Specifications
Description
The 1199 Superleggera (which means Superlight) was a result of hard work of the Ducati employees who had been given a pretty tough task— a major reduction in weight. It took lots of efforts to manage the perfect balance between different, unusual materials, including magnesium, titanium, and carbon. At the time the model was released, it beat a range of tough rivals by its light weight and high power. It was sort of an exclusive model released in a limited edition of only 500 vehicles.
History of Ducati Superleggera 1199
Creating lightweight bike with a higher power has been an ambitious goal of Ducati for many years. Everything started with building the Panigale model released in 2012 that featured 1,198 cc. At the time of its introduction, it was the most powerful bike with the V-twin engine in the world. Subsequently, lots of improvement was added to the original Panigale model, and one of the improved motorcycles was Ducati Superleggera released in 2014.
The photos of the new model were released in 2013. They impressed the public right away revealing the potential advantages of the Ducati model that became available for sale the next year. It came with the low weight of only 341.7 (dry weight), so it was significantly lighter than one of its rivals Honda CBR500R. This superbike also had more power than the BMW S1000R.
Ducati Superleggera 1199 Description
The name for the Ducati model was chosen perfectly correctly — superlight. Ducati really mastered the skills in creating a more powerful and lighter model. This vehicle provided over 200 hp. in combination with the extremely low weight of only 341.7 lbs. When it was released, the manufacturer was proud of offering the motorcycle of the highest power-to-mass ratio if compared to any other bikes existing on the market at that time.
In order to achieve this result, a range of innovative techniques was used, particularly, combining several lightweight materials. The recommended price for the Ducati bike was $62,000, which made it cheaper than Desmosedici RR, another rival. The Superleggera bike was equipped with a 1198cc L-twin cylinder liquid cooled engine. Increase in performance was achieved thanks to the modified combustion chamber leading to the increase in compression ratio. Another feature contributing to the low weight was crankshaft. The Superleggera model came with two-ring pistons, which were totally new for Ducati engines. This allowed reducing the weight and friction.