The Ducati 916 is one of the most iconic superbikes ever, and the SPS takes it to another level. I spent two glorious summer days capturing its beauty in stunning 4K to finally do this masterpiece justice. Check it out and tell me what you think! 😊 th-cam.com/video/G3sGn6GuxWc/w-d-xo.html
Wow, such gorgeous machines. It's like having a wife and a mistress living in the same house with you, and getting along with each other, kids and all. 😅 Thank you, mate, for sharing this with us.
Hi Donnie. I think it's quite interesting to compare the two. My 999 has a full Termi system. With the two pipes terminating in one silencer it pushes the sound waves together and in my opinion gives a very different sound to the 916. The 916 having separate silencers delivers more defined individual exhaust notes. So in summary I would say the 916 'blats' and the 999 'barks'. I like both exhaust notes but being a 999 owner will go with that... just! Now I'am off to get a life!😁
I love this, I think a sound comparison while riding or flyby would be incredible. I have a monster S4R and a monster 1200 and I think the desmoquattro in the S4R sounds a million times better, but the older testastretta from this video sounds really good too. I think I would still go 916 sound because it just has more intake howl sound and I love how it sounds rougher at idle.
The desmoquattro definitely sounds a lot rougher when you're riding it, too. I have a flyby of a 998 and another one of the 916 SPS on my channel, so you can at least compare through 2 different videos ☺
@@DonnieDesmo $1300 usd used for the full set (keeping in mind i bought the rest of the bike for $4200 🤣). It’s kind of a pain in the ass though because there’s 4 different variations I think. Shallow vs deep sump and early cast vs later black swingarm so fitment might get weird. I have an 04 749S (shallow sump, grey swingarm) Now it’s a money pit as I replace anything with a seal in it. Damn the rear brake works way better after a $70 replacement rear master cyl. The stator was bad, which fixed a lot of stuff including stalling at stoplights. Clutch lever on this bike loves sucking air so I put a 1198 lever on and it’s fixed that.
@@DonnieDesmo p.s. beautiful bikes. I was lucky enough to have a 996 come up in my rear view mirror outside of Hocking Hills (beautiful rural area in Ohio) and cracked the throttle, had a wonderful 100mph+ blast through the back roads with him then split off on our separate ways. How much different does that bike ride?
@@Ducatista749s Thanks for the insights! The thing that bothers me about the 999 is the seat because it's so slippery. I had already picked a custom solution, but then the customizer's website went down and both the dealer and I forgot about it before the start of the season. Really silly 😄
@@Ducatista749s The bikes are hugely different to ride. The 916 needs way more physical effort to change direction and the engine is quite raw in comparison. However, once the 916 is leaned over, nothing will stop it ❤
It has a dry clutch from the factory, but it comes with a full aluminium clutch cover. If you replace that cover, you can enjoy the dry clutch properly.
Both my 996 and 999s have a Termignoni exhaust and quite honestly I prefer the sound of the 996 while riding it. Standing still they're pretty equal though.
That''s interesting. I kind of prefer the testastretta in motion. I feel it sounds better on engine brake. Weirdly, the 916 sounds great on engine brake from the outside, but I can't hear it the same way when I when I'm sitting on it.
I own a 748 and a 1098, both have Termi's on them, I like the 748 quite a lot more. The 748 is quieter, which makes the intake sound so much better, the way it growls at you around 7500 rpm is awesome.
@@DonnieDesmo I have never driven a 916/996/998, but I think the main reason for that is the shorter gears. One thing I disliked about my previous CBR600RR was that the gears were so long and made the powerband useless, of course a Ducati has down low torque so it’s already different but I think it gives it more a spirited driving feeling. Same with super motards with the really short gearing gives it a different vibe to ride it. It’s also a popular choice since the 748’s are quite cheaper, that was the reason for me. I managed to find a second owner bike, first owner was his uncle and the reason he got rid of it was because his suit got ripped over time and he didn’t want to spend the money on a new one because he wanted a cruiser instead.
@@feki122 I got the advice once to get a 748 because the engine would be easier to handle. The bigger ones have a lot of torque pretty immediately and without traction control that can be a bit of a handful and of course it is more physical.
Indeed! Having them run at the same time was a good thing to do for comparability. I though it was more of a gimmick, but in the end it helps tell the difference.
I'll see when I can get my hands on one 👍 It's interesting because the 2025 V4 is supposed to be inspired by the 916, but has a conventional swingarm like the 999. So it's kind of both in one 😁
It’s Much of a Muchness with these two. The SPS is iconic, but the 999 is a better bike in most regards. The faithful didn’t see it that way back at the turn of the millennium, but Ducati had to make improvements on the old 916 Warhorse, so they did.
