The Ducati 1098 was made in three models, the 1098, 1098S and 1098R. Production started in 2007 and ceased in 2009. The 1098 was debatably the best Ducati since the original 916. It is a pure, blood red racing machine and is sports bike heaven.

The 1098 pushes out 160bhp with top speed of 180mph, earning its rightful place in the highest insurance group with 0-60mph in less than 3.0 seconds. The 1098’s Testastretta Evoluzione is the most powerful production V-twin engine ever made. It has 92ftlbs of torque at only 8000rpm and has a huge increase in power compared to the 999 and believe it or not, the 1098R is even faster with 180bhp.

Not only is it a speed demon, the 1098 has amazing feedback on the road. The front forks are perfection, which combined with the neutral chassis makes it arguably the best 1000cc class road bike ever. The 1098 will do exactly what you tell it to, whether you’re hanging off the edge or just having a relaxing ride. If you’re looking to spend an extra £2000 ($3400) on top of the £11000 ($18700) price tag, why not go for the 1098S. It comes with Ohlins suspension, upgraded brakes and of course an upgraded engine. But that would just be silly.

The 1098 is not without its looks. The opposite in fact. It is beautiful. The Ducati 1098 fairings are simply amazing. Sharing design elements with the older 998 than with its predecessor the 999, the 1098 has horizontally placed headlights and a non-integrated exhaust system. It also has the single-sided swingarm from the 916 and 998. The Ducati 1098 fairings came in three colours in true Ducati style. Black, red, yellow and if you went for the special edition 1098S Tricolore they have the Italian flag. In 2009 Ducati produced the 1098R Bayliss Limited Edition due to his win of the 2008 Superbike World Championship. With only 500 units produced, this bike boasted a 180bhp engine, Ducati Traction Control, similar 5-spoke wheels to Bayliss’ original and of course a bit of carbon fibre.

The Ducati 1098’s build quality is sublime as usual. The stigma around Ducati’s being unreliable has been blown out of the water by this machine. With people taking the bike on long tours and having no major problems with the exception of the odd flat tyre. However, the 2007 models did have the occasional problem where they would stall upon slowing down, but this fault disappeared in the 2008 and 2009 models altogether. With straight reliability the 1098’s are on par with any of the Japanese models of the time. So no worries about breaking down and having huge maintenance bills every year. Ducati also implement the “Good Will Warranty” where they will replace any faults in the bike that have not been caused by the user.

Overall, the Ducati 1098 is one of the best Ducati’s to be produced in a while. It has blown the 999 out of the water and made a huge improvement to an outdated design, whilst still incorporating the Ducati spirit. This bike got Ducati back on track, and their bikes have been brilliant ever since.