LUXURY BIKES

Most sportbikes were born at the track. Whether it's a 600cc middleweight or a heavy-hitting liter bike, they all feature fancy trickle down race technology. Naturally, there have been compromises made for the street and to keep prices within an acceptable range, but their performance still far exceeds what many of us ever dreamed was possible even a few years ago.

Frequent revisions to the engine and chassis help sportbikes reflect the mods made in the racing world, but some feel the end is near both in tunability and legality. Sooner rather than later there's likely to be legislative measures limiting power to weight ratios and outright performance.

But then the Ducati Desmosedici comes along and flips its big red finger to the man.

This is a machine that only three years ago was the pinnacle of two-wheeled performance; a prototype race machine that only a few privileged racers would ever get to throw a leg over. Yet today you might spot one at a bike night or during a Sunday morning ride.

How's that possible? Ducati decided to make the dream come true and produced 1500 street legal versions of its GP6 MotoGP racer. OK, so the engine isn't tuned to the gills, nor does it come with carbon brakes and slick tires, but otherwise it's the real deal: From the 16-inch Magnesium rear wheel to the 200 horsepower V4 motor, it's all business.