Ducati’s released its most extreme road bike ever, with MotoGP-inspired carbon-ceramic brakes and carbon forks and a new V4 engine. Making 247bhp and weighing 167kg in track trim, it’s an incredible piece of work – here’s what’s gone into it…
Ducati is 100 this year, as we have reported before, and we’ve been waiting for some sort of mega machinery release to mark the occasion. Last month we had the nice-but-steady Formula 73 machine, a Scrambler-based homage to the 1973 Supersport machine. This, though, is something else entirely. It’s like the sort of thing we’d come up with in our wildest dreams down the pub after a few pints of the good stuff, and we utterly love it.
Starting at the beginning, it’s called the Superleggera V4 Centenario Panigale, which translates as superlight V4 centenary Panigale. Superleggera models have come and gone over the years, but are generally amongst the most expensive, most trick variants of Ducati’s top models. They get premium parts and exotic materials, with the aim of minimal mass and extreme performance, and are the sauciest machines Borgo Panigale makes, outside its MotoGP skunk works.
But this is something else. Starting with the bare spec, this £135k, limited-to-500-bikes creation has a full carbon-fibre frame, swingarm, bodywork and wheels – so far so normal. But it also has MotoGP-spec carbon fibre outer fork tubes – which you don’t see every day of the week, or at all on road bikes – and in another first on a road bike, a set of Brembo Hyction carbon/ceramic front brake discs with special carbon pads and GP4-HY billet monobloc calipers to match.
The engine is also a unique new design. Ducati’s sort of merged the 1,103cc version of its V4S Desmosedici Stradale powerplant with the 999cc V4R WSBK homologation superbike, to make a full-bore 1100 motor, with the tech of the litre race bike. That means titanium intake valves and collets, con-rods and engine bolts, two-ring race pistons and individually-set-up desmodromic valves by a named technician, who signs a plate on the motor – neat.
This exotic new motor has the same heads as the V4R engine, but uses the longer stroke of the V4S, up from 48.41mm on the R engine to 53.5mm, with the same 81mm bore as used on the others. The crank has tungsten balancing inserts, there’s an STM dry clutch, and the engine overall is 3.6kg lighter than the ‘standard’ 1,103cc V4S engine with a dry clutch.
Ducati’s also fitted its race-derived transmission, with neutral at the bottom and a lock-out system, so you need to operate a lever to get out of first gear and down into neutral. The intake features massive 56mm oval throttle bodies, up from 52mm on the V4S 1100, and there are bigger 41.7mm titanium header pipes leading to the stock Akrapovic silencer.
Peak power in fully-road legal trim is 228bhp, but if you fit the Akrapovic race exhaust and use Ducati’s own Shell race oil, then it will hit a peak of 247bhp. Erk.
That mad lad engine is bolted into the chassis spec outlined above: a full carbon fibre frame and dual-sided swingarm, with Öhlins and Brembo’s finest suspension and braking kit. The carbon monocoque front frame is claimed to weigh 25% less (-0.6kg) than the aluminium one on the standard Panigale V4, offering ‘calibrated stiffness to improve cornering grip and the natural tendency to close the line’ apparently.
The swingarm is manufactured using what Ducati calls a ‘sacrificial mandrel’ process – a lost wax spindle which melts away during autoclaving. This technique allows for a very light monolithic structure says the firm: compared to the aluminium component, it is 21% lighter, while maintaining equivalent lateral and torsional stiffness to ensure maximum grip out of corners.
Meanwhile, the five-spoke wheels are almost 300 grams lighter than those of the Panigale V4 S Carbon, the front subframe weighs 220 grams less and the single seat rear monocoque reduces weight by 1.3kg over the stock bike’s aluminium part. The result is a weight of only 173 kg in road legal trim, which drops to 167 kg when fitted with the racing kit supplied as standard – mostly down to the exhaust and losing stuff like mirrors, number plate holder and the like.
