muffler. Ducati has managed to eke out
an extra five horsepower from the 955cc
engine to give a claimed 155 horsepower
at 10,750 rpm, with torque jumping 1.5
lb-ft to 76.7 at 9000 rpm.
It's a raucous occasion when you
thumb the V2 starter, especially when
you're in an echo-ie place like your
garage. The sound is visceral, almost vio-
lent, a reminder of how loud and down-
right obnoxious Ducati V-twins were and,
in some cases, still are.
The exhaust noise is actually less than
the 959 thanks to the new, definitely
uglier, exhaust that exits up the right side
just under the rider's boot. It was only a
matter of time before the sound police
got hold of the 959's beautiful underslung
pipe and, err, underslung it right into the
trash bin, but Ducati has done a better
job than some at producing an aes-
thetically pleasing pipe while still getting
under noise limits—here's looking at you,
Suzuki GSX-R1000R.
VOLUME 57 ISSUE 32 AUGUST 11, 2020 P87
(Right) New lights
are slimmer than
the 959's and
reminiscent of the
V4. (Below) You can
see here the angles
your knees sit.
This isn't a touring
Ducati.
