First Ride: Ducati 1098S

If you like Ducatis, then the 1098 is a dream come true. If you’ve never considered one of the Bologna bullets, it may just be time to reevaluate your stance. A sharp reduction in MSRP combined with a vertical leap in performance has allowed Ducati’s new superbike to play with the big boys from Japan.

Our optionally hot-rodded 1098S ($2800 worth of intake, exhaust and ECU mods) really impressed. Road Test Editor Don Canet clicked off a smokin’ 9.79-second/147.12-mph quarter-mile run when testing the bike back-to-back with the competition. Rear-wheel output of 150 horsepower and 83 foot-pounds of torque is nothing to scoff at and obviously puts the 1098 into territory previously occupied only by 1000cc-plus Fours.

A devilish smirk hides under the helmet of the 1098S pilot. The blatty bark from the carbon-fiber Termignonis should foretell the bike’s intent, yet the sheer performance somehow remains a surprise every time the throttle is snapped open. Open-class horsepower combined with monster torque will do that.

Performance doesn't stop with the Testastretta Evoluzione engine, however. Great brakes, top-shelf Öhlins suspension and a 410-pound dry weight lower than anything else in its class and similar to some of the middleweights make this bike a true thoroughbred.

If the old 999’s ergonomics and rider interface were never in complete agreement with you, the 1098 will appease that. A more compact seating position that pulls the rider over the front end—more akin to Japanese repli-racer—is welcome for most. Riding the bike around on the street no longer makes you feel like a fish out of water: The 1098 is considerably more civil during casual riding.

There is no doubt that the 1098 is not only one of the best Ducati superbikes ever, but it is also one of the finest sportbikes ever made. And that’s saying a lot.