2017 Ducati SuperSport First Look Review

The sheet has finally been pulled off of Ducati's SuperSport machine. Ducati revealed the bike during a private showing at World Ducati Week earlier this summer, but besides a few details culled from a leaked cell-phone shot (click here to see the first SuperSport spy shots), we haven't been able confirm much about the bike.

Now we can. Here's the rundown: The SuperSport is powered by a 937cc V-twin derived from the Hypermotard 939 (click here for the Hypermotard 939 review), it uses a tubular-steel trellis frame similar to the Monster's, and it's draped in Panigale-inspired bodywork. It also has raised clip-ons and what looks like decent legroom and a comfy perch for the pilot and a passenger. The bike's name and the combination of comfort and performance harken back to various SuperSport machines that existed from the early '70s to the mid-2000s. Is this a high-performance bike that makes sense as a daily rider? It sure looks that way.

To make things sporty, the bike makes a claimed 113 horsepower and 71 lb.-ft. of torque. That’s within a breath of the Hypermotard’s figures, but peak torque hits about 1,000 rpm lower, suggesting a more streetable tune on the engine. The fork and shock are from Marzocchi and Sachs, respectively, with adjustable spring preload and compression/rebound damping up front and adjustable spring preload and rebound damping in the rear. Brakes are from Brembo, with big radial-mount calipers squeezing down on full-size 320mm discs. Sporty stuff indeed.

In terms of comfort—it feels strange saying that word in association with a Ducati—the SuperSport has a reasonable seat height listed as a hair under 31 inches, clip-ons that position the grips well above the top triple clamp, and footpegs that look like they’ll be positioned right under the rider’s butt. That looks like a very reasonable rider triangle. Bodywork is generous and said to have been designed with rider comfort in mind, and the windscreen offers about two inches of adjustability.

As with all the bikes in Ducati's extensive lineup (which is rapidly expanding—Ducati says the SuperSport is the first of several new 2017 models) the SuperSport comes with a host of electronic riders aids that increase performance and safety. That includes multi-level traction control and ABS plus selectable ride modes. Data is conveyed via an LCD display (sorry folks, it's not a full-color TFT setup as on the Panigale) and controlled exclusively via the handlebar controls.

And as with most Ducatis, there's an up-spec model available. In this case the SuperSport S, with Öhlins fully adjustable suspension and a bi-directional quickshifter that allows clutchless upshifts and downshifts. There's a solo seat cowl in the mix as well, because nothing says "sporty" like a monoposto.

Curb weight for both bikes is listed at 463 pound with a full 4.2 gallons on board. That’s not exactly featherweight, but it’s not ungainly either. Pricing for the SuperSport is $12,995, while the up-spec S-bike is $14,795. Both bikes are due in dealerships in April of 2017.