From Ducati 998 to Ducati 916 SPS - Reunited with the One and Only

[@DonnieDesmo]

You’ve asked for it and you shall enjoy: Experience the sound of the fabulous Ducati 999 in motion in this new flyby compilation in 4K. Including some beauty shots and delicious dry clutch action, of course 😉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/mny1n4SOjs-oqbM

[@scottishguydownunder544]

My 998 was a 20 year dream… so glad I never gave up on it! Very special motorcycles.

[@DonnieDesmo]

Sounds just like me :D

[@eduardogonzalez738]

Bought my 916 in 1997, I still have it with 15000 miles. It’s awesome!

[@DonnieDesmo]

Awesome, you still got the traditional logo & decals

[@russssh]

Great story and what a beautiful bike! Congrats on the SPS! Sometimes you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone!

[@DonnieDesmo]

Thank you! Exactly my thoughts 😊

[@GRACEORT]

Back in 2001 I was very lucky to own the original single seat 916 Strada for nearly 3 years before selling it. Within a month of riding it’s replacement ZXR750R I realised what an idiot I had been. I then went on to owning several other cheaper Sports bikes before selling and not owning a motorcycle for almost 10 years due to the arrival of children. Upon being able to consider motorcycle ownership again I knew the only bike I wanted was the 916 range and ended up with a 748SPS. I then traded this for a Lancia Delta Integrale which I still have. Then after another 4 years of saving money I began looking into owning another 916 but they were now too far beyond my £ reach, as were the 996 & 998. My only option now was the 748. I bought a red 2001’S’ thinking it would perhaps fall short but Boy was I wrong. It gives me equally as much pleasure and thrills as the 916 and SPS. Absolutely NOTHING compares to the character of these bikes

[@DocSolstice]

I just bought a 1998 Ducati 916 S in perfect condition 2 weeks ago... what a bike! :)

[@DonnieDesmo]

Awesome, congratulations! It's just the best feeling ;)

[@Edison73100]

I hear ya! I have the basic 1997 916 that I bought new, I have had many motorcycles, I still own a 98 1098R and a 93 ST4S, I always gravitate to the 916, always.

[@DonnieDesmo]

It's incredible how they can affect you especially after they're gone. It's almost like a girlfriend :D

[@DesmoSkier]

I bought back my old '99 996 SPS with 78' km on the dial this year, while owning a 1098S :) I totally get it. Nothing compares to an old Ducati Hypersport in the corners. It's only the added horspower of the newer engines that makes this design obsolete on the racetrack. For carving backroads or riding track just for enjoyment nothing beats it. Tamburini was a genius.

[@DonnieDesmo]

I was actually faster on track with a 998 than with an 899 :D The Panigale just never gave me that feeling for the front end.

[@ducwolf]

Great bike and a very nice presentation ! Share Your passion for Ducati even with a bit older and a bit younger modell.

[@DonnieDesmo]

Thank you! I think it's great that Ducati has been staying strong for so long that we now have all these bikes to be so passionate about.

[@montoya197803]

Great video and congrats. I have a 2002 998 with 37,000 miles and it is still going strong. I have been tempted recently to sell it and get a 1098 with lower miles. But I just can't bring myself to do it. I have only owned two bikes so I dont have the same basis of comparison as you, but something tells me I would miss the 998 no matter what I replaced it with.

[@DonnieDesmo]

I haven't tried the 1098 yet, but I can definitely say the 899 didn't do it for me despite the technological progress. I was even slower on track with that one 😄 The regret I felt after giving away the 998 was beyond anything I would have imagined, not exaggerating.

[@montoya197803]

@@DonnieDesmo Thanks for the reply. I haven't regretted letting many vehicles go over the years. But something tells me my experience would be comparable to yours if I were to ever get rid of the 998.

[@Topendz]

Don’t ever do it I had a 1198 and it did nothing for me when comparing it to my 998

[@montoya197803]

@@Topendz Thanks for the reply. I still have my 998 after two years. I noticed you have a Panigale 1199 on your channel. How does it stack up to the 998 since it has over a decade of development?

[@Topendz]

@@montoya197803 funny you should ask… I’ve had my 1199s for around 7 years and finally got it to the best it can be I think… with the slip-on and Upmap smoothing out the fueling and giving it a little more mid range and tuning the suspension. Having said that I miss the characteristics of the old Ducati Superbike machines. I actually have the opportunity to buy my 998 back, stay tuned!!! My favourite bike of all time. I also owned a 1198 for 4 years and really didn’t fall in love with it.

[@enemycombatsports5356]

I feel you. I have an SP3.

[@DonnieDesmo]

I was looking at an SP too before I got the SPS. The dealer was a bit shady, so I decided against it. Looked good, though...

[@enemycombatsports5356]

@@DonnieDesmo I wanted a 998 but they’re hard to find and big money so for me the SP3 was perfect, since I couldn’t find an SPS. Now thinking about a Panigale V2.

[@DonnieDesmo]

@@enemycombatsports5356 May the l-twin live forever! I had an 899 Panigale, which is what the Panigale V2 evolved from. Definitely a lot of fun to ride, much easier than a 916 or a 998.

