The 916 spearheaded the Ducati revival of the 1990s. Introduced at the end of 1993, this product of Massimo Tamburini and the Cagiva Research Centre took the water-cooled four-valve engine of the 851, placing it in an evolutionary chassis with revolutionary styling. The 916 immediately set new standards of performance for twin-cylinder machines, epitomised by its unequaled success in the World Superbike Championship.
This book will trace the conception and development of the four-valve Ducati from its first appearance at the Bol d'Or in 1986. By 1990 Raymond Roche gave Ducati their first World Superbike Championship, this being followed by Texan Doug Polen. Star British rider Carl Fogarty then took over the reins, and along with Troy Corser and Troy Bayliss dominated the World Superbike Championship from 1994 until 2001. Along with the factory racers, all the related four-valve models will be covered in depth, from the initial 851 and 888, to the 748, ST4 and 996. All the variants, including the Sport Production series, will be detailed, along with the rare and beautiful Supermono. This book is the definitive guide to these legendary Ducati models.
Ian Falloon is one of the world's leading motorcycle historians. He has more than 40 years experience with motorcycles, spent 25 years writing for magazines around the world, and has written numerous books about motorcycles. He specialises in Italian marques such as Moto Guzzi, Laverda, MV Agusta, and of course, Ducati.
About the Author: Ian Falloon was born in New Zealand and studied engineering and music at Victoria University, Wellington. After a motorcycle accident brought an end to his career as a symphony orchestra oboist, he began writing articles about motorcycles for magazines including Classic Bike, Cycle World, Motorcyclist, Two Wheels, Motorcycle Sport, and Australian Motorcycle News. His first book, The Ducati Story, has run to several editions and has been published in three languages. The success of The Ducati Story led to a series of Ducati books and histories of Honda, Kawasaki, BMW, and Moto Guzzi motorcycles including Motorbooks titles The Complete Book of Ducati, The Complete Book of Moto Guzzi, The Complete Book of Triumph Motorcycles, and The Art of Ducati. With an interest and passion spanning decades, Ian now concentrates on collecting and restoring older Italian motorcycles, particularly Ducati, MV Agusta, Laverda, and Moto Guzzi. He lives in Melbourne, Australia, and is ably supported in his projects by his family.
