Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

TEST SPORTBIKE desmodue chassis package up properly to take full advantage of the latest generation of road rubber. Metzeler MEZls were fined to the test bike, and put down the 80 bhp delivered to the back wheel at 7500 rpm very well - but both these and the Michelins specified for other countries are more than enough tire for this kind of power, especially when it's delivered as smoothly as the Supersport does. Equally impressive were the 320mm Brembo brakes, now cast-stainless fullfloaters which don't have the initial bite of the discontinued cast-iron ones, bu t together with the latest-spec four-pot calipers off the 916, braided hoses and the new 16mrn master cylinder - give benchmark stopping power with a progressive delivery and lots of feel: The harder you squeeze, the better you stop. And trail-braking into a turn doesn't make the 900 Supersport sit up and understeer like some V-twin sportbikes do.... Mirrors that don't shake, even under the inevitable vibes of a 90-degree vtwin (and the vibrations are only really noticeable through the footpegs until you get above 7000 rpm), and give a good view of more than just your shoulders; switchgear that's up to Japanese spec; the soft padded surround to the rear of the fuel tank that looks good, helps keep you in the optimum riding position, prevents the zipper on your leathers from scratching the paintwork and perhaps above all avoids the need for male Supersporters to wear protective equipment to preserve full bodily functions under extreme circumstances (ask rock group Duran Duran's star ducatista Simon LeBon about the two days he spent in a hospital after saving a high-side the, er, hard way!); the space for a V-lock and a rain suit under the detachable seat, which also has a tool kit clipped underneath it; the flip-up fuel tank hinged at its rear, giving access to the battery mounted just behind the airbox, to help compact the mass for more predictable handling - all these are the signs of a master designer at work who (Above left) The tachometer sans redline takes center stage, as it should. An oiltemperature gauge is just below. (Left) Fuel injection was adopted for the two-valve desmo powerplant. Power Is up 10 hp. actually rides motorcycles, and Pierre Terblanche's first mainstream Ducati model proves he is exactly that. The attention to detail, visual allure and dynamic improvements of the 900 Supersport will ensure it appeals to a wider market than the dedicated ducatisti at whom the old 900SS was targeted - yet they too will ha ve ca use to welcome its arrival. The role of the desmodue range as the chosen vehicle for the dedicated home desmo-tuner might at first sight have been ended with the advent of fuel injection, since th~ Supersport's new Marelli ECV is not only much smaller than before, but is also nonreprogrammable, since there is no detachable EPROM chip. That in theory should mean that aftermarket tuning parts can't be fitted, other than Ducati's own GiaCoMoto stuff, since you can't reprogram the EFI/EMS electronics to suit. But ~ost inevitably there's an Australiandeveloped substitute about to hit the market to get over that problem, so the 900 Supersport is set to continue the 55 tradi tion of providing a ready vehicle for down-home tuning, aimed at improving performance up to 100-bhp power levels. However, the standard bike's performance is so greatly improved that you may, just possibly, not feel the need - though, there again, the pursuit of desmodue horsepower is a ducatista disease. Pierre Terblanche has surely achieved his objective of blending previous Ducati styling themes into a voluptuous classic sportbike package that eschews the hard edges of contemporary design. This is a very curvaceous motorcycle tha t looks far better in daylight than in any photo. But in so radically improving the lead model in its "affordable" sportbike range, Ducati has laid the foundations for a whole new family of models derived from the new 900 Supersport, says Massimo Bordi, now general manager of the Italian marque. A half-faired version already exists in prototype form (and arguably looks even better than the fully faired bike, now that the desmodue motor has been cleaned up aesthetically) but won't be launched until at least next year. And 750cc, 600cc and (for Japan) 400cc versions of both models are planned to follow later. Also, with the The Ducati Supersport · a family tree L ong before someone nicked the term for Superbike's kid brother class, Supersport was the name given to Ducati's range of V-twin 56 street racers - in their day, the first true Superbikes of the mod- ern era. 