Ducati Super Sport 950 ...................
Can Ducati’s new sports tourer float our boat on road and track? There was only one way to find out.
Here at Fast Bikes it goes without saying that the sportier the bike, the better it usually is. Even so, it’s nice to have a little bit of comfort thrown in now and again; as fun as it is holding on for dear life with a savage superbike, it’s not quite the thing for 600-mile days and a shed-load of touring. And also, let’s not forget about the whole age thing – superbikes these days are getting smaller and more compact than ever, and if you’ve had an ‘entertaining’ life with the scars to prove it, sometimes, it’s time to just move onto that next stage… but that doesn’t mean you have to be boring and head down the GS route, oh no. There are other options on the table – like a slightly more sensible sportsbike.
And as far as sensible sportsbikes go, they don’t come much sexier than Ducati’s updated Supersport 950. Before we start, no, this isn’t a Superleggera, nor is it even a little Panigale V2. It’s not a full-blooded track bike and it doesn’t claim to be.
It’s a sporty machine that fits for those who can’t (or don’t fancy trying to) stretch their leg over the latest 200-plus horsepower weaponry, or those who don’t want to dive into the sportier side of things without the need to go balls deep into in the world of wheelies and knee skids. This thing is a bridge, between the boring realms of two wheels and the proper exciting sportsbikes, and thankfully, for 2021, it looks better than ever.
And we mean that literally. Those Italian designers sure know their onions and have given the SuperSport a much sharper facelift for ‘21, alongside making it more aerodynamic, and apparently a little less toasty on your ‘nads thanks to some clever cooling in the process. Sure, it may house the same engine and chassis combo it previously had, but it worked wonders; Ducati has worked on the 937cc engine to make it Euro5 compliant, but it still makes 110hp and 93Nm of torque – which, although isn’t massive at all, is still a fairly respectable number to be shouting about if you’re riding out of the retirement home. Ducati has also gifted the updated model with a snazzy
TFT dash, six-axis IMU and all the electronic wizardry that comes with it – from an up/ down shifter, to rider modes and wheelie control, it has it all – besides launch control. Oh, and as we’re straddling the SuperSport’s range topping S model, it also comes equipped with fully adjustable Öhlins suspension front and rear, to help it feel as sharp as possible.
So, is this just a soft, blunt halfway house or a respectable sportsbike for those of us who aren’t hardcore enough for the real thing? There was only one way to find out…
As that red paintwork gleamed in the sunshine, it really did surprise me just how good the SuperSport 950 looked. I’m never a big fan of the aesthetics on these halfway sportsbikes as they always seem to miss the mark in terms of aggression, and even though the original looked a bit plump and lethargic, Ducati really did bring its A game to craft something that looked enticing for 2021. I mean, it could quite easily fool an untrained eye into thinking it was some sort of Panigale.
Alas, that thought process disappeared when I got up even closer, as the first thing that hit me was those bloody bars – almost literally, as well, they sit that high above the top of the forks, with a fairly ugly-looking riser layout. Saying that, everything else about the 950 looks absolutely stunning, from the single-sided swinger to the gold Öhlins shock, and everything in between.
Ducati has even stuck a strange red patch of paint on its black wheels, which I rather like.
I always stick red tape over my wheel weights for good luck on my racebike, but it seemed like everyone else on this planet
IT'S DEFINITELY BEEN DEVELOPED WITH HARD RIDING IN MIND.
thinks it looks a bit stupid. I suppose now I can see their point, but I’m still a fan.
Jumping on top of the big Duke for the first time, three things hit me. First – how low the seat height was, especially as Ducatis always tend to be on the higher end of the scale, which meant that for the first time I could comfortably get my feet flat on the floor. Pretty handy, as the second thing that got me was just how weighty the SuperSport felt. Sure, it’s just a slither more than a litre sportsbike, but I’m not sure if it’s because the weight is higher, or because it feels smaller yet no lighter, but it is a bit of a chunk. I have to admit, as a redeeming factor, the third thing was just how comfortable the SuperSport felt, even at a standstill. That new seat felt like the perfect location for my rear end, and there was an abundance of space. I reckon even our very own Johnny Mac would’ve had enough to fit his lengthy and chunky body on top with room to spare.
When glaring over the spec sheet, I always have a little shudder when I see such a high weight figure versus a relatively low power figure, but firing that 937cc Testastretta engine into life for the first time instantly put my mind at ease – it sounds gorgeous.
