In 2001, the Italian motorcycle maker launched the Ducati 748S, a fully faired sports motorcycle with several modifications. Also, the bike packed the same engine as the Ducati 748 SP and SPS.
The bike rolled on five-spoke Marchesini wheels finished in grey to match the frame and packed the same adjustable steering head used on earlier models. The front Showa fork featured a Titanium-Nitrid coating that reduced stiction and gave it a gold color.
The 2001 Ducati 748S packed standard features, such as a full fairing with a dual headlight system, a small windscreen, a single seat, a dual exhaust system with mufflers mounted under the seat, a single-sided swingarm, and five-spoke wheels.
The 2001 Ducati 748S had installed underneath its fairing a 748cc four-stroke liquid-cooled V-twin engine fed by an electronically-controlled fuel injection system, delivering 96 hp at 10,900 rpm and 75 Nm (55 lb-ft) torque at 8,700 rpm.
The power produced by the engine was handled by a six-speed manual transmission with a hydraulically-controlled multi-plate clutch and a final chain drive that spun the rear wheel to a top speed of 250 kph (155 mph).
The bike was stopped by a Brembo braking system, with two 320 mm discs coupled to four-piston calipers on the front wheel and a 220 mm disc squeezed by a single-piston caliper on the rear wheel, offering excellent braking performance.