The Ducati SportClassic is the most beautiful motorcycle that the Italian marque no longer makes. It remains the benchmark for modern factory café racers, and it’s easily one of designer Pierre Terblanche’s biggest hits. But what if Ducati brought the SportClassic back?this time with proper superbike power"
When it hit the scene back in 03, the Ducati SportClassic’s 992 cc Desmo L-twin motor was good for 90.7 hp. And although that was a more than adequate amount of grunt for the SportClassic, Ducati has had more powerful engines in its portfolio. The new 937 cc Ducati Monster makes 111 hp, the 955 cc Panigale V2 makes 155 hp, and the 998 cc Superleggera V4 makes a stonking 234 hp in full race trim.

Lucas Worthing’s favorite Ducati motor is the one at the heart of the late-2000s Ducati 1198. The 1,198 cc Desmodromic L-twin cranks out 87 percent more power than the SportClassic, with 170 hp and 132 Nm of torque on tap. ?My first proper superbike was a Ducati 1198 base model in white,? the Los Angeles, California-based architect tells us. ?I did a number of mods and enjoyed it immensely until it was stolen. The motor has so much more off-the-line power than anything else I?ve ridden and is beautifully raw.?

Luke’s love for the 1198 is matched only by his obsession with the SportClassic and the historic racing motorcycles that inspired it. ?I?ve also always had an affinity for all things NCR-related; the New Blue and Hailwood Edition Sp...