The Ducati 916, together with its 996 and 998 derivatives, are blueprints for the modern superbike, making the task of creating their successor a perilous endeavor. Fortunately, the 999 filled those sizeable shoes well, both on the road and in competition, albeit with styling that was somewhat polarizing upon its 2003 debut.

Save for its Testastretta (“narrow-head”) twin-cylinder engine, designed by former Ferrari Formula One engineer Angiolino Marchetti and updated with a new exhaust system and air box to increase output, the 999 was entirely reengineered. It came in standard, S, and R versions, with the S gaining more power, lightweight wheels, and an Öhlins suspension compared to the standard. The R was a limited-production homologation special, nearly identical to the race-spec bike set to compete in the American Motorcyclist Association Superbike Championship. It featured more carbon-fiber in the bodywork and the 999-cubic-centimeter engine was further tuned for even higher output.

“The limited edition 999R is the most powerful production bike ever to leave Bologna,” wrote Visor Down in 2008. “Its claimed 150 bhp is mainly due to the latest Testastretta engine being redesigned from the crankcases up.”

The 999R offered here joined the Dare to Dream Collection in 2014. It was in pristine condition at the time and remains so today, having been ridden 1,922 miles at cataloguing. In 2015, the superbike benefitted from a tune-up, with the fluids replaced, a new battery, timing belt, and tires installed, and the forks refurbished with new fluid and seals. With only some 500 units reportedly produced for 2005—with far fewer reaching North America—it is indeed rare and highly coveted, particularly among devotees of superbike competition.