Genre Bender

When Ducati produces a whole new bike, we sit up and take notice. When it creates a new category, well, the motorcycle world stands to attention. Leechy reports on the newest thing from Ducati, on the spot in Spain

- Greg Leech

Talk about formidable brand designations … Sportster? Bonneville? Commando? Keep that up and you’ll very likely come around to the term ‘SuperSport’. After all, Ducati has made that moniker famous ever since the first Super Sport rolled out in 1974. Such was the importance of that round-case bevel, it is widely held that it saved Ducati from extinction. Yes, significant.

That title has delivered us many incarnations since and, in a surprising genre bending approach to its range, Ducati recently launched the latest to wear that venerable badge in the SuperSport and SuperSport S in Seville, Spain. So we packed the castanets and headed to the airport to give the two newies a fair dinkum shakedown on both road and track.

The bikes are aimed at the sport end of the sports touring category, with lots of go-fast stuff to keep the boy racers interested, coupled with more comfortable ergos for those who are a little over the head-down, bum-up, painin-the-everything that full-on sports tackle demands. We’re talking about the cooking model SuperSport and the SuperSport S, which is a sharper weapon fitted with a few extra goodies.

Ducati reckons the bikes are an attractive option for commuting, while offering a pretty focused beast when you want to give it the berries. Indeed, Ducati has recognised that a full-on sports bike takes a hefty commitment when it comes to cutting out big road kays. The fact is, sports tackle is no fun when you have a long road ahead and decidedly unfriendly rider ergonomics. Addressing that, the crew from Bologna reckons the SuperSport and SuperSport S bring a range of choices that slot smack bang between the brand’s hero Panigale and its quick dually, the Multistrada.