The desired Ducati…

Is it really 30 years since the first Ducati 888? A machine which (formany Ducati aficionados) is better than even the sublime and beautiful 916?

- BERTIE SIMMONDS

The 888 was, perhaps, the first expression of Ducati’s two V-fingers to the might of Japan before the 916’s arrival, which arguably led to Ducati’s domination on track in World Superbike racing.

The 888 was a logical progression from 1987’s 851, a machine which kick-started Ducati’s fortunes on the racetracks of World Superbike. The machine itself was a liquid-cooled, fuel-injected development of Ducati’s air-cooled machines, but with Massimo Bordi’s head design, featuring Desmodromic valve actuation, where valves are closed by cams, not springs.