Ducati says that the Superleggera V4 is "the most powerful and technologically advanced production Ducati we have ever built. It will be produced as a limited edition of just 500 individually numbered motorcycles - the only street-legal motorcycle in the world with a carbon fibre chassis, swingarm and wheels, biplane wings and extreme aerodynamics".
Deliveries will start in June 2020 at the rate of five bikes per day. The package that Ducati has prepared for enthusiasts who purchase a Superleggera V4 also includes access to the "SBK Experience", allowing owners to ride the Panigale V4 R, which competes in the SBK World Championship, on a test track at Mugello. "Even more amazingly, 30 Superleggera V4 owners will have an exclusive opportunity to enjoy the “MotoGP Experience” and live the dream of every racing enthusiast. For the very first time, they will be able to ride a circuit on the Desmosedici GP20 used by Dovizioso and Petrucci, with the close support of the Ducati Corse technicians".
The chassis dimensions have been modified for optimised track use by increasing the length of the swingarm; the power/weight ratio is 1.54 hp/kg in racing kit configuration - a record value for a street-legal bike. "The overall result is unparalleled deceleration power, faster leaning down into corners and sharper lines riding out of bends". The Superleggera V4 has a dry weight of just 159 kg (16 kg less than the Panigale V4).
"Many components are made of carbon fibre, moulded into advanced aerodynamic shapes. These include the fairing, which ensures a level of aerodynamic efficiency that matches and exceeds that of current MotoGP bikes. Thanks to the 'biplane' aerofoils inspired by the 2016 Ducati MotoGP, with the highest performance in this field, it can guarantee a downforce of 50 kg at 270 kph, 20 kg 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.
"The carbon fibre fairings also sport an eye-catching Desmosedici GP19-inspired livery that juxtaposes the red of the GP19 with naked carbon that emphasises shapes, materials and technical details.
"Beneath the carbon skin lies the Desmosedici Stradale R engine, lighter and more powerful than ever. The 998 cm3 90-degree V4 that powers the Superleggera V4 weighs 2.8 kg less than the 1,103 cm3 V4. Thanks to a type-approved Akrapovic exhaust, it delivers no less than 224 CV in road-legal configuration (EU homologation figures). That figure rises to 234 CV when fitted with the titanium Akrapovic exhaust for track use, which is included in the Racing Kit supplied with the bike".
These special events and opportunities are as unique as this new Ducati model. The Superleggera V4 is extreme, designed and developed to achieve maximum on-track performance and ensures all the reliability and rider-friendliness of a road-legal sport bike.
With the Superleggera V4, Ducati pushes back the limits even further. The technical expertise and knowledge developed and continuously evolved in MotoGP is made available to enthusiasts of engineering and performance on two wheels.
