SHOOTOUT
P76
2013 MIDDLEWEIGHT SPORTBIKE SHOOTOUT
A long fuel tank increases the reach
to the handlebar. If you're shorter
than the average rider the 848's
ergonomics could make it tough to
ride on track.
sion components proved more
effective than the MV's and were
better able to maintain the chassis composure, especially on
corner exit—one of the few areas
that the 848 performed well in.
The Ducati registered the
third-best average acceleration
force, showing how adept it is
The Ducati's rear suspension
works well but it failed to elicit
the type of praise it's received
in past years due to sluggish
handling manners.
at putting the power down off
turns. It also had the above average top speeds at the end of the
straightaways, just behind the
ZX-6R and GSX-R750.
On the dyno the 848 posted
impressive power numbers—
which shouldn't be much of a
surprise considering it has an
As usual the Ducati's Brembo
monoblocs offered more than
enough stopping power. However,
its awkward handling equaled slow
lap times so it was challenging to
get an accurate assessment.
additional 249cc on the three
599cc Japanese bikes, 212cc on
the Ninja and 173cc on the two
triples. Aside from the GSX-R750
it posted the most horsepower
with just over 121 ponies released
at 10,500 rpm with another 600
revs remaining before the rev
limiter chimes in. Another plus is
