1996 DUCATI 916 955 Racing Ex- Ian Simpson Race Bike for sale in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, by The Bike Specialists, Experts in the Procurement of Collectable & High-End Investment Motorcycles.

THE BIKE SPECIALISTS,
TRADING STANDARD AWARD WINNERS FOR THE PAST 12 YEARS.
Bike ID: #10125

We are proud to offer for sale, new in at the Bike Specialists, another excellent investment opportunity. The Massimo Tamburini designed Ducati 916 is probably the most influential motorcycle design of the last 30 years and our example is a unique and rare 916/955 Race bike supplied with what must be the most comprehensive set of provenance we have ever had supplied with any bike that has passed through our showroom.

For the 1996 model year, Ducati’s catalogue racer was the Ducati 916 Racing, a machine that closely mirrored the specification of the 1995 factory bike campaigned to World Superbike Championship victory by Carl Fogarty. Built for serious competition by the Ducati Factory, the 1996 916 Racing was powered by a 955cc engine with identical camshaft timing to the 1995 factory machines. It featured 37mm intake and 31mm exhaust valves, a Magneti Marelli IAW twin-injector system, and a 435 (P8) ECU. A close-ratio gearbox, carried over directly from the factory bikes, was also fitted.

While the compression ratio was slightly reduced to 11.8:1 compared to the previous year, the bike still delivered an impressive 153 bhp at 11,000 rpm. Only 31 official customer race bikes were produced for the 1996 season. One of these, frame number ZDM916S007155, was acquired early in the year by the GSE Duckhams Ducati Racing Team for use in the British Superbike Championship (BSB) of the 96 season.

Under the management of Colin Seeley, GSE & Duckham Ducati Racing began the 1996 BSB season with two 1995-spec Ducati Racing machines for their lead riders, Ian Simpson 22# and Jim Moodie 21#. Early in the season, the team received a new brand-new 1996 Ducati 916 Racing, frame number ZDM916S007155, which was designated as Ian Simpson’s number-one race bike, with Moodie continuing with the 1995-spec machine.

In that 1996 season Ian Simpson scored two podium finishes (3rd place) and set a fastest lap in the British Superbike Championship, finishing the season with 143 points, competed in both the British (Donington Park) and European (Brands Hatch) rounds of the World Superbike Championship, scoring 2 points & claimed victory at the 1996 North West 200, one of the most prestigious road racing events in the UK.

The bike was retained by GSE Racing throughout 1997 and 1998 and, following its competitive use, at the end of the 1998 season it was sold by John Hackett Performance, on behalf of team owners Mr. Thomas French (T. French and Sons Haulage) and Mr. Norman Lymburn (Lymburn Civil Engineers), to Mr. R. Ormsby. The original bill of sale, documenting this transaction, remains with the bike.

Over time, the bike passed through several owners and eventually fell into disrepair. It was later acquired by Tom Irvine of Fuel Race Parts, a respected collector and restorer of Ducati racing machinery. Under his care, the bike underwent a full concours-level restoration to exact original factory specifications. The restoration was thoroughly documented on the Fuel Race Parts Facebook page, providing an in-depth look at the meticulous process.

We can organise shipping of this or any of our other motorcycles anywhere in the world. We are a family-owned company who pride ourselves on the quality of our Motorcycles and all of them are carefully chosen, handpicked enthusiast pre-owned examples that are always HPI Clear for your peace of mind. We offer all the usual Motorcycle Dealer facilities such as Low-rate finance and extended warranties and operate a no pressure environment where you can relax and en