2010 Ducati 848

Dates announced for 848 Challenge including two BSB rounds

The 848 is Ducati's most impressive middleweight Superbike ever. Its exceptional lightweight and legendary Ducati chassis set-up combined with the smooth and thrilling torque delivery of the L-Twin Desmo provide the ideal way to enter the world of Ducati Superbikes.

Pumping out a class-beating 70.8lb-ft (9.8kgm) of torque with a dry weight of just 168kg (369lb), the super-agile 848 is able to deliver impressive performances whether riding through mid-town traffic or racing through track-day competition. The adjustable Showa front suspension with radially mounted Brembo brakes and adjustable Showa suspension behind creates a compact and accessible set-up.

Iconic features from its bigger brothers, such as the twin under-seat silencers, single-sided swingarm, Trellis frame and beautiful race bodywork, are all part of the 848's DNA. Its family resemblance assures that it is equipped with all the performance advancements of the Superbike family, while adding its own particular refinements to the middleweight sportbike class.

For 2010, the 848 gets the same latest, bright, easy-to-read instrumentation as the 1198 as well as a new urban-style Dark colour scheme. The matte black tank and bodywork with racing black frame and black wheels now lines up alongside the original pearl white with racing grey frame and black wheels and traditional Ducati red with red frame and black wheels to complete the three colours.

The 848 Testastretta Evoluzione engine

The potent 848 is powered by a liquid cooled, L-Twin, Desmodromic engine that produces 134hp (98.5kW) @ 10,000rpm and a high accelerating 70.8lb-ft (9.8kgm) of torque @ 8,250rpm.

The 94mm x 61.2mm bore and stroke breathes through 4 valves per cylinder fed by racing-style elliptical throttle bodies. Electronically injected and ignited by Marelli, the super-efficient power unit then exhausts through a lightweight 2-1-2 system equipped with a catalytic converter and lambda probe to conform to Euro3 regulations.

The highly advanced 848 engine was the first Ducati Superbike to introduce vacuum die-cast crankcases, formed using Vacural® technology, a process that achieves a significant weight saving and ensures consistent wall thickness and increased strength.

These incredible achievements are a fitting reward to Ducati's ingenuity and a clear result of the continual attention to detail and development of their twin-cylinder technology.