A first ride in the hills near Seville in southern Spain did much to underscore the Ducati SuperSport’s penchant for commuting and sports-touring as well as going fast. Here is how the bike revealed its attributes.
ON MANY SUPER-SPORTS bikes this ride would be getting uncomfortable and annoying by now. I’m on a twisty back-road in the hills near Seville in the south of Spain, and for the last few miles the surface, which was superb for most of the ride, has been more like something suited to an adventure bike launch: bumpy, potholed and made slippery by occasional patches of gravel as well as dampness from recent rain.
This is hardly traditional Ducati country, but the Super Sport is handling the tricky conditions well. Or, at least, its relatively high handlebars and compliant suspension are making this part of the ride much more enjoyable than it would be on plenty of sports machines, while the 937-cc V-twin engine’s flexible response and gentle power delivery, backed up by traction control and ABS, are making the bike improbably easy to ride.
Improbably easy, that is, only if you take one look at the Super Sport’s name and sleek, fully-faired shape, and expect this latest V-twin to be a hardcore, track-focused weapon like its similarly styled Panigale stable-mates. Because this Ducati is subtly different: designed for commuting and sportstouring as well as going fast; and intended as a more versatile and rider friendly entry into the world of Bolognese sports models.
In this respect its Super Sport name, initially slightly confusing, is following a Ducati tradition. Sure, the famous bevel drive 750 and 900 Super Sport of the 1970s were uncompromising street racers. But when the name was revived in the late ’80s it was for the 900 Super Sport: a relatively simple, inexpensive air-cooled V-twin alternative to the eight valve 851. The new Super Sport is much more sophisticated but has a similar role, as a more road-biased and affordable alternative to the 959 and 1299 Panigale.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 2017 من Bike India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 2017 من Bike India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Razgatlioglu Wins 950th WSBK Race
Jonathan Rea took his maiden pole with Yamaha while Nicholas Spinelli took his maiden World Superbike Championship (WSBK) Race win and Ducati made it a one-two in the Superpole Race while Toprak Razgatlioglu gave BMW their first win at Assen
'Racing is a lot different for someone like me than it is for somebody else'
Michael Dunlop lost his father Robert, brother William, and uncle Joey to the sport he loves. This year he stands on the edge of history-two more Isle of Man Tourist Trophy (IOM TT) wins and he will overtake Joey to become the most successful TT racer of all time
Whacking Open the Throttle
TVS invited us to take part in their Apache Racing Experience GP Cup Finale that was held at the Madras International Circuit. We swung a leg over their Apache RTR 200 race bike and twisted the throttle open. Read on
Keeping the Old Ways Alive
In this age of downsizing, Kawasaki stay true to the in-line four with some updates to keep the Z900 modern
What It Should Have Always Been
With noteworthy upgrades for the chassis and electronics along with an attractive price tag, the Bajaj Pulsar N250 shows greater promise than ever before
BLACK PANTHER
The Yamaha MT-03 is a unique bike; one of the best parallel-twin street nakeds in our market. We took it to the hills and ripped around the twisty roads. Here is what we think about it
READY FOR THE WORLD
Is the Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally an able contender for global exploration?
PERFECT BALANCE
Honda have tried to blur the lines between an ADV and a sport bike. We endeavour to seek some clarity
THE KING OF TORQUE
KTM claim that the significantly updated 1390 Super Duke R is 60 per cent new, with new cam-shift technology for the first time, plus the obvious increase in capacity. But it is not all about the grunt: KTM have tweaked the suspension and rider aids, which will, hopefully, control the increase in power and torque. We headed to the Almeria circuit in Spain to spin some laps on the KTM's biggest bruiser
THE LARGEST OF PULSARS
The Pulsar we wanted many years ago is finally here and available at a great price