For those who don’t find the ‘standard’ Ducati Panigale 1299, the 1299 S or even the Panigale 1299 R remarkable enough, there’s now a Panigale 1299 Superleggera up for grabs. It’s Ducati’s most powerful two-cylinder production motorcycle ever, and it could be yours for a colossal Rs 1.12 crore (ex-showroom, Delhi).
An evolution of Ducati’s superbike, the Superleggera (‘super light’ in Italian) is all about lightweighting. The bike weighs 156kg, which makes it over 10kg lighter than the Standard Panigale 1299. The lighter weight has been achieved with the extensive use of carbon fibre and aluminium in the bike’s construction. In fact, this is the first production bike to feature carbon-fibre wheels, and frame and swingarm. The 1,285cc L-twin engine from the base 1299 Panigale has also been lightened with the use of aluminium and other lightweight components.
In the Superleggera, the engine makes a total of 215hp and 146.5Nm of torque; these outputs are 10hp and about 2Nm more than what the engine makes in the 1299 Panigale. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via Ducati’s Quick Shift six-speed gearbox.
Engine outputs aside, the motorcycle comes with a host of electronic rider aids like the new traction control functions, Ducati’s Sliding control and the latest version of the Ducati Wheelie Control.
The 1299 Panigale Superleggera’s price tag makes it the costliest bike on sale in India, which alone should make it rather exclusive. To top it off, Ducati’s making just 500 of these, which makes the bike a true collector’s item.
Dinshaw Magol
Ved Janve
Ketan Thakkar
