the 916 was the first testaretta engine, then the 996, and then 998. the 998 was the most reliable one. the problem is that ducati doesn't want people messing with their bikes. they're hard to work on by yourself,you need ducati tools, workshop, etc. unlike the jap bikes, you can do almost anything yourself. loot at how much parts cost between the two. and if you really are going to go to the track, why would you want to mess up a nice duc doing a track day?

however, if you want to know which one you should go with, read up on some shootouts. the one in sportrider this year said it was two horse race between the honda and the bmw. the yamaha got thrown out almost right away because it was the slowest and the heaviest (that weight will make a difference on the street). every rider was dissapointed with it. the only really positive thing was the sound of it (which is really awesome).

if you're really serious about getting away from honda, id go to a bmw dealer. it won the shootout, just edging out the honda (even though the honda did faster lap times). it has abs and traction control. it has seperate fuel maps. its the most powerful. its also really user friendly. and its not too hard on the eyes either. i know its asymetrical, but it grew on me.

.02

 

While I do love the BMW bike (being a huge BMW car fan), I'm looking to spend around (under) $10k. Plus, I care less about the shootouts and more about what "feels" right to me.