Ducati has never made an official 848S. Why not? Who the hell knows, because it would certainly answer lots of the criticism that the stock 848 has suffered from. So Ducati UK has set the record straight by pillaging the Ducati Performance catalogue and building their own 848S.
So what's on it? Well, the headline figures are a set of Ohlins forks (as found on the 1198S - and hence the 1098R, too), a trick Ohlins rear shock, lightwight alloy Marchesini wheels (from a Hypermotard S), a slipper clutch, Termignoni silencers, a steering damper, a quick action throttle, new levers and copious amounts of carbon.
So that all adds up to give you an 848 with more power (thanks to the end cans), less weight (thanks to the carbon and the new wheels) and more control (thanks to the suspension and slipper clutch changes). What's not to like.
The bike passed its first two tests at a sunny Brands Hatch where not only did it pass the noise regs (just, it hit 104 dB) but it also caught the eye of almost everyone there. It really is a stunning looking bike, the carbon extras really set the 848 off beautifully.
But how does it go? Well, I'll admit to being a bit disappointed that the engine hadn't had any work to it before I ride it, but the package that Ducati has produced is sublime. It really doesn't need any more power as it's plenty fast especially around the confined space of Brands Hatch), but it's the increased ability in the agility department that really impresses. The stock bike's standard Showa suspension is really the weak link as it doesn't offer the control that you hope for, but the work done by the Ohlins units really sets the record straight. I felt that I could put it anywhere around Brands Hatch, with zero drama.
Other additions also work really well. The slipper clutch offers great balance and accuracy, especially at the death defying Paddock Hill bend (and the less dramatic Druids), while the quick action throttle provided easy access to the delicious power available.
We've yet to see the bill for all of this work, but we suspect that it's going to be at least four grand. That ain't cheap, but aspiring for perfection never is.
For more details, or to hound Ducati UK into making a few, go to www.ducati.com/od/ducatiuk
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