2020 Ducati Panigale V4 Superleggera: true technological showcase

8 April 2020

We didn’t believe it, but it’s a tangible fact; Ducati is releasing 500 units of the most impressive and expensive bike in its history. The Ducati Panigale V4 Superleggera is a technological showcase modelled on the Bologna-based company’s grand prix motorcycles, and it is a machine that is designed to shock track timekeepers.

An accredited grand prix motorcycle

Named Project 1708 by its creator, this model is the closest thing to the GP16; the spearhead of Ducati’s world-class racing team. Engine-wise, there’s the impressive 998cc Desmosedici Stradale R 4-cylinder V-Twin in the competition version, which develops 234 horsepower at 15,500 rpm and 87.8 lb-ft of torque at 11,750 rpm. The horsepower is unleashed thanks to Akrapovic’s full race titanium line-up. It also sports a grand prix allure accentuated by the addition of a stylish limited-slip dry clutch.

Following in the footsteps of the 1199 and 1299 Superleggera, which maintained their sleek weight thanks to the extensive use of exotic materials, the new V4 version benefits from the same advantage. This includes carbon wheels, frame and swingarm, which alone reduced the weight by 6.7 kg compared to the stock consumer version. The Ducati Superleggera also boasts titanium bolts and various aluminum and magnesium components that have been incorporated, for a total weight reduction of almost 16 kg.

Add high-end components such as the Öhlins NPX25/30 pressurized forged aluminum front fork, TTX36 titanium shock absorber and Brembo Stylema R monobloc front calipers, and you get the public road-approved mount that offers the best power-to-weight ratio in the industry.

In order to control it…

The aerodynamic nose fairing design of the 2020 Ducati Panigale V4 Superleggera reaches a new level; with an equivalent of 50 kg of downforce obtained at 270 km/h, thanks to superimposed fins set on each side of a fully designed carbon fibre fairing. The wheelbase is longer, thanks to a longer single-sided swingarm, again with the aim of allowing the rider to better control the extra power that allows the front-end to take off.

In terms of electronics, the same essential features seen on the other Ducati Panigale models are found in the DTC and DQS updates, now called Evo2, with the addition of 5 customizable modes. In addition, the integrated chronometer allows you to store your prowess on five different courses, and the dashboard display mode is similar to the GP20.

With the introduction of the new 2020 Panigale V4 Superleggera, the dream of riding a grand prix machine on the road has finally come true, thanks to Ducati’s engineering gurus who have pushed design and engineering specs to a new level. We expected nothing less from a company that has racing in its genes. Ducati makes the entire evolution achieved in the WSBK category available to racing enthusiasts, as long as they are well off.

By Pascal Bastien