You may have already seen the leaked photo from World Ducati Week, which shows that the Ducati Supersport is making a return to Bologna’s lineup.
We haven’t seen the “Supersport” sport-touring line in almost a decade, but it will be making a return for the 2017 model year, with two bikes.
Since yours truly is at World Ducati Week this year, I was able to get a peak at the Supersport, and can share with you some details on the machine.
First off, a clarification for those who aren’t acquainted with Ducati’s history with the Supersport line. The name is different from our normal usage of the term “supersport” and doesn’t imply that this motorcycle is Ducati’s answer for a 600cc racing machine.
Instead, the Ducati Supersport has a rich history as a sport-tourer; back when that segment actually existed, and was distinct from being just a superbike for the road. This model seems very much a return to that past.
As was rumored, the Ducati Supersport will use a 937cc Testastretta 11° engine – the same lump that currently can be found on the Ducati Hypermotard 939.
However, the chassis is similar to that of the Monster, with the red trellis frame being highlighted by the bodywork, as it attaches to the cylinder heads.
While we wouldn’t call the coverings a bikini fairing, the Ducati Supersport is without a full bellypan, with instead the exhaust pipe’s expansion chamber eating up much of the space going towards the rear wheel.
This allows the Ducati Supersport to use an exhaust that is visually similar to the one found on the Monster 1200 – a shotgun style double pipe, though it’s shorter in length.
This design is Euro4 compliant, so no funny business needs to occur to meet sound and emission standards, like on the Ducati 959 Panigale in Europe.
The face of the bike is very similar to the Panigale, and uses the same LED headlight array. The windscreen reminds us of the one found on the Multistrada 1200, and it is adjustable to several inches by using only a single hand.
The sitting position is fairly sporty, though the clip-ons rise a couple inches above the top of the fork tubes to add some comfort. The banana-style seat has a large surface area that cushions not only you, but also a passenger, should you choose to bring one on your next moto-adventure – very much in the same vein as the original SuperSport.
Available colors are red or white, while pricing is said to be around €14,000 to €15,000 for the base model. This will likely mean a conversion to $14,000 to $15,000 in the US, if Ducati’s pricing strategy remains constant.
This pricing strategy is going to put the Ducati Supersport in competition with the Ducati 959 Panigale however. Though, the intended use of both machines is obviously very different.
Still, it will be interesting to see how much overlap the two bikes have with potential customers. We imagine that Ducati will pitch the Supersport as the bike for road riders who want a sporty touring feeling, possibly two-up, while the 959 Panigale will be further pushed into the track-focused category.
Photo: Ducati
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