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Sportbikes

1989Ducati 851 S P

30 fields on record

The 1989 Ducati 851 S P is an Italian sports bike. It uses an 851cc liquid-cooled V-twin making 122 hp, driving through a 6-speed gearbox. It weighs 188 kg dry and has a 20-litre tank and a 760 mm seat.

Capacity: 851.0 ccm
Engine: V-Twin
Gearbox: 6-speed
Dry weight: 188.0 kg
Seat height: 760 mm
Power: 122.0 HP (89.7 kW) @ 10000 RPM

⇄ Compare with another bike ＋ Add to garage All model years

How it rides

Editorial estimate from the spec sheet - not lab tested

Off-road & trail5%

Cornering80%

City riding25%

Daily riding20%

Touring10%

Two-up25%

Track75%

Best for: Sport bike built for its class - spirited or performance riding.
Built for: A sport bike from Ducati, built around an 851cc engine - a real production model, but this profile is formula-generated from its class and spec sheet rather than individually reviewed.
Not ideal for: Not for new riders or heavy touring.

Scores are derived from the spec sheet using the same model across every bike, so they compare like for like.

Will it fit you?

Worked out in your browser - nothing is sent to us

Your height

Inseam (optional)

Units

At 760mm, a rider of 68.9" with a 31" (estimated) inseam will reach the ground with both feet flat on the 1989 Ducati 851 S P, with a cramped knee angle of around 65 degrees and a forward-leaning riding position.

Assumes about 30mm of suspension sag once seated. This is an approximation from category-typical geometry, not a measurement of this bike or of you - sit on one before you buy.

More bikes at 751-820 mm — Middle Ground →

Find bikes that fit your height →

Reliability & safety

Bike Reliability score, safety recalls and owner complaints

Bike Reliability

How the score works →

out of 100Excellent

The Ducati 851 S P passed its annual roadworthiness test first time 89.3% of the time, 6.6 points above expected for bikes of the same age and mileage. That beats 80% of models.

This covers every year of the model.

Test records don't say which version a bike is, so this covers Ducati 851 Strada / Ducati 851 S P together.

89.3%Passed first time

6.1%Failed outright

4.6%Fixed during test

23,000Typical miles

280Tests

Pass rate by miles ridden

0-10k

84.2%

10-20k

92.3%

20-30k

87.5%

30-40k

89.9%

All years of this model.

Against its rivals · ranks 2 of 6

#	Model (all years)	Score	Tests
1	Ducati 900 SS Super Sport	86 Excellent	211
2	Ducati 851 S P	80 Excellent	280
3	Ducati 900 SS	67 Good	2,720
4	Honda CBR 1000 F	46 Average	30,332
5	Kawasaki ZX-10	38 Below average	7,311
6	Yamaha FZR 1000 Genesis	18 Poor	1,637

Rivals are the most-viewed bikes on MotorcycleDB in the same category and engine size, from within three years of this model.

From British annual roadworthiness tests, 2005-2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (DVSA MOT test data, Great Britain). How Bike Reliability works.

Full specifications

Engine

Capacity: 851.0 ccm
Power: 122.0 HP (89.7 kW) @ 10000 RPM
Engine type: V-Twin
Power/weight ratio: 0.6489 HP/kg (dry)
Bore x stroke: 92.0 x 64.0 mm
Compression: 11.5:1
Cooling system: Liquid
Fuel system: Injection
Starting: Electric
Ignition: Inductive magnetically triggered
Torque: Not on record - add it

Transmission

Gearbox: 6-speed
Transmission type: Manual
Final drive: Chain
Clutch: Dry,multiplate

Performance

Top speed: 250.0 km/h (155.3 mph)

Dimensions & weight

Wheelbase: 1430 mm
Overall length: 2000 mm
Overall width: 670 mm
Overall height: 1120 mm
Seat height: 760 mm
Dry weight: 188.0 kg
Fuel capacity: 20.00 litres

Chassis & suspension

Frame: Tubular steel
Front suspension: Marzocchi M1R upside-down fork with rebound compression damping adjustable
Rear suspension: Öhlins single shock with preload and damping adjust

Brakes & wheels