[@nta9371]

I can understand you Donnie i love my 996 SPS, and vandduc996 is right about Desmoquattro SPS engine + he has a really good one 996 !

[@DonnieDesmo]

The ultimate desmoquattro ;)

[@vanduc996]

Nice video Donnie, and congrats on reuniting with Massimo's masterpiece! In my opinion you've gone in the right direction as the Desmoquattro, especially in SPS form, has so much character to how it delivers it's power, whereas the Testastretta in the 998 is almost too smooth and refined. Perhaps in the future you might find the budget to replace those super heavy three spoke wheels..? I know they have the iconic look to the original 916, but when I replaced the stock, 5 spoke wheels from my '01 996 with a set of 5 spoke BSTs the difference in every aspect of performance was just out of this world. I recommend that investment so highly! Looking forward to seeing more of your content with this iconic Ducati superbike. Enjoy!

[@DonnieDesmo]

Thank you! I am definitely feeling the heaviness of these wheels. I'm not sure about replacing them yet or if I want to keep them as part of this bike's original character. Depends on how I get used to them. I still remember the five spoke wheels on the 998, though, they were great. More videos of the SPS will come for sure 😊

[@franklinwilkerson2061]

I'm pretty sure the sps wheels are not the same as the ones on the standard bike. Definitely lighter and you Definitely need to keep em. Beautiful Beautiful bike 🏍 😍

[@vanduc996]

Do you know this for sure that the 3 spokes on the ‘97 and ‘98 SPS are lighter than the 3 spokes used on the rest of the 916/ 748 range? I’ve never read anything to that effect and consulting with Falloon’s Desmoquattro Superbikes just now he doesn’t mention anything along those lines..

[@franklinwilkerson2061]

@@vanduc996 just check if yours say "Ducati Racing" on them. They stopped using them in '98 I believe but just give em a good look over. Get lighter Rims if you want but never sell the originals. Your bike will be worth a lot more in the future with original parts.

[@vanduc996]

Is that Ducati Racing script written around the wheel nut on the rear wheel ? Anyway, i own a 996 with SPS cams, it’s not a numbered, genuine SPS, and I long ago ditched the heavy stock 5 spokes for BSTs. I was just unaware that there were two different specs of 3 spoke wheels during that era. Thank you for the info, i shall dig a little deeper for confirmation

[@WalterdaLima]

this video deserves to go high...i got 998 2003 FE yellow color.... i know what you mean man!

[@DonnieDesmo]

Thank you 😊 Love the 998 FE, that one was also on my list when I got the SPS...

[@kennethkelley217]

Excellent bike. I have a 02’ 998, that I actually just pulled the stock fairings (getting too hard to find) and she now looks like a 996sps. 🤣

[@DonnieDesmo]

Well, in terms of displacement and horsepower they're quite similar 😉

[@ytkl10]

Good ❤

[@belvedere98]

What are the main differences between your 916 sps and 998?

[@DonnieDesmo]

That's a really good question, I will probably do a whole video on that. In short, I would say the 998 is easier to live with, while the SPS is more exclusive.

[@adamkhan5274]

Think the desmoquattro sounds better than the testaretta.

[@DonnieDesmo]

As long as the speakers are carbon Termignoni, I can do with both 😁

[@tdmneem8013]

really cool🏍👍🏻

[@DonnieDesmo]

Thank you 👍

[@luka155]

Yes I have same opinion...I have and drive a lot newer bikes, but when you drive 916 series you see how good it is😄😆, I need 998 to replace my 916😃asap😊🤭

[@DonnieDesmo]

If you have a 916, you really can't go wrong with a 998 👍 Maybe the Bostrom edition, since you have 155 in your name 😉

[@luka155]

@@DonnieDesmo Hehe 155 came from Alfa 155 :D I hope for 998S, decent one, but we know, its hard to find.

[@DonnieDesmo]

Nice! I have a 159: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b57dpYKPhNZnq5Y 998S sound delicious 😋

[@FancyAnimal]

If you like the 916/998, you’d really like an 1098/1198. Same ethos with +60HP.

[@DonnieDesmo]

I'd almost agree, but it doesn't quite have the looks and legacy. Still, my perfect garage: 916, 999, 1098, 1199 ;)

[@NewtonInDaHouseYo]

Hi Donnie. Great video! I have a 998s. How would you compare the 998 to the 916 SPS? What are the differences from your perspective?

[@DonnieDesmo]

Good question! The 998 is a bit more advanced than the 916 in some ways like the testastretta engine, and in your case it's the S version. The SPS, however, is a WSBK homologation special. The 998S has more horsepower, while the SPS is lighter. Besides having some more carbon fiber, the SPS also has titanium parts in the engine. Overall, I think you're lucky having either! How do you feel about yours?

[@TheDailyRider]

So it was not the engine but the bike? I'm surprised, the 998 has a testastretta engine which is better in my own opinion.

[@DonnieDesmo]

That's what I'm about to find out. Shame this season's already over. At least in terms of power, the SPS is on par with the (standard) 998, so I didn't lose anything there.