Ducatis with dry clutches don't sound good until they are moving. Motorcycles in general sound better while under load and while riding, not while parked and idling. How about a few fly-bys from both, at different RPMs to see what they really sound like? Or a comparison video of POV view with good audio? Otherwise I can snooze during this video
To me they sound great like this, too. But I do have flybys of my 916 SPS and 998 on my channel as well, you can check them out if you like. I will definitely also record flybys of the 999 too soon ☺
The Ducati 916 is one of the most iconic superbikes ever, and the SPS takes it to another level. I spent two glorious summer days capturing its beauty in stunning 4K to finally do this masterpiece justice. Check it out and tell me what you think! 😊 th-cam.com/video/G3sGn6GuxWc/w-d-xo.html
Very much appreciated comparison pal!
Wow, such gorgeous machines. It's like having a wife and a mistress living in the same house with you, and getting along with each other, kids and all. 😅
Thank you, mate, for sharing this with us.
It's always nice to wake up in the morning and think: Today I'm gonna take the Ducati - but which one? 😄
Hi Donnie. I think it's quite interesting to compare the two. My 999 has a full Termi system. With the two pipes terminating in one silencer it pushes the sound waves together and in my opinion gives a very different sound to the 916. The 916 having separate silencers delivers more defined individual exhaust notes. So in summary I would say the 916 'blats' and the 999 'barks'. I like both exhaust notes but being a 999 owner will go with that... just! Now I'am off to get a life!😁
You already described the perfect life 😁
I love this, I think a sound comparison while riding or flyby would be incredible. I have a monster S4R and a monster 1200 and I think the desmoquattro in the S4R sounds a million times better, but the older testastretta from this video sounds really good too.
I think I would still go 916 sound because it just has more intake howl sound and I love how it sounds rougher at idle.
The desmoquattro definitely sounds a lot rougher when you're riding it, too. I have a flyby of a 998 and another one of the 916 SPS on my channel, so you can at least compare through 2 different videos ☺
Nice one Donnie. Next maybe you cold fit a Termignoni exhaust on the 999 for even better sound
It's on the list 😉
@@DonnieDesmo And save 4-5 kg...
And improve the looks with carbon fibre 😉
@@DonnieDesmo No sorry, just lighter.
You worsen the look with unpainted carbon. Espesially on this classics
@jontangenes9275 I get your point, but the original race bikes already ķhad a lot of carbon fibre and that's where it all comes from.
Testastretta with Open Termi's. The 999 was a little flat so not really fair. Great video as always 👍
I guess I'll need a different exhaust on the 999 then 😉
You need the termignoni open pipes on that 999. I have the 54mm titanium full set and it’s lovely
Considering it 😁How much did you pay for them?
@@DonnieDesmo $1300 usd used for the full set (keeping in mind i bought the rest of the bike for $4200 🤣). It’s kind of a pain in the ass though because there’s 4 different variations I think. Shallow vs deep sump and early cast vs later black swingarm so fitment might get weird. I have an 04 749S (shallow sump, grey swingarm)
Now it’s a money pit as I replace anything with a seal in it. Damn the rear brake works way better after a $70 replacement rear master cyl. The stator was bad, which fixed a lot of stuff including stalling at stoplights. Clutch lever on this bike loves sucking air so I put a 1198 lever on and it’s fixed that.
@@DonnieDesmo p.s. beautiful bikes. I was lucky enough to have a 996 come up in my rear view mirror outside of Hocking Hills (beautiful rural area in Ohio) and cracked the throttle, had a wonderful 100mph+ blast through the back roads with him then split off on our separate ways. How much different does that bike ride?
@@Ducatista749s Thanks for the insights! The thing that bothers me about the 999 is the seat because it's so slippery. I had already picked a custom solution, but then the customizer's website went down and both the dealer and I forgot about it before the start of the season. Really silly 😄
@@Ducatista749s The bikes are hugely different to ride. The 916 needs way more physical effort to change direction and the engine is quite raw in comparison. However, once the 916 is leaned over, nothing will stop it ❤
I prefer the 999 too! It's crazy but that's the way it is
And you're not the only one it seems! Despite the stock exhaust.
999 all day long!
And all night I'm sure 😁
Of course the 916 SPS. It’s an SPS to cry out loud. It has the open pipes on. It’s not a fair comparison.
They're pretty close in terms of displacement and power, though... I know it's not quite fair with the pipes 😉
@@DonnieDesmo I have a 2005 Ducati 999 with the open pipes. Man a total different beast.
@@michaelmarkides Sounds great! 👍
For me best combination on 999: Original Exhaust + ducati racing air filter. Just the perfect melody. Termi are a bit too much.
