Details of Ducati’s super-exotic and extreme variant of the 1199 Panigale have been officially revealed. The 500 units limited production Ducati 1199 Superleggera with liberal use of lightweight magnesium, titanium and carbon fibre materials, weighs at 155 kgs dry and 177 kgs in ready to ride mode.
Reiterating on the specifications in brief- the Ducati 1199 Superleggera replaces nearly every metallic component with a lighter material. The monocoque frame, the front sub-frame and the forged Marchesini wheels are all constructed out of magnesium. The rear subframe and the fairing panels are fabricated out of carbon fibre with further weight saving contributed by a full titanium exhausts and stainless steel headers.
Diverting attention to the engine, the 200+ bhp Supersquadro (oversquare) unit alongwith titanium con-rods, inlet and exhaust valves in titanium- for the first time incorporates special two-ring pistons on a Ducati road-going motorcycle. If 200+ bhp wasn’t enough, there is a track-spec’d ‘Race-kit’ that adds another 5 bhp at the crank and further shaving off a full 2.5 kgs. The race kit includes a titanium Akrapovic race exhaust and 2-in-1 collector, upswept racing screen, machined mirror fill-caps, and removal kits for the registration plate holder and a sidestand.
The front suspension is even lighter and now sporting lightweight Öhlins FL916 mounted with Brembo M50 Monobloc brakes. Damping duty at the rear is handled by an Öhlins TTX36 shock with a titanium spring. The final drive is a WSBK spec 520 chain mounted on lightweight Ergal alloy sprockets.
We’re not finished yet- the electronics package still remains. The Ducati Traction Control (DTC) and Engine Brake Control (EBC) package now gets a new Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC) with automatic calibration for the rear- tyre size and final drive ratios to attune the Superleggera for track specific setups. An additional sensor has been incorporated into the Ducati Data Analysis+ (DDA+) for recording and displaying the motorcycle’s lean angles. And when the Ducati 1199 Superleggera isn’t scorching the track, the manufacturer is providing a set of front and rear paddock stands with a dedicated dust cover for a peaceful rest in the garage.
Available only in shades of Ducati Corse Red, each bike of the 500 limited numbers would carry an engraved top yoke denoting its production number. And finally coming to the price, the figure we assumed in our last post of US$ 60,000 mark, has been mercilessly trampled by the Ducati 1199 Superleggera. The exotic Italian costs an extortionate £54,000. Going by today’s exchange rate against the Euro, the Superleggera would retail at US$ 74,253 and INR 45.74 lacs (we better leave the custom duty calculations to you).
So what are your thoughts about the hot Italian Lass? Would you buy the Ducati 1199 Superleggera if you had the money to blow? Do let us know.