The brakes feature the first carbon-ceramic brake discs approved for road use, with new Brembo 340mm discs built around a core made of C/SiC, a carbon fibre matrix-reinforced ceramic compound. The firm says this technology offers a unique combination of lightness, rigidity and thermal stability, meaning the disc maintains its efficiency even at very high temperatures. That ensures consistent braking even during extreme use, without the added weight of larger diameter and thicker metal discs. They also look achingly cool.
Ducati says that compared to a steel disc, the new carbon-ceramic discs offer the same level of power, but with a weight reduction of 450 grams per disc over steel – they weigh 1.375kg each and have a 40% lower moment of inertia. This reduction in inertia improves the agility of the bike, making corner entry even more natural and precise.
With a diameter of 340 mm, a thickness of 8 mm, and a 35 mm braking surface, the discs feature 132 precisely positioned ventilation holes to maximize heat dissipation. A newly developed asymmetrical aluminium disc carrier reduces weight while maintaining high rigidity, working in harmony with a distinctive non-circular internal profile: a completely new geometry designed to reinforce the six attachment points and further reduce rotating mass.
Compared to the standard 330 mm Panigale V4 discs, the bigger carbon discs have the same weight but even lower inertia, thanks to a more favourable mass distribution, and, have much more resistance to extreme track use – nice.
The system also includes new Brembo GP4-HY monoblock boosted calipers machined from solid aluminium, with integrated cooling fins and asymmetrical 30 and 34 mm pistons.
The calipers have an anti-drag spring system that completely releases the brakes when the rider releases the lever, eliminating residual torque and thus improving smoothness when entering corners. The pads are specially developed to work with the carbon-ceramic surface.
The suspension is another first: the Superleggera V4 Centenario is the first road bike equipped with the pressurised Öhlins NPX 25/30 Carbon fork with carbon fibre sleeves made using unidirectional layers to achieve maximum weight savings compared to conventional production.
It’s 34% lighter than a fork slider made of conventional material, and overall weight saving compared to the Panigale V4 R is 8%, and up to 10% compared to the standard Panigale V4, with what Ducati says is a tangible improvement in direction changes and front-end sensitivity.
There’s no electronic semi-active functions: the fork is purely mechanical in order to save weight, and has pressurised internals to reduce cavitation in the damping oil and give more consistent support during braking and corner entry.
Out back is an almost-mundane Öhlins TTX36 GP LW shock absorber which is fitted with a special steel spring for maximum lightness – Ducati says using an ultra-strong steel means it can redesign the geometry of the spring, reducing mass while maintaining the same functional performance and fatigue resistance characteristics as a conventional steel unit. And that means a 27% reduction in spring weight compared to a standard steel part.
The damper unit has MotoGP-derived damping valves that improve the ability to cope with small bumps and allow tool-free hydraulic adjustment, while the suspension linkages are made of titanium, again for maximum lightness, all of which brings MotoGP suspension to enthusiasts according to Ducati. The titanium tie rod and rocker arms are around half the weight of the steel parts on the V4S.
The Centenario has almost no electronic aids, and you need to look after it all using your own right wrist. Oh, hang on, that’s not right: this bike has the absolute kitchen sink in terms of digital gizmos: Ducati Traction Control (DTC) DVO, Wheelie Control (DWC) DVO, Slide Control (DSC) and Ducati Power Launch (DPL) DVO all offer more precise management thanks to new algorithms.
Cornering ABS now includes, in addition to RaceBrake Control and Road eCBS strategies, the new Engine Brake Control DVO, which introduces the Dynamic Engine Brake (DEB) function. All of those acronyms are systems based on the Panigale V4 R, tweaked with the latest generation intervention strategies.
All of this MotoGP-spec engineering is clad in the most aggressive set of bodywork on any Panigale. The fairing of the Superleggera V4 Centenario is made entirely of carbon fibre, left partially exposed to show off the fancy stuff. And it comes of course with highly efficient wings and Corner Sidepods, designed to generate downforce at high lean angles, which come directly from the Panigale V4 R Superbike.
