Ducati 851 Sport
DUCATI 851 SPORT
CW RIDING IMPRESSION
Italian Alternative
FOR MANY PEOPLE. ANY TALK about sportbikes is actually a conversation about Ducatis. Reverential whispers about 750 and 900 Supersports could lead you to believe the genesis of today’s modern sportbike was in Italy. Of course, there is more than a grain of truth to that, and. at the very least, the bright-red, 1990 Ducati 851 Sport seen here is proof the Italians still know a thing or two about building outstanding sportbikes.
As evidenced by our 500 miles on the bike and by the qualifying times at Daytona this year (a race-kitted 851 was third-quickest, running against similarly modified 750cc Fours), Ducati offers a sportbike with every bit the refinement, power and handling of its four-cylinder Japanese competition.
Originally, we had planned to include the 851 in this month’s 750 sportbike comparison. Unfortunately, that didn't happen due to logistical problems. We had requested a test unit from Cagiva North America months earlier, but despite our best efforts to get the bike, and the company’s assurances that it was on its way, the 851 did not arrive until after we had completed the comparison test. Still, we have a good idea where it fits in the class.
Our 851 went 150 miles an hour; two miles per hour faster than the Suzuki GSX-R750. We tested one of the very first 851s brought into America back in 1988. and that machine went 1 54 miles an hour, but the new bike is more refined and considerably quieter than that early bike. Our new 851 sprinted through the quarter-mile with a time of 1 1.26 seconds, just a fraction behind the Yamaha OWOl's 11.20-second time, which was the third-quickest of the 750s. So, performance-wise, the 851 is in the hunt with the other bikes.
That an eight-valve Twin. albeit one with liquid-cooling, desmodromic valve actuation and lOOcc of extra displacement, could even get close to the inline-Fours of the ZX-7, GSX-R and OWO 1. and the V-Four of the RC30, is quite an achievement. Fart of the explanation can be traced to the Weber fuel-injection system employed on the 851. The electronically controlled system meters fuel into the cylinders, compensating for ambient air temperature, altitude, throttle opening and engine speed. The result is nearly perfect running, without any fiat spots. We did experience some occasional cold-starting problems, however, as the engine was reluctant to get going on chilly mornings, and it would backfire on trailing throttle.
Once warmed up, though, the engine performed wonderfully. With more low-end grunt than the RC30, the 851 chugs through the corners, then blasts out of them with a powerful lunge accompanied by a deepthroated exhaust note. It pulls strongly up to about 9000 rpm before the power begins to drop off just before the 10,000-rpm redline. The engine is as easy to use as the RC30’s, though it lacks the Honda’s midrange power and top-end rush.
It also lacks the smooth-shifting RC gearbox. The six-speed transmission on the Ducati works great at higher engine speeds, but gets a little balky with low-rpm, or timid shifts. Perhaps with more miles, the transmission will loosen up. One thing missing is the dry clutch that is standard on the European models.
Mated to the stout engine is a chassis as beautiful as it is functional. A series of triangulated sections made out of chrome-moly steel tubes tie the steering head to the aluminum, box-sectioned swingarm. A 42mm Marzocchi fork with well-matched damping and spring rates is mounted up front, and a Marzocchi shock takes care of rear-suspension chores.
Between the stiffness of its frame and the precision of its suspension units, the Ducati handles on par with the rest of the class on the street—it would have been interesting to run the 851 against the 750 Fours around Riverside Raceway. It feels lighter than all but the RC30, although at 474 pounds it’s actually heavier than
all but the ZX-7. The fork is a little on the firm side, and initially, the shock was set way too stiff, jarring the rider over bumps. We set the rebound damping between the third and fourth clicks and the compression damping on its third setting, and that helped considerably.
For the most part, the Ducati falls right into the middle of the hardcore 750s in terms of performance, handling and price. It sells for $ 10,900, and so far, only 130 of them have been brought into America. It’s quite a bit more expensive than the Suzuki or Kawasaki, but it’s a far less expensive limited-production motorcycle than the RC30 or OWO1.
Regardless of the price, the Ducati is unique among the class. It has a distinctive look, sound and feel, and it forces you into no more compromises than the other bikes. But above and beyond being a great motorcycle. the 85 1 gives you something the RC, OW, ZX and GSX-R can't: A con nection with some of the most-leg endary sportbikes ever made.
$10,900
