Ducati back to its decadent best with the exotic, reassuringly expensive new 1098R. Built in limited numbers so the Italian firm can race it WSB, the 1098R forms the basis of their F08 factory racer. In fact, never has the road bike and the racer been so close, thanks to ever tightening rules in the World Championship. Aside from different pistons and a smattering of detail changes the 1099R is exactly the same as the bike Troy Bayliss rode in 2008. The 1098R is incredibly rapid, thanks to its 1200cc engine, and full traction control system, the first time such a system had been fitted to a road bike.
Watch the first ride of Ducati's 1098R