Ducati 1098-the highest torque-to-weight ratio of any production sport bike ever made - Machine Underground -Tractor & Commercial Equipment Discussion Forum

Ducati 1098
is a 1099 cc (1098/1098 S) or 1198 cc (1098 R) L-twin sport bike manufactured by Ducati. It was announced on November 8, 2006 for the 2007+ model year and replaces the 999. The 1098/1098 S makes a manufacturer claimed 160 horsepower (119 kW), 90.4 ibs.ft torque, and weighs 173 kg. The 0-60 mph time is less than 2.8 seconds and top speed is estimated at 186 mph (299 km/h). The 1098 R, announced in November 2007, makes a manufacturer claimed 180 horsepower (134 kW), 98.8 ft·lbf (134 N·m) torque. These figures gives the 1098 the highest torque-to-weight ratio of any production sport bike ever made.
The MSRP of the 1098 is US $15,995; the 1098 S is priced at $19,995 while the 1098 R is $39,995.

Design
The 1098 shares more design elements with the older 998 than with its predecessor the 999, such as horizontally placed headlights and a non-integrated exhaust system. Another carry over from its 998 heritage is the single-sided swingarm which is decidedly Ducati. This step back to a more traditional Ducati design has been welcomed by many Ducati fans who criticized the design of the 999. The Ducati 1098/1098 S/1098 R are available in Black, Red or Yellow colors.

Racing
Ducati not only created a stir in the public world with the release of the 1098, but also in the racing world, specifically the World Superbike (WSBK). To make racing even, WSBK allows concessions to motorcycles of different cylinder amounts. The fewer the cylinders, the more concessions. Ducati with its V-twin design (2 cylinders) was able to utilize many of these concessions compared to its inline-4 competitors. Ducati argued that the current engine design was end-of-life and it would be too expensive to keep its current bikes competitive. Therefore it released the 1098.
The problem was, at the time, WSBK rules limited V-twins to 1000cc so effectively Ducati did not have a guarantee that it could race its 1098 in the premier class. Before it released the 1098, Ducati lobbied the WSBK to update the rules to accommodate its new bike. Other bike manufacturers were not happy about racing a bike with a larger engine, especially when that bike belonged to Ducati, which was dominating the WSBK. For the 2007 racing year, only the Buildbase race team of SBK could race the 1098. Finally in June 2007, WSBK announced that 1200cc engines would be allowed to compete, effectively legitimizing the Ducati 1098. Ducati race fans around the world are excited at finally seeing this potent race bike prove its merit with multi-WSBK champion Troy Bayliss at the helm.