WHITE MAGIC

History, beauty and speed fuse into an everyday Desmo exotic

-  Kartik Ware

It began with the usual strained-sounding starter motor sparing no effort to get two big pistons moving. And then the Testastretta 11° L-twin erupted to life, idling with the loudest murmur this side of a Himalayan river. A few seconds later, I found myself travelling at a speed that can only be called indecent, chin on the tank, swept away by a relentless surge of time-honored twin-cylinder torque generated by a raging mechanical symphony. Out of habit, I glanced at the rearview mirror. The road behind was a watery blur, and my senses were awash with Desmodromic vibes. And it was all headed by the Panigale-inspired nose that split the wind on its way to a fast-approaching corner.

An instant later, I sat up and tapped down on the gear lever a few times; the resultant booming bangs from the twin side-stacked pipes would’ve made people duck for cover if any were around. The Ducati SuperSport 950 S carved a clean line through the bend; part throttle at first, then full gas at the exit, with seamless electronics softening the eagerness of my right hand — and I realised that I was happy to be back on a Bolognese twin again. ‘Why would anyone want more motorcycle than this?’ I wondered throughout the week I spent with the SuperSport, and came up with no clear answer. As is the case with most Ducatis, this one is a special machine, indeed.