The Ducati SuperSport 950 Now Has An Angry Panigale Face
As Ducati’s rowdier bikes get progressively more deranged, the SuperSport is becoming especially appealing. It doesn’t look all that different from its snarling, track-shredding stablemates, but it’s a lot less powerful and has a more upright riding position.
It’s starting to look a tad dated in Ducati’s line-up, though, so four years on from its reveal, the Italian company has given it a refresh. The most obvious additions are the new fairings - they stretch much further back than before, featuring a Panigale V4-like front end with a neatly integrated headlight. Those side vents are inspired by Ducati’s range-topping superbike too.
The 937cc, 90-degree V-twin needed to be revised to comply with Euro5 emissions regulations, but that hasn’t had an effect on its output. It still develops 108bhp at 9000rpm, with peak torque of 69lb ft felt at 6500. If you want it to sound nicer, a pair of Akrapovic titanium exhaust systems are on the accessories menu, each of which cuts the weight by 4.5kg and bumps up mid-range power by five per cent. It’s also possible to have the bike restricted to comply with A2 licenses.
The cornering ABS, traction control and wheelie control systems now work with Bosch’s six-axis inertial platform, which continually measures the bike’s lean angle, pitch and yaw. The settings for the electronics can be fiddled about with using a new 4.3-inch TFT screen, which pinches its graphics and user interface from the more expensive Panigale.
The SuperSport is built around a trellis frame, with the engine used as a structural element of the chassis. Up front is a Marzocchi fork, with a Sachs monoshock bringing up the rear. If you go for the SuperSport 950 S, you instead get a fully adjustable and delightfully gold setup from Ohlins.
Whichever 950 you choose, Ducati fits Brembo brakes with 320mm twin discs at the front and a 245 single rotor at the rear. The 17-inch wheels are shod in Pirelli Diablo Rosso IIIs.
Like what you see? Ducati is charging £12,295 for the standard bike, and £13,895 for the S.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
This motorcycle is drop-dead gorgeous. I dream of owning an A2 restricted one…
Correction: all Ducati V Twins are 90°, 11° refers to the valve overlap.
I’m surprised to see akrapovic is the supplier of the aftermarket exhaust. Ducati seems to be slowly pushing termignoni away.