Ignoring the ‘bars, everything about the cockpit looks the dog’s gonads, and as with all the latest Ducatis I’ve been lucky enough to sample over the past five years or so, the dash is crystal clear and easy to navigate, while all the buttons and controls are exactly where I expect them to be. With three riding modes to choose from, I automatically went straight in for Sport (can you believe that the other two modes actually soften it, even further?!). Even from the very get-go, the Duke felt incredibly user-friendly and tame. The feeling from that ride-by-wire throttle was absolutely stunning, with the 937cc powerplant feeling absolutely gorgeous at the very bottom end, while the massively high ‘bars offer up a stonkingly huge turning circle – something that’s usually unheard of when you look down and see a big red tank with a Ducati logo plastered on the top. Just make sure you watch your fingers though, as the ‘bars went all the way back to the fairing.
With the levers and mirrors all adjusted, the first port of call was a venture through town to get out onto the open road.
I have to say that its low-speed manners were absolutely sublime.
But then again, for a soft, comfy thing like this, I’d have been disappointed with anything less.
Everything seemed to just work, from the smooth ‘shifter both up and down, to the new windscreen that actually gives a shed load more wind protection than its sharp and sporty stance appears – which you can alter if you want to change the position.
There’s only so much I like talking about a bike’s road-going etiquette through town, though, and how great it is popping along at the very bottom of the rev range, in the lower gears. We’ve got some great roads in Blighty just waiting to be attacked, and as soon as we left the comfort of the town and hit the open road, the SuperSport hit its limitations; pretty literally as well, in terms of that big ol’ brick wall that’s known as the redline. It was a bit frustrating actually, as the SuperSport has a slight feeling of Panigale about it, yet that 937cc Testastretta’s 110 horses just didn’t feel up to the ticket when it came to hauling more than 200kg worth of metal.
From the very bottom of the rev range, it does pick up nicely but just doesn’t blast through the air with the same urgency as I’d like, and just as I felt things were getting exciting north of the 9000rpm mark, it took no time at all for the rev limiter to take any extra wind out of the SuperSport’s sails. In all honesty, it was a real shame as the rest of the bike felt absolutely amazing.
Although it’s running the same chassis as it was previously, when coupled with those higher-spec’d Öhlins units both front and rear, I couldn’t believe the amount of grip and feeling I had. For something that’s soft, inviting and comfortable, it’s definitely been developed with hard riding in mind, as although the set-up is soft enough to cater for touring folk, it offered up just enough support when it came to getting a proper drilling.
And that’s pretty lucky, as well, as those Brembo Monobloc calipers Ducati has given it really were the real deal. From the initial bite to the full-on grab, they were simply stunning; I don’t know what kind of sorcery is played between Bosch, Brembo and Ducati, but they seem to make the most incredible braking systems across the whole range of machines. Like the rest of the electronic aids (which are all watched over by Ducati’s splendid six-axis IMU), the ABS really isn’t intrusive at all, but skids and wheelies are fun and, to
my delight, I could easily turn
off both the traction and wheelie control, but also the rear ABS, with incredible ease.
With the aids off, the SuperSport did come to life that little bit more, but even so, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was wanting a little more in terms of out-and-out power, with a bit more grunt thrown in for good measure.
It was a shame actually, as everything else felt absolutely solid; for a touring friendly softie, it almost felt like it wouldn’t be too out of place on the track – which is exactly why I handed over the keys to Bruce, for him to take it for a spin at Cadwell. If the SuperSport could cut the mustard there, then there’s no questioning the 950’s ability as an all-rounder.
When Ducati released the very first press images of this bike with the test rider elbow down on a race track, it got me excited. You see, I’m always split when testing these halfway houses; they’re never comfy enough to be a full-on boring tourer which is like an armchair to cruise on, yet they can never make the cut as a proper sportsbike either, so they usually do both jobs fairly averagely.
Ducati’s SuperSport actually straddles that boundary well. It’s a nice place to be, is comfortable for a long slog and perhaps I’m just getting old, but it really wasn’t as, well, bad, as I thought it would be in terms of sportiness. Alright, it really does lack in its punchiness on the throttle, it runs out of steam at the top end, and the ‘bars are still way too high for my liking, but even so, it doesn’t do a bad job of running at pace.
Those Brembo stoppers are absolutely incredible bits of kit, and the set-up on the golden Öhlins pogos works wonders for feel, at every stage of a corner – yet doesn’t feel anywhere near too stiff when it comes to speedbumps and potholes.
As far as a middle ground bike goes, it’s actually a fairly decent example for typical road riding. But we weren’t about to let it off the hook so easily, without a good thrashing on track.
THE DUCATI HAD A NATURAL TENDENCY TO PUSH WIDE INTO CORNERS.