Ducati have announced a new 848 EVO and some changes to the 1198 including an SP model.
848 EVO
For 2011 Ducati has increased the performance of the 848 and tags the new machine the 848 EVO.
The EVO’s 849 cc engine gets a massage, with new combustion chambers, an increase in compression ratio to 13.2:1 from 12.0:1, and new higher lift and longer duration cams. The engine breathes through a larger diameter elliptical throttle bore, now the equivalent of 60 mm compared to the previous model’s 56 mm bore.
These changes increase output by six horsepower, now rated at 140 hp @ 10,500 rpm, and boost peak torque to 72.3 lb-ft @ 9,750 rpm, up from 70.8 lb-ft @ 8,250 rpm.
Also new are Brembo monobloc front calipers and the addition of a steering damper. MSRP for the new 848 EVO is $16,495.
1198 and 1198SP
Ducati’s 1198 superbike ($19,995) gets a slew of racy acronyms for 2011 with the addition of DTC (Ducati Traction Control), DDA (Ducati Data Analysis) and DQS (Ducati Quick Shift) as standard equipment. These features were previously available on Ducati’s premium S and R models.
DTC helps control the 1,198 cc Testastretta Evoluzione’s 170 horsepower, while the DQS electric shift assist will provide wide-open, clutch-less gear changes. For hardcore track day riders, DDS retrieves track data that can later be analyzed on a computer.
If the 1198 doesn’t satisfy your yearning for Italian high performance, just plop down $26,995 for the higher-spec 1198SP, which replaces last year’s S model.
In addition to standard DTC, DDA and DQC, the SP substitutes Showa suspension for a fully adjustable 43 mm Ohlins inverted fork and an Ohlins TTX shock.
Also standard are a lightweight aluminum fuel tank and Marchesini seven-spoke forged wheels. At 168 kg (370 lb) dry, the SP is three kilos lighter than the 1198. Weight over last year’s 1198S is one kilo.
Although we usually prefer red for Italian bikes, we must say the black 1198SP looks particularly ravishing.