'Don't believe it? Then look bad< 25 years to the birth of the first of the line, the 750SS launched in 1974 on the back of Paul Smart's'historic victory in the 1972 Imola 200, with teammate Bnmo Spaggiari second in the competition debut of Ducati's first-ever big twin. Those of us lucky (far-sighted ?!) enough to become one of the 400 or so customers for the spinoff :r:>oss desmo V-twin street bike - each one individually built in the factory race shop - were rewarded with a true racer-with-Iights,. a dose rep~ca of Smart's F750 works bike that proved a Wlckedly effective production racer, as well as the king of the cafe racing class on racer road. In due course, "Dr. T" - Ducati's engineering guru Fabio Taglioni bored the 75055's bevel-drive single-cam motor out to 864cc to produce the first 900SS, which debuted m street guise.in 1975 after simiJarly winrung Its debut race m prototype form, Spam's gruelling MontjLtic 24 Horas marathon nm around the streets of Barcelona. But the most historic race victory for the 900SS - indeed. arguably, for any Ducati model, ever - followed in 1978. The legendary Mike HaiIwood crowned a fairytaJe comeback to road racing by defeating the works Honda team to win the IT Formula One race on the Isle of Man and, by virtue of victory in this single event, Ducati's first-ever World Championship. And at least as importantly this was achieved, as were others to follow, with machinery closely derived from its produotion desmo street-bike range. The 7170 Mike Hallwood Replicas bLtilt from 1980 to ] 986 • later in 1000cc Mille form - supplied due recognition of thIS achievement to the street, though the btwel-drlve 900SS model was discontinued after 1982. But by that time Taglioni had developed the bevel-drive V-twin's successor, in the form of the belt-drlven SOHC Pantah engine which debuted in 1979 in 500cc guise, still however with only two valves per cylinder, thanks to Dr. T's established mistrust of multivalve engine designs. This coincided handily, though, with reduced manufacturing ~ts and e~ of maintenance, as well as more accessible tuning potential for Ducab owners, and ~e beJt-dnve desmodlU! power unit was pr0gressIvely mcreased m capacity during the 1980s - winning four IT For- m~ T~o world .ti~ along the way in.6OOcc form - to 904cc guise, by which time Tagliom s successor, Massuno Bordi, had taken over the reins of desmo design, and the Castiglioni brothers the Ducati company. Though better known as the creator of the legendary otto VII/vole which went on to achieve World Superbike dominance, Bordi understood the importance of the 90lES in Ducati's product lineup, and reintroduced it in 1989 as a mildly warmed-<>ver version of the Paso roadster, complete with reversed rear cylinder head and a single twin-choke Weber carbo But two years later he did the job properly, producing a true "modern classic" Supersport desmo with twin carbs, an improved chassis, upside-down forks and more distinctive styling. But at last, after building a total of 78,089 carbureted Supersports over the last .quarter-century, in various capacities from 3SOcc up to l000cc, Ducab has adapted Its two-valve SS family of bikes to the modern era, WIth the adoption of fuel injection for an all-new bike designed by Pierre Terblanche. The 900SS is dead -long live the 900 Supersport. The 900 Supersport (foreground) and family: Mike Hallwood's IT· winning 900SS (background), now owned by an American collector, and an original, restored, fInIt-'es 750SS, dIIIIng from 1974. post of marketing director for the Ducati company at long last created under TPG's management - filled by youthful British ex-fighter pilot Andrew Whitney, who used to ride his 916 Ducati to work at management consultants Bain & Co.'s San Francisco office before new Duca ti boss Federico Minoh persuaded him to swap careers and come and work in Italy - there's likely to be more awareness of what Ducati customers really want. That includes the ready market for limitededition special versions of all Ducati's models, perhaps starting with a red-andgreen Mike Hailwood Replica 900 Supersport to mark the 20th anni versary of hi,s TT victory in 1978. But one thing's for sure: The Supersport range is set to resume its previous importance as the core product in Ducati's lineup, en route to TPG's 35,OOO-pius annual production target. This new 900SS is the start - and a pretty good one, too. ~ Ducati 900 Supersport Specifications Engine Air/ oil-cooled 900cc 90" V-twin w / two-valves per cylinder and desmodromic valve actuation Disp1acelllent Bore x stroke Com", euioo ratio Urburdion Ignition Horsepower Torque : Tr;msuusslon Frame Wheelbase Rake/trail Seat height Suspension Front Rear 904cc 92 x 68mm 9.2:1 MareIJi eJectronic fuel injection Electronic 80 @7500 rpm 53.8 ft.-lb. @7000rpm 6-speed Steel trellis 'Iv / engine as stressed member 54.9 in. 24°/1 00mm 32.3 in. 43mm inverted cartridge fork w/ 4.7 in. travel; fully adjustable Cantilever monoshock w/ 5.4 in. travel; fully adjustable Tires Front Rear 120/70ZR17 170/60ZRI7 Brakes Front .. Dua1320mm cast-stainless discs w/ four-piston calipers Rear Single 245mm disc w / tw piston caliper Dry weight 413.61b. Fuel capacity 4.2 pi.

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