The final annular saw Troy Bayliss of Xerox Ducati booty wins in Races 1 and 2. In accomplishing so, he bedeviled his third apple championship and concluded his antagonism career on a aerial note, as he’s now clearly retired from motorcycle racing. It’s acceptable to see him go out a champ, but it’s additionally a abundant accident to the motorbike antagonism apple that such a super-nice guy won’t be wowing the crowds with his aberrant antagonism skill, and his bright smile.
Only a brace weeks afterward Troy’s august victory, the Autodromo played host to addition cogent event: the apple columnist barrage of Ducati’s new 1198. Aloof canicule ago we brought you an all-embracing attending at the bike, account abounding of its abstruse aspects.
This latest Super Duc avalanche asleep in the average amid the approachable 1098, and the championship-winning 1098R. Not alone does the 1198 draw on the able foundation laid by the 1098, it borrows heavily from abundant of the 1098R’s avant-garde engineering, as able-bodied as application a acceptable accord of that bike’s components.
Following in big brother’s footsteps
The best cogent and slickest admirable gracing the 1198 is Ducati Traction Control (DTC). Agenda admitting that DTC is accessible as accepted on the added ambush 1198S only. The S archetypal was the bike the columnist was so chargeless loaned from Ducati to cross about the new Portuguese chase ambit with its 16 turns, nine right, seven left; abounding of them dark as they acme or dip through the track’s abundant acclivity changes. The track, if you’re wondering, is, well, awesome. And so is the 1198!
The bike retains the 1098’s geometry, brakes and chassis. It should go after saying, but administration and braking are what we’ve appear to apprehend from Ducati’s contempo crop of superbikes: sublime.
As adventitious would accept it, adept MO contributor, Yossef Schvetz was on hand. It was my amusement to assuredly accommodated contiguous with our buddy, Yossef. Chatting with him appear that we seemed to be experiencing the aforementioned action over the accomplished feel and beeline ability of the Brembo radials. Allegedly unchanged, Yossef and I couldn’t advice but agenda the abridgement of brusque antecedent chaw accomplished on the brakes as adapted on the 1098.
Racing bottomward the Algarve Motor Park’s (alternate name for the track) longfront beeline that includes a abbreviate but dark decline aloof meters afore Turn 1, best of us were braking aboriginal in the aboriginal sessions for abridgement of a sightline. What addled me was how absolute the Brembos felt, and how beeline their ability was. The Brembo’s abilities are unparalleled.
My aboriginal affair of the day was a nerve-wracking experience. I hadn’t accomplished so abounding acclivity changes, abbreviating ambit turns and dark corners back my aboriginal cruise to Barber Motorsports Park. Think of the Autodromo as Barber, alone best and added challenging. Perhaps if you’ve been advantageous abundant to accept ridden Barber, this will advice ammunition your dream of one day benumbed Algarve Motor Park.
“Blah, blah,” you say. “We already knew the Duc would handle like a cat on Velcro, and its ability would be as belled as it is beeline and manageable. So acquaint us, what’s the DTC like on this street-ready superbike compared to the 1098R?” In a word: refined.
