During that era Ducati were on the bones of their arse. They had very little money and without cagiva group probably would be consigned to history.
The supersport was entering a new era where it was going up against japanese 600s that were faster, cheaper and just all round better.
It didn’t help that there were three ducati importers at the time in the uk, and each one would set a bike up differently.
Ducatis weren’t like japanese bikes where you open the crate fill it with oil pop the battery in and start her up. Ducati’s needed to some extent to be built up, and that final bit would make or break how good that bike was- something that many parallel importers found to their cost.
also the bike was practically unchanged since 1991, and after a decade, well, you were in guzzi territory- other than just wanting one, why would you pay a grand or 1500 more vs. any 600 out of japan.
If anything, the thing that made the lineup back then was clear definition in that you had the monster- clearly not a sportsbike, the ss, clearly not a superbike and the sbk. Then the ST came out and everyone laughed that ducati was daring to tread on vfr territory.
now you’ve got so much range overlap that one does question whether the new suoersport shouldnt really be called the ST, as in reality that’s what its the true spiritual successor of in my opinion.
but in answer to your question, back in its day the SS and SL weren’t really anything and certainly not enough to make them noteworthy other than something easier on the spine and wrists than an sbk.
like the highly underrated ST they were easily forgotten by the 2 wheeled public at large.
now ironically people are starting to ‘get’ them, in respect of being what they are and once you accept their limitations I suppose its similar to a bloke on an enfield, where you’re riding it for the fun of riding rather than any expectation of it was the best at this or that.
to say they’ve been forgotten is to say they were highly regarded back in their day, and they weren’t. I tend to look at them as Ducati’s best kept forgotten secret.
i think prices on them will never go silly, and I don’t see them ever having an epiphany like the 999 where people wake up and wonder why they overlooked them for all those years- which in part was driven by 916 family prices going into the daftosphere.
I can’t see my superlight ever being worth more than five to seven grand, but it doesn’t stop it being an amazing ride. 30-70 in 3rd gear on a b road and just enjoy the soundtrack