Final Tally
Before conducting this test our preconceived notions weighed heavily toward the Suzuki. It's a solid package that would take a lot to dethrone. The Ducati proved to be a formidable opponent, with its new engine and stunning chassis taking a few of us by surprise. "The Suzuki was not as good as I thought it would be, while the 848 was better than I expected," scribbled Trevitt in his notes. But when the judges' scorecards were tallied, the narrow margin of victory went to the GSX-R750. The Ducati 848 did put up a good fight. On the racetrack it was an easy bike to ride fast. We were surprised at how well the "budget" Ducati handled itself compared with the Suzuki and its 1098 brothers. But its performance suffers on the street. Here the Suzuki truly is a jack of all trades, and that personality translates into great manners both on the track and on the street.
| MSRP | Ducati 848 | Suzuki GSX-R750 |
| $13,495 | $10,599 |
| ENGINE |
| Type | Liquid-cooled, 90-degree, 4-stroke L-twin
| Liquid-cooled, transverse, 4-stroke four |
| Displacement | 849cc
| 749cc |
| Bore x stroke | 94.0 x 61.2mm
| 70.0 x 48.7mm |
| Induction | Marelli EFI, single-valve oval throttle bodies equivalent to 56mm dia., 1 injector/cyl.
| SDTV EFI 42mm throttle bodies, 2 injectors/cyl. |
| CHASSIS |
| Front suspension | 43mm inverted cartridge fork, 5.0 in. travel
| 41mm inverted cartridge fork, 4.7 in. travel |
| Rear suspension | Single shock absorber, 5.0 in. travel
| Single shock absorber, 5.1 in. travel |
| Front tire | 120/70ZR-17 Pirelli Supercorsa Pro
| 120/70ZR-17 Bridgestone BT-016F E |
| Rear tire | 190/50ZR-17 Pirelli Supercorsa Pro
| 180/55ZR-17 Bridgestone BT-016R E |
| Rake/trail | 24.5 deg./3.8 in. (97mm)
| 23.5 deg./3.8 in. (97mm) |
| Wheelbase | 56.3 in. (1430mm)
| 55.3 in. (1404mm) |
| Weight | 435 lb. wet (197kg);
410 lb. dry (186kg) dry
| 447 lb. wet (203kg);
420 lb. dry (191kg) |
| Fuel consumption | 30–40 mpg, 37 mpg avg. | 38–47 mpg, 42 mpg avg. |