no idea. Do you have a source for that info? SP bikes could be different one from the other

[@enemycombatsports5356]

@@thekingmezger Should be 45-50mm on SP, not on normal 916.

[@thekingmezger]

Maybe they swapped it? I don’t know ...

[@Messier87_M87]

That sound never gets old!

[@doca8792]

I picked up a 996S. Not as rare as your babies, but just as beautiful to look at.

[@thekingmezger]

Nate Dog they are all beautiful! Is it European or US?

[@doca8792]

US. Factory Silver though with grey marchesini wheels and carbon fiber everywhere.

[@thekingmezger]

Nate Dog factory Silver!?? Wow that’s rare!

[@maxbg]

The idle speed can be adjusted lower.

[@thekingmezger]

maxbg my coolant sensor was defective. I learned the ECU uses that sensor to adjust the idle.

[@maxbg]

@@thekingmezger www.ducati-upnorth.com/forum/showthread.php?5028-Idle-speed-916-sps

[@thekingmezger]

maxbg thanks for the link!

[@tokyosmash]

Very informative.

[@jacksmith3189]

Good information Thanks

[@pauli001]

Interestingly the sp dont have ohlins forks

[@thekingmezger]

Paul H mine doesn’t either. Those are stickers put by previous owner 🤷‍♂️

[@pauli001]

The Italian Pursuit what about a vin number? Is there a Chance to verify over this ?

[@thekingmezger]

Paul H Ducati is puzzled as well. Says VIN is a standard monoposto but all the SP items are present.

[@christianszilagyi2146]

O my got beauty bike twice. Masimo Tamburini built in year 1994 Ducati 916 new price in year 1994 30.000 DEM. 15.000 USA $. Masimo Tamburini gone in year 2014.

[@simoneborgonovi5100]

send a mail to Ducati with number of frame and number of motor

[@thekingmezger]

simone borgonovi I will! I hope they can tell me the year too as the heads have a 94 stamp: is it SP1 or SP2!??

[@simoneborgonovi5100]

@@thekingmezger anyway, you have got two fantastic Ducati ❤️

[@lpm916]

@@thekingmezger I think its SP1 as it has rubber front brake lines - my SP2 has braided! Also, yours may a Varese bike as there is a V before the frame number - my VIN has not! My VIN is very different to yours - 2 lines not 1. ZDM916S*003440 DGM536190M Mine is '95 fairings Dec '94 engine casings '95 - hope this helps!

[@thekingmezger]

lpm916 thanks for your insights! Ducati is having issues tracking down this VIN (I asked in December!) and my 916SP is some sort of mystery for them as well... What does your Vin look like?

[@lpm916]

@@thekingmezger what's you email and ill send u a pic of VIN

[@edahl3884]

Serial #'s...

[@daytrading5456]

There is no such thing as a 1996 916 "Strada".

[@mindciller]

I would have had more than these mileage so fast.

[@tonycash8544]

Vin number will tell you what you have.

[@dottorg7721]

It’s very easy, if the fourth serial number is a 3 you got an SPS if the fourth serial number is a 1 than you have a regular 916 or 996

[@mznyc1]

Ducati's in Texas?...Shoot me now.....Either track or trailer to twisty roads and mountains....what the bike was designed for ....Real Shame...

[@jacksmith3189]

Also, it’s your “bike” so you can do with it what you will. Dolts give worthless opinions about how one treats his own bike

[@speedmutant]

No jack this is the wrong way to talk to the owner of such beautiful babies