We were sorry to see the Troy Bayliss Edition 1198R retire along with the popular three-time World Superbike Champion, but the Ducati that bore his name is still the superbike to have if you demand the very best. With a desmodromic V-Twin displacing just 2cc shy of the SBK limit pumping out a claimed 180 horsepower and 99 lb.-ft. of torque housed in a package weighing just 362 lbs., this Testastretta Evoluzione means serious business. Ducati was the first manufacturer to offer traction control on a production superbike, and the 1198R boasts eight levels of switchable intervention. Components are top-shelf, including an Öhlins 43mm fork and TTX shock, radial-mount Brembo Monobloc brakes and Marchesini seven-spoke forged-alloy wheels. Celebrating a new Ducati Corse logo, this special edition boasts a racy red, white and black paint scheme that plays up the bare-aluminum fuel tank. Price is around 40 large, but includes a Termignoni exhaust and paddock stand.
Alternative Take
MV Agusta F4
More than the sum of its parts
Has the hallowed MV Agusta actually delivered unto us a bargain? At $18,500, the 2010 F4 1000 is priced $4000 lower than the '05 original, never mind the addition of traction control. True, the new, sharper-edged bodywork maybe isn't as lovely, but we wouldn't kick her out of bed. Maybe Harley buying MV wasn't a bad thing after all?