Ducati has unveiled the most extreme, exotic and carbon-laden iteration of the Panigale V4, and it is road-legal! A lightweight, thorough, track-bred bike like this, in typical Ducati fashion, gets the ‘Superleggera’ suffix with a lot of MotoGP-derived componentry and an unprecedented power-to-weight ratio of nearly 1,500hp/tonne, courtesy of a complete carbon-fibre chassis and other weight-saving materials. It is limited to just 600 units, including the Tricolore version, worldwide.
1. Ducati Superleggera V4 produces 247hp in track configuration
2. Comes with a carbon-fibre frame, swingarm, subframe, fork, outer tubes and wheels
3. World’s first road-legal bike to come with carbon-ceramic discs
Ducati Superleggera V4 Centenario: What to expect
This Superleggera V4 Centenario is limited to 600 units worldwide
In this iteration, the Ducati V4 Superleggera gains another suffix – Centenario – to celebrate the brand completing a century. Starting with the heart of the matter, the Superleggera Centenario doesn’t use the 999cc engine that does duty in the Panigale V4 R. Instead, it uses the 1,103cc Desmosedici Stradale R mill, which the brand claims has been re-engineered exclusively for the V4 Superleggera Centenario in a zeal to shed as much weight as possible while extracting the highest performance possible.
Ducati has even incorporated titanium fasteners to minimise mass and maximise mechanical efficiency. The brand adds that it has designed every component with a single objective of pushing the limits of what a road-legal motorcycle can achieve.
The engine alone weighs 3.5kg less than the standard motor. Power stands at 228hp in road-legal configuration and can be further pushed to 247hp in full-track configuration with a full-system Akrapovic exhaust system, Ducati Corse Performance Oil and a carbon fibre dry clutch. In full track configuration, it weighs just 167kg (wet weight, no fuel), and Ducati claims a power-to-weight ratio of 1.48hp/kg!
Much like the V4 R, the Superleggera gets a neutral lock near the throttle that is thumb-operated. It essentially locks out the neutral gear to prevent false neutrals while shifting through gears.
The braking setup on the Ducati Superleggera V4 Centenario is as exclusive as the bike itself. It is the world’s first road-legal motorcycle to get carbon-ceramic disc brakes (spanning a massive 340mm) to cope with extreme temperatures while providing consistent stopping power and lowering inertia.
Another component that’s a world-first on a road-legal supersport is the MotoGP-derived Ohlins carbon-fibre outer tubes. These are incorporated as a weight-saving measure, and the brand claims a 34 percent weight reduction of the outer tubes compared to conventional tubes. Ducati also says it should give the rider better front-end feedback.
Superleggera translates to super-light in English, and the V4 takes the claim seriously. The Superleggera V4 is the only road-legal motorcycle equipped with a chassis entirely made of carbon fibre. Ducati has used carbon fibre for the frame, swingarm, front and rear subframes and wheels. The brand claims a weight-saving of 17 percent compared to the ‘standard’ Panigale V4 alloy chassis.
The Superleggera V4 Centenario comes with Ducati’s full suite of electronics with MotoGP know-how. The suite includes Ducati Quickshifter 2.0, riding modes, power modes, slide control, cornering aids, traction control, wheelie control and engine brake control.
This bike is an exclusive collector’s edition that is limited to just 600 units worldwide, with 500 units in the Superleggera V4 Centenario livery and 100 units of the Tricolore version, which, as the name suggests, comes with the same mechanical and electronics package but wrapped in the colours of the Italian flag, limited to just 100 units.
The lucky few who purchase the Superleggera will get an Arai helmet with the same livery as the bike, and the bike will be delivered in a special crate. Prices stand at around 150,000 euros overseas, and we expect this carbon-fibre-laden Superleggera V4 Centenario to cost in the ballpark of an eye-watering Rs 2.5 crore to Rs 3 crore.
Vishal Venugopal
Azaman Chothia
