Milan Tech: Ducati 848 - First Look

Junior member in the exclusive club of Ducati Superbikes is now the 848, replacing the not-so-successful 749. The new bike is a duplicate of the 1098, albeit 11 pounds lighter at 370 pounds dry. With a 94mm bore and 61.2mm stroke, the new 848 unit is a stroked 749 producing a claimed 134 hp at 10,000 rpm and 71 ft.-lbs. peak torque at 8250 rpm.

Induction is by elliptical throttle bodies, just like the 1098’s but in a smaller size, and here the determination of Ducati to offer top-choice components is obvious in that no corners have been cut anywhere. Magnesium valve covers contribute to keeping the weight down, but most important to this goal is that the crankcase is cast using an Alcoa-patented vacuum process known as Vacural. This produces very high-density castings and through accurate finite element modeling and structural analysis, it has been possible to obtain a drastic weight reduction of 7.7 pounds.

New is the oil-bath clutch, lighter to operate, quieter and lighter, too, than the previous dry unit. The rolling stock remains largely a carry-over from the 1098, Showa front and rear suspension units included. The expectation is that the new 848 should be priced and perform in line with the best 600cc Fours from Japan.