Ducati 1098R

The 1098R is, in typical Ducati R-model fashion, a racebike with a few bits of hardware tacked on to meet homologation and DOT requirements. Associate Editor Siahaan reported from the bike's Jerez press intro a few issues back ("Superbike for the Masses," May '08), but the executive summary is this: Compared with the base 1098, the R model's mill is hotted up with 100cc more displacement, lumpier cams, more compression, bigger titanium valves, titanium rods and the addition of a slipper clutch and secondary shower-style fuel injectors. On the chassis side, the R benefits from the Ohlins front fork and forged magnesium hoops of the S model and goes a step further with an Ohlins TTX shock (in place of the S-bike's standard Ohlins) and a smattering of carbon fiber. The end result is a package that weighs 21 pounds less than the garden-variety 1098 and packs an astounding 20 more peak horsepower.