Seattle Used Bikes seattleusedbikes.com 4111 Aurora Ave N (206) 535-6812

1995 916 SUPERBIKE $16,950

ZDM1SB8S4SV002568 7493 miles

SKU: U2568

1995 SUPERBIKE

We feel very fortunate to have a long history with the Ducati brand. I was part of the Bellevue Suzuki-Ducati dealer crew in the 90's that had the pleasure to unveil the first of the 1995 Ducati 916 Superbike to the public here in the Pacific NW and Cafe Veloce hosted the event. A night with no real visual media aides, no brochures and really 0 availability beyond the 5 we were promised from Ducati NA. So we brought our first two, one stripped down to reveal the naked beauty of the new SBK and the other was ready to bring to life right after the event and let the first lucky new owner ride away, the crowd cheered as he roared away

Did you miss your chance to own one? It is getting harder and harder to find a clean example with minimal modifications and good mechanical bill of health. This one we feel is the real deal, we gave it a good inspection, the fluids were all fresh, we were asked to replace the timing belts as that was something the owner did not choose to take on himself. While we were replacing belts we pulled intake cam to inspect rocker arms, all had been plated. Checked compression, 165lbs even in both cylinders, this is a healthy motor. We did find some slight scratches on the left side of the fairing, they were covered with Agip stickers, no other damage found.

We are told regular oil changes happened regardless of miles ridden. It was purchased used in 1998 out of Oregon with 5592 one owner miles on it at that time. Since then it was meticulously kept and often stored inside the owners home! Attention was paid to the typical issue found on many of the early days of Ducati motorcycles. During its 6000 mile service a few rocker arms were found to show suspect signs of flaking, they were removed and replaced with new and improved megacycle versions. There are, an often over looked brand of carbon exhaust from "Kenney's" out of California.giving it a great sound. Other than the carbon exhaust, a tinted tall windscreen and a lithium style battery this Ducati 916 is all stock. It comes with a red FG rear stand, bike cover, magazines and articles from over the years, an original owners manual, 1 key and a few service books.

This is another of the “Varese Editions” which is considered the rarest of the rare, the VIN does verify its production location. Panels still have all the original rivets connecting top and bottom halves, windscreen has the torx style fasteners as the shield was swapped out. More details on the Varese legend can be found below PRESS

Thanks to the gift of hindsight, we know that the 916 was one of Ducati’s most important models of all time. But did you know that it nearly had a catastrophic beginning? Right as the production lines were spinning up to bring the world the prettiest sportbike of the decade, a fire broke out at Ducati’s paint shop in the factory in Bologna. Ducati did not let this cripple them – instead they improvised and utilized the factory in Varese to build 2,663 of the first 916s. Per Ian Falloon, 641 of the Varese bikes were sold in the US. You can identify the Varese-built bikes because the 11th digit of the VIN is a V. For example, Varese bikes have a VIN tag under the tail section along with a specification tag. These tags reflect Ducati's remaining indecision on final spec Seattle Used Bikes seattleusedbikes.com 4111 Aurora Ave N (206) 535-6812

when the bikes were produced. For example, although the bikes invariably came with 190/50 rear tires, some tail spec tags on Varese bikes call for 170/60 rear tires. The bikes used hollow mushroom rivets with a flex plate to hold the belly to mid body panels as well as the windscreen on. fasteners were replaced with torx screws/wellnuts shortly after production moved to Bologna and production of the rivet fasteners discontinued. There were other differences like Pankl H connecting rods, but the net is the differences were subtle. To some these differences aren't worth a premium but over time given the significance of the 916, these differences will tend to become more meaningful.

Motor Week video - Here

Here's a cool video discussing the sheer beauty of these machines. - Here

Here is a quote from Mick Walker when the 916 came out.

“The really big news for 1994, however, was the arrival of the ground-breaking 916. This machine's engine size matched its code number and had been achieved by increasing the stroke of the 888 from 64 to 66 mm. ... This was the work of , who has been described as one of the greatest motorcycle designers of the late 20th century – and with good cause. ... To many enthusiasts around the world, the 916 was not simply the latest superbike, but the best there had ever been. It set new standards of performance, handling, and braking, but also style and charisma. ... The 916 changed the face of sports bikes in a way that only the original Suzuki GSX-R750 had managed a decade earlier.”

— Mick Walker, Motorcycle: Evolution, Design, Passion