Fast Bikes

DUCATI 749R RED ROCKET…

FEATURE DUCATI 749R

It's midway through the Noughties and the Japanese manufacturers are running away with the World Supersport Championship, dominating the middleweight sportsbike market… a red rag to a bull, if you ask any Italian, but of course Ducati had something up its sleeve to put a stop to that – the 749R. This old-school Duke is far more than just a pretty face or a dancing beauty in a red dress; it is a distinctive machine hosting a whole accolade of goodies and features derived from a long-lasting bloodline, and I’m here to tell you why I thought the riding experience was just as special as it looks.

Before I jump the gun, I’d best put up my hand and own up to the fact that this was my first time riding a Ducati 749R, and with very limited knowledge on this particular model, I had to do some fact-finding to educate myself. The model first hit the scene in 2004 and was basically designed to be

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