My first laps on this bike weren't great. Tim had been out on it just before me and must have found it hugely frustrating. The bike was in sport modetransformation of the package was something else. With the likes of traction and wheelie control now set to their least intrusive positions, the Ducati came alive, delivering the kind of ferocity you'd expect from a fire-breathing Bologna bullet with 215bhp on tap. The power was insatiable but not intimidating, punching me out of bends with clinical levels of deliverance thanks to the silky throttle connection. The V4 motor is a joy to experience, and I'd say the same about the gearbox, shifter and blipper too. Squeezing hard on the Brembos, the Ducati was a doddle to haul up, but the thing that never failed to surprise me was the degree of abuse I could fire at the slipper clutch without the slightest of tantrums. The Blade, in particular, was really bad for backing in if you changed down with too many revs, especially into Goddards. The Ducati, on the other hand, was a master at absorbing excessive amounts of revolutions, keeping the bike in line and focused as I pitched in towards apexes.
