http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.asp...&topart=pickups
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On the Weekend
The Ducati produces 95 hp and weighs just 397 pounds. The Fit delivers 22 more hp but has to haul more than an extra ton of metal, glass and rubber. Not surprisingly, the Ducati was the star of the dragstrip. Our hired gun, professional test rider Matthias Jezek, hustled the Hypermotard to 60 mph more than 6 seconds quicker than we could manage in the Honda. In fact, the Ducati reaches 90 mph before the Honda even gets to 60 mph—about two-and-a-half seconds sooner. That’s staggering. So it seems like the Fit must be no fun at all, right? We disagree. The Honda isn’t quick—heck, it’s downright slow. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a blast on a really good slab of tarmac.
Glendora Mountain Road rises from roughly 750 ft at the base to around 3500 ft near the top. It doesn’t have long, sweeping curves but rather tight corners that reward a nimble machine. The Ducati is made for this road. Its long-travel suspension, breathtaking engine and nearly race-spec Brembo brakes make short work of switchbacks. But on test day, Glendora was a minefield. Recent rainstorms had loosened debris from above and caused dirt and softball-size rocks to roll down onto the road. It takes a special kind of bravado (or stupidity) to ride a motorcycle at 10/10ths when every corner hides a mudslide. And we did dial back our speed. Still, short of a full-fledged enduro, this Hypermotard was as well-suited to the challenging terrain as any ride.
One might have thought the Italian Stallion would have walked away from the lowly Fit on this road. But at almost every turn heading up the mountain, the Fit filled the bike’s rearview mirror. The handling balance and grip from this Honda is extraordinary for a car in its class. You can fling the Fit hard into the tightest corner, ride the brakes slightly to take the edge off the understeer and then power out to the next turn. It was surprisingly quick, especially on the downhill, where momentum makes up for the lack of engine power. The Fit actually arrived at the bottom of Glendora ahead of the Ducati—its front brakes nearly smoking. Fun? Oh yeah."
Sounds like Initial D lol.
Linear Mode
