AT $140,000 apiece, the Ducati Desmosedici RR costs as much as a Mercedes-Benz C180 Kompressor. Yet, the exotic two-wheeler - only 1,000 are produced - has drawn at least five buyers when the distributor started taking orders recently.

"They each put down a 30 per cent deposit, without seeing the bike,'' said Ducati Singapore spokesman Tiffany Pan, adding that the motorcycles will be here some time in July or August next year.

The Desmosedici RR - or DesmoRR - is a superbike that marks Ducati's success on the race track. It is powered by a 989cc four-cylinder 16-valve engine that pumps out more than 200 horsepower at 13,500rpm, enabling the DesmoRR to reach 320kmh or so - rivalling some of the fastest supercars.

While the attraction of the DesmoRR is largely to do with the fact that it is a racing replica (hence RR) of Ducati's trophy-winning grand prix machines, it is still a lot of cash for a bike. So what possesses someone to part with $140,000 for a motorcycle, when most high-end two-wheelers here do not cost more than $50,000?

Architect Calvin Sim, one of the five DesmoRR buyers, explains that it has to do with the bike's collectible status. "It is about collecting something that marks a milestone in the company,'' Mr Sim, 45, said, explaining that the DesmoRR celebrates Ducati's successful return to MotoGP.

Still, it costs more than many cars.

"For riders, a bike is better than a car,'' said Mr Sim, who owns a 24-year-old Lancia Monte Carlo. "Furthermore, since this bike is a collectible, I'm sure I can find a ready buyer should I decide to sell it one day.''

Married with two children, Mr Sim has owned other high-end motorbikes, including BMWs and MV Agustas.

The DesmoRR's rarefied price makes it the most expensive motorbike marketed here. But the honour is expected to be shortlived.

Some time next year, the MV Agusta F4CC is expected to be sold here. The F4CC is currently carries a price tag of 100,000 euros, which makes it the world?s most expensive street-legal motorcycle. Which means it will retail for over $200,000 here, after taxes.