Ducatti’s Latest Street Bikes Is Its Most Extreme Yet
No can accuse Ducati of not doing enough to celebrate its 100th birthday.
The Italian motorcycle maker has just unveiled the Superleggera V4 Centenario. Not only is its latest two-wheeler an exclusive anniversary model, it’s also its most extreme street-legal bike ever.
Since its founding, nearly a century ago in Bologna, Ducati has been focused on one thing: building the fastest motorcycle it can. It’s hard to think of a better example of this ethos than the Superlegerra V4 Centario. The bike was designed to be as powerful and lightweight as possible, as well as something that can be ridden between the home and office.
Ducati Superleggera V4 Centenario
Ducati
The Superlegerra V4 Centario is a superbike, plain and simple. Its chassis is made entirely of carbon fiber, as are its mud guards, tank cover, seat base, and basically everything else you can think of. It also features a pressurized Öhlins NPX 25/30 carbon fork, the world’s first carbon-ceramic brake system (a world’s first for a road-going bike), and even a racing-grade DID ERV7 chain. The result is a motorcycle that weighs just 368 pounds, or nearly 50 pounds less than its closest equivalent, the Paningale V4 R.
The two-wheeler is powered by Ducati’s new 1,103-cc Desmosedici Stradale R 1100. The engine is eight pounds lighter than the same-size unit found in the Paningale V4 and makes 228 hp, though that figure can be bumped up to 247 hp with Akrapovič racing exhaust and Ducati Corse Performance oil. That’s an awful lot of oomph, especially for a bike that weights as little as it does, but thankfully there are plenty of rider-assistance tech to help ensure it’s not too much to handle. These include traction control, wheelie control, anti-lock braking, and launch control systems.
The chassis is made entirely of carbon fiber.
Ducati
Unsurprisingly, a bike like the Superleggera V4 Centenario, which comes standard with a retro-inspired dark red racing livery and features a signed plaque, won’t be easy to get your hands on. Ducati plans to build just 500 examples of the road-going superbike, along with 100 even more exclusive Tricolore variants. The motorcycle starts at $165,000 and comes with a limited-edition riding jacket and helmet when deliveries begin in the first quarter of next year.
Click here for more photos of the Ducati Superleggera V4 Centenario.
