The first Ducati Superleggera V4 comes off the production line of the Borgo Panigale plant. Made in a limited and numbered series of 500 units, the Superleggera V4 is the only motorcycle in the world approved for road use with a carbon fibre frame, swingarm and rims.

Each motorcycle is equipped with a Racing kit: complete exhaust for Akrapovič racing track use in titanium; open clutch cover in carbon fibre; swingarm cover in carbon fibre with titanium “slider”; headlamp and light replacement kit; license plate holder removal kit; side stand removal kit; mirror replacement aluminium caps from billet; Ducati Data Analyzer + GPS (DDA + GPS); racing fuel cap, brake lever protection, motorcycle cover; front and rear stand and battery charger.

The 998 cc 90° V4 unit of the Superleggera V4 weighs 2.8 kg less than the 1,103 cc V4 and, thanks to the Akrapovič approved exhaust, produces 224 hp of power in road configuration which becomes 234 hp by mounting the titanium Akrapovič exhaust for track use, which is included in the Racing Kit supplied with the bike.

Thanks to the extensive use of carbon fibre, components made of titanium, magnesium, and others from aluminium billet, the Superleggera V4 shows a dry weight of 159 kg on the scale (16 kg less than the Panigale V4), for a power/weight ratio of 1.41 hp/kg. In track configuration, by mounting the Racing kit supplied with the bike, the power rises to 234 hp and the weight drops to 152.2 kg, with a power/weight ratio of 1.54 hp/kg.

The Superleggera V4 is the only motorcycle in the world, approved for road use, with the entire load-bearing structure of the chassis (frame, subframe, swingarm and rims), made of composite material. To ensure the highest quality and safety standards, these components are 100% controlled by the most sophisticated techniques borrowed from the aerospace industry, such as thermography, ultrasound checks, and tomography.

Many components are made of carbon fibre, modelled in advanced aerodynamic shapes. These include the fairing, which reaches efficiency levels higher than those of today’s MotoGP bikes, which are limited in this by the current technical regulations. Thanks to the aerodynamic biplane appendages inspired by Ducati’s 2016 MotoGP bike, the most highly-performing in this field, it is able to guarantee a vertical load of 50 kg of “downforce” at 270 km/h, 20 kg more than that produced by the wings of the 2020 Panigale V4 and V4R. This downforce improves acceleration by counteracting the tendency to wheelie and increases braking stability.

The carbon fairings are embellished with a livery inspired by the Desmosedici GP19, with an alternation of lines and depths between the red colour of the GP19 and the visible carbon that highlight the shapes, the materials and the technical details. The red continues on the coloured sides of the OEM Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP tyres, specifically developed in the construction for the Superleggera V4.

The electronic controls have also been evolved in a purely racing perspective. By default, the operating parameters of these are associated with three reprogrammed Riding Modes with specific names (Race A, Race B and Sport). In addition, for the first time, five Riding Modes can be added, customizable with your favourite settings.

The rider can monitor lap times through the evolution of the Lap Timer, which now allows you to store the coordinates of the finish line and the split times of five favourite circuits, so as to recall them every time you go out on the track without having to repeat the data logging procedure. By default, the system proposes the coordinates of the finish line and intermediates of Laguna Seca, Mugello, Jerez, Sepang and Losail.

Ohlins lightened suspensions with a pressurized fork and lightened billet foot and shock absorber with titanium spring and GP-derived valves are part of the equipment, which improve the absorption of road roughness in the initial compression phase. The braking system is the best of Brembo production with an MCS radial-pump equipped with remote control for adjusting the distance of the lever and Stylema R calipers, an exclusive of the Superleggera V4 that allows greater consistency of front brake travel in long runs on the track.

Priced at a whopping $100,000, the Superleggera V4 is an extreme machine, devised and designed to achieve maximum performance on the circuit, but at the same time guaranteeing the reliability and ease of use requirements typical of a sports motorcycle homologated for road use.

Ducati