Ducati 848:With the sun warming the Dublin Mountains, Conor Twomeyfound the Ducati 848 to be a super bike for the open roads
I'm beginning to think this global warming thing isn't so bad. There have only been a few days this winter I haven't been able to get out on the bike, and because the weather's so hospitable I'm also able to get out on the Ducati's new 848 much sooner than I'd originally hoped. The roads are dry, the sun is shining and the on board computer is showing 12 degrees. In Ireland? In February? Remind me why we're trying to stop this happening again.
I knew as soon as I woke up it was going to be one of those great days. The forecast was right and there was nothing between me and lunch except the Ducati 848 and the Dublin Mountains.
Even before I take off I'm excited - the 848 is simply stunning to look at in the metal, particularly in white with a contrasting black frame, although it's not quite as big as I had expected, and its black wheels make the tyres seem surprisingly modest looking.
Although it's a deceptively sleek machine, there's nothing small about its performance. Thanks to some serious weight saving, the 168kg Ducati 848 is a whopping 20kg lighter than the 749 that proceeded it and yet its 849cc L-Twin engine produces a staggering 30 per cent more power. The 134bhp 848 has a better power-to-weight ratio than the fearsome 999, but despite the savage performance it's a reasonably easy bike to ride.
There's no single reason for this; rather it's the culmination of numerous factors that combine to create a remarkably intuitive and exploitable machine.
The throttle, for example, feels like a normal street bike at low revs - responsive, sure, but not so sharp that you'll pull unwitting wheelies every time you ride away from the lights. As the revs rise, so too does the throttle responsiveness.
As you can imagine, the Ducati 848 is pretty fast.
When I fire it up first it's loud and rough as it idles unevenly - as all the best high-performance engines do.
At low and moderate engine speeds it remains reasonably civilised and once there's about 4,000rpm on the clock it pulls with reasonable vigour regardless of what gear your in.
Climbing past 7,000rpm, though, all hell breaks loose as the Testastretta Evoluzione engine screams towards its 13,000rpm redline (10,000rpm is where peak power is achieved) causing the whole bike to buzz and vibrate with intense vigour.
It's an exhilarating experience opening the 848's engine out and the blast of acceleration is such that I need those big, bright change-up lights to warn me of the fast-approaching rev limiter (the bar-graph LED display looks great, but isn't as easy to keep an eye on as a traditional swinging needle).
Even more impressive than the 848's pace is its astonishing two-piece, radial-mounted, four-piston Brembo brakes which are among the most confidence-inspiring stoppers I've ever had the privilege to sample on a bike (I hear the monobloc brakes on the 1098 are even better).
No more than a finger-twitch is required to shed very big speeds very rapidly, yet they're extremely progressive and not at all grabby.
The chassis does its bit by resisting dive, tracking faithfully and preventing the rear wheel from breaking loose even if you mis-time your downchange - there's no slipper clutch here to help sort things out for you.
As with all Ducatis, the 848's gearbox is superbly quick, with a perfectly positioned shifter and neat, positive changes that remains silken even if you choose not to bother with the clutch.
A real treat awaits you when you meet my first stretch of twisty road.
The relationship between seat, pegs and bars of the 848 is absolutely perfect, and the indentations in the seat and the tank are ideally shaped to hold you in place during that fast cornering.
It has been a while since I'd ridden something this focused, but even so I'm surprised at how hard it corners, how composed it is at speed and how agile it is through low speed corners.
After a few kilometres you'll begin reprogramming your brain and pretty soon you'll be braking later, cornering faster, dipping lower than I have on this road in some time. And all the while the Ducati is talking to you through the bars, seat and pegs, letting me know how each wheel is doing and exactly how much grip they have left to give.
On poorer surfaces the 848 is less awe-inspiring. The ride is so firm that potholes and bumps do tend to knock the rider about a bit and while the bike is very happy to skip across them and isn't in the least bit upset by the roughness, it's tiresome for the rider.
The good news is the 848's suspension is fully adjustable, so I'm confident a bit of tweaking could make this bike a little more forgiving on poor roads.
As it is, it's set up perfectly for track use so it's really a matter of personal taste.
Although it has a rather aggressive riding position, it's comfortable enough to spend a few hours on board without cramping up or suffering from aching forearms and shoulders.
It's also acceptably upright for city riding and absolutely perfect for motorway runs, but I'd be lying to you if I suggested this is a bike you'd use every day.
It's not that the 848 wouldn't trundle to work every day happily, it's just that it's a bike that begs for open road. Rush hour traffic is no place for a thoroughbred like this. Its clutch is stiff, the mirrors are tiny and it's not in the least practical.
The Ducati 848 is an incredible machine with a sublime chassis and an engine well suited to all sorts of riding conditions.
Factfile
Engine:849cc liquid-cooled 'Testastretta Evoluzione' L-twin
Power and torque:134hp at 10,000 rpm, 96Nm at 8,250rpm Performance: 268km/h top speed Transmission: Six-speed gearbox, wet clutch
Frame:Tubular steel trellis frame
Dimensions:Length: 2,100 mm; seat height: 830 mm; wheelbase: 1,430 mm
Weight:168kg (dry)
Suspension:43mm Showa adjustable USD forks; aluminium single-sided swingarm, fully adjustable Showa monoshock
Wheels:Five-spoke aluminium alloy wheels, 17" front and rear
Tyres:front: 120/70 ZR 17; rear: 180/55 ZR 17
Brakes:four-piston Brembo radial calipers, 2 x 320mm floating front discs; twin-piston caliper, 245mm single rear disc
Price:€14,500-€15,000