Watch And Listen To A Rare Ducati 888 SP4 Roar Down Public Roads

The list of bikes we’d love to ride never seems to get any shorter, does it? Some seat time, of course, is more attainable than others. If you want to get your hands on a 2023 model, depending on the OEM (or what shops you have around), finding a demo ride may not be very difficult. It’s when you’re actively interested in rare and seemingly unobtainable bikes that the chances of riding one go down considerably, unless of course you’re an avid collector and such things are your bread and butter. 

For those who can get a bit of vicarious joy out of seeing someone else get to take some phenomenal, rare, and special machines out for a bit of exercise, that’s where Bike World’s Dream Rides YouTube series comes in particularly handy. They’ve showcased some fantastic bikes, usually with the help of Sheffield, England’s The Bike Specialists, a shop that specializes in just such machines.  After all, very few people will ever get the joy of riding a 1996 Kawasaki ZX-7RR homologation special themselves, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t slap on the headphones and enjoy the heck out of someone else taking it for a spin. 

Another prime example that you’ll want to get out your best headphones for is this unbelievable Ducati 888 SP4. Yet another World Superbike racing homologation, this example is particularly special in 2023 because not only is it in amazing condition, but it also still has the original factory exhaust installed. Most people who got their hands on an SP4 immediately switched it out for a Termignoni exhaust instead. Nothing wrong with that, of course—it's their bike, to do what they like with—but that just means the original exhaust is even rarer than the bike itself. 

How does it sound? Put on your best pair of headphones (I’m so serious about this point) and you’ll find out. The stock exhaust sounds amazing, even secondhand, and even though a YouTube video—even a very nicely shot, recorded, and edited one like this—can never completely convey the experience to those of us who aren’t in the saddle.  

The classic Ducati red livery over the white frame really sets this bike apart—particularly since it’s a fairly uncluttered graphics package. While other racing homologations can be very busy with sponsor logos, this one just isn’t. That might make it even more special, although of course that, like all opinions, is completely subjective. If this sound can’t make you smile, you may want to seek immediate medical attention.