Ducati 939 Supersport S: the perfect combination of comfort and sportiness [ROAD TEST]

Beautiful, charming, sporty.

After the test with relative video of our tester Matteo Pozzi (you can find his article here), I'll tell you my impressions of the Ducati SuperSport S, which I was able to ride for a few days, picking it up in Borgo Panigale at the end of the Nice to Meet monster 797 event (here is the link with the test of the new Monster 797).

It is one of the innovations from Borgo Panigale, and, from its release to today, also one of the most talked about: the Ducati Supersport.

Its name, at first glance, may mislead us, making us think of a real super sports bike in the sector, but this motorbike is much more; in fact, it turns out to be extremely versatile, fun and accessible, designed for those who want to use the motorbike every day and with every convenience, from weekend roads to everyday ones, passing through curves outside the city.

With a sporty and captivating design, the red one (even if our example was white) from Ducati recalls the beauty and Italian elegance of the Panigale as regards the nose with the LED headlights typical of the super sports car par excellence and also an appeal like Monster with its stringy tail.

The Supersport has a convenient and comfortable driving position for every use and the adjustable screen, in height with a range of 50 mm, allows for further protection in conditions of greater exposure to the air.

The performance of the Testastretta 11° twin-cylinder engine is ideal for a motorbike also suitable for touring and capable of tackling long journeys, favoring the regularity and fluidity of the engine, in order to maximize ease of use and driving comfort. , also allowing every motorcyclist to be made into a rider, always and everywhere, in perfect Ducati style.

Already at 6.500 rpm, the maximum torque can be highlighted, i.e. at 96,7 Nm.

The new Ducati is characterized by a steel tube trellis frame fixed to the heads, which includes the engine as a structural part of the chassis.

It allows you to enhance the sporty and dynamic characteristics of the motorbike, especially in running order: compactness, lightness and high torsional rigidity.

The braking system consists of 2 semi-floating discs, M4-32 monobloc Brembo calipers with radial master cylinder and is supported by the Bosch ABS system.

Being a motorbike with a sporty heart, it features a single-sided aluminum swingarm and the suspensions are adjustable, although they differ between the standard version and the S version.

The electronics of the Ducati Supersport allow you to choose between three different maps (Sport, Touring and Urban) depending on your needs and, moreover, it is equipped with Ducati traction control (DTC), Ducati Quick/Shift (DQS) up/ down and preparation of the Ducati Multimedia System (DMS)

The DTC is able to detect and manage any slipping of the rear wheel, contributing to the safety of the vehicle and it is possible to adjust it via 8 "degrees of sensitivity" which can be preset depending on the map chosen, or managed independently based on preferences and then memorized.

The DQS, on the other hand, was designed above all for those who love sporty riding and, why not, for those who also want to use this bike on the track; it is an electronic system that allows you to change and downshift gears without closing the throttle and without squeezing the clutch.

The Ducati Supersport has two versions: the SuperSport, present only in red, the Supersport S, present in both red and 'Star White'.

The SuperSport features an adjustable Mazzocchi fork with 43 mm diameter stanchions, while the S version has Ohlins forks that are always adjustable and 48 mm in diameter.

Other specific features of the S are the adjustable shock absorber, again from Ohlins, the Ducati Quick/Shift as standard (the provision is present in the standard version) and the matching passenger seat cover.

Like every Ducati, a large number of accessories are also available for the Supersport, in order to make each motorbike exclusive and allow it to perform from every point of view: both for racing on the track and obtaining maximum performance, and for creating a style and ergonomics that belong only to the driver.

The accessories are present in the 4 Sport, Touring and Urban packages.

Our test

Splendid at first glance, as soon as you get on the saddle you can immediately recognize the comfort of the saddle and the seat in general, as well as the instrumentation, which can be appreciated from the first moment thanks to its intuitiveness.

Once turned on, the new Ducati Supersport S can only enchant you and make you fall in love with it, like love at first sight on a first date; easy to handle, easy, docile but mean at the same time, it is a motorbike capable of supporting you and allowing you to do with it what you want depending on the needs of the moment.

The adjustable Ohlins monoshock, the single-sided aluminum swingarm, as well as the latest evolution of the steel trellis frame fixed to the heads which becomes an integral part of the chassis, make it particularly stable.

As already mentioned, the driving position appears decidedly comfortable even when moving; the presence of half-handlebars, but positioned in a "touristic" way, and not of a high handlebar, still allows you not to put too much weight on your arms, shoulders and wrists as in classic super sports bikes and to be able to maintain an adequate riding position even for long distances travels, letting out, together with the 16 l tank, its touring spirit.

On stretches of road that are poorly protected from the air, the 50 mm adjustable windshield is essential to allow less rider fatigue.

The curb weight of 210 kg (184 dry) makes it particularly easy to handle, especially on mixed terrain, where the Supersport manages to give its best: it is the perfect combination of comfort and sportiness of a motorbike that manages to make you have fun, but at the same time never get tired, not even physically.

When leaning it gives you safety and is extremely stable, thanks also to the electronics that allow us to adapt the bike to our liking: the three riding modes (urban, touring and sport) act on the engine delivery automatically but it is possible can also manage DTC and ABS individually, with 8 and 3 manually selectable sensitivity levels respectively.

The Quick/Shift, which allows you to both change and downshift without using the clutch, appears extremely comfortable while driving, especially during long journeys or during slightly more aggressive driving.

The engine is always smooth and spirited despite its "only" 113 hp which, at first glance, may seem low but which, even during the various tests on the track, were still enough to ensure guaranteed fun.

At low levels it appears to be a bit empty, but ultimately, we can say that it is a bike that we liked (and a lot too), giving us an unexpected feeling right from the start, which allowed us to appreciate it from first to last moment.

Our tester's clothing in the photo:
Jacket: Spidi Evorider Tex
Gloves: Spidi STR-4 Coupe
Trousers: Spidi Ronin Pants
TCX R-S2 Evo boots
Caberg Duke II Legend Ducati helmet