Ducati SuperSport Competition Check

Ducati has launched the SuperSport, a sportbike aimed at everyday riding. The Italian rivals other sport tourers like the Suzuki GSX-S1000F and the Kawasaki Ninja 1000 in the Indian market. We see how the SuperSport fares against its competition.

Engine

The Ducati SuperSport shares the same 937cc L-twin Testastretta engine as the Multistrada 950 and Hyperstrada 939. This unit produces 110bhp and 93Nm of torque and is mated to a six-speed gearbox and slipper clutch. The Suzuki GSX-S1000F, on the other hand, features a 999cc in-line four-cylinder engine. It produces 144bhp of power and 105.75Nm of torque. Kawasaki’s Ninja 1000 also uses an in-line four-cylinder engine although slightly bigger at 1043cc. This unit delivers 140bhp and 111Nm of torque.

The SuperSport seems underpowered as compared to the Ninja 1000 which has a higher torque figure and the GSX-S1000F which makes up with its power.

Features

The Ducati SuperSport’s styling resembles the façade of the Panigale. The bike features an adjustable windscreen and a 16-litre fuel tank to accentuate its touring capabilities. Suspension duties for the standard bike are taken care of by 41 mm Marzocchi forks at the front and a Sachs monoshock that's adjustable for spring pre-load and rebound damping. The higher end SuperSport S gets a fully adjustable 48mm Ohlins fork and fully adjustable Ohlins shock at the rear. Stopping power for the bike gets 320mm discs up front and a single 245mm disc in the rear. Electronically, the SuperSport features ride-by-wire, 3-level Bosch ABS unit, an 8-level Ducati Traction Control (DTC) and multimedia system for the rider’s smartphone. The SuperSport also features 3 rider modes, namely Urban, Touring and Sport.

Kawasaki refreshed the Ninja 1000’s design, making it sharper with the 2017 model. The bike is also more feature laden. It gets a 6-axis Bosch Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) with riding aids such as traction control, cornering management system and ABS. The bike also features two power modes- Full Power which delivers 100 per cent and Low Power which limits output to 70 per cent. Stopping power for the front is derived from dual 300mm petal discs while the rear gets a 250mm disc. The Ninja 1000 has a 19-litre fuel tank, the largest in this grid.

The Suzuki GSX-S1000F is the faired version of the GSX-S1000 streetfighter. The bike has comparatively less features for its high price tag. The bike sports a three-mode traction control system, which can be adjusted according to the rider’s preference and ABS is standard. The bike rides on fully adjustable 43mm KYB inverted front forks and a Showa rear monoshock. Braking comes from 310mm dual discs in the front and a single 220mm disc at the rear. The GSX-S1000F sports a 17 litre fuel tank.

Price

Now, there is nothing that can beat the Kawasaki in terms of pricing. The Ninja 1000 is priced at an aggressive Rs 9.98 lakhs. The Ducati SuperSport is available at Rs 12.08 lakhs while the Suzuki GSX-S1000F sports a Rs 12.88 lakhs price tag. 

All prices are ex-showroom, Delhi