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Driving report Ducati 748 R

Everything to win

Ducati does not want to be satisfied with a subscription to the Superbike World Championship. Now you want to get back to the top in the super sports class. The 748 R is supposed to help with the finest engine technology.

The test of courage follows the close links shortly after the start and finish. Now just don’t lift it, no matter how hard your head struggles, the three murderously fast left kinks are full. And if you really take it to the full, you will have the necessary speed on the long back straight. The speedometer marks a good 250 things 200 meters from the braking point. Not bad for a two-cylinder 748 cubic centimeters.
The brand new Ducati 748 R owes this record-breaking top speed on the one hand to its sovereign chassis, which cuts through this key part of the tricky Misano racing circuit even when fully leaning and with maximum pull on the rear wheel. On the other hand, the extensively revised engine provides the necessary amount of power to adequately accelerate the 192 kilogram racer.
The R is without a doubt the icing on the cake of the 748 collection. Not just because R stands for racing and racing is always something special. It really contains everything that is good and expensive – and above all, makes it fast. For 28,340 marks there is, so to speak, the technology of the world champion. For the first time in the history of series production, Ducati is using CNC-milled combustion chambers. This very complex machining of the cylinder heads was previously only reserved for racing engines and is intended to ensure optimal flushing and combustion. For better filling, the valves were each enlarged by one millimeter in diameter, and the intake pipes grew to a diameter of 54 millimeters. Lighter, optimized pistons and titanium connecting rods reduce the oscillating masses and thus increase the speed stability.
The highlight, however, is the new injection system. Their injection nozzles are no longer screwed into the housings of the throttle valves as is usually the case. Like a superbike racing engine, they hang just above the intake stacks. On the one hand, this should ensure better mixing of air and injected fuel, and on the other hand, it should lower the temperature of the intake air. Which in turn results in a higher density of the air and thus better filling. A trick that has long been known from Formula One. To further increase performance in the upper speed range, intake pipes and funnels have also been greatly shortened.
And is it worth all the effort? It’s worth it. At least the first driving impressions on the Misano racetrack are convincing. Incredibly direct and spontaneous, the two-cylinder hangs on the gas, pushes the yellow splendor out of tight corners even at medium speeds and turns without any weaknesses up to the limiter at 12,100 rpm. If you didn’t know better, you could imagine yourself on a larger displacement 996. After all, the basic version of the R is supposed to propel 106 hp, and one hopes for a lot more for racing.
On the chassis side, Ducati relies on tried and tested technology, with the exception of lighter bikes. Space frame, single-sided swing arm, spring elements from Showa ?? everything as usual, everything almost perfect. Extremely stable in long curves, as usual stubborn in tight baffles. Anyone who wants to kill at lightning speed either needs the strength of a heavy athlete or the technology of the new Ducati works driver Ruben Xaus. “Brake a little earlier and then help straighten the machine with a light push of the gas”, this is how the quick change of lean angle works without bending the handlebars. Says Ruben.
NOTOn the other hand, Ducati is breaking new ground with the front tire. The Pirelli in the 120/65 format is slightly superior to the traditional 120/70 in terms of stability, but the really good feeling when braking in an inclined position doesn’t come spontaneously. You have to get used to the higher erection torque of this construction for a few laps. But then you can really enjoy inclines again.

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