Introduced by Ducati in MotoGP in 2021, the Corner Sidepods solution generates a ‘ground effect’ in the middle of the corner, ensuring a higher level of grip for the tyres and thus allowing higher speeds and therefore lower lap times. Thank goodness for that we hear you yelp.
The Superleggera has also been hosed down with loads of other carbon fibre bits: mudguards, tank cover, rad-duct, sprocket cover, heel guards, steering splash guards, seat base, intake duct, number plate holder and rear bank cover are all in the lightweight composite black gold.
The radiator cap, footrest plates, accessory fuel tank cap and top/bottom yokes are all made of billet aluminium. And that top yoke is further enhanced by the lasered model number (XXX/500). The same number appears in the dedicated dashboard animation and on the titanium insert of the ignition key, so your butler knows which one to warm up in your underground lair before Sunday Blasts.
Is all that enough for you? Of course not! Luckily your £135,000 will get you some tasty extras: the Centenario comes in a in an exclusive, customised wooden case, with a certificate of authenticity, a dedicated motorcycle cover, as well as a mat and front and rear paddock stands, designed to enhance its presence.
The special race kit for track use, includes the Akrapovič racing exhaust with DAVC Race Pro software and dedicated lower fairing, open clutch cover and swingarm and alternator cover protectors, all made of carbon fibre.
The case also contains a kit for removing the headlights, side stand, number plate holder and indicators to complete the track configuration, a racing aluminium fuel cap machined from solid, a brake lever guard, a battery charger and neoprene racing seat.
Finally, owners also have the chance to add on with a limited-edition helmet, leather jacket and suit, featuring a colour scheme that echoes the GP26 Rosso Centenario livery.
More info from your local dealer, or at www.ducati.com
Ducati Superleggera V4 Centenario Panigale Tech Highlights
o Desmosedici Stradale R 1100 engine, 1,103 cc
o Titanium intake valves
o Hand-adjusted desmodromic valve train with nameplate and fitter’s signature
o Lightweight crankshaft with tungsten inserts
o Lightweight two-ring pistons with 18mm piston pin
o Titanium connecting rods
o Titanium engine bolts
o Maximum Power of 228hp@14,500 rpm (247hp@14,750rpm with racing exhaust)
o Maximum Torque of 117.6Nm@10,500 rpm (126.3Nm@12,500 rpm with racing exhaust)
o Wet weight without fuel: 173kg (167kg with racing exhaust)
o Ducati Racing Gearbox with Ducati Neutral Lock
o STM Revo clutch
o Carbon fibre front frame
o Carbon fibre rear frame
o Carbon fibre double-sided swingarm
o Öhlins NPX25/30 Carbon pressurised fork with carbon fibre outer tubes and billet fork bottoms
o Öhlins TTX36 GP LW shock absorber with lightweight special steel spring
o Dedicated carbon fibre wheels
o Brembo braking system with Hyction 340 mm carbon-ceramic discs and GP4-HY billet monoblock
calipers
o Latest-generation electronics package with 6D IMU: four-level cornering ABS; Ducati Traction Control
(DTC) DVO; Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC) DVO; Ducati Slide Control; Ducati Power Launch (DPL) DVO; Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) 2.0; Engine Brake Control (EBC) DVO with Dynamic Engine Brake (DEB) strategy.
o Akrapovic racing exhaust with DAVC software and dedicated calibration ** o Dedicated lower fairing **
o Open carbon fibre clutch cover **
o Swingarm protectors
o Alternator cover protector
o Headlight, side stand, number plate holder and indicators removal kit ** o Machined aluminium racing fuel cap **
o Brake lever guard
o Battery charger
o Neoprene racing seat
o Dedicated wooden crate
o Dedicated paddock stands, mat and motorcycle cover