2017 Ducati SuperSport Red

2017 Ducati SuperSport Red

Eye-catching, fun and versatile, the SuperSport is a sport-road bike that, wherever its ridden, channels the energy and excitement of sport riding. From weekend roads to everyday roads, from city streets to twisting country highways. With a comfortable riding position, a dry weight of just 184 kg and the impressive performance of the Testastretta 11° engine, every ride becomes an opportunity to indulge your sporting instinct. Wherever, whenever, the SuperSport makes every motorcyclist a real rider: whichever road you take, get ready to experience it as never before.

The Ducati Design Center has come up with a dynamic, polished, visually compact, light machine that is Ducati to the core.

A front-on look shows it has a distinct 'family feel' with the Panigale superbike. In addition to the highly distinctive LED Daytime Running Light (DRL), the headlight's low and high beam parabolas are positioned in the shadows of the assembly, almost hiding them from direct frontal view: just like those mounted on the top Ducati sports models.

Low-set, streamlined and assertive, the SuperSport nose fairing flows naturally into the steel fuel tank structure, carrying the colour scheme all the way into the well-designed cockpit that houses the LCD instrument panel. A sports-style Plexiglas screen with two different height settings ensures aerodynamically efficient airflow protection.

Seen side-on, the lines, proportions and volumes are typical of Ducati sports bikes, with the streamlined tail and sculpted tank playing a pivotal role. The latter is coupled to both the main and nose fairings by beefy buttresses that enclose the Trellis frame. Cut to reveal exhaust manifold and engine, the lower fairing is designed to be easy on the eye, a must on a Ducati SuperSport.

Ducati's conscientious attention to technical components is also seen in the compact, sports-style stacked dual-pipe side muffler. Shaping and low-slung design bring out the dynamism of the tail, leaving the rear wheel Y-spokes in clear view and providing plenty of room for side panniers (available as accessories).

The SuperSport is powered by a specially adapted version of the already renowned and appreciated 937 cm3 twin-cylinder Ducati Testastretta 11°. Euro 4-rated, it has four valves per cylinder, a secondary air system, liquid cooling, a 12.6:1 compression ratio and bore and stroke measurements of 94 and 67.5 mm respectively. Engine output amounts to a huge 113 hp at 9, 000 rpm and a maximum torque of 96.7 Nm at 6,500 rpm.

On the SuperSport, the Testastretta 11° engine features crankcase and cylinder heads that have been redesigned to make the power unit an integral part of the frame; further modifications include re-routing of the water through the heads and a specifically designed alternator cover to allow installation of the new gear sensor. Large 53 mm throttle bodies - smoothly controlled by the full Ride-by-Wire system - allow the engine to gulp in the air-fuel mix. Moreover, this engine also features unprecedented control and injection systems. "