Ducati 848
DUCATI 848
Downsized 1098 or 900SS reincarnate? Yes.
When a picture of the new Ducati 848 popped up on our web coverage of the Milan motor show, my attention became uncharacteristically focused. Racing through my mind was a highlight reel of the dominant performances of Ducati’s 888, the superbly balanced 1990s V-Twin that on racetracks and backroads announced Italy’s arrival as a maker of modern, no-excuses sportbikes. The synaptic flicker show ended with the current, supremely seductive 1098, Cycle World’s Best Superbike of 2007.
A new model combining the rideability of the former and the looks of the latter-priced attractively-sounded like a winner.
Two months later, seemingly endless hours of air travel behind me, I was standing amongst gawking gathered journalists in the lobby of the Hotel Envia, 45 minutes from the Almería circuit on the southeastern coast of Spain, for the 848’s world press launch. Before us was the bike, stunning in its pearl-white livery, but would it live up to its heritage?
“We didn’t build this bike to fit in a racing class; we just built a good bike. You will see, maybe the Almería course is better for the 848 than the 1098,” reputed Francesco “Rapido” Rapisarda, Ducati’s hard-riding communications manager.
If I remember my history, the old 900SS had the same “race-displacement-be-damned” approach.
World Superbike pilot Ruben Xaus was on hand for the intro and added, “Almería is a flowing circuit with good grip. I sorted all the bikes so you will have no problems tomorrow.”
Okay, so one of racing’s fastest, craziest-riding characters had set the 848s up. What could go wrong?
Morning’s low track temperatures left me leery of the traction available. Rolling the throttle on exiting Turn 2, a long 180-degree left, I needn’t have worried. Power came on early and, for lack of a better word, flatly. By that I mean from 4200 to the 10,800-rpm redline, thrust is delivered in an even, manageable manner, a poor man’s traction control. This predictability freed my mind for other important things-like where the hell was I going!
Turns out the new motor is more than just a smaller 1098.
“It’s not as simple as a cc reduction,” explained Marco Sairu, who prior to becoming Ducati’s engine project manager worked as an engine designer for the MotoGP team. “The 848’s flow efficiency has been improved with GP technology. This is also the first bike in our high-performance family to use a wet clutch.”
Crankshaft weight has been lightened by 13 percent, engine cases by 25 percent-a new casting process allows the 6mm wall thickness of 1098 cases to be reduced to 3mm. The smaller 849cc Twin shares internal gear ratios with the 1098 and through them puts out a claimed 134 crank hp and 71 foot-pounds of torque with fewer vibes than its bigger brother. The wet clutch makes the engine quieter, too.
Chassis and single-sided swingarm are essentially the same as on the 1098. The cast four-piston radial-mount Brembos-in place of the Ten-Nine-Eight’s machined Monoblocs-weren’tthe strongest brakes I’ve felt, but delivered balanced performance. A lightersprung, fully adjustable 43mm Showa fork combined with a 370pound claimed dry weight and copious cornering clearance dealt with any leftover entrance speed.
So, what may well be Ducati’s best-ever balance of supersport handling and useable engine performance is available now in
two colors, red and pearl-white. The 848 will sell for $12,995, putting this desmodromic Twin within reach. Sorry, Peter, no blackand-gold. —Mark Cernicky
