So the wait is finally over. After a lot of testing, leaked specs, months of speculations, and a various bunch of spy shots, Ducati Superleggera V4 has been officially unveiled and to ensure it is indeed ‘Superleggera’, Ducati has used quite a handful of carbon-fibre!
Carbon-fibre all around
In fact, Ducati says that the Superleggera V4 is the world’s only street-legal motorcycle with the entire load-bearing structure of the chassis (frame, subframe, swingarm and wheels) made from composite material, achieving a 6.7kg reduction in weight. Carbon-fibre fairing moulded into aerodynamic shapes ensures a level of aerodynamic efficiency that matches and exceeds that of current MotoGP bikes.
Talking of MotoGP bikes, the Superleggera V4 has a set of biplane aerofoils (winglets) inspired by the 2016 Ducati MotoGP bike. Ducati says that these winglets are capable of generating a downforce of 50kg at 270km/h! That’s 20kg more than that created by the aerofoils on the Panigale V4 MY20 and V4 R. This downforce improves acceleration, by countering the tendency to wheel-up, and increases braking stability.
Ducati Superleggera V4 engine specs
Under that carbon-fibre fairing, there’s the heart of the matter – 998cc, 90-degree V4, which produces 224bhp in stock form and 234bhp with the titanium Akrapovic in place. Thanks to extensive use of carbon fibre, titanium and magnesium components and others machined from solid aluminium, the Superleggera V4 has a dry weight of just 159kg (16 kg less than the Panigale V4), resulting in a power-to-weight ratio of 1.41 hp/kg: a record-breaking figure for a road-legal sports bike. Mounting the supplied Racing kit and switching the bike to its track configuration boosts power to 234 hp, dropping the weight to 152.2 kg and raising the power-to-weight ratio to 1.54 hp/kg.
Ducati Superleggera V4 electronics
The electronics package has 3 reprogrammed riding modes – Race A, Race B and Sport along with, for the very first time, 5 additional riding modes that can be personalised with the rider’s preferred settings. The Superleggera V4 also features Ducati’s EVO 2 strategies for the DTC and DQS up/down.
Other key specs-
- Ohlins suspension
- Brembo Stylema R callipers
- Eye-catching Desmosedici GP19-inspired livery
Production and delivery-
Ducati has said that the Superleggera V4 will be limited to only 500 units, all individually numbered and provided with a certificate of authenticity. The start of deliveries is planned for June 2020 in Europe and, given the extreme complexity of the production of so many components, the rate is limited to only 5 bikes/day. However, all the bikes will be produced within 2020.
