Trick bits and slick kits
The chassis
The Superleggera V4 is the world’s only street-legal motorcycle with the entire loadbearing structure of the chassis (frame, subframe, swingarm and wheels) made from carbon. By doing that Ducati says that there’s a huge 6.7kg reduction in weight over the Panigale’s current frame.
A longer swingarm helps with track geometry, too.
The Aero
The carbon fairing, which has a level of aerodynamic efficiency that exceeds that of current MotoGP bikes, features the massive ‘biplane’ wings from the 2016 Ducati MotoGP motorcycle and delivers a downforce of 50kg at 168mph, 20kg more than that created by the aerofoils on the Panigale V4 and V4 R. Ducati says that the downforce improves acceleration, by countering the tendency to loft the front wheel. It also increases stability under hard braking.
The engine and other trick bits
The 998cc 90° V4 in the Superleggera weighs 2.8kg less than the 1,103cc V4 motor in the current bikes. With the Akrapovič exhaust fitted, the bike makes 224hp in road-legal configuration. That figure rises to 234hp when fitted with the titanium Akrapovič exhaust for track use, which is included in the Racing Kit supplied with the bike.
There’s also a dry clutch and individual manual adjustment of the Desmodromic timing system to get the most out of the bike for track riding.
There’s a ‘Race GP’ display on the Superleggera, which has been co-designed by MotoGP rider Andrea Dovizioso and is a direct offshoot of the instrument panel on the Desmosedici GP20 race bike.
Power and weight
The Superleggera V4 has a dry weight of 159kg (16kg less than the Panigale V4), resulting in a power-to-weight ratio of 1.41hp/kg, which is a record figure for a road-legal sports bike. Fitting the supplied Racing Kit and switching the bike to its track configuration boosts power to 234hp, dropping the weight to 152.2kg and raising the power-to-weight ratio to 1.54hp/kg.
The electronics
The Superleggera gets three reprogrammed Riding Modes (named Race A, Race B and Sport ). There are also – for the very first time – five additional Riding Modes that can be personalised with the rider’s preferred settings. Riders can monitor lap times via the upgraded Lap Timer, which can record finish line and split times coordinates for five favourite circuits. These can be recalled at the start of each track day without having to repeat the set up procedure. The default system settings feature the finish line/split time details of Laguna Seca, Mugello, Jerez, Sepang and Losail.
This is topped by a latest generation electronics package including EVO 2 strategies for the Ducati Traction Control and Ducati Quick Shift up/down.
The suspension and brakes
Other standard items include a lighter Öhlins suspension system, with a pressurised fork and lighter machined aluminium fork bottoms, a titanium shock absorber spring and GP-derived valves that improve the damping of road bumps during the initial compression stage.
The braking system is the best in the Brembo production range, with an MCS caliper featuring a remotely adjusted lever gap and Stylema R calipers, exclusive to the Superleggera V4, to provide greater frontbrake stroke consistency in long track runs.