Sweet 16!

Ducati’s 916 and racing homologation SP/SPS is a real keeper in the classic world, so says Paul Jayson.

- PAUL JAYSON

When Ducati released the 916Strada in 1994, the world of motorcycling was rocked to its core.

The FireBlade had just turned design upside down in 1992 and suddenly the ripped-up rule book was set on fire and trodden into the dirt by the Italians with a mix of performance and jaw-dropping style. The first model was the Strada and this was the ‘monoposto’ (single-seat) standard machine and available only in red. Customers were going to have to wait to get the Biposto, sometime in 1995, if they wanted to carry a pillion. We also heard about the very limited edition SP (Sport Production) model, but no one could seem to find one and no one could buy one. I was working in the grey market sourcing these machines at that time. Stradas were retailing at £12,000 (a new FireBlade was around £8655). If you could find a 916 SP, which no one could, they were reputed to be £15,000. We sold the 916 Stradas faster than we could buy them back in 1994 and demand for the elusive SP was insatiable as well.