Take a look at one of the first road tests of Ducati's 2009 Monster 696.

Take a look at the truly Monstrous Ducati Monster S4Rs TESTASTRETTA.

If you love monsters you may want to take a look at my potted history of the monster.

Ducati's new Superbike the Ducati 1098 is fitted with a set of Termignoni pipes and, roaring like a lion, could make any motorcycle jealous.

The 916 was initially offered in two forms; the 916 Strada (the single seater, would-be racer version) and the 916 Biposto, for those who wanted to carry a pillion passenger - although if you've ever ridden on the back of one of these you'll know it isn't for the faint-hearted. The experience is something akin to balancing precariously on a piece of slippery leather the size of a small wallet - but hey, it was a serious adrenaline kick!

But ... back to the bike - the 916's styling was the work of Massimo Tamburini while the eight-valve, liquid-cooled engine was the result of the labours of Massimo Bordi.

Being a Ducati it did however have a number of faults; it was extremely expensive and it was notoriously unreliable. Over time the relative price of Ducatis has dropped (you can now pick up one of these beauties for less than £3,500) and of course the later versions were much more reliable.

In terms of comfort this is no grand tourer, don't expect to ride from Lands End to John O' Groats and get off fealing as fresh as a daisy .... it just isn't going to happen.

The 916 engine is an incredible experience for the rider. Even in original 916 form you have around 100bhp to play with; delivered from a liquid-cooled 90 degree V-twin. Below 3000rpm the engine is a little lumpy and the throttle throttle response is harsh, but once you wind it up past the magic 4000rpm mark it goes like a rocket up to 9000rpm. To be honest there's really no point in trying to go beyond this. It's definately a change if you are used to the frenetic reving of a big Japanese four but one I'm sure that you'll love. Don't forget to keep your eye on the speedo as 100mph can come up way too fast! 

You also need to remeber that this a thoroughbred; the 916 needs regualar care and attention - service intervals are every 4-6000 miles but make sure you get an annual service no matter how few miles you put in.

If you are serious about buying a 916 make sure that you go into it with your eyes open. Take our advice and spend some time checking it over and research the bike's history. Even buying on e-bay you are still entitled to go and take a look and have atest ride before buying.

Common faults to look for are:

• Leaking fork seals - To check apply the front brake and pump the front of the bike up and down. If there's a problem when you run your finger up the fork leg you'll feel excessive oily deposits.
• Loose Alternator Nut - Make sure the alternator locking nut is tightened properly. If it worksloose it can be lead to an expensive repair bill.
• Cambelts - Check when the cambelts were last replaced. If one goes you could be looking at a complete rebuild.
• Rear Cyclinder Gaskets - check these for tell-tale white spots around the rear shock.
• Clutch - As with all Ducatis the clutch isn't the strongest component. If you are looking for an older, high mileage 916 check when the clutch was last changed.  It's generally a simple repair and a snatchy clutch can be sorted by removal and cleaning. And don't worry about the the noise of the dry clutch - that's just how they are!
• Shocks - Not so much a fault - just something to be aware of: The rear shock set-up is crucial. Check the manual and revert everything to the standard factory set-up - this will be fine for non-track usage.

Ok, the next important factor, if you are serious about buying one of these beauties, is cost.

How much will it cost?Well, as with most things that depends on a variety of factors; the exact model you are looking for, age, mileage and condition in particular. But, as a guideline:

Ducati 916 Strada (1994)Price new: £13,000

Pay now: £3500-£5500

Colours: red, silver/grey (Senna)

Ducati 916 Biposto (1997/98)

Price new: £12,800

Pay now: £4000-£6500

Colours: red/yellow

Ducati 916 SPS (1996-1998)

Between 1996 - 1998 Ducati launched the ultimate 916; the DUCATI 916 SPS. The 916SPS was Ducati’s way of homologating the basic 916 for World Superbike competition.

Only 400 of these were built. The SPS, with a two millimetre overbore resulting in an increase of capacity to 996cc, gave a dramatic increase in rear wheel power output from 100bhp to 132bhp. Twin injectors gave improved mixture delivery and offered an even greater tuning potential - Are you mad!

The SPS was easily as fast as the best Japanese fours of its period. The throttle response was astounding, and offers the inexperienced rider some serious pant-filling opportunities - spinning rear wheels and lifting front ends are easily achieved.

The rest of the kit is (or at least was) state of the art; Ohlins rear shock and Termignoni carbon cans. The SPS makes even the awesome 916 look lame in the handling department.

All of this class came at a price of course and today you can find quality examples from around £6,000  to £8,000

If you are looking to buy one of these beauties take a look at the Ducati 916 bikes in our auctions.

The bike was a beauty, not powerful by today's standards, but she had straight through Conti exhausts and made a fantastic sound. She was also 'booted' in Marchessini magnesium gold alloy wheels and handled like a dream. She had acres of torque and, for her generation, was fairly fast ... about 130mph (or so I'm told ... honest officer!)

I have ridden many bikes since, including a number of classic n modern Ducatis but ... it's true what they say ... you alway remember your first.