THE ULTIMATEGOING ROAD SUPERBIKE?
Fancy the most powerful and technologically advanced production bike to ever come out of Bologna? Well you’re in for a treat…
Keeping with tradition, the new Superleggera is based upon the current V4 machine, but that’s about where the similarities end. See, the Superleggera is the only streetlegal motorcycle in the world to come equipped with carbon fibre chassis, swingarm and wheels, giving it an absolutely mindboggling dry weight of 159kg, or 152.2kg with the racing kit. This is assisted by the extensive use of carbon fibre, titanium and magnesium components, giving the Superleggera V4 a power-toweight ratio of 1.41hp/kg – a record for a road-legal sports bike. As far as power goes, the Superleggera makes 224hp @ 15,250rpm, or a whopping 234hp @ 15,500rpm with the race exhaust, alongside 116Nm @ 11,750rpm and 119Nm @ 11.750rpm on the torque front. The 998cc V4 engine itself weighs a whopping 2.8kg less than the V4 you’ll find in the 1,103cc V4 machines, thanks to a whole host of weight-saving techniques and expensive materials: the use of titanium and aluminium bolts; a new, lighter disc clutch; camshafts machined to reduce weight; a lighter gearshift drum; an oil pump without a return stage from the heads; and titanium manifolds that work alongside the road-legal Akrapovi silencer. It’s not just about the 2.8kg weight reduction compared to the 1,103cm V4 engine though, as it’s also produced a gain of 3 horsepower. Ducati have gone just as hard on improving the bike elsewhere, as the use of extreme materials and engineering has translated all the way over to the gorgeous aerodynamic package, which, Ducati say, offers 50kg of downforce at 270kph; 20kg more than the wings on the standard Panigale, for additional antiwheelie and braking stability.
What about the suspension and the brakes, I hear you ask? Well, Ducati have gone to town on those as well, equipping the Panigale V4 Superleggera with a lighter Öhlins suspension system, that include a pressurised fork and lighter machined aluminium fork bottoms, alongside a titanium shock absorber spring and GPderived valves that improve the damping of road bumps during the initial compression stage. As far as stopping goes, the braking system is the best in the Brembo production range, with an MCS calliper featuring a remotely adjusted lever gap and Stylema® R callipers, exclusive to the Superleggera V4, which Ducati say provides greater front-brake stroke consistency, especially on long runs.
Electronically, the bike has been developed with three re-programmed riding modes (Race A, Race B & Sport) alongside, for the very first time, five additional Riding Modes that can be personalised with the rider’s preferred settings. Oh, and if you end up heading to Laguna Seca, Mugello, Jerez, Sepang or Losail, the upgraded lap timer will allow you to record finish line and split times for these circuits, as a default setting. Nice.
Fancy one? There will be just 500 made, all individually numbered and provided with a certificate of authenticity for good measure. It will set you back around £90,000, and if you fancy, you’ll also be able to purchase an exclusive air-bag suit and carbon lid so you can match up.
But the best part? The package that Ducati have prepared for those lucky devils that manage to nab a Superleggera V4 also includes access to the ‘SBK Experience’, allowing owners to ride the official Panigale V4 R, which competes in the SBK World Championship, on a test day at Mugello. If riding a Superbike wasn’t quite up to scratch for you however, 30 Superleggera V4 owners will have an exclusive opportunity to enjoy the ‘MotoGP Experience’, which means that for the very first time, they will be able to ride on the Desmosedici GP20 used by Dovizioso and Petrucci, with the close support of the Ducati Corse technicians. Does that sound factory, or what.