World Ducati Week is in full-swing right now, with Ducatisti from around the world gathering in Misano, Italy for two days of desmodromic fun.
Of the many attractions at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, Ducati is giving enthusiasts a chance to preview a new bike that will officially debut at the EICMA show in Milan (in addition to the two machines that will unveil tomorrow).
The affair is a strictly managed, no cellphones allowed, sort of sneak peak at the new machine – thus, it comes as no surprise that some fan has snapped a photo of the secret bike on a hidden phone. In case you were wondering, this is why we can’t have nice things.
You can’t put the cat back in the bag though, so get ready folks because we have good news: the Ducati SuperSport is coming back!
As you can see in the photo, the machine in question is called the Ducati Supersport S, an homage to the bikes of the same name that came almost 40 years before it.
The Ducati SuperSport S draws its lines from the Panigale, but it appears to be based off the Monster platform, with the trellis frame clearly visible.
We can also see what looks like a single-sided swingarm, Öhlins suspension, and lower spec Brembo calipers.
We would guess that the new Ducati Supersport S is based on the Monster 1200 chassis, judging from these elements, but the rumor in Misano is that the engine is displacing around 937cc, which may mean the 821-derived engine found on the Hypermotard 939.
We speculate on all this, as while I am personally at World Ducati Week right now, I have not been privy to seeing the machine in-person.
Regardless, the news should be exciting to long-time Ducatisti, who can remember venerable machines like the air-cooled two-valve Ducati 900 SuperSport SS.
Don’t let the name fool you, this was one of the original Sport-tourers (capital “S” / lowercase “t”) from Europe, and a popular machine for eating up miles of twisty road.
The motorcycle industry has moved away from bikes like the Ducati SuperSport line, so it is interesting to see Ducati reviving this idea. We would expect the ergonomics to be comfortable, the engine to be punchy, and of course the technology to be sophisticated.
Look for the Ducati SuperSport and SuperSport S to drop later this year, likely at the EICMA show in November, but possibly at INTERMOT in October.
Thanks for the tips everyone, especially Anouschka for being quickest on the draw!
Source: MaxxMoto.be
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