2016 EICMA Motorcycle Show: Ducati 1299 Superleggera Unleashed

When Ducati say that the new motorcycle is their ultimate offering for production consumption, you better stand up and take notice. Well, that’s what many motoring journalists would have done when the new Ducati 1299 Superleggera was unveiled in Italy. The new motorcycle holds two distinct distinctions – most powerful twin-cylinder motor ever produced and the lightest production motorcycle on sale. The new Ducati 1299 Superleggera is also the first production motorcycle with carbon fibre structure. The frame, swingarm, subframe and wheels have been crafted using this exotic material. 

So let’s talk about weight as that was the area of prime concern for the Ducati engineers on the 1299 Superleggera. 2.6kg, 4.1kg, 4kg and 900gm, these are the weight for the frame, swingarm, wheels and the rear subrame! As you would have figured out, Ducati engineers made sure that the 1299 Superleggera was put through a stringent diet and it tips the scale at just 156kg dry for the standard bike while with the race kit this drops to almost 150kg! So how much power does make the Ducati 1299 Superleggera’s motor the most powerful production twin? 218PS in stock trim and 223PS with the race kit and 147Nm of peak torque. As you see the 1299 Superleggera takes performance to a new benchmark for production bikes. 

Now given the firepower, a comprehensive electronic aids list is vital to safeguard the rider. The new Ducati 1299 Superleggera’ gets 6-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (6D IMU) that takes control of the Ducati Traction Control, Ducati Power Launch, and Engine Brake Control. Cornering ABS is standard but the algorithm has been changed and Ducati claims the new system offers better lean angle. Ducati Slide Control has also been updated and offers the rider three levels of intervention. There’s also a bidirectional Ducati Quick Shifter along with the Ducati Data Analyser+ data capture system to analyse your performance. 

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The optional race kit includes titanium race exhaust sourced from Akrapovic, race screen, billet mirror plugs, front and rear paddock stands and a bike cover. Cycle parts are also of top-notch quality like multi-adjustable 43mm Ohlins FL936 inverted fork, while the Ohlins TTX36 monoshock unit has a titanium spring that reduces another 0.5kg off the total. Braking is done by twin 330mm Brembo discs, being gripped by Brembo M50 monobloc calipers. To maintain exclusivity, Ducati has limited the production of the 1299 Superleggera to just 500 units. Each bike will cost an eye-watering Rs 59.50 lakh (without any taxes) and despite the astronomical pricing, Ducati claims only few units are available for sale as the rest have been accounted for by passionate Ducatisti.