Beauty Is The Beast

A sporty Ducati that’s not just dressed to impress. This one’s got some serious go to show too

- Christopher Chaves

Ducati motorcycles and Italian motor show awards go together like spaghetti and meatballs – they are just meant to be. By two-wheeler industry standards, globally, the EICMA, held at the Italian manufacturer’s home turf in Milan, Italy – where the who’s who in the business show up with their new designs, upcoming projects and future concepts – is a motor show that’s easily considered the mother of all expos. So, competition is pretty intense, and involves all the two-wheeler big guns showcasing their upgraded arsenals in the hope of capturing everyone’s attention. For over a decade now at the EICMA, Ducati has shown great consistency in riding off with the most Beautiful Bike Award, winning the award a total of seven times until last year. At the 2016 EICMA, Ducati pulled the covers off the SuperSport, a motorcycle that oozes the core values of performance biking that the company is known for while throwing some everyday practicality into the highly attractive equation. Well, it worked. The SuperSport managed to amass enough survey votes to raise the tally to eight, making it four wins in a row of the aforementioned award for Ducati.

One thing’s for sure, even a quick glance the way of this compact bike and you’ll know exactly why it won. It looks stylish, suave and ready to rocket you past tomorrow. The X-shaped headlamp unit gives the face a menacingly striking look, the fairing is slick with no screws or rivets in sight, the exposed trellis adds sprinkles of grit to this tasty treat, while the rear section with that single-sided swingarm accompanied by the dual exhaust will sweep you clean off your feet. All very red, all very chic, all very Ducati. Fit and finish levels are top drawer and nothing looks an inch out of place on this motorcycle. It’s just as you would expect from a motorcycle of this calibre.