Ducati's ugly duckling...

"A face only a mother could love" was one journalist's remark on the launch of the new 999 back In 2003, which was a tad unfair... After all, to design the successor to Massimo Tamburini's Ducati 916 was going to be Impossible, and the man who was given this task for 2003 was Pierre Terblanche. A new name helped: the 999 indicated the cubic capacity, even if some models would have the previous 998cc motor. The new clothes were bold and distinctive. Gone was the single-sided swingarm swopped for one of cranked design. The oval under-seat exhausts were replaced with a single, almost rectangular unit; the fairings almost seemed larger than before; while the front cowling replaced the twin signature headlights with two small, round beams sat atop each other. Many people criticised the 999 - until they rode it. The bike was not only a step forward in terms of outright performance, but - usefully - the bodywork and ergonomics made the bike more comfortable than its predecessor. It would eventually win awards and plaudits on and off the track, winning group sportsbike tests and the likes of the 2005 British Superbike title with Gregorio Lavilla and world superbike titles with Neil Hodgson in 2003, James Toseland in 2004 and Troy Bayliss in 2006. Subtle bodywork mods Improved the overall look of the 999 in 2005, but for 2007 the more aesthetically pleasing 1098 was released.