The Desmosedici Stradale: Ducati’s New Superbike Heart
These are good days to be a gearhead. Hypercars now regularly make north of 1,000 horsepower, the MotoGP grid is as wild and competitive as it has ever been, and motorcycle manufacturers across the spectrum continue to develop new technologies and exciting machines.
It’s in that last part where the most recent news from Ducati falls. CEO Claudio Domenicalli took the wraps off a brand new V4 engine at the recent Misano round of the MotoGP Championship. For the uninitiated, this is big news.
Ducati has been synonymous with v-twin motors since their inception. Any V4s they created were destined exclusively for their MotoGP racing effort. Now, however, the technology and experience forged in the crucible of top-tier motorcycle racing is making its way to the street in the form of the Desmosedici Stradale, Ducati’s first ever road-going V4 engine.
These are good days indeed.
Desmosedici Stradale“It’s not usual that we launch a production engine on a race weekend,” said Domenicali, “but the MotoGP paddock is the best place to launch this new engine that, for the first time, will give our customers the feeling to ride a motorcycle very similar to the prototype Andrea Dovizioso, Jorge Lorenzo, and Michele Pirro ride on circuits around the world. This is the idea behind the V-4.”
The Desmosedici Stradale is a 90-degree, 1103cc V4 that’s designed for Ducati’s new as-yet-unknown superbike, and replaces the monstrous v-twin found in the out-going 1299 Panigale.
Power output is massive at 88.5 pound-feet of torque and 210 horsepower. Unlike the 1299, the Stradale will make peak horsepower at a sky-high 13,000 rpm.
Every cubic-centimeter of the motor is packed with MotoGP influences. The 81mm bore is the same as the GP bike, and is the biggest of all the four-cylinder superbikes on the market today. Also like the race machine, the Stradale features a counter-rotating crankshaft that will contribute to an agile and stable riding experience.
While we don’t yet have pure evidence of what the Stradale sounds like, there are a few videos floating around online that give some indication of what the Stradale will sound like. If the interwebs are to believed, it is going to be glorious.
Desmosedici StradaleWhat the motorcycle that will house the Stradale will look like or be called is still unknown, but rumor is we can expect it to be shown in the early part of next year.
The Desmosedici Stradale opens up a brand-new chapter in Ducati’s history, and should become the cornerstone of some truly extraordinary motorcycles.
“We are proud to reveal this technological jewel that starts a new chapter in our company's history, demonstrating its vitality and high level of investment in the development of new products,” said Domenicali.
“This engine also demonstrates the close collaboration between Ducati Corse and the group developing production motorcycles, and how much racing is able to develop technology that is then usable for the standard models."