Not Your Father's Ducati Supersport

For those of you thinking the new Ducati SuperSport is a continuation of the firm's heralded Supersport 900 of the '80s and '90s, you can stop right here. The 2017 SuperSport is a completely new and different motorcycle, according to Ducati. The premise of the new SuperSport is to reach a much broader audience than its predecessor by working well in a multitude of venues. Motorcycle buyers are leaning away from performance-based-only sportbikes and are looking more toward more versatile, all-around-usage motorcycles. So the new Ducati SuperSport and SuperSport S are geared toward everyday riding, commuting, or touring while at the same time being very capable in the canyons or on the track.

Our introduction to the new SuperSport started out on Circuito Monteblanco in Spain. For the track we had Ducati's new S version of the SuperSport that comes fitted with Öhlins suspension front and rear, and, as expected, it works well. You always have a good sense of what is going with the tire contact patches, and entering corners aggressively highlights the chassis' positive feedback. The Ducati remains composed and stable even when you have it banked over at max lean. Ironically, Ducati says this will be the last iteration of its classic trellis tube-type frame, which is a shame.

You never lose your sense of control, and the SuperSport responds instantly to your inputs. The Monteblanco circuit offered up several challenges, including some tight chicanes, and here the Ducati required a bit of effort to transition up from full lean on one side to the other, but the payoff was the ability to push the bike hard on the exits because of the aforementioned composure. Other than the extra effort through switchbacks, the easy-going nature and handling of the new SuperSport proved to be an extremely fun racetrack companion.

Part of that user-friendliness is due to the SuperSport's new 937cc Testastretta V-twin engine complete with new crankcases and cylinder heads. Pumping out a very usable 113 hp and 71 foot-pounds of torque, the Ducati's flat torque curve peaks early with 80 percent kicking in at 3,000 rpm and 90 percent at 5,000 rpm. That means plenty of power down low, plus the delivery is very smooth thanks to Ducati's ride-by-wire throttle. Ducati's three Ride Mode settings allow you to pick between Sport, Touring, and Urban using a switch on the left handlebar, plus TC and ABS levels can be adjusted or customized to your own preference.

The Ducati Quick Shift on the new SuperSport had both good and bad points. The ignition kill time was aimed more toward street use, so on the track it caused the rear suspension to unload for a split second under hard acceleration, which unsettled the chassis. On the flip side, the downshift assist works pretty darn good, making downshifts a seamless affair.

For the street portion of the press launch, we rode the standard SuperSport fitted with a 43mm Marzocchi inverted fork and Sachs rear shock in place of the S model’s Öhlins pieces. Most of the roads we were on were great, but there were plenty of chewed-up sections with lots of bumps and uneven pavement, and the standard SuperSport’s suspension easily handled everything without complaint. The raised handlebars make it easy to pile on the miles, and the seat is roomy enough to move around in the twisties or just cruise along in comfort. Also appreciated was the new adjustable windscreen that can be raised 2 inches to keep the wind off your chest.

The Ducati eight-level traction control and Bosch three-level ABS combo is a good fit on either road or track. I found ABS Level 1 was great for attacking the corners (the rear brake is free from intervention while the front threshold is set fairly high). The Brembo 320mm rotors and M4.32 front calipers provide good braking power, though lever effort was on the high side. On the last half of the street ride, I turned off the ABS and found there was more feel and a slightly better response. For the Ducati Traction Control, I tried several levels but settled on Level 2 for both street and track.