The most obvious improvement of the ’99 900SS is visual. While the 900SS was not a bad motorcycle, it had a few bad habits that Ducati has taken significant steps to rectify. A complete redesign is not always necessary to improve a motorcycle.
Spit and Polish Earlier in the day, Ducati director of Testing and Research Andrea Forni gave us the dirt on the new 900SS. This is not the old 900 that would poop out before it ever got near the redline, this motorcycle pulls right to the top. Hammering the throttle up the front straightaway, the rev-limiter kicks in all too soon. Turns Nine and 10 are fast sweepers, and despite its quick-steering geometry, the 900SS remained rock stable.
The next four laps were supposed to be lead by a representative from Ducati North America, but after he ran off the track in Turn Six, it was open-throttle season at Laguna Seca.ĭown through the corkscrew, the reworked suspension worked flawlessly, the front providing good feedback. Looking back, it was a good idea because we would have opened up the throttle and might have wadded on the cold, moist track. On the Track On a cold Thursday morning at Laguna Seca Raceway just before the US round of World Superbike Championship racing, journalists mounted the 1999 Supersport 900s and were led around the 2.2 mile road course by a guy in a goofy open-face helmet on a ratty-looking CBR600F2.
