The 9th example of the gorgeous and rare Ducati Supermono racer sold recently for $110,000 Australian on eBay (~US$92,000). The Ducati Supermono is the rarest of all modern Ducatis with only around 70 examples of this exotic racer being made. Extremely light at just 122kg (269lb), the bike ultimately produced 81 bhp at 10,000 rpm.
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Current Ride:
2006 Ducati 999S Mono in black.
I always forget how beautifully proportioned that bike is until I see it again after a while. It really is a gorgeous bike. I have no idea in the world what the ride would be like, but I would imagine that it's pretty unique. My occasional ride is a KTM LC4 Supermoto and I love the feel of the single; I can only guess what that engine layout feels like on a superbike at 10grand.
FWIW, if you look closely, that's in Aussie dollars. It sold for the equivalent of $89,936 US. That bike would feel and does sound like no other thumper thanks to the "dummy cylinder", a little hump that houses a counter weight connected to the second conrod mimicking a 90 degree twin, which gives this single the same favorable primary balance characteristics as said twin instead of the pogo stick balance of the single
I love these bikes; they're what got me initially interested in the whole supermono thing. There's a fellow named Alistair Wager that used to be a chief mechanic for these Supermonos that has created an "updated" streetable version for about the same price as the one above.
Then again, you could spend less money and ask this fellow nicely to make you a modern ducati-tech version of the supermono...with more power than the original.
Anyways, for the price (89k) that seems typical for these rare bikes. Defo a shame they didn't use the engine design elsewhere in the range for a streetbike...i'd buy one!
IMO, Ducati never pursued the Supermono concept for a streetbike becuase it wouldn't have cost that much less than a 916. If the 916 was $14.5k in 1994, the Supermono Strada would have probably been $12k or more. If it had been made cut-rate to get it to say 900SS-CR pricing ($8.5k), it would have been too cheapened and ruined the whole intent.
A lot of people said at the time how cool a streetbike it would have been, but in reality few would have bought it. It is much easier to make a bigger or smaller version of the twin engines you have than attempt to develop and sell a single that might or might not have sold enough to be profitable.
One thing I suppose they could have done is make single engines for someone like Bimota (Bimota had a BMW single in the mid-90's). Bimota could have charged a premium, say $25k, for the bike and it could have lived on. But Bimota also was broke from the V-Due about the same time.
One thing I would add is that the 125cc class in MotoGP is going to become Moto3 with a 250cc single. IMO, this is too small a capacity. I wish they would go to 450cc singles with two or three approved engine suppliers. If it were 450cc, I could see Ducati possibly throwing their hat into the ring with a new version of the supermono for the class.
One thing I would add is that the 125cc class in MotoGP is going to become Moto3 with a 250cc single. IMO, this is too small a capacity. I wish they would go to 450cc singles with two or three approved engine suppliers. If it were 450cc, I could see Ducati possibly throwing their hat into the ring with a new version of the supermono for the class.
I love this idea.
I also love the idea of a KTM RC4 - a LC4 motor in a superbike package. It would be a brilliant club racer, competing with great fat waddling SV650s.
I have sworn an oath that if KTM sells RC4s in the US, I will have one, and I will race it.
Supermono sells for 110k.
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