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A Martini-Porsche or a Martini-Lancia isn’t anything out of the ordinary, but a Martini-Ducati? That’s a new one to us, but that doesn’t mean we don’t pine for Ducati’s one-off superbike trimmed in Martini livery.
The colors, it seems, were almost an afterthought. After equipping a 1098 S Superbike with virtually all the options available through Ducati’s parts catalog, the bike builder’s North American CEO and PR manager felt a special paint scheme was mandatory--and given the number of Martini-Porsches destined for the 2009 Rolex Monterey Historic Races last weekend, the Martini colors were a natural fit.
Apart from the colors and decals, modifications to the Martini-Ducati include racing camshafts, race pistons and connecting rods, a lightened crankshaft, and a gearbox built to World Superbike specifications. Ducati also added a quarter-turn throttle, billet footpegs, Ohlins race suspension, and a number of carbon fiber fairing panels.
The result is very close to the 1098 R that won the 2008 Superbike World Championship, but trimmed in a manner that leaves us both shaken and stirred. We’d love to add one in our garage, but sadly, there are no plans to offer the 1098’s successor--the 1198--in these colors anytime soon…