Test riding Ducati's SuperSport S

Theres something about these Italian designs that evokes ones deepest emotions Their bikes can be spotted pretty much everywhere mdash proudly displayed on bedroom walls as desktop wallpapers or on smartphone covers The new SuperSports design is no exception to this either Bearing close resemblance to its exotic sibling the Panigale it naturally attracts a second glance The new bike isnt just more affordable than the Panigale but also is more roadfriendly You sit comparatively upright on a wider seat which is far more comfortable than the duckeddown committed seating of the PanigaleThe clipon handlebars are relatively higher and the footpegs are high as well but arent too rearset This makes the riding position comfortable for commuting and sports touring The front screen can be manually raised to improve wind protection and theres ample kneeroom even for taller riders to aid fatiguefree long jaunts The fuel tank capacity of 16 litres seems fairly adequate for touring and there are welcome gaps between the rear panels to install panniers as well Facing the rider is a digital instrument console with a simple and easytoread layout which gives out all the info you need on the go The layout of the buttons and switches is a typical Ducati affair and the same can be said about the overall fit and finish Topnotch to say the leastThe 950 Ltwin produces 80 of its torque at 3000 revsDucati has brought both the international variants mdash the SuperSport and SuperSport S mdash to India The standard version comes in the unmistakable Ducati red colour with black wheels and powdercoated engine It has fully adjustable Marzocchi forks and a Sachs rear shock and is priced at Rs 1208 lakh Pay another Rs 130 lakh to get the topoftheline SuperSport S which we have ridden hereThe SuperSport S is equipped with fully adjustable Oumlhlins suspension at front and rear and a fantastic twoway quickshifter Our test bike came loaded with the optional Performance Pack worth Rs 60000 This includes a carbonfibre front mudguard LED indicators adjustable brakeclutch levers and customised cap for the disc brakes master cylinderThere are gaps in the rear panel to mount panniersComing to the powertrain it sports a 113PS 937cc liquidcooled Ltwin engine The 93 Nm of torque peaks at 6500 rpm with almost 80 per cent of it available at just 3000 rpm Crank it up and it sounds like a typical large Vtwin with a deep and loud note from the exhaust Its a smooth motor and can be revved hard without leaving your hands numb Once it crosses the 2000rpm barrier the performance is brisk and exciting all the way to the redline Twist your wrist and itll sprint to 100 kmh in less than four seconds and before you know itll go past 150 kmh The sixspeed gearbox is precise but sometimes needs a bit more effort to shift at lower speeds And it took us a few kilometres to get used to the twoway quickshifter Not engaging the clutch while shifting a gear down came naturally now but shifting up using the clutch took a while In no time we started to enjoy it especially the way it automatically blips and pops revving the motor to iron out the downshiftsThe adjustable screen can be manually set for optimal wind protection PicsSaurabh BotreAs expected the handling lacks the sharpness of the Panigale since its about 10 kg heavier and has a 47mm longer wheelbase While riding on the hilly roads we enjoyed its agility and eagerness to change direction quickly In fact it feels light and compact on the goThe SuperSport S comes with sticky Pirelli Diablo Rosso III that offer impressive grip and give confidence to tip the bike over and attack fast corners Strong braking comes from the ever dependable Brembo setup along with the muchneeded Bosch ABS system The safety pack also includes eightlevel traction control What also works in the Ducatis favour is its ride quality The Oumlhlins flatten out most bumpy potholeridden patches of road and only feels firm over larger ditches Since we were concerned about the ground clearance we took caution while negotiating tall speedbreakers and managed to avoid the underbody from scraping during our ride The city traffic made the engine temperature soar rapidly reaching a very hot 107 degrees Another issue is the protruding ends of the trellis frame near the fuel tank Though covered with plastic caps they rub against the riders inner thigh when gripping the tank tightlyShould you consider buying the SuperSport S At Rs 1339 lakh exshowroom its about a lakhandahalf cheaper than the Panigale 959 and with the relaxed rider geometry youll be riding it more often than its trackfocused sibling Compared to its litreclass competition it might not offer an explosive performance but sure feels more nimble and compact The biggest attraction is its enviable Italian flair and gorgeous design which thanks to its rich lineage can kindle passion even while remaining stationary