Buy Buy, Baby: The $75,000 Ducati Racer

"Buy Buy, Baby" is a new Friday feature that explores unique luxury goods and what makes them special. Check back every week for more items to put on your wish list.

Suffering from an acute case of wanderlust? If so, treatment must be swift and aggressive. It will involve two wheels and cost $75,000.

We're not talking about any motorcycle; we're talking about the motorcycle: the Ducati Desmosedici RR, a road-legal bike built by the leader of MotoGP racing. Plunk down $75,000 and you'll be zipping down the highway on a racetrack replica in no time. There's nothing like it, which might be reason enough to make the investment. Let the kids ride cheapo motorcycles by the likes of Honda(HMC Quote), Yamaha(YAMCY Quote) and Suzuki. And softies can either recline on a La-Z-Boy(LZB Quote) or ride a Harley(HOG Quote).

"This bike is a bargain," says Ian Falloon, who has written 25 books about motorcycles including The Ducati Story (Haynes Publishing) and several editions of The Ducati Bible (Veloce). "It has the best components and technology available."

The Desmosedici RR's design comes from the Desmosedici GP6, Ducati's entry in the 2006 MotoGP World Championships. That year, the bike helped riders Troy Bayliss and Loris Capirossi snag a 1-2 finish for Ducati at the season's final race in Valencia, Spain. In 2007, Casey Stoner rode a Desmosedici to earn the racing group's first-ever world title.

Here's what $75,000 gets you:

A Ducati engine: With 200 horsepower, the Desmosedici's four-cylinder engine is more powerful than those of a Dodge Charger SE muscle car or a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. The bike meets emissions standards, so you can ride it to your local track or around town.

A beautiful machine: Alan Jenkins designed the RR to make a statement on the road with bold colors and an aerodynamic shape. Its tubular trellis frame and carbon-fiber body make it light and easy to maneuver. The bike comes with the Ducati Data Analyzer, a USB card that gathers performance information such as speed, laps and engine temperature, and transfers it to your computer for further evaluation.