Ducati 848 (2007-current)

The new liquid-cooled Desmodromic, 849cc V-twin Testastretta (Italian for ‘narrow head’) engine has been designed and developed specifically for the Ducati 848; it’s not just a cheaper, sleeved-down version of the 1098’s motor. Making a true 122bhp and 66ftlb of torque at the rear wheel the Ducati 848’s motor is not only is very strong, but the power delivery is super-smooth and very linear, too. Compared to the old 749, the Ducati 848 makes 20bhp and 10ftlb more, while weighing almost 30kg less.

Chassis-wise the Ducati 848 is almost identical to the 1098, save for slightly lower-spec, but still fully-adjustable, Showa forks and Brembo radial brakes. These cheaper units don’t harm the 848’s performance through the bends one bit though. Most significantly the Ducati 848 has a half-inch narrower rear wheel and a 180-section rear tyre, which gives the 848 greater agility and lighter steering than its bigger brother. In true Ducati superbike style the 848 is rock-solid stable in the corners, at the expense of slightly slow steering through flip-flop chicanes and very tight hairpins.

Although expensive, the £9500 asking price does buy you a very high spec motorcycle. You get a Showa rear shock the same as the 1098’s, a chunky single sided swingarm and a multi-function LCD dash, which is a replica of the unit used on Casey Stoner’s MotoGP Desmosedici. Options include the Ducati Data Analyser (DDA), which is an on-board plug-in datalogging system, which records lap times, throttle position, engine speed, engine temperature and distance travelled.