Two Touring versions of Ducati Supersport 950 imminent?

The time when as a manufacturer you could hold your cards tight to your chest, and then announce the completely new model like a bolt from the blue, but thanks to publicly accessible files from government departments, that has become almost impossible.

For example, for every engine marketed in the United States, a homologation application must be submitted to the CARB, the California Air Resources Board. In addition, there is the NHTSA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, where you can find recalls and bulletin boards for all models, including those that have not yet been put on the market.

Information from the CARB now shows that Ducati has applied for homologation for a Supersport 950 T and a Supersport 950 ST, in addition to the existing Supersport 950 and Supersport 950 S, which have received new funnies for model year 2023.

Not much can be deduced from the data, except that the two new models are powered by the same engine under the skin, with the same displacement of 937 cc, which has become the standard V-twin on the Panigale V2 and Streetfighter V2 that also powers the Hypermotard. , the Monster and the Multitstrada V-twin.

So we don’t know more than that at the moment. As far as acronyms go, the T could stand for Touring, which could indicate standard panniers, higher handlebars, a more comfortable seat and increased aerodynamic protection. The ST could then be the sportier variant, which differs in the same way as the regular Supersport 950 and the 950 S.

For the time being, however, it remains to look like coffee grounds. The fact that Ducati has applied for homologation is not a 100% guarantee that the models will actually come. It will not be the first time that all the paperwork has been done for an upcoming model, but that the bicycle will not be put on the market after all.

The future will tell whether we have completely missed the mark, or whether we have been right.