This is a motorcycle I've wanted to test since I first saw it nearly two years ago. In 2008,1 tested Ducati's gorgeous little 848 and vividly remembered how sweet a thing it was. It was almost impossible to fault as a road-going Ducati sportsbike - not too aggressive in the engine department, beautiful handling and looks to match the then top-of-the-line 1098 S and R. So when I finally got thrown the keys to the 848 Evo last week, you can bet I was more than just a little excited.
I'll start by making a huge statement. This thing corners better than almost any bike I've ridden in the past three years. It steers almost by telepathy; it's that bloody good. The 848 Evo is so light, so nimble, the only thing I can think of that'll give it a run in the twisties is a Triumph Daytona 675R - amazing when you consider the Evo is running the same suspension as the standard 848 and the Triumph has Ohlins goodies. The Evo crankshaft's reduced rotational mass to the standard 848 goes a long way to explaining why this thing steers with such ease and precision - as does the fact Ducati runs a 180-section rear tyre, rather than the 190 it could have gone for.
It's interesting how late you can jam the brakes on, which, for the record, are bloody marvellous. The brakes are Brembo's Monoblocs taken straight off the 1198Superbike range- the power these things give is extraordinary, and there's feel to match the bite; you only tension on the lever from half of one finger to pull the thing up.
The main difference between the Evo and the standard 848 comes in the engine department. There are 60mm throttle bodies replacing the 56mm units from before, the compression ratio has been raised substantially (13.2:1 vs 12:1), the rev ceiling is500rpm higher and the race-spec camshafts have a longer duration and higher lift to precipitate a claimed 4kW increase in overall grunt. Said grunt may be more plentiful but it is also smoother, particularly when delivered from a closed throttle out of hairpin corners.
This is still a new Ducati engine in every sense of the word - power down low isn't as full-on as the Ducatis of old, instead the 848 likes to rev, likes to hold gears and deliver excellent power in the upper rev echelons.
What is most surprising was how nice the Evo is on the road. That might sound stupid, but it has much nicer on-road manners than the 1198, which gets all hot and bothered in traffic.
That being said, it's a true sportsbike and gets uncomfortable on the highway with its bum-in-the-air riding position. But if you're after a machine that will outright embarrass superbikes when the road gets all twisty, you'd be a hard taskmaster if the 848 Evo didn't do it for you.
Protect your Ducati. Call Shannons Insurance on 13 46 46 to get a quote today.
