1607 DT final

superbike. It features Ducati’s patented
desmodromic valve system (don’t worry
what this is, just take it from us, it works
and helps this engine make serious
power and torque at any speed).
Hit the freeway and this is where the
Ducati starts to show its racing pedigree.
There is something quite raw about
the Ducati engine – it’s perhaps not as
refined as some of the big bore offerings
out there - but we like that. The rider is
ensconced in a bubble as you open the
throttle and she leaps forward to eat
up the kilometres. Best you watch out
though, the fuzz is just waiting for bikes
like this. It does not feel as fast as it
really is and before you know it you are
blitzing along at Mach 4. Best to set the
cruise control to 125kph odd and be a
responsible citizen. The combination of
shape, width and firmness is excellent,
and makes long hours on the move easy
to cope with.
Damn there’s lots to do today - but
what the heck – let’s take the long way
round. Hit a route for over Fishers Hill
where we used to go and look over
the lights of JHB with our favourite
girlfriends... Times they are a-changing,
Fishers Hill is all fenced in now - nowhere
to stop and take a snap... real shame,
but the twisties are still super cool as you
open the throttle and imagine that you
are Carl Fogarty.
The seat is comfortable - but there is
a bit of engine heat radiating through.
Fine for winter, but we’ll check it out
again in summer. The screen offers great
protection and can be adjusted up or
down on the fly via a clever clip system.
Heading for home in the evening, the
lights cut a swathe showing the way. One
of the coolest bikes we’ve ridden this
year... Tomorrow its off-road time...
Day 2 saw us in the dirt.
Guys we are going to say this... You
need to ride this bike to understand how
good it is in the dirt. The suspension
and handling is simply superb. We are
not sure how Ducati has achieved this
but, despite the size of this machine, we
literally hurled it around on the tracks and
trails on some of our favourite haunts.
Every time we hit a little lurker or rocky
piece, we kinda waited for things to go
wrong - and they didn’t...
On good gravel, it is
tremendous, excitingly powerful
and really stable. On the small
single spoors, we threaded
our way over small rocky
pieces through the veld and the
bike felt perfectly at home with
the Pirelli tyres finding great traction. And
standing is perfectly natural, with the
rubber mounted bars helping to absorb
the lurkers.
When we started getting airborne, the
editor of this here publication decided
that it was perhaps time to call it a day.
Quit while we’re ahead. It’s easy to
forget that you are actually on a massive
adventure machine.
Conclusions:
Adventure aficionados, this bike is
simply amazing. We love the rawness of
the Ducati engine. We love the overall
distance comfort and we are blown away
by how good this bike is off the beaten
tracks. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea -
we’ve often been quoted that the big
adventure machines are simply too big
for the kind of riding that we enjoy.
But man - oh man - if you are into the
whole big Adventure phenomenon, best
you go and ride one.
R242 900 for the base model.
Touring or sports pack add 15k.
(011) 919-1600
50 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE JULY 2016