Plenty of videos featuring how a superbike is made on YouTube but this is the first time I came across such mesmerizing “how it’s made’ video. Ducati recently released a video of the birth of the very first unit of Ducati Superleggera V4, unit 001/500 that is; also to formally announce that they now start the production of Superleggera V4 which is made by hand. Do check out the video and I assure you that it is a well-spent 6 minutes of silence.
Now back to what the fuss is all about. First off the list, setting a new benchmark in terms of performance, style and attention to detail.
; the Superleggera V4 is the only motorcycle in the world approved for road use with a carbon fibre frame, swingarm and rims which lighten it by 6.7 kg compared to Panigale V4 MY20.
The carbon fibre journey doesn’t end there; many other parts are made of carbon fibre as well including the fairing. The extensive use of carbon fibre put the bike on max out diet showing a dry weight of 159 kg, a whopping 16 kg lesser than Panigale V4. This comes with a power to weight ratio of 1.41 hp/kg. If you want more, you will need to mount the racing kit supplied with the bike, the power rises to 234 hp and the total weight drops to 152.2 kg with an insane power to weight ratio of 1.54 hp/kg!
The racing kit that comes with every bike consist of 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.
In MotoGP, the current technical regulations limit some aerodynamic design; but this is not the case for the Superleggera V4, it comes with supersized wings and instead of making you fly, it keeps you firmly on the ground. Thanks to the aerodynamic biplane appendages inspired by Ducati’s 2016 MotoGP bike, it is able to give a vertical load of 50 kg of downforce at 270 kph, a whopping 20 kg more than the wings of the Panigale V4 MY20 and V4R; ensuring better braking stability and counteracting the tendency to wheelie.
Some other highlights that are worth to mention; it comes with Öhlins lightened suspensions with a pressurized fork and lightened billet foot and shock absorber with titanium spring and GP-derived valves, Brembo MCS radial-pump equipped with a remote control for adjusting the distance of the lever and Stylema® R calipers, a RaceGP dashboard which is intended for use in circuit derive from that of the Desmosedici GP20 dashboard designed on the indications of Andrea Dovizioso.
