A street bike with mirrors has never gone this fast at Jerez. Not nearly this fast. Understand that a group of very fast journalists (including some real ringers, i.e., ex-pro racers) annually test the fastest street legal sport bikes on the planet in a group test called "Masterbike". The most recent Masterbike test was held at the Jerez circuit last year.
Jeremy McWilliams, the ex-MotoGP racer who tested the Ducati 1098R for MD (his story appears in yesterday's MD article) recorded a fastest lap on the new super street bike of 1:49.50 seconds during the press introduction held at Jerez just a few days ago.
His outright fastest lap was more than 2 seconds quicker than the quickest street legal sport bike tested at Masterbike for 2007. Indeed, following Ducati WSB team rider Michel Fabrizio, McWilliams reportedly did three laps in a row quicker than any single lap done by any of the bikes tested at Masterbike 2007.
Want to hear something even more amazing about that lap of 1:49.50? The fastest lap during the MotoGP race at Jerez held just last year was recorded by Valentino Rossi on his Yamaha. That lap time was 1 minute 40.9 seconds . . . roughly 8.6 seconds quicker than McWilliams went on a street bike shod with street-legal tires (not slicks)! McWilliams is an amazing rider, but this is a testament to the performance of Ducati's new 1098R, which would have to be considered the fastest street legal track weapon yet manufactured.