Yes Termi is too much. But with db killers in, they are great, and they passing the 102 db limit on the track.
@jontangenes9275 True, they keep their character with db eaters! Too bad you have to drill holes into the Termis to install them.
996 ❤
my 999 had a termo pipe on and sounded brilliant
I can imagine! I'm still tempted by Termignoni for the 999, even though it sounds great like this.
999 Testastreda sounded smoother, less lumpy
It is also smoother to ride. I wonder if this is more due to the desmoquattro or the 916 being an SPS.
Does Ducati 999 come with dry clutch from factory? 999 sounds like it has a dry clutch
It has a dry clutch from the factory, but it comes with a full aluminium clutch cover. If you replace that cover, you can enjoy the dry clutch properly.
999 with a full titanium 749RS Akra 😜🤘
Sounds tasty 😁
Both my 996 and 999s have a Termignoni exhaust and quite honestly I prefer the sound of the 996 while riding it. Standing still they're pretty equal though.
That''s interesting. I kind of prefer the testastretta in motion. I feel it sounds better on engine brake. Weirdly, the 916 sounds great on engine brake from the outside, but I can't hear it the same way when I when I'm sitting on it.
I own a 748 and a 1098, both have Termi's on them, I like the 748 quite a lot more.
The 748 is quieter, which makes the intake sound so much better, the way it growls at you around 7500 rpm is awesome.
@@feki122 Awesome! For some reason, I've never had a 748. They're quite popular, some prefer them to the 916/996/998s.
@@DonnieDesmo I have never driven a 916/996/998, but I think the main reason for that is the shorter gears. One thing I disliked about my previous CBR600RR was that the gears were so long and made the powerband useless, of course a Ducati has down low torque so it’s already different but I think it gives it more a spirited driving feeling. Same with super motards with the really short gearing gives it a different vibe to ride it. It’s also a popular choice since the 748’s are quite cheaper, that was the reason for me. I managed to find a second owner bike, first owner was his uncle and the reason he got rid of it was because his suit got ripped over time and he didn’t want to spend the money on a new one because he wanted a cruiser instead.
@@feki122 I got the advice once to get a 748 because the engine would be easier to handle. The bigger ones have a lot of torque pretty immediately and without traction control that can be a bit of a handful and of course it is more physical.
999.
999. Definitely. Greetings from Ukraine!
Greetings back from Germany 😎
When they are idling next to one another you can clearly hear the 916 over the 999
Much deeper
Indeed! Having them run at the same time was a good thing to do for comparability. I though it was more of a gimmick, but in the end it helps tell the difference.
Donnie, could you do a flyby so we can hear how they scream? Much appreciated.
I already have a flyby of the 916 on my channel and I am about to do one for the 999 very soon ☺
Stock exhaust vs Termignoni?
Love the 999
Well, supposedly stock and looks like it. It does sound impressive for a stock exhaust, though...
@@DonnieDesmoindeed 👌🏻
Dear Donnie, yesterday the Ducati launched a new stunning machine - the Panigale v4 .please make a video of the beautiful beast. Thanks
I'll see when I can get my hands on one 👍 It's interesting because the 2025 V4 is supposed to be inspired by the 916, but has a conventional swingarm like the 999. So it's kind of both in one 😁
@@DonnieDesmo the technical video by Ducati from yesterday was just smashing!)
@@volodymyrforos1031 I watched that one live in Italian even though I'm not 😄
th-cam.com/video/ES6v01PGxro/w-d-xo.htmlsi=5JL0JX9ladxMujQ0
th-cam.com/video/pqUOAfisXkc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=QAeInijHU29zgxGT@@DonnieDesmo
916 a bit more throaty to be honest, but factory cans on the 999...............................
Give me time, my friend... 😁
@@DonnieDesmo I put the Termis on my 749, you will appreciate!
It’s Much of a Muchness with these two.
The SPS is iconic, but the 999 is a better bike in most regards.
The faithful didn’t see it that way back at the turn of the millennium, but Ducati had to make improvements on the old 916 Warhorse, so they did.
Agreed! And it's great to see the 999 gets more of the appreciation it deserves nowadays.
916 😊
Ducatis with dry clutches don't sound good until they are moving. Motorcycles in general sound better while under load and while riding, not while parked and idling. How about a few fly-bys from both, at different RPMs to see what they really sound like? Or a comparison video of POV view with good audio?
Otherwise I can snooze during this video
To me they sound great like this, too. But I do have flybys of my 916 SPS and 998 on my channel as well, you can check them out if you like. I will definitely also record flybys of the 999 too soon ☺
100%
916
The classic, I see ☺
That's a standard 999 exhaust 😂.. what a shit test ...