VOL. 50 ISSUE 34 AUGUST 27, 2013
2013 Ducati 848 EVO Corse SE
"The EVO's new powerband
traded its signature twin low-end
grunt for top-end power and on
the street it just doesn't work,"
says Adam. "With all the Ducati's
power arriving at high rpm it's a
difficult bike to keep on the pipe
even with the quickshifter."
The Testastretta does stand out
in the test, with its deep tones.
And not all test riders found the
Twin delivery so disappointing.
"Twins have a special spot in
my heart, and I love the torquey
feel and engine braking of the
Duc," says TLD employee Nathon Verdugo. "I was happy the
torque was a bit soft off the bottom, as rolling it on out of corners
it never felt like it wanted to pull
my arms off or jump out from underneath me."
The Ducati drivetrain sources
a quickshifter but lacks a slipper
clutch. The absence is exaggerated in this comparison because
of the 848's unique powerband,
which requires far more shifting
than the other bikes. It's also the
least stable on decel and downshifts, the Duc's rear end prone
to chatter on aggressive downshifts. On the plus side, clutch
pull is light and the quickshifter a
welcome addition.
5
P85
TH
PLACE
Like the Yamaha, the Ducati
suffers for being more trackbiased than some of its competitors. Physically, the Ducati
is larger, and at 433 pounds
it is the heaviest bike by six
pounds. Straddling the bike at
the controls, it feels larger than
the cozy layouts on the 600s,
and, oddly enough, the two triple-powered bikes feel far more
slender than the twin.
While it's not as quick to turnin and transition, the Ducati's
steel trellis frame and upgraded
suspension translate into a taut,
responsive handler. The Duc
demands more rider input at
the controls, but also transmits
immediate feedback.
The DTC (Ducati Traction Control) proves an effective safety
enhancement for the Duc. While
activating the settings isn't super
intuitive, the DTC offers eight
