Road Test: 2008 Ducati 848-848 after eight

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Road Test: 2008 Ducati 848-848 after eight

Written: 03/12/2007 : 13:06. Read 16845 times (107/day).

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The 848 is white as mint and awakens the senses just like chocolate. Sweet as it may be, the 848 is as sharp as they get. Slicing through the technical corners on the Almeria circuit in Spain with the confidence inspiring chassis the 749 was known for; -But now 20 kilos lighter and with a hell of a lot more horsepower!

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Words: Tor Sagen/Photography: Milagro/Weimer/Sagen

A bright November morning greets us in Almeria when the world press enters the bus just after eight. It’s going to be a great day onboard Ducati’s new downscaled superbike. Since I last tested a Ducati the Bologna firm have won MotoGP, added Marco Melandri to the 2008 MotoGP dream team and launched next years world superbike contender, the 1098R.

But still, it’s the 848 I have been most interested in. Every detail about it has promised a new superbike for the people. The 848 truly fills a big gap in the Ducati line-up now that the 749 is gone. There has been nothing but Monsters for customers interested in a mid-sized motorcycle.

As a roadbike, the 749 always worked.

On the racetrack it could never challenge the in-line fours in a convincing manner. Despite all this, the 749 was known for being a rider’s bike. The question now is whether Ducati have managed to keep this in the 848.

The answer would come around the technical Almeria circuit in the south of Spain. Riding the track for the first time, there is no other motorcycle than the 848 I would rather be on. The chassis is proven and less horsepower and torque than the 1098 makes for a very forgiving package that can be fully utilized. The 848 weighs in a full 5 kilos lighter than the 1098 too and that makes for great responsiveness.

Even with a wet clutch, there is never any doubt about the Ducatiness judging by the sound.

A hearty rumble very similar to the bigger 1098 accompanies my acceleration out of pit lane. The Pirelli Supercorsa Pro tyres only needs a very few warm-up laps before the throttle can be applied a bit more generously. The throttle itself is very easy to modulate without a single protest from the fuel injection enabling safe adjustments mid-corner. It’s a delight to use with a responsive linear torque curve helping traction.

In a couple of corners I could feel the chassis moving slightly through the Showa suspension, but nothing that would make you back off the throttle. The fully adjustable mono shock is the same as found on the 1098 and the front ...

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