2011 Ducati 1198SP-First Ride

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) January 30, 2011 --

Hard on the gas and descending downhill, the rear end is stepped out and spinning. A fat black line of Pirelli rubber paints the pavement while a faint mist of tire smoke follows. The snaking section of decades-old Italian pavement bends slightly left as it drops multiple stories in a very short space; throttle open as far as bravado will dare. Promptly rolling out of the throttle, one aggressively switches direction into a two-part right-hander – a quick dab of the front Brembos to settle the chassis. Weight transfers forward with haste, putting heavy stress on the bike’s front end initially, then both ends as the suspension G’s-out at the base of the hill for the second, tighter right-hander. All this mere moments before shooting back uphill just as quickly, throttle pinned to the stop, feathering the rear brake to keep the front wheel from getting too skyward – when executed perfectly the front tire will dance gracefully a few inches above the asphalt as you speedshift wide-open through multiple gears while accelerating.

One of the most demanding, and satisfying, sections of racing circuit in the world. To truly tackle Imola’s famous Acque Minerali section with race-like gusto one must have complete confidence in both man and machine. Man being I. Machine being the new 2011 Ducati 1198SP.

After following World Superbike star and all-around good ol’ chap Carlos Checa through this daunting section of racetrack for several laps, it was then I truly realized the speed at which riders could attack the famously demanding series of corners. To do such a feat on most of today’s stock liter-class sportbike would be next to impossible (much of this due to their far less grippy street-based OE tires). Not so with the newly updated Ducati. The feisty Italian devoured this section, as well as the rest of the highly technical track with absolute precision and near World Superbike-levels of speed, while continually displaying its amazing handling abilities and extremely potent toque-laden engine.

It also must be added that there really is something magical about riding a Ducati around such a famous Italian circuit. The Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari sits a mere stone’s throw from the Borgo Panigale-based manufacturer’s backyard, the utterly amazing, historic racetrack snaking directly through the center of a quaint Italian village. Many of the town’s homes, public roadways and apartments literally overhang or cross directly over the racing surface, giving Imola a real-road-course vibe in places, an almost Isle of Man TT-like feel. It’s the stuff of legends. Italian passion and racing heritage at its finest.From The Inside Out

While very similar to the 2010 1198S, especially to the untrained eye, the SP now gets a host of go-fast goodies from last year’s 1198R. It’s for this reason an R edition will not be offered in 2011, Ducati deciding to condense its Superbike model range down to three models for this coming year: The base 1198, 1198SP, and 848EVO (be sure to checkout our recent 2011 Ducati 848EVO First Ridereview for more information on the Italian middleweight).

The new SP’s chassis and engine remain almost exactly the same as last year’s S model, though Ducati Performance’s race-bred slipper clutch from the R finds its way onto the new model, as does the R’s lighter aluminum tank, saving nearly three pounds in the process. Suspension-wise, it retains the S-model’s current Ohlins Road & Track fork up front, while getting an updated Ohlins TTX rear shock, the latest and greatest from the Swedish suspension giant.

Rounding out the updates is the Ducati Quick-Shifter (DQS), which uses engine rpm, vehicle speed and throttle position to cut out the engine in the quickest and most efficient way possible for clutch-less up-shifting without needing to lift off the throttle. The unit is housed within the new shift-linkage and is always on unless deactivated by the rider through the control menu on the instrument cluster. Note it only works in the standard one-down, five-up shift pattern. For a reverse-pattern race-shift set-up a Ducati Performance accessory kit is needed.

Available in dealers in the coming month, here’s the best part of the new and updated 1198SP: It costs not a penny more than the previous, less-equipped S model, retailing for $21,995.From The Outside In

Turn the key, thumb the red, right-hand starter button and the SP barks to life with a Superbike-like growl; the dual, underseat exhausts serenade with an intoxicating rumble. If you don’t like the way this Ducati sounds you may need to get your ears checked, as it’s not only a sweetly melodic tune, but also a quite loud one at that (the good kind of loud though).

Click the regular-pattern shift lever into gear and chug your way out of the pits, the only possible flaw to the Ducati’s engine being its slow-speed lurch, which requires 2500-3000 rpm on the dash before it begins to smooth out... read more at http://willothewish.com/

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