The new bike is claimed to make 160bhp, considerably up on the existing 999 flagship bike and Ducati claim the bike will outdrag a GSXR1000 off the line.
The weight of the bike has been been reduced by a few pounds, along with some chassis tweaks to keep the bike at the cutting edge of sportbike handling.
Ducati have their MotoGP experience to call upon to help matters there.
The most welcome change for many Ducati fans will be the new styling of the 1098, which has echoes of the old 916 about it, especially at the front end and the return of the classic twin oval underseat exhaust cans.
Whether the bike is as revolutionary as the original 916 remains to be seen, but the 1098 will be a crucial model for Ducati in 2007, as the brand seeks to regain some of the sales it undoubtedly lost with the 749/999 range.
The new bike is expected to arrive in UK showrooms in March 2007 and cost about £9,500.
More information at ducati.com
